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Vegetable Gardening

Need help growing potatoes

17 years ago

I grow potatoes in a container-type setting, to make hilling up easier and because my soil is so heavy even when heavily amended with organic matter.

Last year I buried the seed potatoes in some light container soil and then hilled up using just dried grass. It was particularly easy to harvest them, but here was the problem. For the most part, the potatoes only grew at the soil/grass interface so there was just the single layerÂs worth even though the dry grass was quite deep and I started hilling early.

How do you grow potatoes in straw or other loose mulch so that they continue to produce more tubers as you hill them up?

Thanks, B.

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Comments (3)

dutchess_9
17 years ago
I don't think you had a problem at all!!!

Some potatoes only set once...about 6 inches above the roots. I know for a fact that Yukon Gold's only set once, so there is no point in hilling them a lot.

You should try a different type of potato.

Here is a link that might be useful: How my garden grows!
digdirt2
17 years ago
Yes, as already mentioned, it all depends on the variety. Check out the discussion linked below. It's all about the best varieties for bins and layering.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Potato varieties for bins
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brooks43
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks, everyone, that's very helpful.

OK, that explains the Yukon Golds, LOL.

But can anyone tell me why the Khatadins did about the same for me? Apparently they're late season. What should I do differently this year?

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