Potato tower/stack

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by alex s., May 23, 2008.

  1. alex s.

    alex s. Junior Member

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    I was going to build a potato tower this year and was planning on using straw to fill the tyres. Now I have read on the net that some people have had some bad experiences with these towers(harvesting less potatoes than they planted).

    Now I was wondering if I can use manure laden straw from the chook house?

    Would this be to much nutrients?

    Would this be the right NPK?

    Should I wait for it to age because I was thinking the fresh stuff would burn the plant?

    Also does anyone know a good time to plant potatoes in brisbane or can you do it all year?

    Thanks
    Alex
     
  2. susann

    susann Junior Member

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    Re: Potato tower/stack

    Hi Alex, I haven't done a potato stack yet - however I have read that poor yield may be contributed by overwatering or high nitrogen fertiliser. Also, potatoes normally go in early spring -however I think you can plant them in August in brisbane (see https://www.bogi.org.au/august.htm)

    One thing stopping me from the tyre tower is that tyres are made of nasty stuff (including arsenic I believe). While there doesn't seem to be any evidence about them leaching into growing foods - I'm cautious. ( I avoid storing any foods in plastic for this reason)

    Good luck with the potatoes.
     
  3. stevieray

    stevieray Junior Member

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    Re: Potato tower/stack

    I'm using chook-house compost on my autumn potatoes here in Adelaide.

    I haven't dug them up yet so let's hope it's ok!
     
  4. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    Re: Potato tower/stack

    Neither manure (esp fresh) nor ashes (it raises the soil pH, potatoes like very acid soil, even as low as 4) are recommended for potatoes, as they contribute to an ugly condition called 'scab'. This is what it looks like:
    https://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell. ... o_Scab.htm

    We don't need to get into all the sordid details of how I happen to know this. Let's just say 'personal experience' and leave it at that.

    Sue
     
  5. paradisi

    paradisi Junior Member

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    Re: Potato tower/stack

    I'm trying my potato stack in a large old pot - and using chook wire to create a cage - which I top up whenever the spuds start growing
     
  6. DJ-Studd

    DJ-Studd Junior Member

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    Re: Potato tower/stack

    Hence why we are having so much trouble getting our paddocks to grow, we're on old potato farming land :cry: . This will take some time!
     
  7. JoanVL

    JoanVL Junior Member

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    Re: Potato tower/stack

    I'm in the process of an experimental potato tower. In early March I got a sack that chook pellets came in, and cut the bottom off, making it into a tube. Then I cut a few short vertical incisions in the bottom, and rolled down the top, sitting the bottom on the ground, held in place by old half bricks and rocks. I put riddled clay soil mixed with grass cuttings and old chook manure in the bottom, stuck in a spud, covered it, watered it every other day, and waited to see what happened.

    The green leaves soon appeared, and as they grew bigger, I unrolled the sack a little and added more soil mixed with dried grass. My sack is now fully rolled out and the green top looks healthy. I've no idea what lies beneath!! I'll check when flowers have appeared and the top has died.

    If the experiment fails, at least I'll have some nice mulchy mix to plant something else (other than solarnums) in.
     
  8. abdullah

    abdullah Junior Member

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    Re: Potato tower/stack

    sorry to drag up this old thread, i read that used coffee slush (from the plunger/espresso type) is acidic and can be used to increase acidity for blue berries and presumably potatoes, has anybody tried this?
     
  9. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Re: Potato tower/stack

    Don't apologise abdullah,
    it is great to see old threads revived from the tombs.

    It also means you checked before starting a new thread.
    You get brownie points and karma in heaven for that.

    I haven't tried coffee grinds so i can't help you.
    Can you test the pH of the grinds you have?

    I always use REAL peat to increase acidity.
    It usually has a pH around 4-5
     
  10. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    Re: Potato tower/stack

    g'day alex,

    i wouldn't sue tyres at anytime especially for growing food plants, have a look at our instant potato patch presentation we do well enough with that with little effort returns about a 5:1 ratio of nice spuds. no chnace of txins being involved.

    len
     
  11. abdullah

    abdullah Junior Member

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    Re: Potato tower/stack

    yeah ive been searching the archives, its very interesting reading old discussion and comparing it to current common knowledge, often it takes only a few years for people to change whole ideas and methods.

    i dont have a ph tester or coffee grinds (on hand) i just read it somewhere and wanted to see if anyone tried that, down the track i will test it out if noone else does.
     

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