Potatoes Under The Straw. Planting, Growing, Photo

They say that the new is the well-forgotten old. This statement is also true for the well-known potato. It would seem that planting and growing this crop has long been established and it is difficult to come up with something new. However, this is not so, our ancestors, back in the 19th century, very often planted potatoes differently, under straw, without digging up the soil, spending much less effort on the whole process than today.

Content:

• Growing potatoes under straw
• How are potatoes planted under straw?
• Tips for growing potatoes under straw

Growing potatoes under straw

This method is based on such a technique as mulching, when the soil is covered with various materials, and the crops themselves are grown inside, on the soil surface, but under the cover of this material (it is very convenient to use ordinary straw for this). As a result, weeding, hilling and loosening are practically not required, and watering is carried out much less frequently.

Different materials are used for mulching, mostly organic. You just need to remember that some of them change the acid composition of the soil, so they must be used carefully:

• straw is good for neutral and alkaline soils, it slightly increases acidity, you just need to add nitrogen fertilizers or mix with rotted manure;
• garden compost is neutral and enriches the soil with nutrients;
• sawdust, wood shavings, crushed bark and other wood waste acidify the soil, it is advisable to compost them for a year before use;
• peat has a strongly acidic reaction and although it is indispensable for heavy clay soil, ennobling and loosening it, it must be used carefully, it heats up strongly in the sun and overheats the soil under it;
• Good results are obtained by freshly cut grass, enriching the soil with nitrogen, but it must be dried before use so that it does not rot and clear of weeds with ripe seeds.

How are potatoes planted under straw?

Sowing tubers are laid out in rows on a flat, cleaned, preferably warmed-up soil, they are sprinkled with earth a little, so the potatoes will germinate faster, and they will not turn green. Then it is covered with straw to a height of about 30-50 cm. That's all!

Under such a cover, the soil under the straw will remain moist, in case of drought, of course, it will be necessary to water. The carbon dioxide released during the decomposition of straw is useful for potatoes, it also contributes to the development of beneficial microorganisms and worms.

It is a pleasure to dig out such potatoes, you can do without a shovel. The tubers are usually large and even, shallow, practically on the surface, you just need to rake the straw.

Tips for growing potatoes under straw

If you want to get early potatoes, sprout the tubers a little before planting (within 2-3 weeks). To do this, mix the seed material with moist soil, peat or sawdust and put it in a sunny place.

And one more tip, if there is not enough straw or other material for mulch, plant the potatoes in the holes, sprinkling them with soil only a little, and then covering them with straw, then you will need much less of it.

And finally, another advantage of this method of growing potatoes is an undoubted improvement in the structure of the soil, especially this procedure is useful for heavy clay soils.