Sinfonian, since you started this craze with the potato bins, can't wait to see how yours finish.

Shot

Thanks for answering my questions about the half barrels, bumble. No Mills Stores around here, but I'll keep an eye out. Those sure are neat!

I was digging some taters today, and was struck again by the hugely variable productions. Bins are surely an tiny factor compared to variety, for instance. Yukon Gold is proving to be a huge winner. I havn't grown them before as I have been growing German Butterball for some years, which is similar, but YG is enormously more productive. I dug a hill today which gave 7 or 8 medium/large tubers and more little ones than I cared to look for, from one seed tuber. If I had bothered to cut seed at planting time it would have been something like 20/1 return, I reckon.

I get some decent results from Rose Gold sometimes, but my other heirlooms are poor producers.

Thanks for the info on Yukon Gold, pn. By cutting seed do you mean cutting the potatoes instead of planting the whole thing?

Funny thing, I didn't see sinfonian's page until after mine were planted either, I wanted to try the stacked tire thing but the tire smut near something I was going to eat grossed me out, so DH came up with the cedar boxes from leftover fencing.
My end bin is done by the looks of it, plant is withered, not sure why. Been watering them all the same, they're all right next to each other. The other 3 are still going strong. No flowers yet (they are Yukon Gold, I picked that because we are very near the Yukon!) I'm happy to hear that is a good producing variety. My un-hilled russet burbanks in the big garden are flowering though, hopefully I'll get a good yeild from them.
Well, back to shelling peas for me...

Sounds like I might have to check out those German Butterball, pnbrown. I already have Yukon Gold on my list for next year since it's what we tend to eat the most (along with red). This year, I just went with what my seed store had on hand. The roasted blues taste good but I really LOVE the flavor of the red. The skin actually snaps when you bite into them. Haven't ever had that experience from supermarket potatoes!

This is a reply to emcalister1 posted in old thread.

You said yours are blooming. That is a good sign as mine never bloomed. Be patient and wait until the tops die off.
Am real interested to see how yours produce with using straw as I am thinking of doing that next year instead of the packed dirt that I had this year.

Thanks for posting with us.

Shot

Thanx to mxbarbie for pointing me to the right topic. Follows my original comment:
Hi all, I've been following this thread from the beginning and built 4 potato towers much as the pictures posted here. I've got a profusion of flowers and the towers are now approx. 4 feet high. I used straw instead of dirt for filler. the thing is when I put my hand down to see if there were potatoes I got nothing. Absolutely nothing. The straw had rotted deep down in the tower and there were no potatoes to be found. I am stumped.

Update: I've since discovered that I have a mole infestation, which may explain the lack of taters.

As regards the straw, I don't think 100% straw is the way to go. As time goes on the straw decomposes in the lightless, wet environment, resulting in huge empty spaces inside the bin. Today I filled in the bins with compost, hoping it's not too late. I think a mix of straw and dirt is most advisable. The straw should lighten the soil load.

Here are some pics of my bins - hope this works.

Starting out:
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Halfway through:
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Finished and Flowering
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Cool pics, glad this thread is going strong. It's great to hear how others are fairing with taters this year.

Oh and Shot, that makes two of us. My russets are still blooming up a storm, showing no signs of slowing down or dying anytime soon. My yukons seem to be dying one minute, then surviving the next. To the best of my knowledge they've never bloomed, but I understand some varieties don't and not to worry.

Also I read that I'm supposed to plant in March and harvest in October or November. That's one loooonnnnggg growing season. I'm sure if I looked I could harvest some small ones, but I'm waiting to weigh the harvest to test the article I read.

I also read recently that Washington State is the second leading producer of potatoes in the U.S., right behind Idaho, and if you combine the two states, we produce more than the rest of the world combined. That's amazing, and tells me why that article was in the Seattle Times. Maybe the bin works better where potatoes grow easier. Not sure. I still think it's cooler than sliced bread. hehe

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure

Wow! You sure don't have to worry about a lawn mower with all that growing in your yard... lol Great pics and we appreciate you sharing as we enjoy those.

Sinfonian, just for two states that is a lot of taters! Can't wait until next year to give it a go again in hopes of improving. As the saying goes, "Experience will force a certain amount of knowledge on you, whether you like it or now".

Look forward to seeing how yours turn out.

Shot

emcalister - WOW! That is a beautiful backyard. I'd like to add some beauty to my place. I see that you are in the same zone as myself...where are you located? I would hope that the same plants in your photos would work in my location. Thanks for sharing. I'm showing these pics to the wife. I've been following this tater bin story for a while, and am glad that everyone is still giving progress reports. Sinfonian, I think yours will do very well.

EG

Thanks EG. I live in a 'burb outside of Seattle. I would imagine you would have even more success growing the same plants in Alabama than up here in Seattle.

Emcalister. NO WAY! Where? I've GOT to see this yard close-up. I myself am in MLT, but work in downtown... Do you give tours?

Shoot me an email! And are you sure about zone 7? Everything I've seen shows 8b, though comparing us to Alabama's 8b is laughable. I know I've laughed about it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure

sinfonian, my potato story sounds just like yours! Russets blooming like mad, yukon gold looking half dead one week, next week perked right up, it's the strangest thing. I planted mine in april, I probably could have planted in march, but the soil was a bit too muddy. I'm thinking I should be leaving my bins until halloween-ish if I can fight my curiosity that long! We also sometimes get snow before halloween so it's kind of a wait and see thing.
emcalister1, your yard puts your neighbours to shame! Way to go! That is beautiful.

It's at least 90% climate, 10% perspiration.......(potatoes, or anything).

Sinfonian, for the zone info I just punched in my zip code for my profile and up popped zone 7. After looking around the web, I see my zone is 8b. I actually live quite close to you, in the Kenmore area, right by St. Edwards State Park.

Question. What do you do with uneven growth of potatoes. I have been just piling it up where needed but I am going to have to add a ring to the bin. Some of the potatos are growing slow.
{{gwi:84384}}
By mikeinparadise at 2008-08-16

Should I cover them over? At some point the difference in growth in the plants will be too great to keep staggering the dirt.

Any thoughts?

I have been lurking, following this interesting thread while quietly trying my own bin experiment. The results: overall not very positive. HOWEVER, there was a bit of reason for hope for the method.

I used a stiff wire mesh for my bin. Two of the potato branches that I covered with soil didn't die like all the rest of the covered branches but instead grew out through the wire on the side of the bin and produced a nice bit of foliage on the side, almost equal in size to the top foliage.

My plants weren't too healthy overall b/c of too much shade (we don't have many sunny spots in our yard and I decided to try this experiment after the sunnier spots were already were taken) but the two plants that had the branches growing out through the side produced far better than those that only had top growth supporting them. Also, spuds were found a little higher up the stem, close to where the living side branch connected with the main stem.

This is enough encouragement for me to try again next year, but in a sunnier spot. Also, I intend to try and encourage every branch that I cover with soil to grow out through the wire on the side of the bin.

But I have some question to the more experienced. (did I mention that this is my first time growing potatoes?):
1. do my theories make sense? (i.e. that the extra foliage of the branches growing out the side helps production of the plant and that there is a better chance of potatoes being found further up the stem if there are side branches with foliage?
2. does the variety make a difference for binning? I used Warba. I think it is a wonderful eating potato but I wonder if other varieties might respond to binning better(?)

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Bob

Hi, Bob:

My plants are still growing strong. One stem that wound itself through the chain link fence has grown taller than the fence. They're still flowering and I'm still waiting.

Wish I could answer some of your questions, but I'm winging it too.

I tried the wire cage type bin, with straw, but it was pretty lame, I think there was too much rain this year, it just seemed to rot the plant slowly. I got 1 medium spud, and a few little round ones, like parisienne sized. I think I'll try again some other place in the yard, I've done potatoes in this spot a few years in a row now.

Mike:
What I did was to cover them unevenly to match the growth of the plants, hoping that the lagging one would catch up. One time it did, the other it didn't, so I had to cover it eventually. Once you cover them, they die and don't make potatoes.

Emcalister:
The research I did on the various "zones" that represents the quirky place where we live. Zone 8b only means we don't get below 20 degrees often if ever. But the AHS zone 2 means we don't get ABOVE 86 degrees more than 7 times a year (I've counted 5 so far). The Sunset zone is pretty good all around, and compares us nicely to England's climate, so whatever grows there grows here too. Not bad.

Bob:
Good theories, not sure of them. My bins don't allow any growth out the middle so I'd be interested in hearing the results.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure!

Added another ring and so far am able to keep some leaves on plant above ground..

{{gwi:84385}}

I felt under the soil again today, and still no taters in the top 12" of soil. I reached down along a stem and found a spud as big as my fist! It was about 14" deep. I hope there are lots more. My vines are just beginning to wilt, so I'll wait about two weeks after they're dried to dig up the bin. I'll post my photos then.
Garbird

Way to go GARBIRD. Look forward to seeing the results.
Shot

I just topped up the soil on the 3rd ring.

{{gwi:84386}}

Our frost date is Sept 29th so I am thinking that I had better stop adding rings and let it grow as it.

I was late starting this..

Anyone know about the pototo development? Are they growing continually or do they start as the flowering process starts?

Anyone got any results to post yet or comments on when you will start to harvest your potatoes?

So we took down the bin that was looking pretty dead since my last post...
here are the photos:
{{gwi:84387}} {{gwi:84388}}
{{gwi:84389}} {{gwi:84390}}

What a dissapointment... I am still holding out hope for the other 3 bins as they are still growing. This one that we took apart died at the beginning of August.
I also noticed 90% of the spuds were right at the bottom in the first tier so I am wondering if I waited too long to "hill" them and the stalks hardened off... I guess we shall see when we dump the other three.

mxbarbie,

I feel your pain! Hopefully your others will do better.

Do you know what variety of potato you had in that bin? I am wondering if some varieties respond better to binning than others(?) I am very interested to hear other peoples' reports of results.

Bob

mxbarbie:

Well, there's always next year.

I can't really tell from your pictures, but I'm wondering what the dimensions of your boxes are and how many potato plants went in.

Also, and this can be for anybody who cares to answer, did you plant whole potatoes or cut up the potatoes? If you cut them, how big was the piece?

Up until a few days ago, mine were looking pretty good, but they are beginning to wilt. They started flowering three separate times with just a few flowers here and there. I'm still going to wait until they die back all the way.

I hope you don't mind if I express an opinion. Chalk it up as the ramblings of an old lady if you must ;-)

I don't profess to be a potato grower. In fact, I haven't grown a potato in the past twenty years. But what I do know is:

1. The optimum depth for planting a seed potato is 4-6". Deeper planting results in lower yields.

2. When the plant reaches a height of 6", you hill it. This isn't so much for providing more room for the tubers to form, but rather for keeping them from turning green.

3. Most of the potatoes grow near the seed.

OK...so what happens when you keep adding board and soil and board and soil and board and soil? Are you providing more space for the tubers to grow (remember, they are going to form down there around the seed potato), or are you stressing out a plant that WANTS to form tubers, but has to expand all of its energy pushing up through all that soil to form those leaves that it has to have to provide the energy to form the tubers?

So...in my opinion, the bins are a good idea, but the high-rises are not. Why not try filling it with soil to the top of the first board, lay your seed potato on that, add one board and fill with soil to a depth of 6". Let your plants grow to 6". Add ONE more board and fill with soil. That's all. You don't need a high-rise.

You guys want to hear how I grew 4# Kennebec potatoes one year, with not a scab nor a hollow heart? Of course, I might be like the proverbial fisherman when it comes to remembering the size of those babies *g*

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Granny's Blog

Yes, I would like to hear about those 4# taters. Pray tell Granny, how did you grow those monster Kennebecs? I couldn't find it in your blog. If it's in there, a link would help.

I tried potato bins this year. Not the fancy wooden ones, just wire cages that I periodically topped off with chopped leaves. Things looked awesome for 1/2 the growing season but then high heat, no rain and fire ants moved in. No potatoes this year.

Well one good thing has hopefully come from the efforts...a nice spot to plant a fruit tree in the next few weeks.

Michelle

tcstoehr, it's been a few years, and I had a lot more room to garden back then! But what I did was dig a trench, about 12" deep, and fill it with composted horse manure/straw. Then I dug two more trenches, one on each side of (but not touching) the manure/straw. These trenches were about 6" deep. I laid the seed potatoes, which had been cut into pieces containing 1-2 good eyes and left in the sun to cure for 2-3 days, a foot apart in the trenches and covered them with 6" of soil. When the vines were about 6" tall I pulled soil up over them to a depth of another 6 inches or so, just leaving a few top leaves showing. I pulled this soil from the outside, not from the manure trench....I didn't want the manure to touch the potatoes at all, as I didn't want them to form scab. I just used my Rainbird sprinklers (on timers) to water about every three days (Eastern Washington, dry with sandy soil). Sunshine, light soil, good drainage and all those nutrients from the manure resulted in huge potatoes.

I "stole" a lot of new potatoes by feeling under the vines, but I was always very careful not to disturb the seed potato so it would continue producing tubers.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Granny's Blog

Ok, I finally gave in and reached down into the bins and found potatoes! But only in the bottom of the bin, exactly as happened to mxbarbie. I also have potatoes growing freely with no bins. I still think the bins are a good idea because they contain the vines. The one potato vine I have growing freely has taken over an entire 4X8 raised bed, while the four potato bins take up 1/2 the space and have several vines growing.

I gave in too. I moved back the vines and saw that there was some mold of fungi on the surface of the dirt and most of the vines are dead at the soil level.

I only have a 4x2 section for the potatoes. I dug two squares on one side and didn't find anything. On the other side I found a few small potatoes right on top. I dug down further and found a larger one. I'll probably go ahead and dig everything up tomorrow because I'm curious now. I wish I had gotten curious before it got too late to finish.

I got a total of twelve potatoes from gumball sized up to the size of a small apple, but the full grown seed potatoes I planted were very small.

I've heard of people saying they get tons of potatoes out of stacked tires. And bouncing off what AnniesGrannie said about the weight of the dirt and the tubers having to fight against that, maybe the potatoes form inside the tires as the dirt is piled up which would take the weight off of the forming tubers. And even with regular hilling, if you hill in a pyramid, there would be less weight along the outside where the potatoes form.

Anyway, you live and learn.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Potatoes

Granny, I like that method. A clever way of using manure for potato growing. I used municipal yard-waste compost on some potatoes this year and I think the results will be pretty good.

I think the bins are proving generally to be not worth the effort. In many cases they seem to be reducing yield.

Well, I know many of you have been curious about my yield. Yesterday I harvested my Yukon Gold bin. Alas, it was disappointing. I had 3 feet of dirt and 10 pounds of good looking yukon golds at the very bottom. I've read tons of folks that experience the same thing and I'm lost.

So, determined to make this space saving method work, I found the gentleman who recommended the method in the newpaper article I read and sent him an email. I hope he has insights becaus I want to try again.

Overall, I agree with Pat that if this is all we're going ot get from it it's not worth it. I don't have the room for Granny's multiple bin method, so it's go big or go home.

And next time I'll actually try it before I talk it up as better than sliced bread. Sorry again.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure!

sinfonian: That is too bad about the results. I started mine late they have not even started to flower yet. I will not pull them up until the middle of October or so.

Seems like lots and lots of failures in this method also some do succeed. I guess that there can be lots of variables.

Regardless of my results I will try this again next year but then I also have this field ready for next year that will see some spuds. My goal at the beginning of this year was to try and get potatoes here but I just didn't "Getr Done!" in time.

{{gwi:84391}}

sinfonian, I wasn't suggesting multiple bins, only that you not build the ones you have so high. Use the same amount of potato seed you did this year per bin, but only go one board for the base, add the seeds to the top of that soil, one more board for the soil to cover them, then one more board at 6" of growth, then stop with the boards. You will get the same or a greater yield with half the boards, half the soil and half the labor.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Well, live and learn. Just as an experiment, I put in one bin because I happened to have a trash can that broke in half right around the middle. I used the top part. I planted 5 red seed potatoes whole like the article stated I should. The vines were very healthy and eventually grew up and over the sides. I didn't stack any other bin on top. This was a one-story bin. The vines finally died down recently and today I dumped the bin. I got approx 5 lbs of potatoes of various sizes. The smallest was the size of a large walnut. Most were the size of my fist. Not bad, but all of the potatoes were on the bottom of the bin only. So building up the soil over time did no good. Oh well. I was going to take a picture for you, but it wasn't even worth it. So that's it. Not gonna do that anymore. Will use my plastic bin for something else.

Well shoot! I was really hoping to see someone come by with a bumper load of taters! It was indeed a fun experiment.
I guess my most bestest spin is that I finally got 3 compost bins to play with ;) I have been running stuff through the chipper/shredder and piling it in.
Ya can't go wrong when you have fun, get to interact with some swell folks and finally get around to building those compost bins all in one swoop ;)

Anyone up to try peanut bins next? ;) Count me in!

Here Ye! Here Ye! I bring word from the man himself.

I broke down in frustration and tracked down the originator of the method in the article (not that it's original, but he was the one touting it's success). Greg Lutovsky runs a farm east of the Cascades in Washington State, the second leading producer of potatoes in the world.

His reply taught me volumes about why so many of us failed.

The method has little do do with the success or failure, at least in my case. I got a great crop if I only went 1 board high. Apparently, what does decide how much harvest you get is the variety of potato you plant.

Yukon Golds are an early variety. Early varieties are early because they only set fruit once! So no matter how tall I went, I still was only going to get one layer of potatoes. Late season varieties set fruit more often and are the ones used for these beds. Greg was not pleased that the article didn't mention that tid bit.

So, there it is. My late season Russetts should do much better (crosses fingers), and will do even better if I work out a way to extend the season so the frost doesn't kill it. Apparently their customers' bins average 60 pounds per bin and one of their tester's regularly gets over 100 pounds per bin! The best he's personally gotten was 76 pounds.

He recommends 2 pounds of seed per bin, though I'm not sure how you put that much in it. They also recommend soaker hoses in a spring coil fashion throughout to insure consistent watering. The varieties they recommend instead of Yukon Gold are Yellow Fin, All Blue and Bintje, whatever those are. I'll check out their site.

That won't solve everyone's problems

Here is a link that might be useful: Irish Eyes website

I'm going to try it next year, but I'm going to plant two layers of potatoes. I'll fill the first board with the soil/compost, top with my seed potatoes, add the second board and fill with soil. When those have grown to about 6", I'll place more seed potatoes among the vines for a second layer, add the third board and fill with soil (this amounts to hilling the first planting and covering the second planting). When those new and old planted potatoes are all about 6" high, I'll add the fourth and final board and fill with soil. That way, if the first planting only forms potatoes at the bottom, around the seed, the second planting should fill the center.

Am I making any sense? LOL!

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

I'm up for next year as well. The bins did double duty for me, as a kind of fence barrier on the edge of my garden, so with the new info I'll be doing it with the varieties recommended. Thank you Sinfonian for going to the source on this. I've heard of Yellow Fin, which is a delicious potato, very sweet and buttery. It produces small potatoes, which makes sense in a bin.

Thankyou, Sinfonian. That information is the kind I have been hoping for! It certainly encourages me to try again next year with one of the late varieties. I used Warbas, a very early variety, this year. I also will continue to experiment by letting some of the branches grow out through the edge of the wire cage to increase the total foliage (I note that the Irish Eyes website you refer to gives instructions NOT to cover more than 1/3 of the foliage. That suggests to me that this method must have enough foliage growth to produce the spuds.)

Bob

Well that is certainly interesting information...
I also planted the Yukon Gold. I still have 3 bins growing so now I am wondering, do I just tip 'em? Or, should I wait until the tops die? We had a pretty cold night last night it was 3 c when I got up this morning. BRRRRR! Time to start knitting socks and forget the garden LOL

Still let the tops die.. And then wait a few weeks for toughen skins for storage. Of course, Yukon gold aren't going to last long since you won't get any more than the bottom six inches.

As for late season varieties, if want to boost your poundage by growing bigger potatoes, then cover with a plastic coldframe. I'm thinking a steak in the middle and a tent of plastic to keep the frost from killing it for an extra 2 months. For me that would mean harvesting in December rather than October, but it would boost my poundage from an average of 60 to potentially over 100. Hehe what I'd do with that many potatoes I'm not sure, but the big ones would make great bakers!

What I didn't get out in the last post was boy do I wish I had gone to the source before I started. I could have saved everyone a year of failure.

So remember, go late varieties or get yourself a kiddie pool and fill it with 6 inches of dirt and put 3 to 4 pounds of yukon gold or other early season variety and have at it. 6 inches is all they use, so that's all I'll give them. They'd be perfect for SWCs, maybe with cages to train the foliage not to flop all over. That's an idea!

Good luck with next year and if you want to patronize the source's website, I'm sure he wouldn't mind. hehe. No he didn't tell me that, but if I need seed potatoes next year, I know where I'm going.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure!

Sinfonian, thanks for information. My bins did not produce well this year, so next year think I will plant some the traditional way (in dirt and rows) and some like the link below.

Been hot in Georgia (USA) and can't wait til fall...

Shot

Here is a link that might be useful: Potatoes in straw

Well, my second half-barrel of white potatoes yielded 6 lbs. Better than the red/blue combo barrel but not huge by any means. The white barrel only had 5 seed potatoes and had much larger tubers - combination of more time and/or variety, I'd imagine.

I have the room to add more barrels so I plan to try again next year. It was fun and the barrels were just about the only veggie out there that the woodchuck didn't mess with.

Granny, you read my mind! All of my potatoes were found in the lower half of the barrels so I thought next year I'd try adding another layer too. Could be a great way to maximize space for those earlies Sinfonian mentioned. I would be VERY happy with 10lbs per half barrel... :)

I've also read on this forum that some of the old-timers used to plant another round a bit later for storage. Could be an interesting experiment - I might try a barrel or two in June....