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[<eureka AT hctc.net>]

So you think the potato problem was more about soil 
texture than the alkalinity of the water? Using the tire 
stacking method, how many plants per tire, and what kind 
of harvest can I expect?

On Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:29:04 -0500
 EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net> wrote:
> I tried Vardaman the first year I grew them.  Mine 
> weren't very sweet 
> either.  Nowadays, I just save and grow slips from year 
> to year.  I have 
> no idea of what variety-just something I bought from 
> from the store 
> about 4 years ago.
>
> Sage, grow potatoes in tires with hay or straw and 
> compost.  If you do 
> that, you don't have to worry about the soil.
>
> eureka AT hctc.net wrote:
> > We harvested our first sweet potatoes the other day, and 
> > ate a few. They were good in texture but very bland, as 
> > in 
> > lacking any sweet potato flavor. The variety was 
> > Vardaman, 
> > which was recommended.  I understand they like alkaline 
> > soil so they should be happy here. I'm wondering if it 
> > was 
> > something we did wrong or the variety. Any comments or 
> > recommendations? I'm thinking next year we will try a 
> > different kind.
> >
> > I may not have mentioned our regular potato harvest was 
> > a 
> > huge dissappointment. Two rows yeilded about five spuds 
> > the size of my thumb! Even with lots of compost I don't 
> > think we were able to overcome the high alkaline pH from 
> > the water. My husband says he can't live without 
> > potatoes, 
> > but I really don't want to waste any more time or room 
> > in 
> > the garden trying again. Has anyone overcome alkalinity 
> > and successfully grown potatoes? The only people I know 
> > in 
> > Texas with success are in the east Texas pine forest 
> > with 
> > acidic soils and they are growing new, or red, potatoes.
> >
> > --Sage
> > Way Out in Texas
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