More raised beds...

[longwinters]

Put in two more raised beds this morning.  4' x 16'.  So that makes 5 of em along with my 6 grow boxes and a few other dirt strips that are about 18" wide with a total length of about 65' (long sidewalks etc) for growning stuff.  I'm glad I've got my Mantis as it works great in this situation.
 
Now if I could figure out how to grow lots of taters in containers I'd be in great shape.
 
Long

[leadbutt]

YOu mite try logging on to the "Mother Earth News"  forum I get their rag and it had in the past some thing about rasing taters in old tires and galvinized trash cans

[keith44]

I just heard about growing taters in trash bags also, same principle as the tires, just easier to get, and less unsightly to some.


http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/11980/how-to-grow-potatoes-in-a-trash-bag


Keith

[reliquary]

They're easy to grow in a compost pile or even in a leaf pile (take 'em out as "new potatoes").
Last year I scavenged several odds and ends of black plastic corrugated culvert material, some 12" and some 18" in diameter.  I cut it to about one foot lengths and sunk about half of that length into the ground...my reasoning was that the black would absorb heat and help raise the soil temp, giving me a jump on the growing season.  Granted, I'm using them for squash, not potatoes, but it's working well and I see no reason why it wouldn't do for your  'taters.
 
 

[longwinters]

Last year I built 2 "grow boxes" out of pallet slats (24" x 24").  As the potato plants grew I kept adding dirt and adding slats until the boxes were about 24" high.  The plants went another 18".  I got 15 lbs of reds and about 7 lbs of yellow.
 
I found it somewhat disappointing as I was hoping for more.
 
Long

[keith44]

how many "seed potatoes" did you plant??

[longwinters]

2 lbs in each box.  There is quite a bit about growing taters in containers on the net.  One site says you can get 100 lbs per box.  I'm thinking no way, but I hope I can do better than last year.
 
Long

[keith44]

Ok, I see a couple things.  One you say you added dirt as the plants grew, what kind of dirt?  It is possible that what you added did not provide enough nutrients to produce the tubers.  You also make no mention of a watering schedule.  In a container situation both nutrients and moisture can be depleted quickly.  Try adding either a soaker hose or sub surface stand pipe irrigation, and add compost or fertalizer along with the dirt.  Something like 12-12-12 comes to mind.  Figure the area of the container and give the plants the equalivent of 1 acre inch of water every week (unless you get an inch of rain one week, then skip that week, or make up the difference)

Just my thoughts, anyone else got any ideas?

[longwinters]

I used a combination of Miracle grow potting mix, straw and a bit of sand.  I also used "organic" potato fertilizer.  Watered them every two to three days as the dirt does dry out faster in the boxes than in the ground.
 
Long

[keith44]

ahh, miracle grow is biased toward leafy or green growth and ignores root or tuber production.  Two of my books say to increase yields in potatoes by adding small amounts of magnesium.  Both also recommend more phosphate than nitrogen or potassium for fertilizer.  Also potatoes do better in an acidic soil. One of my books actually recommends a PH of 4.8.  Potting soil is more like 6.8 to 7.2.

[longwinters]

Keith, what you say makes sense about Miracle grow.  But one of the problems with living in town is that I can't just go dig up some dirt...I have to buy it in small quantities. Granted I can buy "dirt in a bag" but I wanted a lighter soil for the taters.  I guess I could just buy peat but the price is ridiculous.  This year I won't add any new potting mix just straw and maybe a bit more sand.
 
One thing I am curious about is how many years I can use the same soil for potatoes.  I rotate my tomatoes and peppers but there must be a way to keep using the same soil for potatoes or the potato farmers  would be in trouble, although I see they do rotate their fields every few years.
 
Long

[keith44]

I have never grown potatoes in a container, so I am not sure.  I rotate my potatoes in a three or four year rotation, mainly to prevent scab (which the acid soil also helps with)


I forget that not every gardener has the luxury of the larger spaces I am used to, I would not add too much sand, but some will help keep the growing medium light.  Same with straw, but the straw will add more bulk, and hold more water where it is needed.  Peat moss is good to add also but like you say is pricey.  If you can drive around and find an old dried up farm pond and dig out the bottom of that the soil there is as good as peat moss, but will have viable weed seed, so you'd need to deal with that also.  I have also seen bagged compost for sale, this could be another option. 


If you could take a soil sample and have it tested the lab can tell you exactly what to add. Other than that it sounds like a mix of peat straw and some sand is the best bet.