potatos under straw

I just know I read about it..Now i can't remember where
If you could direct me I would appreciate it
I want to try this bale gardening idea also..
I have lots of reading to do on this.So keep up your chatting
Thanks

Tubby

Tubby, I don't know about straw, but several years ago my Dad just placed the taters on the ground and covered then with chopped up leaves. They did great and very little digging involved.

Doug

Doug..Thanks I do have several bags of leaves..Thats what I'm talking about less digging..LOL

That thread was referenced on the veggie forum -I got lost in it earlier today... well more than one...

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/937306/
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/825325/

Tubby, here's some potatoes I tried in some old bales that I had used the previous season. I just used a pitchfork to fluff up the straw and ran a short row.

As time goes by

As more time goes by

Time for some taters! Not a speck of dirt.

KentNC Thanks for info. Did you put any soil in first or add more straw as they grew..They look beautiful

Tubby


Now that I see them tators I'm hungry again.LOL

This message was edited Feb 19, 2009 10:59 PM

Tubby, nope, no soil or anything, just old straw.

I made a row about a foot high and put my seed potatoes about 5-6 inches inside.

I didn't add any more straw.

What you see in the wheelbarrow is exactly how they looked when I grabbled them up.

Kent you fry up some of them taters, I'll make the soup beans and cornbread!

Doug

PS: You will have a D-mail in a few minutes.

KentNC..Thank you I have old bales ..I'll definitely do this

I'm going to put this in blog so I won't forget you So I can show you my success
MY grey matter gets pretty thick sometimes..LOL

Doug I'll bring the Pepsi and beer

Tubby

Doug: been offline for a couple of days. I love taters any way you fix'em! Will check that DMail, too.

Tubby: I'll be waiting for the pics.

I see Ames is not far from Omaha. As a young sailor I was stationed for about 2 months at Offutt AFB back in the winter of 80-81. I was going to an Intel school on base before going to my first duty station in Pearl Harbor. A white-out blizzard came through on my first weekend and the wind chill was way below 0! I was glad to get to balmy Pearl, for sure! :-)

No doubt about the wihite-outs..We had 2 in the last 3 or 4 weeks.1st one was the worst..We had 3 people here stranded (couldn't see the road) It cleared up enough later the man went on home The 2 ladies stayed the night.Roads were to slick to drive on in the dark

.I'll bet you were glad to get to balmy Pearl .LOL

I'll send pics

Tubby

Wow! KentNC, Those taters are mouthwatering to look at I can imagine those lit'lest ones boiled up in milk and butter...........awwwwwwwww, yummmmmmm..... lets all have a Homer Simpson moment here!!
Okay , now, heres my straw bale question, how do you fertilize those little taters ?? HOw did you prepare your loose hay before planting the "seed", then did you fertilize as they grew? See I am really a newbie!

I was wondering the same thing. Had been thinking the worst corner of my garden with the best straw from the stalls (the top stuff, not the HOT...)

Eufaula and grownut: All I did was take a pitchfork and loosen up the straw that had been sitting there all winter. I added some straw from another row until I got the length I wanted and the heighth, probably a little over a foot.

I bought 5 lbs of seed potatoes and cut them up with at least one eye per hunk.

I put each hunk down in the straw a few inches and covered them back up; I put the hunks about 6 inches apart.

If I do this again I will probably make my row a little wider and put in double rows.

I kept the bales moist until they sprouted and fertilized with Miracle Gro once/week after they sprouted.

A frost came through and knocked back the first sprouts but new ones came right back up.

Watch for insects and treat accordingly like you would any other time.

So...., how early would be a safe time for planting potatoes, do you think?

Eufaula, Up my my way folks are already planting potatoes. Not sure what the custom is in your area.

All I remember about potatoes is that the Old Guys would hurry to get them into the ground before Easter!

If you can surely I can...Or is WF east enough to be balmy NC...

grownut: Some folks plant from Good Friday forward, but I generally try to wait until May 1st. We can get frost in late April and I don't won't to have to worry about it and replant.

Same here then, roughly: Derby Day is planting day.

My DD had us help him plant on good friday Said it was a must .It was so cold we were wear in insulated coveralls .Didn't matter it had to be done,LOL I remember DD was sitting in his car with heat on..His health wasn't very good But a fond memory.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^_^