I did that last year and it worked fine. What I found, is if I needed a potato for a meal, I would go out and part the mulch, pick a couple of potatoes & then remulch. Just like picking tomatoes. Then harvested in the fall. That aspect was the best, as the plant was undisturbed.
I am trying a similar approach but I have access to last years leaves rather than hay. The problem for a grower in the UK is the number of slugs which may not be such an issue for you.
We have bugs and slugs but using a lot of hay and manure seems to balance and confuse the creepy crawlers resulting in only very minor losses. I would try to create predator habitat to help control pests. Over here potato beetles can be a real annoyance but slugs don’t cause much trouble.
gonna try this method next time, ive tried hay towers and containers. The hay tower was to much work, the container method worked great, but i often forgot to fill the container with soil as the plants grew bigger.
It worked well for me last year and because the potatoes rooted into the natural soil they had full flavor. The hay acted as a great mulch and feed also. I did no watering and very little weeding. Hope it works for you too.
we put down hay couple yrs ago and planted, but nothing came up. Can we use the same hay and try again? Do you recommend adding something to the hay? thank you
My hay is from the lean-to where the cows spend the winter, so it has manure mixed in. This gives them enough fertility and moisture in the spring and the ground never really dries out in the summer so I don't water them. Your hay should be fine if it's old and moist. Seems like your seed potatoes may have been eaten by mice or just rotted. They usually start even in poor soil.
I have never had any luck with growing potatoes so I will use my last years hay bales and give them a try. I noticed when you harvested there was no growth visible on top of the hay. Is that your clue to harvest ?
Yes, the final harvest is ready when the tops die off. This is when the skins are set well and don't peel. New potatoes can be taken anytime, just pull back the hay and see if any are there yet.
I am wanting to plant potatoes this year using this method. Do I have to wait any amount of time before I can plant under the hay? Or can I just make the hay mounds and plant. Sorry I'm new to this 😊
I use hay mixed with manure from the lean-to during the winter, so in my case the hay sits for a few months and gets washed by the rain/snow and is clean on top by spring and easy to work with. Fresh hay could be used at planting time, no need to let it sit. I would plant the seed and just cover it with hay. Hope this helps.
I did that last year and it worked fine. What I found, is if I needed a potato for a meal, I would go out and part the mulch, pick a couple of potatoes & then remulch. Just like picking tomatoes. Then harvested in the fall. That aspect was the best, as the plant was undisturbed.
Nothing like fresh taters! I think this season I will pilfer a few new potatoes.
You should keep the small ones great for pot roast or morning hash
The small ones are my favorite!
I am trying a similar approach but I have access to last years leaves rather than hay. The problem for a grower in the UK is the number of slugs which may not be such an issue for you.
We have bugs and slugs but using a lot of hay and manure seems to balance and confuse the creepy crawlers resulting in only very minor losses. I would try to create predator habitat to help control pests. Over here potato beetles can be a real annoyance but slugs don’t cause much trouble.
Thank you for sharing very nice potatoes
also do we need to water them?
gonna try this method next time, ive tried hay towers and containers. The hay tower was to much work, the container method worked great, but i often forgot to fill the container with soil as the plants grew bigger.
It worked well for me last year and because the potatoes rooted into the natural soil they had full flavor. The hay acted as a great mulch and feed also. I did no watering and very little weeding. Hope it works for you too.
When you did this, did you plant directly onto hay? Or did you plant in dirt and just deep mulched over with hay? Thx
I planted through the hay down to the soil level and then added a few more inches of hay mulch on top. Before it settled it was about a foot deep.
we put down hay couple yrs ago and planted, but nothing came up. Can we use the same hay and try again? Do you recommend adding something to the hay? thank you
My hay is from the lean-to where the cows spend the winter, so it has manure mixed in. This gives them enough fertility and moisture in the spring and the ground never really dries out in the summer so I don't water them. Your hay should be fine if it's old and moist. Seems like your seed potatoes may have been eaten by mice or just rotted. They usually start even in poor soil.
I love in az so this my plan this year
Nice potatoes, do you know what variety they are? They almost have the colour of sweet potatoes. Ek wonder waar die naam van die plaas vandaan kom?
They are Red Norland. I have limey soil and most varieties of potatoes get scabby here , but these are scab resistant.
Great crop. How did you fertilize it?
The hay is used bedding from the cows winter pen and had alot of manure mixed in. I didn't use any other fertilizer.
The small potatoes are the best.
When did you plant, and how long did they grow?
I planted mid April and harvested late September. They came up in June and died back early September, so grow time was about 90 days.
I love potatoes
I nodded off, how does it end?
Maybe you could watch one minute per night, be done in a week.
I have never had any luck with growing potatoes so I will use my last years hay bales and give them a try. I noticed when you harvested there was no growth visible on top of the hay. Is that your clue to harvest ?
Yes, the final harvest is ready when the tops die off. This is when the skins are set well and don't peel. New potatoes can be taken anytime, just pull back the hay and see if any are there yet.
You also might want to test your soil's PH levels.I bought a tester on line for under 10 dollars .
I am wanting to plant potatoes this year using this method. Do I have to wait any amount of time before I can plant under the hay? Or can I just make the hay mounds and plant. Sorry I'm new to this 😊
I use hay mixed with manure from the lean-to during the winter, so in my case the hay sits for a few months and gets washed by the rain/snow and is clean on top by spring and easy to work with. Fresh hay could be used at planting time, no need to let it sit. I would plant the seed and just cover it with hay. Hope this helps.
These are the best potatoes
Did you say cows will eat potatoes?
cows will eat raw potatoes(they are ruminants and can digest them) but pigs need them cooked and then they can eat them also
@@middleveldfarm7736 Never knew that. Thank you!
The potatoes don't appear to be attached to anything to the mother plant-seems strange.
when potatoes are fully mature the stems dry and crumble; the roots just rot away