Beans & Corn
Sprout
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We want to grow some rows of baking potatoes but we have clay soil and we need to strengthen the soil any suggestions?
How to build up the soil
- Thread starter Beans & Corn
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jojo54
Garden Ornament
I always figured potatoes themselves were a soil builder. When I lived in Sasakatchewan people often planted potatoes in the whole yard for a year or two before growing a garden or putting in a lawn because potatoes helped with the clay soil and added to it as well. :rainbow-sun
PunkinPeep
Garden Ornament
How interesting!jojo54 said:
Also, for those who might want to have a harvest before then, i have heard people say they do well with potatoes by just making raised beds for them.
This is just what i heard. I have no experience to back it up.
But welcome to TEG!
digitS'
Garden Master
Of course, some folks grow potatoes under a mulch. The soil is cultivated before the seed potatoes are laid out. Then, mulch is tossed over the growing area. After harvest, the mulch can be turned into the ground.
I have tried this once with disastrous results, however. The problem wasn't that the plants didn't grow well, they seemed to do fine. The problem was that mice moved in on the potatoes. Nearly every tuber was damaged!
Planting potatoes to improve soil makes sense to me! It goes along with my philosophy that the best things for soil improvement are roots. Grow something! If you can completely turn the plants under without harvesting anything - great. But, even if you harvest most of the plant, at least some material is left behind to decompose.
With potatoes, the actual roots along with the stems and leaves can be left to improve the soil. Also, potatoes benefit from fertilizer applied early in the year. Whatever remains in the soil, fertilizes the next crop. (Don't use fresh manure for potatoes, however. It encourages scab.)
Since potatoes are usually harvested early, fall crops are often sown after them. The fall crop could be something like annual rye or field peas and grown just to improve the soil.
Steve
I have tried this once with disastrous results, however. The problem wasn't that the plants didn't grow well, they seemed to do fine. The problem was that mice moved in on the potatoes. Nearly every tuber was damaged
!Planting potatoes to improve soil makes sense to me! It goes along with my philosophy that the best things for soil improvement are roots. Grow something! If you can completely turn the plants under without harvesting anything - great
. But, even if you harvest most of the plant, at least some material is left behind to decompose.With potatoes, the actual roots along with the stems and leaves can be left to improve the soil. Also, potatoes benefit from fertilizer applied early in the year. Whatever remains in the soil, fertilizes the next crop. (Don't use fresh manure for potatoes, however. It encourages scab.)
Since potatoes are usually harvested early, fall crops are often sown after them. The fall crop could be something like annual rye or field peas and grown just to improve the soil.
Steve
