No Dig Potatoes

[Ellen Peavey]

Is there any that knows how this works and have you tried it? I have read many articles on this method and want to try it. I have been saving newspaper and have save eight bales of straw for the top cover. I'm looking forward to Spring and all the planting that will get done.

[ohsweetie]

there's SO MANY good videos on youtube. like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGBdHls9zzk&feature=related

 

the thing for me this year was i had a baby at the end of May and then only got my potatoes in the ground at the end of june, so it only worked a little bit...fingers crossed for next year!!!

[Ellen Peavey]

So if I start as soon as the last frost is over then it should work. How many rows did you put in? I live in south east Georgia so hopefully it will be the end of March when I can try this. Thank you for the information.

[ohsweetie]

i'm pretty sure you take a spade and fork the ground a little bit, dump some leafy/grassy/coffee ground/food compost on it and throw the potatoes on it. no rows, just a pile of seed. then you build your cylinder, put a little bit of hay on top (about a foot?) and then let them grow up through the hay, throw more hay, repeat.

[Ellen Peavey]

I read you use newspaper first make it eight to ten sheets thick,wet it down so it won't blow away. Lay it out in long rows, next the compost then the potatoes and finally the straw at least a foot or more. Then as it grows up thru it add more straw.

[ohsweetie]

cool! i think it works no matter what. i think that's what the magic is :)

[Laurel McGilvery]

I've grown potatoes this way.  I put the cut pieces on the untilled but closely mowed ground, put a fairly thin layer of hay over them (4 inches or so).  And then as the plant grew, I just continued piling hay on top until I had about a foot of hay with plant sticking out the top.   When I wanted potatoes, I simply raked aside the hay, picked the potatoes I wanted, and then piled the hay back on.   Just make sure you have plenty of covering for the developing potatoes... otherwise, they will sunscald.

 

And potatoes are frost-resistant.   Plant them early - we plant  in Jan/Feb here in MO where our last frost is often in April.    As long as you have them heavily mulched, the frost won't hurt them (this is for regular potatoes - Sweet potatoes are a warm-weather crop and grow downwards into the soil)

 

Laurel

 

[Ellen Peavey]

How many potatoes did you plant? Was it one long row or did you use the whole bag that you bought? I know I have to buy seed potatoes from the hardware store or the feed store. My question is how many potatoes per six foot row? I live in south east Georgia so I think I will wait until the end of February or the first of March, right now we are having snow and a lot of cold weather. We have five inches of snow on the ground and freezing rain on the way, I'm longing for Spring. Thank you for the information really helpful.

[Laurel McGilvery]

You are having an unusually cold/snowy winter, aren't you.    Yes, wait until the snow melts at least.  But don't wait too long 'cause they don't do well in the heat.

 

I planted maybe 10 pounds of potatoes.  Bought them at the feed store.  Bought a lot more than I planted and I planted them in several rows.  Cut the potatoe into pieces, makin sure there is at least one good "eye" on each piece.  I usually try to include 2-3 eyes/piece which is an overkill, I know, but some didn't grow.  I saved a couple of potatoes and used them to plant where I missed.  I've tried red and white and don't seem to matter for me although I prefer the red potatoes, personally.  This year, I may try some of the wierd ones also (like purple).

[Mike Lieberman]

I could've sworn that I just read an article on this. Can't remember where though. 

 

I only have a balcony and not much access to land, has anyone tried growing potatoes in a wine barrel? I've seen the posts about growing hundreds of pounds of them, but don't know anyone that's done it. 

[Ellen Peavey]

Yes it is an unusual winter, hopefully the snow will be gone on Sunday. So I guess I will get ready to plant some on Monday,will go to the feed store and get the red potatoes along with some bales of straw. Thanks for the information very helpful.

 

[Heather M Estey]

this sounds very interesting Ellen--what exactly is the process involved? I would be interested in learning about this from you. :)

[Ellen Peavey]

Heather M Estey said:

this sounds very interesting Ellen--what exactly is the process involved? I would be interested in learning about this from you. :)