How To Grow Potatoes?

[Mackay]

We've got volls like crazy and last year they ate over half of our neighbors potato crop......so I've decided that I will try to grow them above ground in a raised bed.

I layed down half inch wire mesh, covered it with cardboard, staw and just enough dirt to keep the staw from blowing away.

Next I was going to lay down alfalfa hay and cover that with homemade compost, then I was going to cover that with a mix of regular soil and composted dairy manure to made a pile about 16 inches tall.

But I got to thinking that the alfafa hay may make too much nitrogen for potatoes so now I'm on hold feeling hesitant to do it. Does anybody have an opinion on this?

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

golly. thats a lot!

i'd say get a passel of hardworking barn cats and they will take care of your voles!
;-)

but good luck with your taters.. if it were me i'd use straw.

 

[TanksHill]

Modern Pioneer made a YouTube video on the potato baskets. I have one in my yard as well. Basically the same as you described with wire on the bottom. I have gophers like no tomorrow. I usually put in about 4 to 6 inches of whatever to start them off. I never have anything to cover my plants with. I am terrible at making compost. This year I have used whatever I could get, store bought mulch, composted horse manure etc... I did not realize the nitrogen could be a problem.

Hummm???

 

[Mackay]

Well, thats just it. I don't know if the nitrogen is a problem or not so I thought I should wait and try to find out.

I think thats really neat how people grow them in buckets. I'm going to have to do that with my peppers as they can't handle a chill at all. Out in the day, in at night.

We don't have cats because we will be traveling in the winter. Maybe I could rent a cat?

 

[Mackay]

When I put the alfalfa hay into my big beds and left it for a week I could see that things under it seem to be decomposing kinda quick. Its only been just over a week, and we had lots of rain too.

Maybe I should just pass the alfafa and put it on in the fall after harvest.

 

[Wifezilla]

Might not be a bad idea.

I am growing sweet potatoes in bags and in an old Little Tykes toy box that I painted black.

So far so good, but I wont know until fall if it really worked.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

We do our potatoes in donated old tires. We stack them up as the foliage grows and fill the new tire up with soil. In your case, I would put the wire under the bottom one, on top of the ground, and begin from there. All the potatoes are above ground, and when you wish to harvest, just kick the pile over in the direction you wish to harvest.
Mischief managed!

 

[sufficientforme]

I have always wondered if the tires leach any chemicals into the potatoes/soil? Does anyone know the answer? Because we have such voracious critters always eating our garden I would like to try this method but am concerned. Thanks

 

[Mackay]

I've been to a few organic gardening sites and asked about tires leaching stuff and everyone seems to think they are OK.

Regarding wire mesh under the beds, my neighbor recommended the mesh used to put up on a wall when doing ceramics, He says it is stainless steal and will not leach anything.

I used 1/2 inch mesh under my beds from home depot and no telling what that is made out of or if it will decay. But I figured the roots of my plants wont reach it anyway. Next time I will look into what he recommended