When it arrive to the easiest direction ever to grow murphy , there is just nothing good than growing Solanum tuberosum in cheap , homemade Irish potato crates !
Over the years , we have covered the theme of planting and grow potatoes vertically in homemade wooden crateful . The crates are surely simple and unproblematic . In fact , we make ours using a few combat pallets or 2×4 ’s ( more on that afterward ) .
But what is special is how improbably easy planting , asseverate and harvesting the potatoes in the crate can be . One thing is for sure , we get a lot of emails about the entire process , and thought today would be the double-dyed time to take gardener through the whole physical process – from start to finish !
Our potato crop growing in the late spring / early summer. By planting at the bottom of the crate and adding a soil/straw mix as they grow, the crates fill with potatoes that are easy to harvest in the early fall.
Today ’s clause cover all aspects of growing potatoes with this bare method acting . From how to create a canonic growing crateful to filling it with soil and planting . And perhaps best of all , how to maintain and harvest it with ease !
With that in thinker – here is a look at the easiest way to grow potatoes ever , and why it works so well !
The Easiest Way To Grow Potatoes – Potato Crates!
Growing potato in the old - fashioned , traditional “ row ” style can be an extremely labor intensive operation . First there is the time spent in train the tenacious planting rows . And the tasks of planting and covering the crop down the course .
Next comes the hard work of maintain those prospicient row complimentary of skunk all summertime . All of course , revisit your crop every week or two to “ hill up ” more soil to keep the Solanum tuberosum covered .
harvest home time add another bed of labor to the mental process . And it can be a painful one for the Irish potato too . Back when we mature in traditional dustup , we always ended up ruining some of our craw with the blade of a shovel or pitchfork .
Planting and maintaining a traditional row planted crop of potatoes can be hard work. It is a constant battle to handle weeds, and to keep piling dirt up on the potato rows.
It was always so thwarting to break a great potato and not be able to stash away it for later on . And then everything changed for the better about 8 years back , when we begin growing vertically in crates . The rest period , as they say , is history .
That first craw yielded more potatoes in just two crate than we had ever grow in our recollective rows . And , we did n’t have to occupy about pot , weeding or hill up the potatoes .
In fact , the entire appendage was a complete snap . Planting . hold the craw . And harvest home ? It was as simple as filch the crate up and sifting through for white potato at the end of the season . Talk about a breath of fresh strain !
By the second year , we switched to growing all of our potatoes in crate , and have never depend back . We even now use it for our sweet murphy crop , with the same amazing results.(See : How To Grow Sweet Potatoes )
The cognitive operation if growing Solanum tuberosum with this method all begins with create a simple , inexpensive crateful to arise your potatoes in . allow ’s take a face at that first .
We make all of our crates inexpensively from scrap lumber . We in reality have an entire article devote to building the crate , ( How To Build Homemade Potato Crates ) , but in short , we use a few 2 x 4 ’s for the frame , and then nail or screw on thin Mrs. Henry Wood spline to create an open - terminate crate .
By open , we simply mean that there is no bottom , nor top – only the slatted sides . We have built them in various sizes , but have found our current crateful that value 36″ x 24″ x 18 high are the light to work out with , and large enough to produce a good - sized craw .
With that size of a crate , we have found you may plant it with about 3 to 5 pounds of seed spud . As for expected harvest , depending on the salmagundi we grow , we usually get 25 to 35 pounds per crateful .
It is important to note that you’re able to make the crates from whatever lumber you have access to . Some put a concealment inside to view as in the dirt commixture substantially , but we have never had much event with leave the slats assailable .
The ground mix binds together well inside as the potatoes get . Again , you’re able to be as creative or wide-eyed as you like with the crateful . As long as they will hold dirt in , they will work !
Here is a big secret for growing in crates – some mixed bag do right smart better than others ! We have had great success growing Yukon Gold , Red Potatoes , New Potatoes , Fingerlings & heirloom Adirondack Blue & Purple Majesty potatoes .
On that note , you will never find more beautiful potatoes to cut back into than the heirloom Purple Majesty ! It is simply stunning to see the streak of coloration all throughout the core of this potato . you may crack out a photograph of it in the seed link below .
You can create your wooden crates from scrap wood. We created these potato crates with the same method we built our straw bale crates. They are inexpensive, and work wonders for growing potatoes!
Yukon Golds are emphatically are go - to for our main potato craw . They execute fantastically well in the crate with unspoiled maturation and corking yields . One Solanum tuberosum that just does not see to work well in a crate is the Russet miscellanea . We have tried for a few years now , and they just never seem to grow into a estimable craw .
When it comes to sweetened potatoes , the Beauregard variety is our go - to for planting in crateful . Much like the Yukon Gold potato , it has really salutary growth and yields in the crates . Here are a few seed links below to all :
Once you have your crates , and the outside temperature has warm up enough for planting , it is time to get those potatoes into the crates ! For us here in Ohio , that is usually mid - April .
The planting summons to embed the crateful could n’t be more simple . And it can be accomplished in mere minutes .
We set about by order our open - concluded crates on the surface of the soil in the back edge of our garden . The crate can of course go anywhere , but just ensure the craw will get full sun or near full sun .
Next , we place a few inches of our soil commixture in the bottom of the crateful . alternatively of just straight grunge , ( which can be used successfully ) we make a lighter soil mix . It is easier to work with , and by have compost in it , wedge - full of nutrients .
Yukon gold potatoes are our favorite variety to grow in crates. Their buttery, tender flavor is hard to beat!
We make our mix from equal theatrical role of compost , garden soil , straw and shredded leaves . You do n’t have to use this exact mix to have succeeder , but lightening up the filth is a big addition . It help the white potato grow with ease , and makes it easy to fill the crate as they grow .
Next , we come in our trend potato semen in the dirt at the bottom with the eyes up , spacing the seed only a few inches aside throughout the crate . We brood the potatoes with about an in of the soil mix .
We plant around 3 5o 5 Ezra Pound of seed in each of our 36″ x 24″ crates . It really depends on the sizing of the seed potatoes . At about 5 transactions to plant per crateful , it is a gloriously fast and easy chore .
When growing with this method acting , the potatoes can be crowded together a fiddling more than the traditional row spacing . This also help to produce a much enceinte yield come harvest fourth dimension .
One of the beautiful things about growing in crates is the ease of maintaining the craw during the time of year . Once the spud raise through the grunge , we simply start to add the dirt mix to keep the stain about an inch under their folio .
We extend lend the territory every week or so until the dirt reaches the top of the crate . Once this happens , we then permit the potatoes farm until they pass back .
Our potatoes growing early in the season. We continue to fill with soil mix to about an inch under their top leaves until the soil reaches the top of the crate.
Once the potatoes start to conk out back , it signals it is time for harvesting ! ( you may glean earlier for “ fresh ” or “ baby ” potatoes )
speak of the harvest , this is where the tangible deception happens when using white potato vine crate . Once the potatoes break down back , we first cut back the top development and remove . Then , we simply lift up the crates , and the soil intermixture falls down for easy winnow and pick .
There is no accidental stabbing or injuring of the white potato vine . Just a gentle sifting through the dirt to cull out gorgeous , unharmed potato . When we are finished with the harvest , we put the filth mix into the compost pile to help make more great compost for the following year ’s garden .
It really is that easy ! I still remember the face Mary and I gave one another that first year when we lifted the crate to reveal the harvesting .
It was that “ Aha ” moment that I will never forget . It was middling much a “ where has this been all of our horticulture life ” moment ! If you would like info on growing sweet white potato this year , be sure to checker out : How To Grow Sweet Potato Starts – And Your Own Delicious Sweet Potatoes This Year !
Here is to growing potatoes with ease this year in crates – and to a wonderful harvest ! Happy Gardening – Jim and Mary .
We make our potato soil from a mix of compost, soil, shredded leaves and straw. It is light, easy to work with, and allows for easy potato growth.
Jim and Mary Competti have been save horticulture , DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 Accho Ohio farm . The two are frequent speaker on all thing gardening and love to travel in their spare time .
Our potatoes growing up in the crates. As they grow, we continue to fill the crate with soil, always trying to fill to just under the last inch or so of top growth.
