I'm new at growing potatoes and I'm trying the straw method. Please tell me if I did this wrong. In a raised bed 14'x5' I laid a soaker hose serpentine back and forth and planted my seed potatoes (next to and all along the soaker hose) about 2-3 inches deep. It took a long time for them to start coming up (almost a month!) I started fluffing straw over them as then started coming up. As they grew I added more straw until I ran out of straw and then started adding grass clippings every time I mowed. I went a little wild and have about 5 different varieties in this one bed. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips for me? Or did I do anything wrong that you can help me with? I didn't add any fertilizer either...I wonder if I should have and if so what kind?
newbie Potato question.
you probably don't need fertilizer. How tall are they now? when did you plant them? do you have flowers? have you moved the soaker hoses up as you've added material? (just curious about that, as I moved my hoses along but wasn't sure if I needd to). - patty
Uh, potatoes need even moisture, but, not as much moisture as keeping a soaker hose on them, I don't believe.
I just dug up rotted spuds from overwatering. Last year, I had a much better "potatoes-under-leaves" harvest.
It's so arid here, I almost never worry about over watering. Anything above the soaker hoses is dry. Not sorta dry. DRY.
Can't wait to harvest my yukons... without flowering, the plant is now wilting -- a sure sign that dinner is just around the corner! I'll post pics on "potatoes under straw"
No, I didn't raise the hose as they grew taller and I only use the soaker hose when we haven't gotten any rain. I hope they don't rot but they are looking okay so far. Happygirl345, I'm curious about the "without flowering" comment? Is it better if they don't flower? I hope you keep us informed on your "potatoes under straw". Did you lay them on top of the soil and throw hay on top before they sprouted? : ) Need more information so I'll know what to do next year. :0
Ann,
Some potato plants flower (which is a sign that there are new potatoes). Once they die back, you have mature potatoes. That said, not all potato plants flower all the time.
My comment about "potatoes under straw" is a reference to this (very robust!) discussion
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1170623/
SO much information there about potatoes! Whew!