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Old 01-01-2010, 10:47 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible
Bill who putters Bill who putters is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: May 2009
Posts: 1,085
Default Planting Potatoes

In article
,
Wildbilly wrote:

In article
,
Pavel314 wrote:

I've been growing potatoes for many years and plant the usual way; I
plant them in a row, below ground level, and hill two or three times
during the growing season.

The other night we were watching a BBC series called "Foyle's War",
which takes place in England during WWII. In one scene, they were on a
farm where people were planting potatoes. They had plowed the field
with a newly acquired tractor into long, parallel ridges, about 2 feet
high and 3 feet apart, and were planting the seed potatoes along the
tops of the ridges. I guess the plan was that the plants would put
down roots into the ridges and produce tubers down there.

Would that really work or was this just poetic license of life on the
farm? I'd always heard that potato plants don't put out tubers below
the level of the original seed potatoe, hence the hilling to build the
ridges around the plants.

Paul


Other than that, "Foyle's War" is a great series. The potato planting
seems a bit whacked though.


Stick it the ground or cover it with leaves or just let it be about .
Stuff that wants to grow will getting out of the way vs helping all
human constructs.

Chase The Clouds Away 4:52 Chuck Mangione Chase The Clouds Away
Jazz 100 30 11/5/09 8:40 AM

Bill

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM deals with Sugars