Saturday, May 7, 2011

The Potato Box

I need to stop reading about gardening.  I find too many projects for me to do.  I had decided not to grow potatoes this year as they take up too much room in the garden.  The more I thought about it the more I remembered  reading about a friend (screen name hopscotch) had planted his potatoes in hay last year.  Now there is an idea.  To find a flat and sunny spot on these 9 acres is not easy.  Looked around and had some scrap lumber so decided to build like a raised bed 4X8'.  I have a pile that is sort of a compost pile but mostly potting soil where I have dumped pots etc. in the fall.  That should make a good base for the potatoes to grow into and then just cover them with hay.


The box is built and it is 8 1/2' by 5 1/2'.  Why cut lumber if you don't have to plus bigger is better.  The lumber I used is leftover scraps from when the house is built.  Am on rain delay right now but this is what I have so far.  Note I can build the sides higher if necessary but it will eventually be fenced to keep the deer out once I plant.  I am sure they would eat the potatoes as soon as they hit the ground.

Newspaper is down
 leaf layer done
To be continued but not today.  Too tired.

2 comments:

  1. That should give you lots of space for potatoes.

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  2. I can get 40 hills in there according to the square foot method of planting. I am trying a little bit of that this year just to see what happens. Will get the hay at DS's today so maybe get the potatoes planted tomorrow or Tuesday. Depends on when I get the cut.

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