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Lot of questions= lot of potatoes

-- [ From: for-pac * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --

Thanks for the questions, try it and find your own answers, that's the fun
of gardening. 
The term I was looking for, Neason mentioned it - its "hilling". The whole
idea is to hill the plants as they grow, but instead of soil, straw or hay,
or whatever ava. materials is used because it make harvesting easier. 
There is nothing wrong with the "sprawl" concept. I have a personal
preference for space savings and control. 
Plant growth is determined mostly by the length of the season.
Fertilize the way you would normally, somewhere so the roots can get to it.
Early picking?  Yes, you can do that with any potatoe method, and most other
crops. That is the whole idea of gardening, you have it whenever you want it
. I'm very impatient, and I will dig up a pot full of "boiler-sized" and
continue picking all season long. Total production might be altered, but
thats ok. To wait until the end of the season, and have piles of potatoes to
store and process is less than fun. I want it now.
With potatoes, pretty much whatever you do can work out great,"try it,
you'll like it."
-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------

Date: Thursday, 12-Mar-98 09:57 PM

From: Ross E Stanford          \ Internet:    (stanford4334@juno.com) To:  
veggie-list@eskimo.com   \ Internet:    (veggie-list@eskimo.com)

Subject: Re: Potatoes and Straw

Wow.  Thanks, f-p.  (Who was that masked man?)
     It sounds kind of like growing leeks.  I'm going to do it your way.
However, I do have some questions.
     What's wrong with the sprawl?  Do they grow better or bigger when
confined? Or is it just a space saving method?
     How tall can you grow these things?  Is it limited only by the length
of the season, or the strength of the straw, or what?
     If you bury some of the green parts, do they then start to root? (like
a tomato plant will)
     Do you want very loose straw or packed straw?
     Can you use the same straw year after year?
     How deep should the initial straw layer be?
     Should I put the potato into the ground, or just on top?
     Can the bottom potatoes be harvested before the top ones?  Would that
hurt the plant if you steal from the bottom of the tower?  If you use the
tire tower method, could you slice between the bottom tire and the second
tire, pull out the bottom tire, let the rest of the tire tower down gently,
and harvest from the bottom tire?
     How would you fertilize as the plant gets taller and taller?
     
I think I will start the potato patch ASAP, and when I get time, I will
build a retaining wall around the patch.  Hmmmm,  I just got an idea for a
cheap 12 inch tall by 8 ft long raised bed wall that shouldn't cost more
than about $3.00 US.  

Thanks again f-p,  I may have more fun with this than with my pyramids.

Stan.     The cheap and lazy gardener.
P.S.   My neighbors will love my new potato towers, especially if it put
fins on them!

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