Potatoes in Tires
Hardiness Zone: 3a
Guy from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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RE: Potatoes in Tires
(submitted via email)
I have no pictures, however I start with one tire and this year I am using a very loose soil of straw and peat moss. Last year I used potting soil and found it too dense, so my potatoes didn't produce much
Plant the seed potatoes in the first tire about 3 inches deep. When the leaves and greens get about 10 or 12 inches high, place another tire over the first and fill with soil again, leaving about 3 inches of greens showing. Again when this growth gets to 10 or 12 inches repeat process, until you have 4 or 5 tires. Leave until the first frost, which we get in October. As you need them, just dig them up. Hope you are successful. Guy
Post by jess
RE: Potatoes in Tires
(sent via email)
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Hello, Our neighbor and us have been talking about growing potatoes. I told him I remembered my grandfather growing potatoes in tires. And told him I wasn't sure the specifics. That's when technology came in. (the net). Thank God for memories and the net. I would love to hear how you do it and would love to see your pictures. Please share them with me. Thank you for posting. We are in Texas
Larah
Post by Sappie
RE: Potatoes in Tires
(sent via email)
Saw your post about potatoes in tires. I tried it this year and the plants grew well [despite potato bugs, slugs, japanese beetles, etc. :-)] and I was able to stack to 5 tires. But all the potatoes were in the bottom tire! Nothing in the upper tires. I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong, hoping that looking at your pictures might help. Many thanks for any insight you can offer!
Bill
Post by jess
RE: Potatoes in Tires
(submitted via email)
Please send pics of tires. Tried to grow potatoes and they did not come out good. Thank you
Darlene
Post by jess
RE: Potatoes in Tires
I had no luck with potatoes in tires. I had great sucess planting potatoes in rows as usual then when they start to come up cover them with about 6 to 8 inches of straw. When you need potatoes just lift the straw get what you need. You don't have to keep hilling them up or anything. When you have dug them all up just till the plants and straw up and get ready for next year.
George
Post by georgegobble
RE: Potatoes in Tires
I don't know about growing potatoes in the tires, but I do know that certain kinds of fertilizer encourage a lot of top growth on your potatoes, and so they do not grow as many potatoes. Perhaps this is what happened to your potatoes. Also, sometimes potatoes just do this -- produce a couple of really big potatoes, and not a whole bunch. It may have to do with the kind of potato you planted as well. Have a talk with other gardeners in S'toon, and see what is a good type of potato. I suspect, since you didn't have an abundance of little potatoes, that it was the amount of fertilizer or type of potting soil.
Post by louel53
RE: Potatoes in Tires
We planted one hill of potatoes in tires. Our results was 5 nice big potatoes (no little ones). I'd heard you get a big harvest, which for us was not the case. Some of your other regular soil planted hills did just as good. I'll just stick to the regular way.
Post By suzin (Guest Post)
RE: Potatoes in Tires
Well, from the responses I think I may have used the wrong soil. I used potting soil and it compacted "too much" I think. I like the ideas of dwmoar using sawdust, and of Sue using recycled shredded paper. Next year I will try the looser materials. Thanks so much for all of your input. BTW the potatoes I did get were huge and great !
Post By Guy Tozer (Guest Post)
RE: Potatoes in Tires
Try tomatoes next year. The tire grease helps them ripen
Post By douglas (Guest Post)
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