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Step 7The final Tater Tote numbers:
I will place updated information about the final numbers like: height, pounds of harvested potatoes, and notes on this Step.
THIS YEAR (2009):
- I lightly fertilized the soil before planting with composted manure with sawdust and green sand mix, and only fertilized once afterward with liquid fish emulsion before the rains came and stayed for 6 weeks. By then the plants were so huge I saw no need to fertilize.
- 9 out of 10 red potato plants survived the constant rain. I attribute that to the porous Tote fabric which allowed good air circulation, and water drainage.
- The one plant that died showed signs of severe rot (blight?) and an infestation of slugs, both caused by the wet weather. The rot was located within a layer of hay mulch I used when I ran short of the shredded leaves. My best guess is that it was not the hay, as much as mixed mulches, that caused the rot. The shredded leaf mulch is heavier and compacted the hay layer, possibly trapping moisture in that area.
- I used bush beans and nasturtiums as companion plants and had no bug problems at all. There were plenty of earthworms living in the Tote mulch.
The final tally is in:
I harvested approximately 1-3/8 pounds (0.63 kg) of red potatoes per Tater Tote.
I harvested twice from 4 of the Totes and kept the plants intact for a second harvest, but chopped them back to within 18" of the Tote because they shaded the sun from other plants.
At least 2 potatoes were found in the dirt UNDER each Tote!
NEXT YEAR:
- I will definitely reuse these Tater Totes and make a bunch more.
- I will not mulch between the bags to allow more air flow and water drainage.
- I will cut back (trim) the potato plants after they reach 2' over the top of the bag.
- I will plant them in blocks of 9 (3 plants x 3 plants) for easier care, and they can more evenly support each other.
- I will plant at least one traditional hill of potatoes as a control for comparison purposes (I don't believe traditionally grown potatoes would have survived the wet weather this season).
THIS YEAR (2009):
- I lightly fertilized the soil before planting with composted manure with sawdust and green sand mix, and only fertilized once afterward with liquid fish emulsion before the rains came and stayed for 6 weeks. By then the plants were so huge I saw no need to fertilize.
- 9 out of 10 red potato plants survived the constant rain. I attribute that to the porous Tote fabric which allowed good air circulation, and water drainage.
- The one plant that died showed signs of severe rot (blight?) and an infestation of slugs, both caused by the wet weather. The rot was located within a layer of hay mulch I used when I ran short of the shredded leaves. My best guess is that it was not the hay, as much as mixed mulches, that caused the rot. The shredded leaf mulch is heavier and compacted the hay layer, possibly trapping moisture in that area.
- I used bush beans and nasturtiums as companion plants and had no bug problems at all. There were plenty of earthworms living in the Tote mulch.
The final tally is in:
I harvested approximately 1-3/8 pounds (0.63 kg) of red potatoes per Tater Tote.
I harvested twice from 4 of the Totes and kept the plants intact for a second harvest, but chopped them back to within 18" of the Tote because they shaded the sun from other plants.
At least 2 potatoes were found in the dirt UNDER each Tote!
NEXT YEAR:
- I will definitely reuse these Tater Totes and make a bunch more.
- I will not mulch between the bags to allow more air flow and water drainage.
- I will cut back (trim) the potato plants after they reach 2' over the top of the bag.
- I will plant them in blocks of 9 (3 plants x 3 plants) for easier care, and they can more evenly support each other.
- I will plant at least one traditional hill of potatoes as a control for comparison purposes (I don't believe traditionally grown potatoes would have survived the wet weather this season).
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so can i still grow it?
i have bought some onion seeds from the market..
and some lettuce seeds to...
can some one give some advice?..
i live in Philippines...i guess it good to grow some thing in our backyard..
i still cant figure out how to grow real vegetables..
the only thing i have grown is a mung bean....which is really easy to plant even a baby can grow it..lol
( www.davesgarden.com ) newsletter which has several helpful articles per weekly issue. They also have a beginner's forum, a plant database, a bug/pest database, and many other helpful sections of the site for new (and experienced) gardeners that I believe you could learn from. They also have a seed trading forum and one that offers free seeds just for new members. General membership is free.
Good luck with your gardening venture.
It's already potato planting time around here now, and I have my seed potatoes getting ready to be planted this week. I'll be making a few more of the Tater Totes to have more plants this year, too!
Good luck to all that try Tater Totes, or a similar 'grow bag' set up, and please let us know how the Tote system works for you!