Potato Planting That Even *I* Can Do

Posted on 2007-Mar-3 at 10:00 - Post Comment

On Monday (or was it Tuesday?) I learned something very cool.  It is the only way that seems like a reasonable (non-hard-workish) way to grow potatoes.  You people who live in an apartment could even do this.  Ok, here’s what you do.  You get a garbage can, right? And you fill the bottom up with several inches of dirt and straw and bark and junk like that.  Then you drop some potato eye pieces down there and cover them up with the same dirt mess.  After a while you’ll get this greenery that will start growing up, and then you dump more soil and straw, etc over it.  Then more green stuff will grow up and you keep on dumping dirt over it, right?  Well, within several months, after you’ve continued to dump a bunch of dirt layers over the growing greenery, you can dump the whole garbage can upside down (preferably not on your living room rug) and get about 100 potatoes out of there! They require very little water, so the bottom does not need holes poked in it.  I am very excited to try this.   Is that not the coolest thing you have ever heard?  I am so ready to try being a garden girl again.

REQUEST... if any of you homestead types post (or have posted) an entry on how you figured out where to plant stuff, can you let me know?  I want to map out my upcoming garden but i have no idea how to plot it out.  I am sort of getting the idea of how a square foot garden is supposed to look, but i'd like to see a map, or a rough sketch drawn out of how it looks.  Or if you know of any good links with free info, that would be super appreciated!

You are such a Hoot!!

Posted by FruitfulVineof7SoFar on 2007-Mar-3 at 10:27 - Link

So, the gardening bug finally got you! I am glad to see you posting over here... though you know I check you everyday at hsb! ( ;
Anyway, I have my garden set-up from last year planned out on a word doc, so I know what I did from year-to-year, and I will email it to you. Just for an idea, of course.
I thought I read that you did a 1-acre garden last year.
Ours isn't quite that big, but oh, do we need it, and oh, would it be grand!
Anyway, ttyl...
-J

Cool

Posted by UnlikelyHomesteader on 2007-Mar-3 at 10:39 - Link

I'll have to check and see if I can find some good sites. Also check out the Garden section on the HSBFrontPorch, Catherine Love is a wealth of info.

I love the potato idea. We were going to give that a try last year and ummm... we somehow just didn't get around to it. I'm thinking it sounds pretty good again though....

Oh... and turn on your RSS feed here. :o)
~Nancy

Untitled Comment

Posted by mywinterpeople on 2007-Mar-3 at 10:43 - Link

I have to tell you I haven't had so much fun reading someones blog in a long time!! I laughed heartily at you shared stories of farming. You are truly becoming a wonderful homesteader (and I predict a great Mom!) I look forward to reading more!
Blessings,
Sharon

Oh good

Posted by MrsBurns on 2007-Mar-3 at 10:52 - Link

I was going to suggest that you post this on Homestead as there will be several folks that might try this. We have lots of "urban" homesteaders with limited space and I know they love the patio suggestions.

I read this winter that during WWII, people used potato peelings to start potato plants. Funny, now in our time of more-than-plenty that we use whole potatoes! Maybe when (if) I get good at growing them using whole potatoes (egg sized) then I'll experiment with a more frugal approach.

Also, if you can get a copy of the Square Foot Garden from the library, there are several workable garden plans diagrammed. That is a great book for kids; mine are using it this year as they are "leasing" 48 square feet from me in order to grow market vegetables. For boys particularly, it's a great spatial approach.

Did you know?

Posted by Pattisea on 2007-Mar-3 at 01:19 - Link

You can also plant them in hay? It makes for clean taters. Exact same principal, but use hay instead of dirt.

Thansk for sharing such a great tip...I want to try it!

Patti

Edited by Pattisea on 2007-Mar-3 at 01:19

potatoes

Posted by mccrjill on 2007-Mar-3 at 03:33 - Link

I heard about growing potatoes in tires the same way - you just add another tire when you want to add more dirt, but the garbage can sounds better (my husband didn't want a bunch of tires sitting around) - maybe I'll try the garbage can/potatoe thing. thanks. You can also just lay them on the ground if you have room and keep covering them with dirt.
jill

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Posted by CandyFoote on 2007-Mar-5 at 05:03 - Link

Hey, I just noticed that you are the same age as my little sister! She was born April 3, 1972.
Ahhh, that's so cute!
I hope you're not as bratty as she is! =D
Candy

More Details ~

Posted by southofthegnatline on 2007-Mar-6 at 05:55 - Link

I read your comment over at Burn's Best Farm Blog and started giggling......y'all have really moved along in your rural life endeavors........woo hoo!

Seriously - what a great idea. But is the garbage can to be located.........? outside? in the basement? with the lid? without the lid? I would surmise that if it's in the basement - growth would be slow? since that's where "the root cellar" is supposed to be......gawh!

Funny reading about the "goat convention"......only in America - where we must have "equipment" for our activities and hobbies, "outfits and clothes", and "clubs & conventions" for everything we do.....wonder if Geoff will be like Dalyn's Disco Doug w/future Christmas gifts................you'll be able to smell him coming home!

Great info ~
Good to read about y'all's homesteading adventures over here......
:)
Harriette

Garden Time

Posted by countryheart on 2007-Mar-8 at 10:03 - Link

Thank you for the potatoe tip. It sounds great! We live in southern middle Tennesse and have a very successful garden each year. It did come with alot of trial and error though. Those early years were exciting! We usually plant corn (sweet) on the end and then green beans. We plant bush beans that grow low so you don't have to worry about steaking them. They won't"run". We also have okra , peas, and tomatoes. The other crops that we grow are squash ,Zuchinni squash (great for zuchinni bread),cucumbers and sometimes cantelope. The last group that I mentioned are not planted in rows but are planted in mounds. You make a hill of dirt about 2 feet by 2 feet and plant the seeds around the bottom 1\3 of the hill every 7 or 8 inches apart. You then put a handful of fertilizer in the top of the hill in a little bowl shaped dug out area and cover in back up. You want to allow these hills some room between each other. And these rows need to be about 2 feet apart. The first ones that I mentioned are planted in rows and we plant 3 seeds about 1 foot apart with a handful of fertilizer in between.
3seeds____________fertilizer_________3 seeds___-
That how we do corn and beans.
Okra and anything else with really small seeds we usually just make one row with seeds all the way down since they are hard to handle.. Ihope this has been helpful. I have a book called Storey's Basic Country Skills. It's wonderful. No homesteader should be with out it!