Over the winter as we planned our garden we often modified our ideas through several versions until we agreed on the best way to build or layout whatever was on the docket that day. Nothing was more debated or went through more evolution than our potato plan.
We love potatoes and eat them all the time so obviously we wanted them in the garden but there are so any different growing mediums out there that we couldn't decide which one was for us.
Since our first priority in all projects is to re-purpose and reuse otherwise useless materials our initial inclination was to use old car tires stacked to contain our spuds.
We love potatoes and eat them all the time so obviously we wanted them in the garden but there are so any different growing mediums out there that we couldn't decide which one was for us.
Since our first priority in all projects is to re-purpose and reuse otherwise useless materials our initial inclination was to use old car tires stacked to contain our spuds.
We read about this idea in a great book The Urban Homestead. This book is full of great tips and ideas but ultimately we didn't choose this method because of fears of what might leech from the tires into our soil. This fear might not be completely founded but regardless was a concern for us.
The second idea that we considered was to just put them in their own raised bed and grow them one plant at a time. An idea that obviously as worked just fine for a few million years but that doesn't mean it is good enough for us.
The trouble with this age old method of tater production is that it just didn't seem efficient enough to us. We love the idea of the tires and stacking up plant on top of plant and really wanted that increased yield without the side effects.
And that is when my wife had a brilliant idea.
The TUBER CAGE!!
The plan was to take a six foot long section of hardware cloth or welded wire that was three feet tall, pull it into a circle three feet in diameter ( had to use pi to figure that one out , Happy Pi day! ) and fill it with layer after layer of potatoes and that is what we did.
Check out the pics of the process and we will keep posted as to their progress.
The spudded potatoes
The hope is the plants will grow out the side toward the sun
Cross your fingers.
Click HERE for an update on our experiment.
I did the tires one year and it did not work out for me at all. I live in Georgia, where it is very hot and humid. The tires held on to the heat and trapped in the moisture causing all my potato plants to mold and rot.
ReplyDeleteI've also seen a similar method you used, but instead of putting all the dirt in at once, it was added as the plant(s) grew.
ReplyDeleteThe tire method has many pitfalls, painting them white may help cut down on heat trapping.
ReplyDeleteWe are hoping this works well and instead of adding dirt as things grow we are planning on taking advantage of potatoes being self preserving in the soil - only making more potatoes instead of rotting completely .
Hope it works. Tubers rule!
ReplyDelete