Posted by Higgs Boson on November 27, 2011, 5:25 pm
Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. Looked it up on-line.
They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I never
understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
potatoes grow underground.
Also, the mulch we get from the City every few months is very finely
ground. Picture shows more of a straw-like mulch. ???
Would appreciate an explanation in the next few, as the pieces set out
to callous/harden should get planted soon.
TIA
HB
Posted by David Hare-Scott on November 27, 2011, 5:53 pm
Higgs Boson wrote:
> Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. Looked it up on-line.
> They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I never
> understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
> potatoes grow underground.
You can plant below the surface and mound as the shoots grow or plant them
in a hole (or trench) and fill the hole as the shoots grow. The purpose is
to get the 'seed' tuber down deeper. The reason to get it deeper is that
the new tubers will grow at the level of the old one so if you leave it too
shallow the tubers may come to the surface or the plants will fall over.
But if you just plant very deep the shoot may not make it to the surface
(especially if you reduce the food that it has by not planting whole
tubers).
A third method is to use a layered raised bed such as a stack of tyres. You
plant the tubers in the top layer and when they shoot add another tyre and
refill with soil. This has the additional advantage that you don't need to
dig your taters but just dismantle the stack.
So you plant very deep but allow the shoots to see the sun using one of
these methods and then backfill. You end up with the tubers down deep and
the shoots above ground which is what you want.
I prefer the hole (trench) method as it is easier to fill them in than
maintain the mound.
> Also, the mulch we get from the City every few months is very finely
> ground. Picture shows more of a straw-like mulch. ???
Sorry I have missed the point.
> Would appreciate an explanation in the next few, as the pieces set out
> to callous/harden should get planted soon.
YWIMC
David
Posted by Higgs Boson on November 27, 2011, 7:32 pm
> Higgs Boson wrote:
> > Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. Looked it up on-line.
> > They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I never
> > understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
> > potatoes grow underground.
> You can plant below the surface and mound as the shoots grow or plant them
> in a hole (or trench) and fill the hole as the shoots grow. The purpose is
> to get the 'seed' tuber down deeper. The reason to get it deeper is that
> the new tubers will grow at the level of the old one so if you leave it too
> shallow the tubers may come to the surface or the plants will fall over.
> But if you just plant very deep the shoot may not make it to the surface
> (especially if you reduce the food that it has by not planting whole
> tubers).
***Interesting. The Web site I consulted:
http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/extras/52potatoplanting.php
suggested NOT giving the "eye" too much food, so it won't be lazy
about growing, having plenty of goodies available underground.
I left some potato, but not a whole tuber.
> A third method is to use a layered raised bed such as a stack of tyres. You
> plant the tubers in the top layer and when they shoot add another tyre and
> refill with soil. This has the additional advantage that you don't need to
> dig your taters but just dismantle the stack.
> So you plant very deep but allow the shoots to see the sun using one of
> these methods and then backfill. You end up with the tubers down deep and
> the shoots above ground which is what you want.
***Using tires has been discouraged here because of toxic problems
from the tires. Anything to this?
> I prefer the hole (trench) method as it is easier to fill them in than
> maintain the mound.
> > Also, the mulch we get from the City every few months is very finely
> > ground. Picture shows more of a straw-like mulch. ???
> Sorry I have missed the point.
***The point about the finely-ground compost is that it doesn't
resemble the picture on the Web site, which had what I described as a
"straw-like" mulch, from which I inferred that the mulch should be
more loose. ??.
> > Would appreciate an explanation in the next few, as the pieces set out
> > to callous/harden should get planted soon.
***Thanks, David; that was enormously helpful. I will choose the
trench/hole method, but not cover the potato eyes too deeply, if I
understand your recommendation, and as the shoots appear, back-fill.
HB
> YWIMC
> David
Posted by David Hare-Scott on November 27, 2011, 11:09 pm
Higgs Boson wrote:
>> Higgs Boson wrote:
>>> Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. Looked it up on-line.
>>> They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I never
>>> understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
>>> potatoes grow underground.
>>
>> You can plant below the surface and mound as the shoots grow or
>> plant them in a hole (or trench) and fill the hole as the shoots
>> grow. The purpose is to get the 'seed' tuber down deeper. The reason
>> to get it deeper is that the new tubers will grow at the level of
>> the old one so if you leave it too shallow the tubers may come to
>> the surface or the plants will fall over. But if you just plant very
>> deep the shoot may not make it to the surface (especially if you
>> reduce the food that it has by not planting whole tubers).
> ***Interesting. The Web site I consulted:
> http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/extras/52potatoplanting.php
> suggested NOT giving the "eye" too much food, so it won't be lazy
> about growing, having plenty of goodies available underground.
> I left some potato, but not a whole tuber.
That makes no sense to me. The taters are cut up so that if you have large
tubers you can get more than one plant out of each. If they are small you
don't bother.
>>
>> A third method is to use a layered raised bed such as a stack of
>> tyres. You plant the tubers in the top layer and when they shoot add
>> another tyre and refill with soil. This has the additional advantage
>> that you don't need to dig your taters but just dismantle the stack.
>>
>> So you plant very deep but allow the shoots to see the sun using one
>> of these methods and then backfill. You end up with the tubers down
>> deep and the shoots above ground which is what you want.
> ***Using tires has been discouraged here because of toxic problems
> from the tires. Anything to this?
I don't know, I don't use this method. You can do the same with timber
frames, like bottomless boxes.
>>
>> I prefer the hole (trench) method as it is easier to fill them in
>> than maintain the mound.
>>
>>> Also, the mulch we get from the City every few months is very finely
>>> ground. Picture shows more of a straw-like mulch. ???
>>
>> Sorry I have missed the point.
> ***The point about the finely-ground compost is that it doesn't
> resemble the picture on the Web site, which had what I described as a
> "straw-like" mulch, from which I inferred that the mulch should be
> more loose. ??.
I am still confused, compost and mulch are usually different materials used
for different purposes. What purpose do you have in mind for this stuff?
D
Posted by Higgs Boson on November 28, 2011, 2:38 am
> Higgs Boson wrote:
> >> Higgs Boson wrote:
> >>> Have cut up some red potato eyes to plant. Looked it up on-line.
> >>> They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I never
> >>> understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
> >>> potatoes grow underground.
> >> You can plant below the surface and mound as the shoots grow or
> >> plant them in a hole (or trench) and fill the hole as the shoots
> >> grow. The purpose is to get the 'seed' tuber down deeper. The reason
> >> to get it deeper is that the new tubers will grow at the level of
> >> the old one so if you leave it too shallow the tubers may come to
> >> the surface or the plants will fall over. But if you just plant very
> >> deep the shoot may not make it to the surface (especially if you
> >> reduce the food that it has by not planting whole tubers).
> > ***Interesting. The Web site I consulted:
> >http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/extras/52potatoplanting.php
> > suggested NOT giving the "eye" too much food, so it won't be lazy
> > about growing, having plenty of goodies available underground.
> > I left some potato, but not a whole tuber.
> That makes no sense to me. The taters are cut up so that if you have large
> tubers you can get more than one plant out of each. If they are small you
> don't bother.
***But how can you get more than one plant out of each eye? Now I am
confused.
> >
> >> A third method is to use a layered raised bed such as a stack of
> >> tyres. You plant the tubers in the top layer and when they shoot add
> >> another tyre and refill with soil. This has the additional advantage
> >> that you don't need to dig your taters but just dismantle the stack.
> >> So you plant very deep but allow the shoots to see the sun using one
> >> of these methods and then backfill. You end up with the tubers down
> >> deep and the shoots above ground which is what you want.
> > ***Using tires has been discouraged here because of toxic problems
> > from the tires. Anything to this?
> I don't know, I don't use this method. You can do the same with timber
> frames, like bottomless boxes.
> >> I prefer the hole (trench) method as it is easier to fill them in
> >> than maintain the mound.
> >>> Also, the mulch we get from the City every few months is very finely
> >>> ground. Picture shows more of a straw-like mulch. ???
> >> Sorry I have missed the point.
> > ***The point about the finely-ground compost is that it doesn't
> > resemble the picture on the Web site, which had what I described as a
> > "straw-like" mulch, from which I inferred that the mulch should be
> > more loose. ??.
> I am still confused, compost and mulch are usually different materials used
> for different purposes. What purpose do you have in mind for this stuff?
> D
***Sigh - finally got my head screwed back on <g>. The City is
distributing COMPOST, not mulch. In my foggier moments I sometimes
confuse them. I actually don't have anything on hand to serve as
mulch. Would pine needles do? I have an endless quantity Otherwise,
will have to scrounge leaves from a neighbor.
HB
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> They say to mound up +- 6" of mulch after burying the eyes. I never
> understood why one has to do this, rather than just let the new
> potatoes grow underground.