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potato plant needs ?
+3
camprn
boffer
jimmy cee
7 posters
Page 1 of 1
potato plant needs ?
I am putting together a bed specifically for potato's.
Since I am in the building stages what are your thoughts about how deep my beds for them should be ?
Since I am in the building stages what are your thoughts about how deep my beds for them should be ?
jimmy cee
Certified SFG Instructor- Posts : 2215
Join date : 2013-02-16
Age : 88
Location : Hatfield PA. zone 6b
Re: potato plant needs ?
In my experience planting determinate potatoes, 6 inches of MM is enough as long as you can hill the plant to cover the potatoes without the MM falling out of the box. 6-12 inches of box height is fine.
You can certainly plant indeterminate potatoes in 6 inches, as above, but to get maximum production from them, you would want to go with more height: like garbage can height or 4-5 stacked tires height.
You can certainly plant indeterminate potatoes in 6 inches, as above, but to get maximum production from them, you would want to go with more height: like garbage can height or 4-5 stacked tires height.
Re: potato plant needs ?
Thanks Boffer
I'll do both 8 - 10 inch sides and barrels also
I had good luck this season with wire cages 3 ft high
With weed barrier to keep the mix in.
I'll do both 8 - 10 inch sides and barrels also
I had good luck this season with wire cages 3 ft high
With weed barrier to keep the mix in.
jimmy cee
Certified SFG Instructor- Posts : 2215
Join date : 2013-02-16
Age : 88
Location : Hatfield PA. zone 6b
Re: potato plant needs ?
And don't use fresh compost as it seems to promote scab.
43 years a gardener and going strong with SFG.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3574-the-end-of-july-7-weeks-until-frost
There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance. ~ Henry David Thoreau
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t1306-other-gardening-books
Re: potato plant needs ?
Some real good info here, thanks
jimmy cee
Certified SFG Instructor- Posts : 2215
Join date : 2013-02-16
Age : 88
Location : Hatfield PA. zone 6b
Re: potato plant needs ?
DH is building me a potato cage on a wheeled platform. I asked Nov 9 if used MM is good for potatoes or do I need to add fresh compost to it? I have 2 buckets with potatoes growing but would like a larger one that I can move with the sun movement. What if I planted sweet potatoes in it. Do they need fresh compost. Thanks.
Re: potato plant needs ?
Potatoes would be happy with used MM that has had some bone meal added. To get big harvests they do need a lot of nutrients but not a lot of nitrogen. And they like it a bit acidic. If there is too much nitrogen you get a lot of foliage and little tubers.
I am guessing that sweet potatoes would make all vine and small tubers in too rich a mix.
I hope that helps until some sweet potato master comes along
I am guessing that sweet potatoes would make all vine and small tubers in too rich a mix.
I hope that helps until some sweet potato master comes along
Turan- Posts : 2619
Join date : 2012-03-29
Location : Gallatin Valley, Montana, Intermountain zone 4
Re: potato plant needs ?
Thanks for that, I jotted it down to keep with my little notebook in the garden...Turan wrote:Potatoes would be happy with used MM that has had some bone meal added. To get big harvests they do need a lot of nutrients but not a lot of nitrogen. And they like it a bit acidic. If there is too much nitrogen you get a lot of foliage and little tubers.
I am guessing that sweet potatoes would make all vine and small tubers in too rich a mix.
I hope that helps until some sweet potato master comes along
jimmy cee
Certified SFG Instructor- Posts : 2215
Join date : 2013-02-16
Age : 88
Location : Hatfield PA. zone 6b
Re: potato plant needs ?
I researched this last night and could not find a consensus. The one answer I liked the best was to add organic matter in the fall and allow it to mellow. Which is basically the same as using used MM.
yolos- Posts : 4152
Join date : 2011-11-20
Age : 74
Location : Brooks, Ga Zone 7B/8A
Re: potato plant needs ?
My potatoes have done really growing in straw bales one year (you start the composting process in the bales for 2 weeks then plant in them. You simply force the potato seed down as far as you can reach and they'll grow like weeds.
Then they've done well with the left over semi-composted straw bales from when we cleaned up our straw bale gardens the past two years. I've gathered that up and piled it on the bed where my potatoes are growing. Mid-year I've simply added more straw on top any time I saw potatoes trying to peek out.
I'm no longer doing the Straw Bale gardening as I've increased my SFG and BTE garden spaces which produce better in the same space, but they were helpful for getting started.
Then they've done well with the left over semi-composted straw bales from when we cleaned up our straw bale gardens the past two years. I've gathered that up and piled it on the bed where my potatoes are growing. Mid-year I've simply added more straw on top any time I saw potatoes trying to peek out.
I'm no longer doing the Straw Bale gardening as I've increased my SFG and BTE garden spaces which produce better in the same space, but they were helpful for getting started.
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