Small Potato Patch
We have a love and a preference for new, small potatoes! I never plan on any being left in the fall for storage! If I were to want potatoes to hold over the winter I would need a patch well separated from the house! WELL SEPARATED!!! We do not use that many potatoes but what it is easier to pick them up at our Coop than it is for me to exercise self control!
For most of my life I have followed Ruth Stout’s system for growing potatoes.
This year, we used a 4×4 frame that was on the ground, originally built for bat houses that are yet to be erected. So few bats now. Filled it with soil.
Placed three rows of seed potatoes – red & white.
Even though Ruth Stout used hay, we use straw to lower the chance of weed & grass seeds. It is easier to deal with a few oats! As the potato plants grow, more straw is added between rows and around plants. Straw rather than traditional “hilling” The beauty of this system is NO digging. When the time comes to have those small, new potatoes for supper, I just move the straw back, pick up the potatoes I want right then and replace the straw.
I need to fence this off as the geese are too intrigued. Right now it is covered with a temporary row cover to keep poultry from investigating while grow starts. Low fence will be set up this week so row cover can be removed.
The Other Small Update
Our indeterminate varieties of tomatoes are outgrowing their cages. We solved this by repurposing old tent frame pieces! As you know, we sleep outside during nice weather and we use inexpensive tents that give us one year of living and one winter of covering the bed and chairs!
