Potato Plow anyone??

[5030]

My father did that one year when I was a kid but never tried it again.
Let me know how it works out, it seems like a good way to get ahead of the weeds. Do you just put one layer of straw and let them grow, or keep adding to it all summer? Would you mind posting a pic just after you plant?

One difference between my father's technique and yours though; where you are using straw, he used hay. Am I the only one who sees an opportunity for weeds here?

Actually, I've taken straw bales and stood them on the cut end longways (with newspaper under them to block the weeds. I'm injthe process of putting on 46 urea on the topside and wetting them down to promote them 'rotting'. When they cool down inside, I'll plant the seed potatoes directly in the straw bales. That way the tubers can grow unimpeded by the soil. Supposed to work fantastic, an experiment by me this year and I'm using Maine seed potatoes sent to me by my good friend in Bar Harbor.

According to what I read, you keep the bales moist all the time. Guy down the road did it last year with pumpkins and they went crazy.

I'll still put some in the ground, along with the onions, corn and peppers. No cabbage this year. Plenty of kraut in the cellar yet...lol Goggle up planting gardens in straw bales. Lots of good reading.

 

[farmeratheart]

I’ve used this setup a few years now for furrows to plant in and for digging. It works great . No excessive side to side sway as
mentioned by one commenter. It was welded together for me by an Amish friend from a conventional potato plow share and some 2” receiver stock.
Frank

 

[BrokenTrack]

Actually, I've taken straw bales and stood them on the cut end longways (with newspaper under them to block the weeds. I'm injthe process of putting on 46 urea on the topside and wetting them down to promote them 'rotting'. When they cool down inside, I'll plant the seed potatoes directly in the straw bales. That way the tubers can grow unimpeded by the soil. Supposed to work fantastic, an experiment by me this year and I'm using Maine seed potatoes sent to me by my good friend in Bar Harbor.

According to what I read, you keep the bales moist all the time. Guy down the road did it last year with pumpkins and they went crazy.

I'll still put some in the ground, along with the onions, corn and peppers. No cabbage this year. Plenty of kraut in the cellar yet...lol Goggle up planting gardens in straw bales. Lots of good reading.

I tried this method, but it did not work for me either, but I live in Maine too, so maybe that is why? Good luck to you though, just because it did not work for us boys in Maine, does not mean it would not work for you.

 

[BrokenTrack]

The rocks don't peel as easy.

I think I figured out a novel way to eliminate rocks from dug potatoes, but want to get my patent submitted before I describe it on here!

 

[5030]

I tried this method, but it did not work for me either, but I live in Maine too, so maybe that is why? Good luck to you though, just because it did not work for us boys in Maine, does not mean it would not work for you.

Giving it a shot and of course I'll report back in the fall. I'm not 100% certain about it either, candidly.

 

[BrokenTrack]

Giving it a shot and of course I'll report back in the fall. I'm not 100% certain about it either, candidly.

We used to grow potatoes back in the old days. We stopped in 1988, but now that I have sold out of sheep, I am not sure what to do with the farm. I should do something with it.

I want to let it go fallow this year, just to give the farm a rest, it has been raising crops since 1800 so giving it a year off will not hurt.

We like to give back, so we thought maybe doing potatoes for charity might be good. I got everything to grow them but the harvester, so I thought about making something that would load them without a lot of back-breaking work.

 

[5030]

We used to grow potatoes back in the old days. We stopped in 1988, but now that I have sold out of sheep, I am not sure what to do with the farm. I should do something with it.

I want to let it go fallow this year, just to give the farm a rest, it has been raising crops since 1800 so giving it a year off will not hurt.

We like to give back, so we thought maybe doing potatoes for charity might be good. I got everything to grow them but the harvester, so I thought about making something that would load them without a lot of back-breaking work.

I get my seed potatoes from Maine every year. Your Maine potatoes keep very well in the cellar all winter and good baking as well.

Nice to have a very good and longtime friend living between Bangor and Bar Harbor who sends them to me.