Mulch Options for Potatoes

16 years ago

Hi Folks--

Long-time member, rare poster here . . .

I'm looking for some experience-based advice on a proper mulch for potatoes this year. I want to grow them more or less in a Stout type way--via mulching--rather than digging them in.

I've got a quite a few materials available, but I'm trying not to be too spendy. Here's what I have on the land in various piles:

--a bazillion oak leaves

--the equivalent mass of pine straw

--two pickup truck-sized piles of white pine chipped limbs (from tree removal a few weeks ago)

--ongoing supply of pine shavings/manure from the hen house which I clean out 4 times a year

More info: I already compost on an aggressive level. But I'm trying to ascertain if any of these fresh materials are harmful to mulching potatoes. I didnt include my spring donkey barn litter to the mix because I've been told/read that that fresh equine manure causes potato scab.

In a nutshell, I want to know if I can add any of these items as a "fresh" mulch, or if I'll need to add more money to the stray/hay budget I'm going to spend for the livestock bedding/feed this month. Next year, after I've composted some of this stuff together, I'm sure I wont have an issue. I just hesitate to mix it all together as compost if I can use one or two of these items this year with no ill effects to the potatoes.

Sorry for the long post and hanks in advance for your thoughts.

Patch

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Comments (3)

jonhughes
16 years ago
Hi Patch,
As a long time listener,you know as well as anybody here....
but I will put into print anyways...(since you asked) and for those newbies who may not as yet know....
You can't put anything on any plant (potatoes or anything else) that is going to "heat up"... potatoes especially only produce well if soil heat goes no higher than 80 degrees...

Since you are an avid composter,and that means hopefully you have lots of finished (no longer heating up) compost ...
that would be good to use (mixed in real good with your native soil (to keep it cool) and use that product for the first 8" of hilling.... after that ...you could add any of those other products as a mulch/hilling, and have no ill effects on your potatoes....
patchworkfarm
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you Jon--

Yes, I do intend to use my finished compost as a start. I was just worried about the semi-finished products causing undue harm. For example--I didnt want to use for hilling any donkey manure/bedding aged less than a year, due to scab. I was hoping to use leaves and the drier wood mulch throughout the season, but I am cautious of encouraging scab or any other plant disease.

Alas, I am an aggressive composter, but also an aggressive expanding gardener. Therefore--there is never enough AGED compost to go around in one season!

Usually, I'm more confident with compost, mulch, planting; but potatoes are challenging me. This will be my fourth attempt at growing them. I'm hoping this year will be the year I get more than a dozen spuds out of the ground!

Thanks again,

Patch
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jonhughes
16 years ago
Hi Patch,
Sorry about your potato blues ;-)

as it turns out ,I am truly blessed with awesome potatoes every year, I have never had scab, I have never used "certified seed potatoes" (I only use grocery store potatoes for seed), I don't chit,cut or any of the other things people say you have to do (rebellious by nature ;-), I average 15 potatoes per seed and I have never had a bit of scab...if I was you... I would find a supplier of finished compost and buy some and use it....
the problem with leaves etc etc, is if they can compost...they will, and they will get hot, they are wonderful as a mulch ,the more the merrier, but don't let anything unfinished touch your plants....

Square foot potato beds

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Potato buckets

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Best yield per seed 2009

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Here is a link that might be useful: Square Foot Potato Beds