this experiment not going to good

[Ryan]

So I came across this
http://tipnut.com/grow-potatoes/
Thought I'd give it a try. Had about 8 come up. I read on another site just to use grass clippings. I was adding about every two days. After 2 weeks they were 2 feet tall but one plant looked not good. The clippings were getting hot! That one died. I then proceeded to add less and less frequently. Lost another last week and clippings weren't hot. I gave it a break from adding clippings. I've got 5 left and 3 look hot again. Gonna water in the morning. Hopefully they come out of it.

For once my garden is doing decent starting to get overrun with crabgrass. Going to take care of that tomorrow. After replanting tomatoes and peppers twice they're looking good. Got 23 tomato plants and 30ish peppers. Cabbage and Brussels sprout are doing really well. Had to replant green beans cause ground got to hard they're just coming up now.

How's everyone else's doing? Haven't seen any pics yet this year.

[Fishawn]

Unfortunately, I got nothing going this year. Might be for the best. My gardens suck!

Best of luck

[Ryan]

Unfortunately, I got nothing going this year. Might be for the best. My gardens suck!

Best of luck

my usually to! Always have a good crop of crabgrass.

[crusty ol salt]

my lawn is just about knee high, i am sure glad i didnt do a garden the year... it would have went to the wild side

Keep trying different things Ryan, that how we keep learnin'

[HistoricFoodie]

Don't give up, Ryan. Gardening is a constant experiment to see what works for you, under your specific conditions.

Growing spuds in towers is a very old technique. But this particular one, using heavy lumber, is just too expensive a way to go IMO. And the idea you could harvest from the bottom, up, sounds very awkward to me.

If the goal is new potatoes, you're probably better off growing in rows to begin with, and hilling them as you go.

Some alternatives to that wooden tower include wire cages, used tires, plastic tubs, and even 30 and 55 gallon drums. There is at least one commercial product sold as a potato tower as well.

I would never use new grass clippings. They are too hot, to begin with. They tend to turn slimy as they decompose. They're too hot. They clump up, denying oxygen to the plants. And, did I mention, they're too hot? Dried grass clippings would be fine. But that's basically straw, which is what you should have used in the first place.

Use of straw was developed, originally, by HDRA---the Henry Doubleday Research Assn., the British agricultural research group. They used it successfully for both towers and hilling as an alternative to soil. Most growers use soil, however.

The general procedure, whether growing in rows or towers, is to plant the potato starts. Let them grow to about eight inches, then bury the lower four inches. When they are again at eight inches, bury the bottom four. Etc.

The idea is that potato plants, like tomatoes (which are related) will grow new roots from any place the stem is "buried." With potatoes, stollens, which is what the potato actually develops on, grow out of the roots. So, the more roots you have, the more spuds.

Good luck with your garden.

[barkonbutts]

Plants in the ground and growing... few weeks out till harvest time.. and about a month for canning salsa, cucumbers are about two weeks out.. then it is time to restock the pickles!!

[Ryan]

Don't give up, Ryan. Gardening is a constant experiment to see what works for you, under your specific conditions.

Growing spuds in towers is a very old technique. But this particular one, using heavy lumber, is just too expensive a way to go IMO. And the idea you could harvest from the bottom, up, sounds very awkward to me.

If the goal is new potatoes, you're probably better off growing in rows to begin with, and hilling them as you go.

Some alternatives to that wooden tower include wire cages, used tires, plastic tubs, and even 30 and 55 gallon drums. There is at least one commercial product sold as a potato tower as well.

I would never use new grass clippings. They are too hot, to begin with. They tend to turn slimy as they decompose. They're too hot. They clump up, denying oxygen to the plants. And, did I mention, they're too hot? Dried grass clippings would be fine. But that's basically straw, which is what you should have used in the first place.

Use of straw was developed, originally, by HDRA---the Henry Doubleday Research Assn., the British agricultural research group. They used it successfully for both towers and hilling as an alternative to soil. Most growers use soil, however.

The general procedure, whether growing in rows or towers, is to plant the potato starts. Let them grow to about eight inches, then bury the lower four inches. When they are again at eight inches, bury the bottom four. Etc.

The idea is that potato plants, like tomatoes (which are related) will grow new roots from any place the stem is "buried." With potatoes, stollens, which is what the potato actually develops on, grow out of the roots. So, the more roots you have, the more spuds.

Good luck with your garden.

Thanks for the info! Instead of doing it like that, I made a box with 4 pallets. Cost was 0 cause I've got a lot of them. I've been thinking of hooking a small grain bin fan to it to keep cool. But I've got some straw in the barn I can switch to.

[curious aardvark]

watering grass clippings just encourages the heat based breakdown.

The method on your link said to top up with earth not grass

[Ryan]

watering grass clippings just encourages the heat based breakdown.

The method on your link said to top up with earth not grass

There were other sites I read up on. They all said grass clippings. This link was the first I found to post here. They explain it better than I could. It didn't dawn on me till it got warm that yes water wasn't a great idea. That's why I thought about the grain bid drying fan.

[Daryl]

There has been a ton of rain so I have already lost some tomatoes from disease. My peppers are behind but the cukes and zucchinis are kicking butt. I should have some shortly.

[Daryl]

Don't give up, Ryan. It is still early. I am starting over with a couple plants. The harvest will be later but c'est la vie.

[Charcuteryan]

Tomatoes, scorpions, and herbs. Its not much but the best tomatoes ive ever eaten grow here. Something in the dirt

[Richtee]

I can still afford potatoes. :D

[Mark R]

I can still afford potatoes. :D

And smoke cheese!

[Richtee]

And smoke cheese!

OK OK.. so my LAST 35 cheese smokes have been fine... gads!

I do have some raspberries looking good. Pepper plants got ate by slugs. The crabgrass is beautiful.