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Re: potatoes... again

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

How do you keep piling up the soil in the planters?  Are they whiskey
barrel type of planters?  I tried doing this but I couldn't mound the
soil up very high because it would just spill over the sides of the
whiskey barrel.  I tried planting the spuds at first only half way up
the container, but that still didn't leave me much room to pile more
soil up around the growing plants.  I'd like to plant spuds again this
fall, but last time I wasn't very successful, so I want to figure out
how to do it better before I start this time.

Kim
zone 9, so cal

"Towey, Brian" wrote:
> 
> Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
> 
> This is my first time with the barrel method, too.  I'm using potting soil
> in big planters.  I keep burying them up to their "necks" (the main bunch of
> leaves), but no more than that.  I expect to let them grow until the plant
> above the ground dies back for the winter.  Then, I'll dump the barrel and
> see what I've got.  I planned to do the same with my sweet potatoes, but
> they are vining, not bushing.  If that goes well, I'll report back to the
> list.
> 
> -BT
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: JLestochi@aol.com [SMTP:JLestochi@aol.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 1999 9:02 AM
> > To:   sqft@listbot.com
> > Subject:      potatoes... again
> >
> > Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
> >
> > Two potato questions:
> >
> > 1.  I recall reading a message recentlyt from here that compared growing
> > "barrel" potatoes with straw vs mounding with soil.    I've got 3 sets of
> > potatoes growing right now, 2 are in straw, over 1.5 ft high so far...
> > the
> > third is much newer, with plants only a few inches high.  I'd like to try
> > mounding with soil on this batch, just for fun.  Do I use any kind of
> > soil?
> > Do I cover the plants completely or leave some poking out the top?
> > Anything
> > else I should know about this method?
> >
> > 2.  When do I harvest?  I think I read that they are ready for harvesting
> > when the plants begin to flower.  Is this correct?  How do I know when
> > they
> > flower if I keep covering them up?  (Geez, this sounds like a dumb
> > question!)
> >
> > Anyway, as always, any help is greatly appreciated.
> >
> > Joe   <--  Strange looks from neighbors over the oddly shaped gardens are
> > finally starting to diminish with the wonderful growth of tomatoes,
> > peppers,
> > corn, various beans,  zucchini, lettuce....
> >
> >
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