in a tower I have found out that if you use Determinate Potatoes they do what you have achieved. Make Sure you use Indeterminate types and only make one layer and then add soil and compost as the stalks grow up
I'm pretty sure the "trick" to growing spuds is understanding the plant's structure: like a normal plant (with roots and growing top), BUT.....once roots are down, the plant sends out "special roots" on which the tubers grow. (Potatoes dont actually grow on normal roots of the plant.)These special roots originate just above the roots but below the soil surface, so right where a mulch layer would be. The tubers do well in this loosely compacted top layer because they can easily expand without exposure to sun (I believe this is also why commercial potato growers like sandy, uncompacted soils - thirsty, but big spuds/ yields!). This experiment seems to confirm (to me at least) that the special roots and tubers occur in the mulch layer and not so much under ground / in compacted soil. Bearing all this in mind, I like a method of planting seed potatoes, which involves a thick layer of mulch on top in which the special roots and tubers can spread out and expand, once the plant's normal roots have dug down a bit. Anyway, great video, and Thank You- keep up the great work on the channel!
Potatoes like clay soil because clay soil retains moisture, holds nutrients and keeps the tubers cool. Loosely compacted soils heat up too much and delay tuber set and slow down tuber bulking. Give it a try. I only plant mine in clay soil now.
@Christopher Wallbank It depends on how they grow. I've tried beans as well and usually after 1-3 crops, they should be adapted to it due to genetic selection. All I know is that my potatoes grew best in clay soil. My yields in looser soils have been lower on average. I do amend a bit of grass clippings and leaf mulch mixed into the clay soil when planting but that's really just to help the shoot break the surface. After about a month or so, the grass clippings and leaf mulch have decomposed so they play no part any more.
I once had success doing similar, but instead of all layers at once i kept adding weekly to the tower once the tops were out, and they kept sprouting new growing roots from the buried stalks. I guess you could also bolster this halfway with a few new potatoes added
this is a good explanation of why people hill up the potatoes after they sprout - the potatoes grow in the hills. Do the chicken wire horizontally the next time.
Any experiment is worthwhile doing unless tried one never knows if it will be successful. An interesting concept I was surprised how hard the bottom layers of the first tower seemed and the difference between the two towers in production would that have received more light. Thanks for sharing Have a safe and Happy Christmas
I grow second early and main crop in one ton builders bags, I have a small garden with poor and shallow soil. I throw anything that is useful into the bags as the plants grow and harvest when the plants start to wither. Had a great crop this year by ensuring the growing medium was loose and well watered. Couldn't spend as much time in the garden this summer as I had six weeks of daily cancer treatment and was really knackered every day so it was a case of just trying to keep the garden watered, we had so little rain in June I almost emptied my rain barrels! So to finish, when we want spuds I only need to rummage around in the bag and take what we need. I will empty the bags in the Autumn into the deep beds ready for next year and use the big bags to store seaweed and leaves ready for next spring.
Was really cool to see the results of your potato towers, will be cool to watch your progress on your next towers if you try it again. Thanks for sharing!
I remember reading in the organic gardening magazine years ago of a lady who put seed potatoes on the bare ground and covered them with a good layer of straw. As they grew she added more layers of straw so that the potatoes forming would not be exposed to sun. Sounded like a interesting way to grow potatoes and they came out cleaner than ones grown in the ground.
I haven't seen too many of these potato towers be greatly successful. The 'growing in a cardboard box' method seems to be easier and yield better results.
I have tried about every old and new trick to grow Irish potatoes and the only real success I have had is the old trench method and a 12 inch raised bed making a trench in that . I live in a very rainy area in the spring and so either way water is a concern, the raised beds help keep the seed potatoes out of the Muck but you can continue to replicate the in earth row technique by mounding the dirt.
Good video John. I've tried these a few times myself, and I'm now of the opinion that spuds grow much better in a "normal" potato patch. That being said, I do have spuds growing in "grow bags" over winter in a sun catching area; and they do okay, but, again, not as well as in the ground. Good experiment.
Sorry to see you did not mention the weight gain. In bags or soil I get between 6 and 8 times the amount of potatoes I planted during normal grow season outside. It's a way better intrest rate than the zero percent I get when I put my money into my savings account at the bank. Best of all is that the potatoes I grow are way better tasting than the sprayed ones from the grocery store. Greetings from Holland.
Thanks John I enjoyed this video & have failed at growing potatoes here in Brisbane so any tips from your followers would be greatly received. Cheers & Merry Christmas- Denise
I love to experiment in the garden and I appreciate you sharing your learning curve. My take away is if you intensively planted your potato seed in the bed and threw the straw on top to keep it moist you'd have a much higher yield. I have very limited garden space so I don't typically grow potatoes on a regular basis. With that said I have a tote full of Potatoes and the green is still doing well. I wrapped it in plastic to see if I can harvest Christmas or New Years potatoes. otherwise I plant all the potatoes my mother seems to let chit before eating in my compost pile where they are very happy. I live in Aurora, Oregon zone 8b (around 157 ft above sea level) so there is a slight chance the potatoes will make it. BTW Your potato patch outdoors looks lovely.
I only half fill my potato tower. Then as it grows keep banking them up with soil. I do the same with potatoes in the ground. You get a better harvest.
This is similar to my experience with potato towers - which is to say, not very impressive at all. You do end up with some nice soil/compost, though. So I've come to think of this technique as a nice way to get some extra potatoes out of a low-maintenance compost pile. Not a way to get the best yield of potatoes. I say if you're really limited on space, go for it; you can even get some taters out of a five-gallon bucket. Or if you're tucking another compost pile in a corner somewhere, throw some seed potatoes in there for a little bonus. But I wouldn't count on towers to get a real serious harvest. It sounds good on paper but it just doesn't really add up.
Next time you might like to try planting only one or two potatoes at the bottom, then build the tower as the green grows through - you end up with one plant that has lots of potatoes in the tower, so you're not competing with other plants for resources.
I would be interested in the results if instead of side by side, where one was shaded, you were able to put the towers along the plastic wall? Would the sunlight and heat help the harvest?
I done potato towers last summer for the first time, I found them to need to be watered every day when the potato plants got a little bigger. Many times they would be wilted over they were so dry. I live in eastern Canada so not a very warm climate. It's just the design is not good for water retention. If you can't water Daly this is not a good idea. It did work for me but the potato I had in the ground done better needed less water and gave a better harvest. This is good for people with smaller gardens less room. I simply used cut grass and old soil from previous seasons inriched with chicken poo some kelp and about 15% compost. I would do it again though it was a fun experience.
Haven't seen you for a while John, look forward to a garden update especially after the weather we've had lately. This was a great experiment and I'm glad I've seen the result before I get to plant my vegi' gardern. It certainly seemed like a good idea and perhaps slight variations would improve the results as a comment below from Alumi Diaz implies. Worth a go but I suspect you'll primarily be growing in your tried and proven method outside. All the best, Merry Christmas and thank you as always for sharing. Duncan.
I've seen several potato tower videos. None of them gave impressive yield. I'm guessing that someone had success with the potato tower (possibly using indeterminant varieties). It seems like a logical idea so people grabbed it and don't want to let go.
Theres a scientific article on why they dont work, its because you cant make a plant produce more potatoes than the foliage can photosynthesise for, theres no magic im afraid it just doesnt work
This is a very good vid - thank you!! I have seen on other youtube channels spuds grown in pots that yielded better than bed grown spuds. Potatoes need a lot of good sunlight to yield well - they are just chunks of starch. Winter might be the biggest limiter. Do they yield more during summer using the same technique?
Good experiment you tried there. But did you plant indeterminate or determinate potatoes??? Back where I'm from when I grew up we always planted indeterminate because we had a short growing season and this method gave us more potatoes for the same area; we would mound the soil up as the stock grew and we get several layers, but we never went over 2 feet don't know why but we did what our dad did. lol cheers
Looking at the soil as you were breaking it down, it seemed too dense and hard. Maybe 'dilute' the compost with sand to make it easier for the tubers to grow. Root vegs tend to like looser soils.
i tried it a few years in a row different ways the dirt always packed super hard and sometimes they never grew at all i made lumber 2x6 layers for my tower and the potatoes never grew in the bottom and i had more luck only having 2 layers high i gave up on growing stuff even my eatable perennials stopped coming in and something killed all my onion bunches lol i gave up
I remember when Mother Earth News showed method back in the 1980s, made it look like it would be the ultimate for a small back yard garden. Since then with the advent of youtube I have yet to see anyone get the same results, makes me wonder what is being done different?
It looks planting around the perimeter is important too. But it’s not a productive use of resources unless it dramatically improves. I will not be using a potato tower this year.
I’m just wondering if the straw soaked up too much of the water perhaps potatoes need large quantities of water I’m just wondering if this is why the yield was a little lower
Hum cost of straw and cow poo and if you purchased seed potatoes. i would wonder if its value for $$. Interested to know more about growing them and is it too late in our summer to grow no on the coast of Nsw
My grand father showed me how he cut the potatos in half and place the eyes facing up to get more of a crop I've done it and the cut side rooted and would have dozens of potatos hanging on on to the roots ..i dont think those mounds you plant do the plants like when the dirt compresses ..i think you would do better with your mound if you use a tube in the center and fill it with sand pulling it up as you go ,for watering the mound it would place the potatos on the outside or the ring easyer for them to find sunlite
Mate, yah "towering" wrong. We use to do this with old car tyres. Place one tyre down, plant ya spuds. When the top is completely "bushed", place another tyre on top and fill, leaving some brush to continue to grow. The plant top structure turns to root structure. Do up to 4 tyres stacked. The trick is though, you need to keep the bush healthy and plentiful as you stack, as it supports the growth beneath.
I'm a little concerned how roughly you handle your potatoes. When I buy them I usually look them over for bruises and cuts and bad spots of any kind. You just toss them in the bucket not seemingly worried about what they will look like later.
Q. Do you remember if you built both towers the same? Details. I just watched the old video of making the towers. You didn't show building the first tower and that was the one you got the better yield from. I was wondering if you put the same amount of potatoes per layer? More or less compost or straw?
@@homesteading I always find it interesting when I plant several of the same thing in beds or even pots and one does significantly better than the other. I guess that is gardening. Love the videos
I wonder if adding a tube with holes in it down the centre (like some do for airation of a compost bin) so when you add water it will get to the lower layers. I wonder if this would aide the production? Has anyone ever tried this? I think I will unless I hear otherwise!
I tried that this year. I had the same experience. My feeling is that the weight compacts the soil so much it inhibits tuber growth. My best potatoes were in the top for.
There was one thing I didn't see that I think would have helped u get a lot more and bigger spuds from lower levels. That is to have a piece of one or two inch PVC pipe with holes drilled in it at different sides and levels of the pipe. Not very large tho cause u want u water source to be able to fill up the whole pipe and have a small amount of pressure so the water will penetrate the soil as far from the pipe as possible and cover this with a piece of fabric the that is made to encompass the pipe to keep dirt from getting into the pipe. And set this up so that the bottom layer of straw holds the bottom of the capped bottom end of the pipe is held in place by the straw and the top have string or twine attached at top and is on a piece of string or wire to keep it centers. Then build ur layers and keep the pipe generally centered as u add straw, compost and seed potatoes to each layer. and then at the top end of the pipe put on the connection u will need to connect it to ur water line. That way u should be able to get more water to all of the plants and they should do better. And u might need to play a little with the hole sizes from top being slightly bigger than the bottom and intermediate levels so that u can make the watering more or less even as the pipe empties out after u shut off the water. Then either have the pipe have a place that it can be unscrewed from the bottom so u can pull the cage holding ut dirt and straw together so u can pull it of like to did or make it so the cage cylinder has a quick release of some sort at a seam. Having a seam would make it so u could flatten it out so it takes up less space in storage.
I noticed that the 'soil' in the second bag seemed 'better quality'. It was SOFT and not compacted in the center... Also, those LITTLE spuds with that soft skin are great for 'STEWS'. No peeling, no cutting, just clean 'em and drop 'em in the pot, lol!
@@homesteading You know what, the second bag was closest to the Plastic wall which means it got more indirect Sun. I bet that's why the contents 'decomposed' FASTER then the one near the door. Is that side 'South' facing? If I were you, I'd try it again but put them 'in line' with each against the Plastic and also make sure your materials in the middle layers are 'cut up more' to aid in decomposition. You'll have spuds AND *good compost* for the Spring! Enjoyed your video, you be blessed!
How do you tell the difference between indeterminate and determinate potatotes ? I never knew there was two different types. I have always just trenched my potatoes and mounded them up, . I 've never bought seed spuds, I just keep some to replant every year.
Commercial farmers fertilize and hill there plants when about 8” tall. They broadcast pelletized fertilizer and run a hiller that burries the fertilizer right up on top and the plant it this point is on a 18” tall row. This method was nearly a complete fail. You could have grown more potatoes in a 5 gallon container. The only layer that produced was on top. The others just rotted away. But it was interesting and is how we learn. Trial and error. Now how about those avocados. Have you given them some sunlight yet??
Think the potatoes need air and looser space to grow. Mounds of cinder and mulch and not skyscrapers where the tenants on the upper floors compress the lower 'tenant's ' living space.
Doesn't seem worth it. I've tried it for last 4 years, I harvested one edible potato. Lots of sunburned ones at edge but none lower down. Compared to a row or field hill?
in a tower I have found out that if you use Determinate Potatoes they do what you have achieved. Make Sure you use Indeterminate types and only make one layer and then add soil and compost as the stalks grow up
this makes sense. needs experimental data to present the results 👍🏿
love all you gardeners....sanity in an insane world.
I'm pretty sure the "trick" to growing spuds is understanding the plant's structure: like a normal plant (with roots and growing top), BUT.....once roots are down, the plant sends out "special roots" on which the tubers grow. (Potatoes dont actually grow on normal roots of the plant.)These special roots originate just above the roots but below the soil surface, so right where a mulch layer would be. The tubers do well in this loosely compacted top layer because they can easily expand without exposure to sun (I believe this is also why commercial potato growers like sandy, uncompacted soils - thirsty, but big spuds/ yields!). This experiment seems to confirm (to me at least) that the special roots and tubers occur in the mulch layer and not so much under ground / in compacted soil. Bearing all this in mind, I like a method of planting seed potatoes, which involves a thick layer of mulch on top in which the special roots and tubers can spread out and expand, once the plant's normal roots have dug down a bit. Anyway, great video, and Thank You- keep up the great work on the channel!
"Stollens" I've heard is the structure that the tubers develop from
Potatoes like clay soil because clay soil retains moisture, holds nutrients and keeps the tubers cool. Loosely compacted soils heat up too much and delay tuber set and slow down tuber bulking. Give it a try. I only plant mine in clay soil now.
@Christopher Wallbank It depends on how they grow. I've tried beans as well and usually after 1-3 crops, they should be adapted to it due to genetic selection.
All I know is that my potatoes grew best in clay soil. My yields in looser soils have been lower on average. I do amend a bit of grass clippings and leaf mulch mixed into the clay soil when planting but that's really just to help the shoot break the surface. After about a month or so, the grass clippings and leaf mulch have decomposed so they play no part any more.
This is why the Ruth Stout method is ne of the best ways to grow potatoes But you need space to do it.
Great info, thanx bro.!
Never never know if you don't give it a go.
I once had success doing similar, but instead of all layers at once i kept adding weekly to the tower once the tops were out, and they kept sprouting new growing roots from the buried stalks. I guess you could also bolster this halfway with a few new potatoes added
¹
Interesting experiment and still a lovely harvest. Thank you!
Potato towers are fickle!! However it amazes me how resilient they are in growing at the bottom of the potato tower with very little water or sun!!
this is a good explanation of why people hill up the potatoes after they sprout - the potatoes grow in the hills. Do the chicken wire horizontally the next time.
Any experiment is worthwhile doing unless tried one never knows if it will be successful. An interesting concept I was surprised how hard the bottom layers of the first tower seemed and the difference between the two towers in production would that have received more light. Thanks for sharing Have a safe and Happy Christmas
I grow second early and main crop in one ton builders bags, I have a small garden with poor and shallow soil. I throw anything that is useful into the bags as the plants grow and harvest when the plants start to wither. Had a great crop this year by ensuring the growing medium was loose and well watered. Couldn't spend as much time in the garden this summer as I had six weeks of daily cancer treatment and was really knackered every day so it was a case of just trying to keep the garden watered, we had so little rain in June I almost emptied my rain barrels! So to finish, when we want spuds I only need to rummage around in the bag and take what we need. I will empty the bags in the Autumn into the deep beds ready for next year and use the big bags to store seaweed and leaves ready for next spring.
Was really cool to see the results of your potato towers, will be cool to watch your progress on your next towers if you try it again. Thanks for sharing!
I remember reading in the organic gardening magazine years ago of a lady who put seed potatoes on the bare ground and covered them with a good layer of straw. As they grew she added more layers of straw so that the potatoes forming would not be exposed to sun. Sounded like a interesting way to grow potatoes and they came out cleaner than ones grown in the ground.
Agreed, I’ve seen the same. Seems like the looser the soil and straw, the better the yield.
Need to have a watering tube that goes down the centre of the mound so that the bottom gets more water.
i admire your work and honesty
As a survival situation its a win, it fills the gap until the main crop is ready. Thanks for the vid. :)
I have been looking forward to the result. Thank You!
Little ones are delish in green beans
Many thanks 😀
I haven't seen too many of these potato towers be greatly successful. The 'growing in a cardboard box' method seems to be easier and yield better results.
I have tried about every old and new trick to grow Irish potatoes and the only real success I have had is the old trench method and a 12 inch raised bed making a trench in that . I live in a very rainy area in the spring and so either way water is a concern, the raised beds help keep the seed potatoes out of the Muck but you can continue to replicate the in earth row technique by mounding the dirt.
That was great. We've grown in a grow bag before, which worked out pretty well. Amazing how little potatoes really need to produce!
I like how their not attached to any pesky roots.
I find that the potatoes are usually concentrated at the top.
Interesting how they set at the layer edge like that, well done and a very interesting experiment 😉
Very well done.
Thank you.
Amazing Gardening, thanks for sharing.
Keep added soil and straw as the plant grows, leaving some leaf showing.
Good video John. I've tried these a few times myself, and I'm now of the opinion that spuds grow much better in a "normal" potato patch. That being said, I do have spuds growing in "grow bags" over winter in a sun catching area; and they do okay, but, again, not as well as in the ground. Good experiment.
Sorry to see you did not mention the weight gain. In bags or soil I get between 6 and 8 times the amount of potatoes I planted during normal grow season outside. It's a way better intrest rate than the zero percent I get when I put my money into my savings account at the bank. Best of all is that the potatoes I grow are way better tasting than the sprayed ones from the grocery store. Greetings from Holland.
So glad for this. I tried this at least 3 times with the same results. Thank you!
Nice!!!my kids love the little spuds!
Gr8 idea to grow in small spaces - & a good harvest 👍
Thanks John I enjoyed this video & have failed at growing potatoes here in Brisbane so any tips from your followers would be greatly received. Cheers & Merry Christmas- Denise
I was unsure if it would be successful with the first reveal. But the second proved there is merit to doing it this way. Great video and experiment.
I love to experiment in the garden and I appreciate you sharing your learning curve. My take away is if you intensively planted your potato seed in the bed and threw the straw on top to keep it moist you'd have a much higher yield. I have very limited garden space so I don't typically grow potatoes on a regular basis. With that said I have a tote full of Potatoes and the green is still doing well. I wrapped it in plastic to see if I can harvest Christmas or New Years potatoes. otherwise I plant all the potatoes my mother seems to let chit before eating in my compost pile where they are very happy. I live in Aurora, Oregon zone 8b (around 157 ft above sea level) so there is a slight chance the potatoes will make it. BTW Your potato patch outdoors looks lovely.
I only half fill my potato tower. Then as it grows keep banking them up with soil. I do the same with potatoes in the ground. You get a better harvest.
I had the same experience with towers, not too good
I found that growing them under deep straw gave excellent results and was very little work
That is a great harvest of potato
Potato roots grow outwards from the parent tuber not upwards, hence towers don't work. I'd try shallow containers, wider flatter, with better quality compost.
The soil in second tower looked more moist and softer than the first one.
Would never thought of planting in layers, what a great space saver . Luv your experiment, thanks for sharing
This is similar to my experience with potato towers - which is to say, not very impressive at all. You do end up with some nice soil/compost, though. So I've come to think of this technique as a nice way to get some extra potatoes out of a low-maintenance compost pile. Not a way to get the best yield of potatoes. I say if you're really limited on space, go for it; you can even get some taters out of a five-gallon bucket. Or if you're tucking another compost pile in a corner somewhere, throw some seed potatoes in there for a little bonus. But I wouldn't count on towers to get a real serious harvest. It sounds good on paper but it just doesn't really add up.
2 birds 1 stone as it were 👍🏿
@@KristiContemplates yes, exactly. With almost zero extra effort. :)
Interesting idea thank you
Totally love your videos and really enjoy all your content. Keep experimenting because watching the results really helps
I got the same disappointing results. Little potatoes, mostly from the top tier. But I didn't have any problems with flea beetles, so yay for that.
Next time you might like to try planting only one or two potatoes at the bottom, then build the tower as the green grows through - you end up with one plant that has lots of potatoes in the tower, so you're not competing with other plants for resources.
Great video
I would be interested in the results if instead of side by side, where one was shaded, you were able to put the towers along the plastic wall? Would the sunlight and heat help the harvest?
I done potato towers last summer for the first time, I found them to need to be watered every day when the potato plants got a little bigger. Many times they would be wilted over they were so dry. I live in eastern Canada so not a very warm climate. It's just the design is not good for water retention. If you can't water Daly this is not a good idea. It did work for me but the potato I had in the ground done better needed less water and gave a better harvest. This is good for people with smaller gardens less room. I simply used cut grass and old soil from previous seasons inriched with chicken poo some kelp and about 15% compost. I would do it again though it was a fun experience.
Love your videos old horse
What's this "old" business about?
Haven't seen you for a while John, look forward to a garden update especially after the weather we've had lately.
This was a great experiment and I'm glad I've seen the result before I get to plant my vegi' gardern. It certainly seemed like a good idea and perhaps slight variations would improve the results as a comment below from Alumi Diaz implies.
Worth a go but I suspect you'll primarily be growing in your tried and proven method outside.
All the best, Merry Christmas and thank you as always for sharing.
Duncan.
I tried this and mine didn’t do so great. Was fun trying
I was going to ask where about down under you were nz or oz then I heard the Kookaburra. Australia it is.
Coconut coir maybe.for that compact. Then use potatoes slips instead. So split layers use coir?
Perhaps if you mix the compost & straw that way it's lighter so maybe more growth
Boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew
I've seen several potato tower videos. None of them gave impressive yield.
I'm guessing that someone had success with the potato tower (possibly using indeterminant varieties). It seems like a logical idea so people grabbed it and don't want to let go.
Theres a scientific article on why they dont work, its because you cant make a plant produce more potatoes than the foliage can photosynthesise for, theres no magic im afraid it just doesnt work
It is easier to knock down towers and dump buckets out than to shovel up clay
Oh the bucket idea or a mini tower is great. They are much easier. One has to realize 1-2 pounds is still what to expect from each plant though.
This is a very good vid - thank you!! I have seen on other youtube channels spuds grown in pots that yielded better than bed grown spuds. Potatoes need a lot of good sunlight to yield well - they are just chunks of starch. Winter might be the biggest limiter. Do they yield more during summer using the same technique?
More gardening please, thanks
Good experiment you tried there. But did you plant indeterminate or determinate potatoes??? Back where I'm from when I grew up we always planted indeterminate because we had a short growing season and this method gave us more potatoes for the same area; we would mound the soil up as the stock grew and we get several layers, but we never went over 2 feet don't know why but we did what our dad did. lol
cheers
Looking at the soil as you were breaking it down, it seemed too dense and hard. Maybe 'dilute' the compost with sand to make it easier for the tubers to grow. Root vegs tend to like looser soils.
i tried it a few years in a row different ways the dirt always packed super hard and sometimes they never grew at all i made lumber 2x6 layers for my tower and the potatoes never grew in the bottom and i had more luck only having 2 layers high i gave up on growing stuff even my eatable perennials stopped coming in and something killed all my onion bunches lol i gave up
Digging for treasure ❤️✨
I remember when Mother Earth News showed method back in the 1980s, made it look like it would be the ultimate for a small back yard garden. Since then with the advent of youtube I have yet to see anyone get the same results, makes me wonder what is being done different?
It looks planting around the perimeter is important too. But it’s not a productive use of resources unless it dramatically improves. I will not be using a potato tower this year.
The lowers grow more potatoes if the potatoe plants are growing out the side of the tower. Not just the top.
I’m just wondering if the straw soaked up too much of the water perhaps potatoes need large quantities of water I’m just wondering if this is why the yield was a little lower
Hum cost of straw and cow poo and if you purchased seed potatoes. i would wonder if its value for $$. Interested to know more about growing them and is it too late in our summer to grow no on the coast of Nsw
My grand father showed me how he cut the potatos in half and place the eyes facing up to get more of a crop I've done it and the cut side rooted and would have dozens of potatos hanging on on to the roots ..i dont think those mounds you plant do the plants like when the dirt compresses ..i think you would do better with your mound if you use a tube in the center and fill it with sand pulling it up as you go ,for watering the mound it would place the potatos on the outside or the ring easyer for them to find sunlite
Most people seem to be having a small harvest of potatoes this year.
I would like to try it with sweet potatoes
Yes, that would be worth trying!
Did the plants come outside the tower so the leaves got sunlight ?
Mate, yah "towering" wrong. We use to do this with old car tyres. Place one tyre down, plant ya spuds. When the top is completely "bushed", place another tyre on top and fill, leaving some brush to continue to grow. The plant top structure turns to root structure. Do up to 4 tyres stacked. The trick is though, you need to keep the bush healthy and plentiful as you stack, as it supports the growth beneath.
I'm a little concerned how roughly you handle your potatoes. When I buy them I usually look them over for bruises and cuts and bad spots of any kind. You just toss them in the bucket not seemingly worried about what they will look like later.
Paint your wall whit, it will reflect the light and any heat
The soil in the second one was softer then the first one. Potatoes don't grow well in hard soil.
That is the key with potato’s , soft soil or sandy soil . Plus start low , build up slowly when shoots reach 8 inches .
Q. Do you remember if you built both towers the same?
Details. I just watched the old video of making the towers.
You didn't show building the first tower and that was the one you got the better yield from.
I was wondering if you put the same amount of potatoes per layer? More or less compost or straw?
Yes, both towers were built the same.
@@homesteading I always find it interesting when I plant several of the same thing in beds or even pots and one does significantly better than the other. I guess that is gardening.
Love the videos
put a link in your description too mate
I wonder if adding a tube with holes in it down the centre (like some do for airation of a compost bin) so when you add water it will get to the lower layers. I wonder if this would aide the production? Has anyone ever tried this? I think I will unless I hear otherwise!
I tried that this year. I had the same experience. My feeling is that the weight compacts the soil so much it inhibits tuber growth. My best potatoes were in the top for.
Your compost looked richer in your second tower..
There was one thing I didn't see that I think would have helped u get a lot more and bigger spuds from lower levels. That is to have a piece of one or two inch PVC pipe with holes drilled in it at different sides and levels of the pipe. Not very large tho cause u want u water source to be able to fill up the whole pipe and have a small amount of pressure so the water will penetrate the soil as far from the pipe as possible and cover this with a piece of fabric the that is made to encompass the pipe to keep dirt from getting into the pipe. And set this up so that the bottom layer of straw holds the bottom of the capped bottom end of the pipe is held in place by the straw and the top have string or twine attached at top and is on a piece of string or wire to keep it centers. Then build ur layers and keep the pipe generally centered as u add straw, compost and seed potatoes to each layer. and then at the top end of the pipe put on the connection u will need to connect it to ur water line. That way u should be able to get more water to all of the plants and they should do better. And u might need to play a little with the hole sizes from top being slightly bigger than the bottom and intermediate levels so that u can make the watering more or less even as the pipe empties out after u shut off the water. Then either have the pipe have a place that it can be unscrewed from the bottom so u can pull the cage holding ut dirt and straw together so u can pull it of like to did or make it so the cage cylinder has a quick release of some sort at a seam. Having a seam would make it so u could flatten it out so it takes up less space in storage.
I noticed that the 'soil' in the second bag seemed 'better quality'. It was SOFT and not compacted in the center... Also, those LITTLE spuds with that soft skin are great for 'STEWS'. No peeling, no cutting, just clean 'em and drop 'em in the pot, lol!
Same mix went into it...so I don't really understand why there was a difference, but maybe it did result in the better crop.
@@homesteading You know what, the second bag was closest to the Plastic wall which means it got more indirect Sun. I bet that's why the contents 'decomposed' FASTER then the one near the door. Is that side 'South' facing? If I were you, I'd try it again but put them 'in line' with each against the Plastic and also make sure your materials in the middle layers are 'cut up more' to aid in decomposition. You'll have spuds AND *good compost* for the Spring! Enjoyed your video, you be blessed!
Did you use determinate or indeterminate potatoes?
Potato boxes or towers are for indeterminate varieties.
These were determinate potatoes - hence the multi layer design.
How do you tell the difference between indeterminate and determinate potatotes ? I never knew there was two different types. I have always just trenched my potatoes and mounded them up, . I 've never bought seed spuds, I just keep some to replant every year.
There is a good article on this at laidbackgardener.blog/2020/04/05/determinate-and-indeterminate-potatoes/
this shits badass bro. im going to see if i can do it too. its december, should i build and plant them now?
In English please.
Which tower had better sun?
Commercial farmers fertilize and hill there plants when about 8” tall. They broadcast pelletized fertilizer and run a hiller that burries the fertilizer right up on top and the plant it this point is on a 18” tall row.
This method was nearly a complete fail. You could have grown more potatoes in a 5 gallon container. The only layer that produced was on top. The others just rotted away. But it was interesting and is how we learn. Trial and error.
Now how about those avocados. Have you given them some sunlight yet??
The reason the harvest reduces with depth is the compression
Can you use Hay in stead of straw?
You could, but you may get more weeds.
It looks as if the soil further down seems to be too compacted to allow the potatoes to grow in abundance
Why one potato plants was so much more productive than the other even though they are side by side
nice technic, perhaps potassium may be used.
Not enough water?
Looks like they could've done with more water
Should have just stacked layers on one plant as it grew
Yeah...I thought that was the idea...but you need to use the indeterminate varieties?
Think the potatoes need air and looser space to grow. Mounds of cinder and mulch and not skyscrapers where the tenants on the upper floors compress the lower 'tenant's ' living space.
Maybe you need a bit moreplant fiber in your compost.
I think the soil/compost is too heavy/hard for the potato to spread its roots in. Resulting in a low yield
i think plastic containers are best seen a lot of potatoes grown in them compared to to towers
Doesn't seem worth it.
I've tried it for last 4 years, I harvested one edible potato. Lots of sunburned ones at edge but none lower down.
Compared to a row or field hill?
Much better in the ground!