Question: From – momstheword11
Can anyone tell me please if there is an advantage to not planting them until the cut sides are dry? I heard that it helps to let the cut sides dry? Thanks.
Answer: From Papa
The potatoes are growing very well! The plants are starting to get flowers! The extra drainage is paying off, despite the heavy rains.
So far no sign of Potato Beetles. Plus, I’m on the look out for fungus!
The next step is to feed the potato rings with seaweed emulsion and watch for critters and disease. When the plants die back and turn brown, then the potato harvest will begin (probably in late June).
It appears this is working so well, I’m going to try this with sweet potatoes.
Talk to you soon!
Papa
The potatoes are growing. Another layer of tires were added, compost was installed between the growing plants and topped with straw.
The compost used was from last year! Dark and rich with almost no smell!! Hopefully the plants will take off and turn darker green.
Pots of basil and other aromatic herbs will be placed between the tire rings to deter insect pests. Colorado Potato Beetles can be a challenge.
I’ll keep you posted.
Papa
When my son Nathan was here, we planted potatoes in used tires with the sidewalls cut out. Three tires were planted with Red Norland and three tires were planted with Yukon Gold.
We have an issue with standing water from time to time. Piles of composted tree trimmings were leveled out and covered with weed cloth. The tires were placed and the bottoms were filled with sand. The hardened off potato cuttings were placed in the bottom of each tire on top of the sand. Compost mixed with soil was placed on top of the cuttings to cover the cuttings. Subsequently, composted grass cutting were placed on top.
I will keep you posted on the continuing results of this Spring project.
Papa
Planting potatoes using the long sprout method (allowing the seed potatoes to develop long sprouts prior to planting) is another way to get bigger yields of potatoes. Irish potatoes are actually modified stems. The longer the stems, the more surface area for potatoes to form. This method produced a tremendous yield of red skinned potatoes.
I used compost mixed with rotted wheat straw as my growing medium. More rotted wheat straw was added to fill the tire ring.
Now the sprouts are popping out above the straw.
Soon I will be adding another tire ring as the sprouts grow longer.
Here is another method of planting potatoes. It is called the trench and hill method. Till your soil and open a trench or furrow. Plant the seed potatoes about a foot apart and hill up the soil, compost and rotted wheat straw over the trench and watch them grow!
I can hardly wait to experience these blue potatoes!
Papa
Papas Gardens 