Potato Towers Do Not Work.

[WilliamG]

Now you know... And I came so close to making one in the yard.

 

[Tight_N_Juicy]

We have some PVC tubing watch we plan on turning into raised garden beds for potatoes, garlic and onions.

We're just too fickle about where to put them.

 

[pdxjoe]

I see no reason they would not work as long as the straw is kept at the right moisture level and is large enough around to not be dried out by a warm breeze. A layer of poly inside the wire and outer layer of straw might help with the drying out problem.

 

[WilliamG]

I see no reason they would not work as long as the straw is kept at the right moisture level and is large enough around to not be dried out by a warm breeze. A layer of poly inside the wire and outer layer of straw might help with the drying out problem.

Bingo. "...as long as the straw is kept at the right moisture level..." We live here in the arid valley of Los Angeles. I saw these videos about them and got excited about growing them in a much smaller area. But every ag expert is against it in a warm climate with warm winds (which we get). Potatoes love cool soil. So I'm sticking with my plot in ground. Now I might be able to do a winter crop in one. Might try that.

 

[halcyondays]

Straw alone wouldn't have enough nutrition unless it was used as a soilless medium for a hydroponic solution or maybe compost tea.

My folks used old 35 gallon galvanized trash cans (remember those?) with their bottoms rusted out, put compost in the bottom and planted 3 spuds. As the potato plants grew we gradually filled the cans with alternating layers of soil and compost never quite covering the foliage. It grew out the top in a riot. The cans had to be watered heavily each day.

At the end of the season we pushed the cans over and harvested 35-50 pounds from each. Sure beat digging potatoes out of the ground.

I've done the same here in the Arizona desert but in the winter garden. Summer is too brutal.

 

[WilliamG]

We have some PVC tubing watch we plan on turning into raised garden beds for potatoes, garlic and onions.

We're just too fickle about where to put them.

I saw many vids of cardboard direct on the soil area first.

I simply mowed down an area of unused grass and laid sheets of cardboard over it. Then added a few inches of good soil on top put in the sprouted potato starters every 12 inches or so. Cover with thin layer of more soil on top. Then some straw. When you some leaves growing out, lift the stems up, pull the straw away, and back fill with about 6" of soil higher around them. Then put the straw back. Everything I've read (they call this 'hilling' the soil) says this promotes more tubers along the stem. The cardboard breaks down as the roots build. We'll see.

 

[WilliamG]

Straw alone wouldn't have enough nutrition unless it was used as a soilless medium for a hydroponic solution or maybe compost tea.

My folks used old 35 gallon galvanized trash cans (remember those?) with their bottoms rusted out, put compost in the bottom and planted 3 spuds. As the potato plants grew we gradually filled the cans with alternating layers of soil and compost never quite covering the foliage. It grew out the top in a riot. The cans had to be watered heavily each day.

At the end of the season we pushed the cans over and harvested 35-50 pounds from each. Sure beat digging potatoes out of the ground.

I've done the same here in the Arizona desert but in the winter garden. Summer is too brutal.

Straw alone wouldn't have enough nutrition unless it was used as a soilless medium for a hydroponic solution or maybe compost tea.

My folks used old 35 gallon galvanized trash cans (remember those?) with their bottoms rusted out, put compost in the bottom and planted 3 spuds. As the potato plants grew we gradually filled the cans with alternating layers of soil and compost never quite covering the foliage. It grew out the top in a riot. The cans had to be watered heavily each day.

At the end of the season we pushed the cans over and harvested 35-50 pounds from each. Sure beat digging potatoes out of the ground.

I've done the same here in the Arizona desert but in the winter garden. Summer is too brutal.

These 'towers' use a nesting method:
Layer of straw. Layer of soil with sprouted spuds. More straw... Another layer. It's supposed to be a way to not have the "hill" the tower as it grows since the leaves grow out the sides. But like you... Too hot here. I might try the barrel, box, can method in the winter as your folks did.

 

[halcyondays]

It's supposed to be a way to not have the "hill" the tower as it grows since the leaves grow out the sides.

OIC so foliage is supposed to grow out the sides as well as the top but didn't.

Long ago when I lived back east I bought a tower kit to grow strawberries. It was a thin plastic drum about 3 feet high X 2 feet in diameter with open side pockets and an open top. After filling it with layers of soil and compost each pocket got a strawberry transplant. There must have been two dozen plants around the outside of that little barrel and a handful growing in the open top.

With all the runners pinched off each plant produced several huge luscious strawberries. Great way to grow them in a limited space.