I found a video of Ruth yesterday - I think it's the only one on youtube. What a brilliant woman she was! Inspirational, wise and funny! Found her after I watched part 1 of your series. I enjoyed it so much! Will give her method a try.
can't wait to see your harvest. I heard you say in one of you videos that you had no experience farming, well everything looks like it's coming along great! You picked it up fast..
I started with cardboard and compost in my garden then did some containers.Then got 4 bales of straw. Pulled the straw and cardboard back and planted tomatoes, green peppers canalope watermelon etc. The plants under the straw are doing great. Next year will be doing under the straw only. It's a lot easier for sure. Will be watching your utube channel.
I grow my vegetables in conditioned straw bales (and hay bales). After the bales decompose over winter, I place fresh bales on the decomposed straw/or hay). I sow directly into the bales.
All vegetables? No need to raise them first in a greenhouse? What do "conditioned straw bales" mean? I found the answer on google. It has allready started to decompose.
no need to hill, i find that i get more potatoes that way! think its because to much energy goes in reaching the light and then needs to develope enough leaves to grow the potatoes. also only some kinds of potatoes profit from hilling. look up what types. potatoes love lots of compost ! love ruth stout!
I think that hilling will increase the size of the harvest because it creates the opportunity for more roots to grow off the main plant which makes more potatoes.
Looks great! I want to try this. Having trouble getting bales of straw, but I'm going to keep trying. I have so many potatoes with eyes growing everywhere and hope it's not too late to throw them in the garden.
Find a farm services agency office (FSA) near you. They usually have a board where people post things. Put up a note asking for soiled/old hay. Do same at TSC/Coop/Rural King/etc.
Excited to see how it turns out! I'm inadvertently growing them in a leaf (mainly oak) & pine needle pile that I was sort of trying to compost (or speed up the compositing process) with kitchen scraps....will be interesting to see if I actually get potatoes (its a great place to find worms for fishing)!
We're experimenting with the Ruth stout method too. I am worried I haven't hilled them enough though. They got wait high and started flopping over before I could get more hay around them. Planted close to 500...so I hope they turn out!
I have heard that some are doing it to mulch the crops when it's dry season or doesn't have a water access, does the mulch keep the crops grow? Is it true?
I am going to start this soon.when you plant do you just stick the potatoes right into the straw or does it need to touch dirt? You keep adding straw around the new plant coming up? I can't wait to try this!!!
I pulled the straw back to the soil level and placed seed potatoes there, covered with about 6-8inches of straw. Hilled as they grew till about 12 inches.
Okay my question is once you get the straw on and you ad your compost then do you dig down through the straw into your soil and plant your potato or do you actually put your potato at the bottom of the straw?
How did you plant the potaoes? Did you move the straw away and just toss them and cover them back over like Ruth? Or did you find that the straw had composted enough to act like a bit of soil to plant in? Or did you dig into what was left of the grass to plant the potatoes? I would like to try this this coming spring as we will be starting a garden from scratch on what at the moment is just 3 acres of open field.
I just moved straw back to where the grass layer would have been and laid potatoes on the ground and then covered back up. I did hill them once just to add another layer of protection from the sun.
@@1870s Thank you for the reply. That is so encouraging to see how well it worked for you. Will definitely be giving it a try to get beds started without having to dig.
@@1870s Thank you! Hope it will work here in Portugal too. I'm very curious. My first garden. Alot to learn. Watching videos, reading books. I have a black thumb, maybe I can change it.
I started a Ruth Stout garden this year and adjusting to this method. I have a few videos, if you want to see the progress. It certainly has cut down on my weeding and watering time. You should have a great harvest of potatoes. I didn't do potatoes this year as I didn't start planting till April, but plan on it next spring.
Great I'll check it out! I just planted peanuts to in the expanded area. No signs yet so we shall see. If successful I can totally see myself doing more of this next year.
question on ruth stout method.. since I am trying to throw a garden together pretty quickly.. can I lay out my straw and plant then, or do I need to wait a while? if I need to wait.. how long?
First it needs to be old, not new straw or hay. Second I would let it get rained on real good first. Options you have, you can "charge it", by watering well with diluted fish emulsion. I found Ruth Stout works well for transplants but not well for seed starting. Also I should let you know that I'm moving away from pure Ruth Stout and going to more of a lasagna garden style. One if my recent videos show how I'm changing things up.
She used hay, yes. We've had good success with straw, with no worry of seeds from the hay taking over our beds. We always amend with a nitrogen source when doing so, like grass cuttings, goat manure, or chicken compost. You do have to let it sit for a while though, to let things meld.
Not enough info on what you did. was it straw or hay???? I have never grown potatoes before, so from the 1 and 2nd video all I caught was straw or hay piled up some compost and that's it, what is hilling???? I don't mean to sound stupid, but would love to see a complete video on how to do it....doesn't look as messy as diging them out of the ground. thank's for the video..
All I did was spread old straw bales out directly over the grass in a very thick layer. I too dressed with compost. I went back about 6 weeks later and planted potatoes just by making deep holes in straw, basically laying potatoes on what would have been the grass layer. Covered them back up. Once plants were 6-10 inches high I almost completely covered them back up with more straw. I did this process twice (hilling potatoes). That's it. Now I wait till the plants die back to harvest.
I never imagined either, and a special story came out this summer in Cape Breton of all places where garden wood chips had caught fire in the sun and the local fire department did a mini story. Had it been California it would have been a blip on my radar but Cape Breton was an eye opener.
I found a video of Ruth yesterday - I think it's the only one on youtube. What a brilliant woman she was! Inspirational, wise and funny! Found her after I watched part 1 of your series. I enjoyed it so much! Will give her method a try.
Great job there ,hopeing you get a great return in your awesome garden.
Thank you
can't wait to see your harvest. I heard you say in one of you videos that you had no experience farming, well everything looks like it's coming along great! You picked it up fast..
Learning from youtube, lol
yea, wheres the harvest ???
I started with cardboard and compost in my garden then did some containers.Then got 4 bales of straw. Pulled the straw and cardboard back and planted tomatoes, green peppers canalope watermelon etc. The plants under the straw are doing great. Next year will be doing under the straw only. It's a lot easier for sure. Will be watching your utube channel.
It's looking great, I hate waiting I'm so impatient but can't wait to see the goodies come harvest time
Your talking to Ms Impatient
It all looks fantastic. Great job. I’m sure you’re going to have a great harvest. Blessings...
Thanks Renee
I grow my vegetables in conditioned straw bales (and hay bales). After the bales decompose over winter, I place fresh bales on the decomposed straw/or hay). I sow directly into the bales.
All vegetables? No need to raise them first in a greenhouse? What do "conditioned straw bales" mean? I found the answer on google. It has allready started to decompose.
I’m so loving this! I got some research and learning to do ! Ruth Stout. :) thank you guys!! I love learning new stuff !
no need to hill, i find that i get more potatoes that way! think its because to much energy goes in reaching the light and then needs to develope enough leaves to grow the potatoes. also only some kinds of potatoes profit from hilling. look up what types. potatoes love lots of compost ! love ruth stout!
I'm glad I hilled, using the straw I think I would have had more sun exposure problems.
I think that hilling will increase the size of the harvest because it creates the opportunity for more roots to grow off the main plant which makes more potatoes.
can you post a link to the harvest please? thank you!
Thanks for sharing. How long after laying the mulch did you plant?
Nevermind! You answered at the beginning of video 3. Cheers.
Looks great! I want to try this. Having trouble getting bales of straw, but I'm going to keep trying. I have so many potatoes with eyes growing everywhere and hope it's not too late to throw them in the garden.
I wouldn't think it's too late
Find a farm services agency office (FSA) near you. They usually have a board where people post things. Put up a note asking for soiled/old hay. Do same at TSC/Coop/Rural King/etc.
Would have liked to see the planting.
Ok I'll make sure to film a specific video on it this year.
Excited to see how it turns out! I'm inadvertently growing them in a leaf (mainly oak) & pine needle pile that I was sort of trying to compost (or speed up the compositing process) with kitchen scraps....will be interesting to see if I actually get potatoes (its a great place to find worms for fishing)!
I bet yours will grow!
You can add a thin layer of dirt to your compost and it will help get the biology going from the native bacteria in the soil.
We're experimenting with the Ruth stout method too. I am worried I haven't hilled them enough though. They got wait high and started flopping over before I could get more hay around them. Planted close to 500...so I hope they turn out!
Oh wow, I think I planted around 50 or so. But we aren't huge potato consumers. Hope yours works out
How often do you keep adding hay?
Do you let the potato top grow through and add around the tops?
Did you plant the potatoes in the dirt or on top of the straw and then cover them again with straw ??
Nice video. It's impressive. But I don't see how you put the potatoes. I want to know How deep you put the potatoes in your straw?
This video shows how th-cam.com/video/znxItpc54Xo/w-d-xo.html
I have heard that some are doing it to mulch the crops when it's dry season or doesn't have a water access, does the mulch keep the crops grow? Is it true?
Great videos! How deep did you plant the potatoes?
I just lay them on top of the soil level under the straw
I am going to start this soon.when you plant do you just stick the potatoes right into the straw or does it need to touch dirt? You keep adding straw around the new plant coming up? I can't wait to try this!!!
I pulled the straw back to the soil level and placed seed potatoes there, covered with about 6-8inches of straw. Hilled as they grew till about 12 inches.
@@1870s thanks!
Okay my question is once you get the straw on and you ad your compost then do you dig down through the straw into your soil and plant your potato or do you actually put your potato at the bottom of the straw?
I don't remember adding any compost,but maybe I did. I just put the potato where the grass would have been
How did you plant the potaoes? Did you move the straw away and just toss them and cover them back over like Ruth? Or did you find that the straw had composted enough to act like a bit of soil to plant in? Or did you dig into what was left of the grass to plant the potatoes? I would like to try this this coming spring as we will be starting a garden from scratch on what at the moment is just 3 acres of open field.
I just moved straw back to where the grass layer would have been and laid potatoes on the ground and then covered back up. I did hill them once just to add another layer of protection from the sun.
@@1870s Thank you for the reply. That is so encouraging to see how well it worked for you. Will definitely be giving it a try to get beds started without having to dig.
I expanded the number of beds this fall. I am going to plant my tomatoes, sunflowers, corn, potatoes and peas in them
How deep did you set the potatos into the straw? I'm a beginner and need to know every step. LOL
I laid them right at soil level
@@1870s Thank you!
Hope it will work here in Portugal too. I'm very curious. My first garden. Alot to learn. Watching videos, reading books. I have a black thumb, maybe I can change it.
When did you plant your potatoes? What month????
I plant at the beginning of April
I started a Ruth Stout garden this year and adjusting to this method. I have a few videos, if you want to see the progress. It certainly has cut down on my weeding and watering time. You should have a great harvest of potatoes. I didn't do potatoes this year as I didn't start planting till April, but plan on it next spring.
Great I'll check it out! I just planted peanuts to in the expanded area. No signs yet so we shall see. If successful I can totally see myself doing more of this next year.
What month did you plant the potatoes and when did you harvest. How long did you let the hay sit.
Put the hay out in late Feb, planted in late April, harvested in mid July
question on ruth stout method.. since I am trying to throw a garden together pretty quickly.. can I lay out my straw and plant then, or do I need to wait a while?
if I need to wait.. how long?
First it needs to be old, not new straw or hay. Second I would let it get rained on real good first. Options you have, you can "charge it", by watering well with diluted fish emulsion. I found Ruth Stout works well for transplants but not well for seed starting. Also I should let you know that I'm moving away from pure Ruth Stout and going to more of a lasagna garden style. One if my recent videos show how I'm changing things up.
Can I use Timothy hay?
Sure, should be able to. Just check it good for seeds. Lay your bed in the fall if you can, and let it sit all winter to start to break down.
So when the plant dies is when you know the potatoes are ready to harvest, right?
Yeppers! I have a few at deaths door right now, just waiting for them to give up. So excited to see what we get
When you planted the potatoes, did you just put them at the bottom of the straw?
Yes
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Oh no. I covered my tops. Should I uncover them?
Isn't the Ruth Stout method Hay not Straw?
She used hay, yes. We've had good success with straw, with no worry of seeds from the hay taking over our beds. We always amend with a nitrogen source when doing so, like grass cuttings, goat manure, or chicken compost. You do have to let it sit for a while though, to let things meld.
Not enough info on what you did. was it straw or hay???? I have never grown potatoes before, so from the 1 and 2nd video all I caught was straw or hay piled up some compost and that's it, what is hilling???? I don't mean to sound stupid, but would love to see a complete video on how to do it....doesn't look as messy as diging them out of the ground. thank's for the video..
All I did was spread old straw bales out directly over the grass in a very thick layer. I too dressed with compost. I went back about 6 weeks later and planted potatoes just by making deep holes in straw, basically laying potatoes on what would have been the grass layer. Covered them back up. Once plants were 6-10 inches high I almost completely covered them back up with more straw. I did this process twice (hilling potatoes). That's it. Now I wait till the plants die back to harvest.
thank's, now maybe if it's not too late I can plant some potatoes, look's like a great way to do it.
You should have time
Thank's will give it a try. we eat potatoes every day. may not be good for us but it's what we like.
Fire hazard ? Saw in the news this summer a garden that caught fire in the hot sun.
In all my time living here we have never had a wildfire. I guess it could be in a region susceptible to that for sure. I feel pretty safe though.
I never imagined either, and a special story came out this summer in Cape Breton of all places where garden wood chips had caught fire in the sun and the local fire department did a mini story. Had it been California it would have been a blip on my radar but Cape Breton was an eye opener.
@@isabellemorgan4452 wow that would be aweful!
i dunno why youd call it an experiment.. its obviously just basic biology
ruth didn't hill
That's ok