Growing Potatoes in Tires

Category Creative Planters

This is a page about growing potatoes in tires. Tires make great potato planters. As the plants grow, you can easily keep adding tires to build a potato tower.

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Tip: Potatoes in Tires

By Guy Tozer [1 Post, 5 Comments]

October 7, 2008

We just had our first frost last week and I dug up my potatoes grown in a tire stack. I was disappointed to find only 6 potatoes. I planted 3 seed potatoes in the initial tire, and partially covered the greens, as they appeared to a final height of 5 tires. Any suggestions as to what went wrong. It would be helpful for next years attempt. Thanks.

Hardiness Zone: 3a

Guy from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

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Comments

By Louise B. [6 Posts, 2,614 Comments]

October 7, 20080 found this helpful

Top Comment

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.

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By Jess (TF Editor) [229 Posts, 2,181 Comments]

March 10, 20090 found this helpful

Top Comment

(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

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Archive: Potatoes in Tires

October 7, 2008

As we have to garden in raised beds here in AK growing potatoes seemed out of the question due to space limitations, until someone gave us this tire idea.

You begin with one tire and fill it with soil. I planted about 6-8 "eyes" per tire. Be sure you fill in the "cavity" of the tire as well. When the plants get about 8 inches tall. Add another tire then fill it with soil as well almost to the top of the plant. I just leave about 3 inches sticking out. Be SURE to fill the inner tube fully and not leave air pockets. You can add one or two more tires if desired. I would suggest a three stack.

When the plant is forced upward it is creating a longer tap root thus putting out more little taters. The tires create a heat "sink" which is a warm moist environment for growth and they have a lot more room to grow insided the tires than planted in the ground.

When it comes time to harvest you can remove one tire level at a time, with the other tires creating an insulated "keeper" until you need them. Of course HERE I may have to harvest them earlier because of the cold but in the lower 48 or most places at least they should keep a long time without being disturbed.

I have photos if anyone wants to see them. Just send me a private email and I will send a shot. AS a side note. I have used ProMix in my tires as we ran out of topsoil and I have had great success with Pro Mix in the past in my greenhouse and for general purposes.

The advantage is that I wet it and before I add it to the tires and it is saturated with water. So I know from the get go that my soil is good and wet to begin with and easier to keep wet because of all the perilite/vermiculite in the Pro Mix. I like it that it does not harden like "dirt" tends to do especially you have clay in you dirt at home.

boodiejo

Potatoes in Tires

I don't know if our poster is still on any of our lists because this was from 2003. There is a picture of tires and an explanation of planting in them at:

http://www.humeseeds.com/potato.htm (01/19/2005)

By Susan Sanders-Kinzel

Potatoes in Tires

I have grown potatoes in a plastic garbage container filled with sawdust. Just plant you seeds in the bottom and as the plant grows keep covering with sawdust. When it is time to harvest it is simple to dig through the sawdust for the potatoes.
(08/02/2007)

By David M.

Potatoes in Tires

I live in Anchorage and have 8 snow tires which cannot be used for their original purpose anymore. I got excited at Johnson's Tire when I remembered planting potatoes in tires. A worker there said he' heard about it and it worked for whoever he was talking about. My husband groaned as he thought we could get rid of the tires. I'm planting tonight - I know it should have been earlier but I had a hard time breaking down and purchasing seed potatoes at $9.95 when I would need a couple. The earliest my Dad bragged about planting potatoes was April 30 and that was in aa regular garden. I would love to see pictures of your potatoes. Thank you. (06/02/2008)

By Laurel

Potatoes in Tires

I am doing the potatoes in a tire. I start with dirt on the first layer and as I add another tire. I used shredded paper that I get from the doctor's office, so the potatoes aren't in the dirt. It seems to work well. I am doing this for the first time and can't wait to see if it works. Then I am recycling two used items that would go some where else and it cost nothing. (06/29/2008)

By Sue

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