Leaf Bin Potatoes

[hqueen13]

I don't know about fast growing, I guess they have a "size" that they grow to just like anything else, all the ones that I am familiar with are large and well spaced. Their trunks are probably 2+ feet in diameter, probably closer to 3' or larger. MUCH of Charlotte, NC, where I grew up is populated with them. We have one on either side of the house on the bedroom end, and I am grateful that in Hurricane Hugo of 89 neither one fell. There was one up the street (might have been a regular oak though) and it took out the entire living room half of a split level house when it fell.
As far as we're concerned, the wood burns well, we use any downed limbs or thinned out limbs to burn in the fire place (or used to until my parents switched to gas), and it seemed to burn at a reasonable rate.
But that's a digression

 

[nelson castro]

Now that was a great idea! They look like they are doing wonderfully!

Couldn't agree more. A very cool idea.

 

[BrewCrew]

wonderful idea and good for you for helping the kids and the spuds in one fell swoop.

Brew

 

[baymule]

My grand daughter and I dug potatoes yesterday and today. The leaf bin potatoes were a success! They were big, beautiful and without blemish. The leaf bin with the chicken wire retainer wall yielded 12 pounds of potatoes and the flat bin by the street yielded 18 pounds.

I had 3 other beds one 5'x4' that yielded 27 pounds, and two 2 1/2'x5' that yielded 17 and 13 pounds. I'm pretty happy with the 2013 potato harvest.

 

[DianeS]

Very nice!

This year my potatoes are planted in boxes of straw. I had a bale left over from my straw bale garden layout, and I figured straw should work similarly to leaves. So I broke it open and mixed in dirt and such to make it more composty. (Is that a word?) We'll see how they do, hopefully as well as yours did!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That's awesome! I'll be digging mine shortly, but I won't do nearly as well as you did. I only had a short row.

 

[Denim Deb]

I was late getting mine in, so they're late coming up. But, I noticed this evening that 6 of them have sprouted! And, I also had one come up in my compost bin. I moved that to another container, and it's doing well.

 

[Corn Woman]

I have still have a huge amount of bagged leaves so I'm trying this. Great idea! I should be able to get some very nice new potatoes.

 

[baymule]

I have still have a huge amount of bagged leaves so I'm trying this. Great idea! I should be able to get some very nice new potatoes.

Mix some manure or compost in with the leaves!

 

[dfr1973]

My box of Kennebec White potatoes is still growing. Not all came up, and not all of what came up has survived ... but one did blossom even though the flowers were eaten before they could set. I still have the second box and the 3lb bag of Yukon Gold seed potatoes, although I have been adding dirt and "whatnot" that the chicks kick into their waterer on top of the leaves in the second box. I've been meaning to add some more leaves to the first box as well, as the initial ones have settled in the rains.