Growing potatoes

[the funny farm6]

Can someone explain the raising potatoes in old tires? We have an abundence of old tires(can't see paying several dollars each to take them to the dump). Thanks!

 

[Denim Deb]

You start w/putting down a tire and having some compost or good soil in it. Then, you add your seed potatoes, and cover them w/whatever. You can use old straw, hay, lawn clippings, etc. If I remember correctly, you want them covered to a depth of about 8-12". Then, as the potatoes sprout, you keep adding tires to your stack, as well as more organic material. When you're ready to harvest, you remove the tires and all your potatoes are easy to get to since you don't have to dig.

 

[BrandedX]

First of all - Welcome!

My thoughts:
Those 15 gallon tubs are going to be really heavy by the time you get all your soil in there plus some water, too. What's SFG soil mixture?
I always have to water any hanging plant more often than anything planted directly in the soil. No area to leave the tubs sitting directly on top of the ground? You could put the tubs anywhere then, maybe in an area that gets more sun.
On using the plastic, I have nothing. I don't use it here or my spuds would be baked. Do you mean that you would suspend the plastic over the plants? Would that create a greenhouse type effect, too? Just askin'...

Thanks for the welcome!

The Square Foot Gardening soil mix is equal parts Vermiculite, Peat Moss and Compost.

I'm wanting to use the trash bins so that they are portable (using a handtruck if needed once the soil level gets deep and full of water) in those ultra hot days and need a little relief from the direct sun. Also it would allow me to easily fix up a bug screen at the top to keep the critters away until they start to blossom.

 

[BarredBuff]

BrandedX welcome as well! I'd forgot my manners!

 

[Denim Deb]

BrandedX welcome as well! I'd forgot my manners!

Shame on you, Buffy!

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

3 years ago tried the tiered-tire method. Lots of beautiful foliage but I watered too often and didn't get any taters.

Year before last, tried the box method: the boxes got too wet and everything sagged.

This year, I'm making 4x4 frames to fit over my 4x8 raised beds. One 4x4 section gets onions, and the other will get potatoes. As they grow, I'll add 4x4 frames on top and fill with straw. Will stop when it gets 3 tiers tall. Under the bottom 4x8 bed is almost pure sand so I'm not concerned about drainage this year.

HOPE HOPE HOPE it'll work. We are really looking forward to eating our own taters!

 

[Theo]

I'm just growing them the old fashioned way, in the ground. I tried potatoes in a garbage can one, but they were poorly drained and only a few tiny potatoes were produced. This year, I am preparing a bed for potatoes: I put down cardboard to smother weeds, and I piled up leaves and rotted straw on it. I think I'll add a little dirt on top and call it good. Can't wait until spring!

 

[Dawn419]

We'd like to try planting/growing our own taters but the soil is so rocky here in the Ozarks that we're looking into planting them in cages. Building cages for them will be a heck of a lot easier than trying to dig through the rocks.

The Potato Cage

Growing Potatoes in Cages

Tater Towers

 

[Joel_BC]

We'd like to try planting/growing our own taters but the soil is so rocky here in the Ozarks that we're looking into planting them in cages. Building cages for them will be a heck of a lot easier than trying to dig through the rocks.

The Potato Cage

Growing Potatoes in Cages

Tater Towers

Those seem like interesting ways to try. Might work out quite well.

I've known people who had some great gardens on rocky land. They built raised beds above-grade - using a framework that penned soil in place. For instance, a number of "pens" maybe five feet by eight feet (and 8 - 10" deep). True, you have to source your soild from somplace in order to fill the bins. In my region, people use cedar boards 2" thick for the outside of such bins because they resist rot (though I've also seen it done with concrete sides). With cedar, you have to replace the boards after five years or so.

 

[Dawn419]

Hi Joel!

Hopefully we'll find out how well it works this coming season!

Here's another tower idea: Wood Tater Tower

We have two, 5' x 20' raised beds in the main garden that are made from trees that we cut down to clear the garden area (bought 17 acres of raw land and moved to it in 9/09). We have those beds filled with river-bottom top soil so they're on the sandy side but I'm adding rabbit manure and shredded leaves as I can.

We went to a Go Green Festival last April and one of the ladies we met makes raised beds out of recycled pallets. We plan on adding many of those to our "raised bed menagerie" eventually.