Country Lore: Grow Potatoes in Hay

If your soil is too heavy to grow a good potato crop, try growing them in hay.

February/March 2008
By LaVonne Nowlin 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

I live in Texas where most of our soil is a heavy black gumbo, but I’ve learned a way to raise potatoes so they don’t rot before harvest time.

RELATED CONTENT

I have a raised bed of black soil, compost, manure and autumn leaves, which decompose over the winter. I till the bed about 10 to 12 inches down and plant my seed potatoes on top of the ground. Then, I place a 2-foot high tomato cage over the potatoes and put hay in the cage until it reaches the top. I add a 1-pound coffee can of soil on top of the hay and water it thoroughly. This compresses the hay, so I add more to bring the hay level up to the top of the cage.

During the growing season the plants do need to be watered, but this system retains the water.

The potato plants eventually grow out of the top of the hay and trail over the side of the cage. At the end of the season, I get a good harvest of potatoes without fear of their having rotted.

LaVonne Nowlin
Fort Worth, Texas

Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

  • Tym Tucker 4/13/2009 5:38:55 PM

    I tried this and as I suspected would happen, the plants have simply shot out the side of the tomato cage at the bottom.

    What now?

    I think I'll remove most of the hay, shift the sprouts back toward the center of the cage, cover them just a bit, and repeat as they (hopefully) come out the top?

Add Your Comment

Please note that there is currently a problem with the comments function and your comment may or may not post successfully. We are working to correct the problem and thank you for your patience. 

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Mother Earth News readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Mother Earth News?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.