How high are you going to pile the hay? I have serious concerns about whether or not you can "make" that hay hold enough moisture in what seems to be a very dry, windy year.

I'd probably use a soaker hose, but also think there are other ways you could do it.

When I grew tomatoes using the Japanese Tomato Ring method, I put 4' sections of PVC pipe in the center of the 4' tall wire cages filled with compost and ran water down those pipes using the water hose. The pipes had small holes in them so the water trickled out slowly along the length of the pipe into the surrounding area. That seemed to work well, even in the drought year of 2003 when we had less than 19" of rain for the entire year. I also periodically watered the compost that filled the wire bin with a handheld hose to keep it moist.

If I were trying to hill up potatoes with straw in this kind of drought weather, I'd be tempted to occasionally layer in a little compost, chopped and shredded leaves and/or soil along with the straw to help hold moisture in the hay. Once hay is really dry, it is hard to get it wet and to get it to stay wet. If hay or straw is really dry, it just sheds the water and doesn't absorb it well.

Dawn

Thanks Dawn.

I was really worried about keeping the straw moist enough. I have some composted horse manure. It is well enough composted that seeds will germinate in it, but there is definitely straw left. Would this make a better material for hilling or a mixture of the compost with straw?

I have grown potatoes before, but have never got great yields. This year they were treated with sulfur after cutting, planted at the right time, and are very healthy. I would like to start the season with potatoes doing as wel as they have started. One step at a time I'll learn enough to get a great harvest. Hmmmm..... potato salad anyone?

Andria, I think it would be OK to mix in the composted manure with your straw but would only use it in moderation. You don't want to have too much nitrogen and end up with all foliage and small potatoes. You might try layering as you 'hill up' with straw. Add an inch or two of straw and put some horse manure or compost on top, then another inch or two of straw, then another layer of manure or compost. The compost or manure will help keep the straw from blowing away, will help hold moisture and will feed the plants as you water because the water will carry nutrients from the manure and compost down to the plant roots.

I hope you get a great potato harvest. So far, I'm having a great potato year too, knock on wood.

Dawn