Has anyone ever grown their potatoes in old tires?

[Wildsky]

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I saw that too. But to get a bigger yield, the point is to stack soil and kind of lift the plant up a bit, etc. From what I understand anyways. I totally can see myself recycling garbage bags to use as a potato medium. Hahha. Oh oh, I bet this would work swell for lettuce? Now that's an idea. Maybe fill it half way up and lay it out flat. Cut holes and plant the lettuce? hrmmm.

Use your feed bags.... those paper ones if you don't have the woven ones, then you can just tear the paper open!

 

[Davaroo]

Oooops- did it with tomatoes, melons and zucchini. Didnt die.
Line with plastic if it bothers you.

Also grew tomatoes and peppers upside down, in buckets/containtrs. That works good, too.

 

[Wildsky]

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Win some you lose some. Better luck next time.

 

[Davaroo]

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Win some you lose some. Better luck next time.

I hadda edit - I didnt do potatoes. Nonetheless, I survived... apparently to someones chagrin.

 

[Wildsky]

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Win some you lose some. Better luck next time.

I hadda edit - I didnt do potatoes. Nonetheless, I survived... apparently to someones chagrin.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I read about this method in a book titled "1001 Ingenious Gardening Ideas" by Deborah L. Martin. I think the benefit of using the tires was to add heat to the soil inside as well as provide an easy dig-free way to harvest your spuds.

Here in South Fla we don't worry about cold soil. But I used the same idea by planting my potatoes in 5-gallon plastic nursery pots with the bottoms cut out. I put the pots, bottomless-side-up, on the ground & placed a piece of organic potato in it. Then added a few inches of dirt & composted horse manure. As the potato piece sprouted & grew, I'd add more dirt/manure until both reached the top.

When it was time for harvest I just pulled off the pots and had sort of potato & soil sand castles. It was easy to pull out the spuds and there was no digging needed.

 

[Smoky73]

I did it last year, and ate the potatoes, with no ill effects.

I didnt get that many though, (I only planted two) but, that could be because the tire stack got to be like 4 high and the water from the sprinkler was having a difficult time getting into it LOL.

This year I planted about 14 plants in rows and all are doing pretty well, though I am not thinking they are growing many taters. I had been covering with straw and manure. I have dug through to find some. The plants just started flowering, so its still early.

 

[holliewould]

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Hah! Thanks I'm all over it now! Appreciate it. And to everyone else that chimed in!

 

[cackle]

What about a 55 gallon food grade plastic barrel. YOu could start with some holes in the bottom add soil and taters and continue to add soil until the potatoes start to flower or you run out of room to add dirt. I have a couple 55 gallon barrel that are cut in half I may try one of those.

 

[Davaroo]

Something else that might work as well are cinder blocks laid in a square, with the soil in the center.