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Growing Potatoes In
Straw - Slideshow

Planting Potatoes In Straw The Work Smarter Method

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Planting Potatoes in Straw

This method of growing potatoes is made for those of us with big ideas and limited time. Some gardening methods are just more fun by nature. Maybe the fun part is the actual lack of work involved in this method.

Apart from the reduced work load in using this method there are several good reasons for growing potatoes in straw.

  • Eliminate digging
  • Thick covering of straw can greatly reduce soil temperature
  • Reducing the weed factor
  • Reduces water requirements
  • Adding organic matter to your soil
  • Reduces soil born diseases
  • Eliminate tuber damage when harvesting


Step By Step

  • Step 1. Put Potato on The Ground
  • Step 2. Throw Straw Over Top
  • Step 3. Harvest By Lifting Straw And Picking Potatoes

Wow! that was easy! There really isn’t much more to growing potatoes in straw than that.


Materials Needed

Straw

First, let’s define "STRAW" - Straw is the seedless dry matter derived from grain harvesting. For our purposes here we should consider any dry matter that is suitable for mulching as straw.


A good thick layer of straw, will help keep the soil cooler, reduce moisture loss and protect the growing potatoes from sun. Used here is a mixture of straw, dried grass clippings and various different types of leaves.


Follow this link for the different types of mulch materials you can use here and elsewhere in your garden.


Seed Potatoes

A rough guide for the amount of seed potatoes needed is 8 lb of seed potatoes to a 100ft row (3.6 kg to plant 30 meter row) This will depend a lot on how big your seed potatoes are and whether you cut them or not. Follow this link for more details on Seed Potatoes


Bed Preparation

This is an easy method method of growing spuds, however as with any crop some ground preparation is necessary. A simple way of combining weed control, ground preparation and fertilizing potatoes all in the one simple step is by sheet composting your intended potato patch the season before planting your crop.

Planting potatoes in straw is an excellent method for growing potatoes in any garden. It is especially good for any situation where you are unable to dig the ground up to plant potatoes, like this garden, featured in the slideshow. This potato bed is built over top of construction fill, consisting of bricks, stones and old broken concrete.


Slideshow

growing Potatoes in Straw




Start Over

helpful items

Usually this is done on top of garden soil that has been dig over and fertilized, so all you really need is:

  • Straw or good mulch material
  • Spuds
  • Water Source




Crop Care

The straw retains moisture keeping the soil cool and reduces (not eliminates) the need for watering. So as with other potato growing methods check regularly to ensure soil moisture is adequate. Follow this link for more details on Watering Potatoes


Harvesting

Talking of harvesting, this is the easiest part of the whole growing in straw deal.


 A simple matter of lifting the straw and gathering the potatoes. Don’t you just love simple, it leaves more time for other gardening pleasures.



related pages

Manure Fertilizer
Growing Tomatoes
Straw Mulch
Organic Garden Fertilizer




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