this is the only way i grow my spuds and always seem to get a good crop, although it does get a bit soggy it doesn't affect the growth at all. Mine are just about ready to harvest now, then I'll use the straw and poo in another garden bed. I also used this method at t.a.f.e with great success, so don't give up!! Maybe don't use too much blood and bone, my dad told me this can cause a 'scabby' look to the spuds.

This is the only method I have used for potatoes and I got a decent crop last year. I use straw and compost with a light dressing of blood and bone and potash

Thank you both very much..will persevere and ease off the blood and bone and maybe the water as well..your replies are much appreciated.

By the way, I meant to ask you both : I have started off with about 1 foot or so of mulch..is that ok? how much top is showing above the mulch as the plants are growing?..I mean how far up the stem do you put your mulch?

Hi there, sorry about the delay in getting back to you. Umm, I put about the same amount on and just added more straw as the plants grew...straw is all I used after the initial manure/compost bed that I put the spuds in. It is a bit hard to get the straw in and around the plants without breaking them and it does tend to 'settle' but thats really all I did....bandicooted tonight and got plenty for the brother in law and ourselves for tea....mmmm yum, nothing better than home grown spuds with butter, salt and pepper!!! Just a pity that we can't get all the different types that you easteners can get...we're stuck with a few boring ones...but still, they are so much nicer out of the garden. I wish you every success....

Very successfully in Canberra but a total flop on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland.

In Canberra I put mushroom compost, chook poo, dynamic lifter on the bare dirt, then the seed spuds and then some straw followed by more chook poo and dynamic lifter and then another good 60cm of straw.

A wonderful crop.

In queensland all I got were water bloated tubers that weren;t even worth mashing - a big disappointment.

Tinahere and Paradisi..thanks very much for your help and advice..I think I am on the right track now..plenty of straw and let them come through and then keep mulching with straw and manure...much appreciated

Reviving this thread for a question... the subsequent layers of straw - do you also add manure to these or is it just straw? I've seen conflicting stuff on the net, and some that are just not really specific. Our spuds are just poking out of the initial layer of straw and manure, so its almost itme to cover them with the next layer.

I've read that fertilising them too much means more leaves and less tubers, so I guess I'm asking everyone, what do you put on your layers... I initially thought straw, potash, blood & bone and manure... now I'm not sure.

thanks in advance

Mabb

I just put on more straw, but I guess it's trial and error, maybe if you do half that way and half with a mixture and see which is better for you....Tina

Thanks Tina, how big should the shoots be before you cover them again, or do you cover them as soon as you see them?

We got ours from Diggers and they're weren't cheap so I'd like to maximise the crop. We put in Dutch Cream and Royal Blue.

ggrrrr!!!!!!!!!don't say names like that!!!! They sound delicious and I'll probably never taste them! Anyway, I think I left mine till they were about 8inches tall then covered them again.......thought I might try the tyre method this time round....there was a question of bad bits leaching out of the tyres but I think the jury is still out on that one so will give it a go. By the way, after your taties are harvested you will have beautiful worm filled soil to use in your garden too....Tina

Thanks Tina, will take your advice and see how it all goes. Looking forward to both varieties, as they are great from the market, so I am expecting our own to be even better... fresher at the very least! Why would you never be able to taste these? Are they not available in the west?

Dutch Cream are said to be THE potatoes for mash and after having purchased some organic ones a while back I am hooked :-)

Tina, if you want to create your own potatoes, grow as many varieties as you can lay your hands on, all together, and let them go to seed - flowers and all that. Collect the seeds when the seed pods are fuuly ripe. Sow thos seeds the following year. You never know, you might strike one that is truly excellent. If you do, you'll have to then save tubers to regrow it. This is how new varieties are developed.
Just a thought.

Hey good thinking there Ray...that is a great idea!! It is something that I probably wouldn't have thought of, thanks a million....
Keep us informed mabb and dnacub and let us know how it all goes....Tina