Bumble Doodle, I like your idea of replanting half way up - in theory. I think in practice the plant wouldn't have enough time to fully grow and set potatoes. Assume a 100 day season for late season potatoes (the kind that alllegedly 'hill' well). This would be my full growing season. Assume further (yeah, I know what they say about assumptions) that the growth is linear. That would mean I would get to the half way point in 50 days. If I replant, my shortest season potatoes are at least 70 days and would therefore not fully develop. They would also be starting off slower (I assume) than the already developed growth of 50 days - so I couldn't keep layering unless the new planting could keep up. Given that I'm better at math than gardening, someone else can pick holes in my thoughts. I priced cedar and douglas fir for my sides. The HD cedar is $24 per 2x6x8 versus $4.5 for the fir. I might spring for the bottom row in cedar, but I doubt it. The T nuts are reasonably cheap, but I need to find 3 1/2 or 4" galvanized 1/4" bolts with full threads. Since I need 96 of them for the project (6 tiers, 4 sides, 4 bolts per board) I don't want to get crushed on that price versus just using 96 wood screws. Burpee's graciously changed my order from Evangiline sweet potatoes to German Butterball. Given what they charge for either, they should be gracious - but it's nice that they are. Andrew

I have read that it is best to stop hilling once they are in bloom, and that is exactly what I plan to do this year. Incidentally, my potato plants are doing excellent and I have found that they require little to no attention. I dug a trench about 10 inches deep, fertilized, put down tubers and covered with pine needles. Haven't had to water since and am hilling with more pine needles. John

Cause that is what the instructions say. Just kind of following.... Only thing I forgot to do was put Hardware cloth on the bottom of most of them. Oh that bin, I dug out several inches of dirt and put hardware cloth then the eyes then starting putting dirt and pine needles over the foliage bottoms... If they dont work out will try several more times. Then use for sweet potatoes or something else. My sweet pot are planted in plastic totes bottom cut out and definitely hardware cloth on bottom.. They did FABULOUS last year that way... If I could find more I would plant them. Unfort I only bought one 9 pack..... back in April....... Got a store bought sweet potato with eyes on it...... wish I knew if I could use it.... Then little while later could not find anymore I buy broken bags of soil etc HAlf price at local big box store...

Mine are golf-ball sized at best. They emerged only in late May and early June, thanks to an extremely cold spring and a very late thaw. A full ground thaw occurred at my place only in late May and in some other people's farms it wasn't until June.