Growing Early Potatoes in 5 Different Gardens 

This^^

I am also interested in a dedicated storage video. You've mentioned storage a number of times across your library of videos, but outside of onion curing, I don't believe it's been directly addressed.

I was just about to ask the same to Bruce. How are you storing your crops? Would be interesting to see.

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Yes, I haven't mentioned the storage methods that I use in my videos, and it would be good to make a video about that. this crop of early potatoes that I dug up are stored in bags in an old freezer at the shady side of our house, but isn't plugged in. This is more for convenience for the next few months and only slightly warmer than my cellar, which is harder to get in to. The dark and moist conditions of the freezer seem to work well for the few months, and the insulation protects against fluctuations of temperature. I don't think this would work in places that have warmer summers. The dark prevents the potatoes from turning green, and it keeps out the rodents, but I do keep the lid very slightly cracked open to let in some air. For longer term and overwinter storage of larger amounts of potatoes and other root vegetables, I store them in containers in my cellar, which is quite damp. I also store all the jams, pickles (fermented and vinegar) and juices (fermented and non-alcoholic) down there, but many of them get proper hot water bath treatment first. We freeze a lot of the 'fruiting crops' especially beans and peas, and make a lot of tomato sauce that is also frozen. We try to make a lot of soups and other dishes in bulk in the summer and freeze leftovers, more for convenience. The dehydrator we have gets a lot of use, mainly for apples, but I also like drying tomatoes. Storing and preserving is an extra task in itself, which takes up a lot of time, which I often don't have in the summer.

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Excellent, thanks!

:) I haven't tried the King Edward variety yet.

@@REDGardens This last year the Russet Burbank and Sebago varieties I grew got struck by hollow heart. The year before, the King Edwards didn't..🤷‍♀️

I have read the same about sulphur, and is something that I am interested in experimenting with. In my soil I doubt the sulphur will last very long, but gradually it will improve the pH. Unfortunately peppers won't grow outside here in Ireland, as that would have been an interesting combination.

@@REDGardens I am experimenting with a cool weather pepper called a Manzano. Another name it goes by is Rocoto. It's a different species than other peppers, from high up in the mountains, which is why they prefer cooler temperatures. They are actually perennials if the winter stays above freezing. I haven't seen any flowers/fruit yet, because they have long growing times, but it might work in Ireland's climate. Something to look into and experiment with. Hope everything is well with you, friend, take care.

@@ronk4073 He'd have to drop the PH 2.5 points, from 7.7 to 5.2 to get reliable scab protection, an in doing so sacrificing his brassica clubroot protection of the alkaline soil and going past the point of optimal nutrient uptake for most plants (~PH 6.0). I don't think it be worth it.

Do you use a lot of it right in beside the seed potato, or just generally mixed into the bed?

@@REDGardens I dig a trench usually about 8 inches deep, then I spread a 3 inch layer of dung, followed by seed potatoes and a light layer of moss peat. Through out the year I gradually rake the soil into the trench and hill up. This has greatly prevented scab and improved storage life.

@@emmettroche313 i live on the west coast of Canada, Vancouver island, this year due to the expensive straw prices , i foraged a few bags of peatmoss while walking some local trails , and used it around my strawberries, i was surprised the live moss is still in relatively good condition, i was considering using it in the potatoes, due to its low ph im curios on how much i can put in or around the potatoes, if it should be dried or fresh

@@emmettroche313 Very interesting, thanks.

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I have a dream of living in the woods and hacking out a veg garden from the forest! Sounds like you had a good year. I expect that in the woods there are not the usual pests that we have bin grassland or suburban contexts, as the vegetable crops are so very different to everything else that is growing in there.

@@REDGardens I'm moving the woods back about 50 feet every year. This winter I'll dig/pull the stumps I cut last winter and cut another section of trees leaving the stumps. The goal is to have enough area for summer and winter crops and all the rotating needed. I also need more sunlight. I figure a lot of pests haven't found me yet being the second year. Shame to burn all those trees but it's the best I can do for now. I was surprised how well the clay performed. Lots of micro nutrients I guess. Lived on a 250 acre farm once couldn't see a house or light anywhere. That's the way to live. Sunsets are addictive.

@@tomjones4318 Yeah, sunsets are addictive. Hope the pests will take a long time to find you.

Yes, there are some good ones, and I am growing both Carolus and Connect this season in the Simple Garden. Glad to hear that you had good success with them. Out of curiosity, where are you located? What kind of soil do you have?

I was fortunate to get the seed potatoes I wanted. Other friends struggled to find any.

Thanks!

That makes sense. I figure it is about the same here. 1000sf patch is a nice big area. What kind of yield do you expect from that area?

@@REDGardens I wish I was as diligent as you at keeping exact records but all I can tell you is that we usually have enough to last all winter and plant again next spring. Several bushels I suppose. Love your channel.

Thank you! Hope you have wonderful and productive years in your garden!

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You are so welcome!

I tried that once years ago and ended up helping the slugs. Hope it works week in your context.

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Yeah, you need to have a big harvest to be able to spare seed potatoes for next year, and to store them in good condition. Using a tote covered with soil sounds like a good option, as the potatoes ar in their natural habitat then. I agree that the supply chain problems are going to only get worse. Time to shift our patterns to adapt!

Yeah, but thankfully there were only a few of them.

I have seen those container potato growing videos. Excellent stuff. I want to explore more container and bag growing next year. When they are in the pot, you don't need to worry about below ground competition between the plants - except if you have more than one plant per pot, so it is only about above ground competition. You could start with the pots veery close together, and move them further apart as the season progresses. But with pots, the key tasks are making sure there is enough fertility, and consistent amounts of water.

I also after a potato harvest I even out the soft ground and immediately plant carrots, my carrots get huge with perfect growth and very quick growth at that, instead of planting an additional amount of potatoes, diversifying my intake.

That is an interesting idea. When you plant carrots, is it in the remains of the woodchip, or do you remove this layer?

@@REDGardens I remove the woodchips, even out the ground and simply put the carrot seeds on top, and additionally sprinkle a little sifted compost on top. Helps keep moisture, I grew over 25,000 carrots this year all shapes and sizes, some are going to stay in the ground during the winter months for freshness sake, because the nutrient value goes down after about 10 minutes or so.

However I will say that you can plant directly into the soil underneath the chips, keeping the chips away from the carrot until it gets big, I allow gravity to fill the hole back in and I grow carrots this way without irrigation.

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Thanks!

I have planted the early potatoes in the polytunnel from December through to January, and I find I get a crop at least 6 weeks earlier than outside.

I haven't tried true potato seed, but it would be interesting.

Ah, that sucks. Blight resistance in some varieties doesn't seem to last for a long time, the blight keeps evolving.

Yeah, there were a lot of them!

I think he only grows maincrop potatoes in the simple garden

Yep, no early potatoes in the Simple Garden!

@@REDGardens what varieties of maincrop spuds do you grow?

@@teatimetraveller This season I have grown Carolus, Axona, Blue Danube and Connect, and they all seem to be doing well.

@@REDGardens good. where would we be without sarpos...

No, thankfully, we don't have an issue with wireworms.

Depends on the garden. Mostly different types of compost. And some have additional chicken manure pellets added. I try to avoid ash because I already have alkaline soil.

I make sure to add them into the middle of a hot compost pile to kill off the plants and blight.