Garden Plan

http://www.bettervegetablegardening.com/growing-potatoes-in-straw.html

Wednesday 8. Mar 2017
Growing Potatoes In
Straw – Slideshow
Page Contents

Growing Potatoes in Straw
Materials Needed
Slideshow
Crop Care and Harvesting
More …..

Planting Potatoes In Straw The Work Smarter Method

Planting Potatoes in Straw

This method of growing potatoes is made for those of us with big ideas and limited time. Some gardening methods are just more fun by nature. Maybe the fun part is the actual lack of work involved in this method.

Apart from the reduced work load in using this method there are several good reasons for growing potatoes in straw.

Eliminate digging
Thick covering of straw can greatly reduce soil temperature
Reducing the weed factor
Reduces water requirements
Adding organic matter to your soil
Reduces soil born diseases
Eliminate tuber damage when harvesting

Step By Step

Step 1. Put Potato on The Ground
Step 2. Throw Straw Over Top
Step 3. Harvest By Lifting Straw And Picking Potatoes

Wow! that was easy! There really isn’t much more to growing potatoes in straw than that.

Materials Needed

Straw

First, let’s define “STRAW” – Straw is the seedless dry matter derived from grain harvesting. For our purposes here we should consider any dry matter that is suitable for mulching as straw.
Photo of mulch used when growing potatoes in straw

Roll-over image to enlarge

A good thick layer of straw, will help keep the soil cooler, reduce moisture loss and protect the growing potatoes from sun. Used here is a mixture of straw, dried grass clippings and various different types of leaves.

Follow this link for the different types of mulch materials you can use here and elsewhere in your garden.

Seed Potatoes

A rough guide for the amount of seed potatoes needed is 8 lb of seed potatoes to a 100ft row (3.6 kg to plant 30 meter row) This will depend a lot on how big your seed potatoes are and whether you cut them or not. Follow this link for more details on Seed Potatoes

Bed Preparation

This is an easy method method of growing spuds, however as with any crop some ground preparation is necessary. A simple way of combining weed control, ground preparation and fertilizing potatoes all in the one simple step is by sheet composting your intended potato patch the season before planting your crop.

All-Purpose 5-5-5 Organic Fertilizer
Gardeners supply fertilizer

Not everybody has the time or materials available for adding animal manures or sheet composting, all is not lost. You can still produce and excellent crop by using a good quality All-Purpose 5-5-5 Organic Fertilizer when the garden bed is being prepared and later on as a side dressing.

Planting potatoes in straw is an excellent method for growing potatoes in any garden. It is especially good for any situation where you are unable to dig the ground up to plant potatoes, like this garden, featured in the slideshow. This potato bed is built over top of construction fill, consisting of bricks, stones and old broken concrete.

Slideshow

growing Potatoes in Straw

Start Over
helpful items

Usually this is done on top of garden soil that has been dig over and fertilized, so all you really need is:

Straw or good mulch material
Spuds
Water Source

Crop Care

The straw retains moisture keeping the soil cool and reduces (not eliminates) the need for watering. So as with other potato growing methods check regularly to ensure soil moisture is adequate. Follow this link for more details on Watering Potatoes

Harvesting

Photo of harvesting potatoes grown in straw

Talking of harvesting, this is the easiest part of the whole growing in straw deal. A simple matter of lifting the straw and gathering the potatoes. Don’t you just love simple, it leaves more time for other gardening pleasures.

too many pictures to move them all here.