That's why you should always save seed when possible. (Or for potatoes, save enough to plant next year.)

And also, why you should share if possible. You never know when you'll have a crop failure, or move, or otherwise not be able to keep your favorites going.

Saving seed/potatoes/etc. is often very simple. You may also find that the quality of what you save is far better than what you can buy. Bought seed is often older than you think, and has not necessarily been stored as well as your own seeds.

I'm having that trouble with pea seed. This year, I'll plant enough to save.

Relying on a hybrid creates a problem, no doubt about it.

Just ate the last of the Yukon Golds from 'o9. Those things surprise me . . . but (right now) they are very common. The Gold Rush russets were beyond hope before the New Year, if I remember right. I don't have quite the right conditions for spud storage, apparently. Still, I could probably make a go of it.

Those Amandine fingerling potatoes were pulled right out from under me after I had them only 1 year. I was so pleased with them . . . Somewhere on the internet, I read that they are very popular in France and Switzerland.

Aggravating.

S'

Hi Steve,
I just called my favorite garden center and they have Sangre reds. Can I help you out????

Thank you Karen!

No, I've already used up all the space in the potato patch. I got Russet Norkotah, Yukon Gold, Adora, and for a red: Red Norland.

I've never grown them. I'd probably try very few things that are new . . . if'n it wasn't forced on me.

You are very nice with that suggestion - Thank You.

Steve

I'm always happy to help gardening buddies if I can. I think I may try the sangre reds since I don't have any in yet. I read an interesting article today on the internet about how to grow potatoes in tires. The premise is to stack the tires each time the main plants grow 8 inches above the soil and then cover them with more soil and another tire (up to four tires). The premise is that this forces more off shoots than just a single layer or row. Supposedly, 2 pounds of seed potatoes can generate 20 to 30 pounds of potatoes in a real small space. I can't wait to try it...

Karen, here's an idea with the tires - and since I haven't tried it, it may not be worth much.

Think about stacking the tires with gaps between them. Perhaps, boards laid across them would be about right to allow the potato vines to grow between the tires and extend outward as you stack the tires.

All green plants use sunlight to produce the starches needed for growth. If the plants can continue to grow up and OUT, I can imagine that they will have more and more leaves exposed to sunlight for photosynthesis and starch production. You may be able to grow, what is essentially, a very large potato plant this way.

I have read of some folks using strawberry pots for potatoes . . .

. . . just my imagination and 1 1/2¢.

Steve âªâª

What a fabulous idea! The space between the layers would provide just enough room for more plants to grow out the sides and the shape of the tires are such that the soil won't get washed out every time the structure is watered. I will post photos for sure. If nothing else, this will become a wonderful organic sculpture...: )
Karen

Karen,
To grow potatoes up like that, make sure you don't use an early variety (like Yukon Gold), it doesn't work so well. I tried a similar idea with a build-as-you-grow potato bin (search on the Square Foot Gardening forum and you'll find lots about them.