permaculture

[Scott Vlaun <scott@moosepondarts.com>]

We've grown potatoes for the last 6 years in raised beds in Maine  
with varying degrees of success. Wet spring weather rotted many seed  
potatoes in the ground as we used to plant in trenches, filling in  
the earth around the emerging plants until we ended up with mounds.  
We now plant the seed on top of the beds and mulch the emerging  
plants heavily as they grow. Colorado potato beetles discovered our  
crop the second year and pressure increased each year until we  
started inter-cropping with buckwheat early in the season, and then  
keeping them essentially buried in mulch until they begin to flower.  
The only other problem we've had is with voles sampling the crop if  
we leave it in the field too long, as now the potatoes are very near  
the surface and easy targets. We used to store the crop in the ground  
as long as we could under heavy mulch because we had no good place to  
store them but we finished a root cellar last year which helped  
preserve the crop immensely. All in all a pretty easy crop to grow.  
They love acid environment so don't lime the soil.

 A couple of articles on the Seeds of Change website from a few  
years might help fill in some details.

http://www.seedsofchange.com/enewsletter/issue_40/potatoes.asp

http://www.seedsofchange.com/enewsletter/issue_43/potato_2.asp

I also heard that Bill Mollison was coming out with a book on the  
subject. Has anyone seen it?

Good luck with the spuds,
Scott




Scott Vlaun
Moose Pond Arts+Ecology
Design Solutions for a Sustainable Future

35 Moose Pond Road
Otisfield, Maine 04270
207-739-2409 Studio
207-890-4099 Cell


On Mar 9, 2006, at 1:47 PM, Michelle Maggiore wrote:

> Hello- I would love to hear any and all potato growing  
> strategies.....what has worked for you, and what has been a  
> disaster?For reference, I am in central Virginia.
> Thanks! Michelle
>
> SUSTAINABLE SCOTTSVILLE
> Creating sustainable options right here at home:
> www.sustainablescottsville.com
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