How to plant potatoes under straw: no hassle

Planting potatoes under straw was once popular: growwise-en.techinfus.com was a popular method for farmers who had many other crops to tend to. But this simple rural method was forgotten after the Revolution and is only now beginning to regain its undeserved popularity.

While potatoes don't require as much care as cucumbers or tomatoes, traditionally growing them still requires a lot of gardening work. The soil needs to be tilled, then the onions dug up, then fertilized, and the tubers planted. And the care doesn't end with planting: watering, weeding, and fighting Colorado potato beetles are also necessary.

The method of planting potatoes under straw could be considered a lazy one. Although, we wouldn't say it's for the lazy, but for practical homeowners: free time can be divided among other responsibilities. We'll discuss the essence of planting potatoes under straw in this article.

About the benefits of growing under straw

So, you'll need to find plenty of straw or simply grass clippings from the garden. You'll also need potato tubers and time to plant them. The thing is, once planted, you can forget about your potatoes until harvest: no watering, weeding, or other maintenance is required.

What's more, there's no need to dig up the potatoes, because the harvest awaits the owners right under the straw. So, what's the essence of this method?

We plant potatoes under straw

To produce planting potatoes under straw, growwise-en.techinfus.com needs to be prepared. No need to plow the soil; simply take the prepared soil and spread it over the selected area in even rows. Place the prepared potato tubers on top and cover them with a layer of straw. The minimum layer should be 40 cm, but it's ideal to lay the straw on top of the tubers to a depth of up to 70 cm.

What are the benefits of covering potatoes in straw:

• In dry weather, the soil under the straw will retain sufficient moisture;
• Dry grass releases carbon dioxide, which only benefits the active growth of potatoes;
• As the straw decomposes, it becomes home to a large number of microorganisms and even worms. Thanks to their activity, the potatoes obtain the necessary components for growth and development;

To increase yield, cover each potato tuber with fertile soil mixed with a certain amount of fertilizer when planting. To prevent the straw from blowing away in strong winds, which are common in both spring and summer, you can lightly cover it with soil after planting.

How to harvest

That's all. Cover the straw with soil, and you can forget about your potatoes until autumn, when the harvest is ready. When that day comes, grab a rake and rake away the straw, and now you can harvest the potatoes. They'll be tasty and crisp, retaining all the positive characteristics of the variety. What's more, when grown this way, the tubers won't need to be cleaned of soil: they'll be clean and beautiful, and will store well.

Important! Of course, some Colorado potato beetles can also infest potatoes growing under straw. But the point is that the microorganisms and worms found in the decomposing straw will fight the beetles.

Where can I get so much straw?

This method seems to have nothing but advantages. However, there's one potential pitfall: the large amount of straw required. You can grow your own straw and then use it to grow your own potato crop.

Grass is grown in the plot designated for future potato cultivation. As soon as the snow melts, oats, vetch, and peas should be planted, mixing the seeds before planting. Potatoes can be planted in the other half using the traditional method. Once the grass grows, potatoes should be planted directly into the straw. Then, in the half of the plot where potatoes were grown traditionally, oats and peas should be sown again, thus preparing the straw for next year.

Reviews of planting potatoes under straw are generally positive. Not everyone is immediately convinced by this method of planting and harvesting potatoes without weeding or other gardening hassles. Therefore, at the beginning of the year, only a small plot of land is allocated for experimentation. But judging by numerous reviews, there's no need to be overly cautious. After all, this year you can quickly and easily get a wonderful harvest of delicious potatoes.