Growing Potatoes - Yummy & Easy!!!

I always loved growing potatoes. Making a rectangle of chicken wire fence, about 2 feet tall. Break up the ground, then rake smooth & "plant" the potatoes by placing them on the surface in a checker board pattern. As they grow, fill the chicken wire enclosure with grass clippings, straw, clean garden trimmings, etc. No manure or other "Hot" compostables. Do not turn the pile. Let the potato vines grow up through the compost pile, let it bloom and when the flowers die, use your hands & carefully & gently dig into the compost.

You'll find all sizes of totally clean potatoes. Get what you need (for that day) put the straw back & the potatoes will continue filling out. You can keep going like that for months.

We all like garden fresh tomatoes, but try fresh potatoes - Yum.

Peace
poor_old_dad

 

I don't have the space for something quite this large, but are you familiar at all with the laundry-basket approach? I've been considering trying that on my "front deck" where I've got a few square feet of space.

My one concern has been that I've got such a limited space, and 'taters are so inexpensive... it almost seems like a misuse of my space to plant something like a potato when I could be using that space for herbs, or beans, or tomatoes, or... yep, the list grows as I think about it.

love,
mom

 

In this old hippie's opinion, you are right. In a tight space don't grow the inexpensive, grow the most expensive/hardest to find food you regularly would use. That's usually herbs. Also fresh herbs are great for bartering. A hand full of fresh chives can be swapped for a small sack of spuds.

And if you have a flower bed, try growing saffron, talk about expensive! But it's a beautiful flower too.

Peace, eace:
poor_old_dad

 

Ohhh, saffron! Thank you - I love saffron rice! I'll have to look into that.

love,
mom

 

I liked the ease in growing a potato. I am going to try this.

 

What is it with potatoes lately?

 

i've had good results growing potatoes in old tires. you start with one and plant it in a mix of dirt and a bit of well rotted manure. when the green part gets tall enough, put another tire on top and fill with dirt leaving enough of the green exposed to get light. i usually build them 5 or 6 tires high.
if you're growing them in the ground you need to loosen the soil and fertilize several feet down. with the tire method you can grow right on top of your lawn.