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- From: Richard Stewart <rstewart AT zoomtown.com>
- To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Potato Planting Suggestions
- Date: Sun, 06 Jun 2010 14:54:01 -0000
We panted an acre of mixed Kennecec and Red Pontiac. This is our first year growing such a large amount of potatoes. Our total seed purchase was 2, 250# purchased in three orders from our,no lie, locally owned hardware store. No shipping charges as it was shipped with the rest of their seeds and grass seeds. We allowed two weeks between plantings. The first was 650# the second was 1000# and the third was 600#. This allowed us to better gauge our needs and not over purchase. We also purchased a PTO 3pt single row chain digger from Wilisie up in Canada at the Farm show in Louisville this past winter and got a farm show deal with zero shipping. After the ground was prepared (manure spread last fall on corn ground, chisel plowed prior to freeze, and disked then tilled in spring) we cut guide rows with a single hilling disk...call 'em 1" deep...to act as planting guides. We then handed planted cuttings. When then used a tractor to hill immediately upon planting. Later we use the same tool bar with additional sweeps to hill a second time and weed between rows. Considering its all bottom ground with high density of both johnson grass and giant rag weed, this method has worked amazingly well. With all this heat this year the potatoes are already in heavy bloom. Come late July our first harvest will be single rows with the harvest being sized and placed into totes by volunteers who will receive a meal, drinks, and 50 to 100# of potatoes for their effort. This is our first attempt at producing more than a couple thousand pounds of potatoes. Once we have things figured out its my plan to invest in a planter. I use ZERO mulch right now and treat the potatoes as any other crop and cultivate. Maybe once we start working wheat into our crop rotation (this fall) for a soft red whole wheat flour we may use our own straw, but I see little need as of yet. That opinion may change if weed control issues truly become a problem. Right now though mechanical cultivation seems to work ok. I've been posting our potato attempts on our Facebook page for those interested in viewing... Richard Stewart Carriage House Farm North Bend, Ohio An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1855 (513) 967-1106 On Jun 6, 2010, at 10:30 AM, Bill Shoemaker wrote:
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[Market-farming] Potato Planting Suggestions,
clearviewfarm, 06/05/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] Potato Planting Suggestions, somersfarm, 06/05/2010
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Re: [Market-farming] Potato Planting Suggestions,
Bill Shoemaker, 06/06/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] Potato Planting Suggestions, Mike Rock, 06/06/2010
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Re: [Market-farming] Potato Planting Suggestions,
Richard Stewart, 06/06/2010
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Re: [Market-farming] Potato Planting Suggestions,
MAsteveINE, 06/22/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] Potato Planting Suggestions, Richard Stewart, 06/22/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] Potato Planting Suggestions, John and Katy Ehrlich, 06/22/2010
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Re: [Market-farming] Potato Planting Suggestions,
MAsteveINE, 06/22/2010
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