Here's what I did, Tango. Take potatoes that have begun to sprout (I bought certified organic eyes after my plain-jane ones from the grocery store rotted instead of continued to sprout). (I'm using tires to grow taters in this year) Loosen up dirt where you want to plant. Do NOT plant where you've sweetened the soil with ashes or lime - potatoes hate that. Also don't plant where you've put tomatoes before. In my case, it's virgin soil within the bounds of my tires that had been lightly tilled before the incessant rains tried to wash it all away. Place tater eyes on the dirt, nestle gently (so they're partially buried). I put three eyes to a tire, hoping that won't be too crowded. Your mileage may vary. Water lightly. Loosely cover with straw or spoilt hay to a depth of a few inches. After a while, the sprouts will poke new green growth through the hay. When this happens, toss in a little more dirt (literally toss), add another tire and a few more inches of straw/hay. Continue topping with hay every time you see green trying to poke through. The idea is that the foliage is constantly reaching for sunshine, thus creating more 'root' from which to develop more tubers. Conversely, if you don't want to use tires, you can do it all in dirt, building hills/mounds instead. Taters like cooler weather - start growing when the dirt hits about 45* and the foliage stops at about 85* (I think it is).
interesting idea, i have a couple old tires in the back of my truck i haven't been able to dispose of - i guess if i didn't live in a neighborhood that had such a strict homeowners association, I'd be able to use them that way!
Spuds in a barrell... The idea behind using barrels, to grow potatoes, is to make it hard for critters, such as gophers, to ruin your crop. Start with 4 plastic 50 - 55 gallon barrels. Drill drainage holes in the bottom. Set the barrels up on blocks. Cut up potatoes which have started to sprout. Leave an eye or two on each piece. Dry these out for two days in a cool, dry room. This will help prevent wet rot. Plant the spuds in a shallow layer of soil and compost in the bottom of the barrel. As the potatoes grow, add more soil and compost. After they reach the top of the barrel, plant a couple of bush beans in each barrel. This is a companion plant for potatoes. The beans protect the potatoes against the Colorado potato beetle, and the potatoes protect the beans against the Mexican bean beetle. Horseradish is also good for the potato and distasteful to pests. DO NOT co-plant with onions or garlic. As soon as the potatoes flower you will find little spuds in the soil. "Thieve" early potatoes by scratching away the soil and picking out the spuds. Replace the soil. (Remember how many you took this way when you're calculating your yield.) Potatoes can be left in the dirt as long as it is dry and not too warm (but don't let the sun "green" them). If they are muddy, toss them in a bucket of water and let the mud wash off. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />When the whole plant dies back, kick over the barrel for a bountiful harvest. Try starting with two barrels of red potatoes, one of white russet, and one of Yukon gold. Toss the dried potato vines on your compost heap. They contain lots of potash. <!--$begin html$--> courtesy of Homesteading with Ozarkguy; Backwoods, Homesteading and Survival in Missouri Ozarks
A Barrel of 'taters A barrel of 'taters can be as much fun as a barrel of monkeys, and taste better too! An excellent post with sensible, practical advice. The suggestion about companion planting is a nice touch. The beans are a legume and will provide the potatoes with additional nitrogenous nutrients, which potatoes will be happy to make use of as potatoes are heavy feeders.