Potato's & What To Hill Them With?

SuperChemicalGirl

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lesa said:
Potatoes are a funny crop- you really have no idea, how you did- until you dig them up!
So true. It will be interesting though to see what methods everyone else who was on the fence earlier in the thread used.
 

Smiles Jr.

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I planted mine just like lesa described in the post above. My trench was about 6 to 8 inches deep and 60 ft. long. I planted 25 reds and 25 whites. Then the monsoons came. It rained almost every day in April and May. The trench was full of water for weeks. Now here it is then end of June and I only have maybe 10 plants growing. And they're not looking very good. Bummer!
 

stano40

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Nice set up chem girl. My reds are blooming like crazy and the white potato's are first starting to pop up.

I'm using all straw on them and so far they seem to be taking to it. Every time they break the surface I've been adding more to the top of them. It's my first time so I really hope this works.

bob
 

Stubbornhillfarm

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I had an old timer tell a friend of mine that "he doesn't hill and bury his potato plants" and bets her that he will get more potatos then she will. He has beautiful gardens and certainly seems to know what he is doing. Any thoughts? My potato plants are doing awesome! I am actually having a hard time keeping up with the mounding. (I guess that's a good problem to have!):cool:
 

lesa

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Remember you can stop hilling, when you see blossoms.... I had a bunch of volunteers come up in my garlic rows- obviously, I didn't hill them. It will soon be time to dig the garlic- so I will let you know what I find!!
 

Stubbornhillfarm

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oooo....Good to know Lesa! I did not know that and just noticed yesterday that there are blossoms on the plants. Yipee! Getting closer. :cool: And yes...I will be interested in seeing what you get for a harvest difference.
 

lesa

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Also, when the plants stop blooming, you can reach in and harvest a few "new" potatoes, for a special treat! Just don't do it too often, as it does affect your final harvest.;) Enjoy!
 

gardentoad

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SuperChemicalGirl said:
How is everyone's potatoes doing? I can't wait to see how mine turn out...

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/...24841780_100001337108712_463340_4940064_o.jpg
I really like this, how tall are your 2x4s and how wide? Do you screw the thing together?

This would work for me, we tried tires 1st time ever and got maybe I meal from a 3 high tower.. It was fun and we didn't have any idea what we were doing. Some things just work out like that


Don :watering
 

SuperChemicalGirl

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gardentoad said:
SuperChemicalGirl said:
How is everyone's potatoes doing? I can't wait to see how mine turn out...

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/...24841780_100001337108712_463340_4940064_o.jpg
I really like this, how tall are your 2x4s and how wide? Do you screw the thing together?

This would work for me, we tried tires 1st time ever and got maybe I meal from a 3 high tower.. It was fun and we didn't have any idea what we were doing. Some things just work out like that


Don :watering
I'm glad you like it. It's my first year doing it this way so I don't know how successful it will be. The frame is made of 2x4s upright, 2 feet apart. I'd say they were probably 5 feet tall. The "sliders" are 2x6s and you can either premake them as a box (measure first... and remember to account for the extra inches from the other 2x6s. Aside: one major thing I learned when building my own chicken coop was that a 2x4 is neither 2, nor 4) and slide them down, or just screw them in and out of the upright 2x4s. We used deck screws.

The tater condo you see on the right is the sliders, the left is the individual pieces screwed into the frame. The thought behind that is you can unscrew one piece and dig out new potatoes. I liked the look of the sliders though.

Stapled on the bottom is two sheets of black garden plastic to reduce weeds the first few weeks as it was placed in my yard.
 
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