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Re: Potatoes

Bill DeWitt wrote:

>         I think I am developing the Idea that potatoes are not the best SqFt crop.
> Unless they grow a _lot_ better this time, a reasonable crop would take way
> too much space.
>

I am growing them vertically based on a reader's letter to Organic Gardening a year or
two ago.  I build a "potato crib" which is just a 2'x2'x4'  box with 2" gaps in the
sides every 4-6" inches in height.  Starting at the bottom I planted the seed potatoes
and covered with compost and mulch to the first gap where I put a new set of seed
potatoes (with sprouting eyes pointed outward toward the gaps) then more compost and
mulch to the next gap, etc.  The sprouts find the light of the gaps and grow out the
sides.  At the very top I simply plant as normal and cover it over the top with more
mulch and compost.  The sprouts are now coming out around the whole box and on top.
Pretty soon it will just look like one big green mound.  I left one of the sides just
wired like a gate so I can remove it to dig out the potatoes at all of the different
levels.  I'll report back at the end of the summer on how this worked out.

Don B.

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