We'll do this grow again guys! In a much more Epic fashion. Read all the comments and AGREE. Comment on this if you'd like to suggest an improvement for next time. Not my best showing but still wanted to publish the results! - Kevin
Would love to see results for determinate (such as Yukon gold) vs indeterminate (such as russet). I tried my own potato experiment this year and fill a raised bed with our north Texas heavy clay soil, hilled them up once with bagged soil. I ended up with fewer, but much larger potatoes out of that bed vs my raised bed with good soil which produced numerous small potatoes. This comparison was with Yukon gold. I did have other varieties in both beds but no other direct variety comparisons. I set out to see if I could grow in heavy clay and I was impressed with the answer I got! I did fertilize at planting.
@@epicgardening not needed, you took the time to show us something fun. The "actually" crowd doesn't know how hard you guys work, and you don't have to be perfect. Easiest crop to grow and they still complain.
@@alexanderdiaz0512 it has nothing to do with how hard they work…it’s just a matter the fact that it doesn’t work to compare unlike things and expect to be able to sus out some meaningful conclusions. If you want to see how a specific variable affects an outcome you have to control all other variable or you cannot reliably determine which variables contributed to a given outcome…and…well, it also has to do with that not being a proper representation of the Ruth Stout method. There’s nothing wrong with people providing them with constructive criticism, and Kevin’s comment above provides a great example of how to graciously take it for what it is, a desire to see them do even better work than they already do.
@@epicgardening I would love to see the experiment scaled up somewhat and for the Ruth Stout planting to have its full depth of mulch. I don’t know how feasible it would be for you to do this, but I believe it would be ideal to establish a Ruth Stout plot to be managed according to her method for at least a couple of seasons prior to beginning such an experiment given that such methods as hers, lasagna gardening, Back to Eden and the like benefit from a cumulative effect over time that cannot be reliably captured in a first year planting under such methods.
There was a second issue with your bucket potato beside the lack of drainage holes. That plant needed more dirt. That's a tall bucket, so putting it so deep in the bucket like you did prevents it from getting adequate light while its young, stunting its growth and potential potato production. If you'd like to try the bucket potato again this is what I've tried and recommend; add drainage holes, then fill the bucket most of the way with dirt. Plant the potato 4-6 inches down and mulch the top if you feel like it. no earthing up, just watering and fertilizing as needed. side note: in the future for a more fair trial comparison, do the same number of plants for each method. the results of 1 bucket potato or 3 grow bag potato plants are not a fair comparison to draw against an entire row of traditionally trenched potatoes. The results you get from which will not yield conclusive data. Furthermore, use the same variety for each test, or if you want to see what method works best for which varieties devote the space to trialing several plants of all the varieties all these different ways. for example; if you want to trial 1 specific variety, plant 5 plants for each method of that 1 variety. If you want to trial multiple varieties like a red, a gold, and a russet and you have 5 planting methods to try out, do five plants of each variety for each of the 5 methods. You'd have a lot of potatoes at the end of the trial, but too many potatoes is a good problem to have. Best of luck to your future experiments.
YES! These were pretty much the points I was going to make as well. I thought it obvious the bucket one was not getting as much light as any of the others. And most definitely, the same number of plants and same varieties needed. Good starter experiment I guess, enough to see which directions to pursue.
We volunteer for a gleaning organization and at no point have we ever planted whole potatoes. The potato farmer told all of us to cut the potatoes, leaving “at least one eye.” We let them dry out for 3 days, then trench plant a foot apart. Hundreds and hundreds of pounds of donated potatoes.
I’ve noticed more pest pressure with cut potatoes rather than whole ones. But I’ve never tested them side by side. Might be a good experiment for next year!
I get a tremendous yield using a double trench method, similar to hilling. I dig a trench 10-12" deep, plant 6" apart, and backfill the trench halfway. When plants get 10-12" tall, I fill in the rest of the trench, then mulch. I may have to compare it with the outright planting to 12" next year. Maybe less work for a similar yield
@@lanasinapayen3354I am a home gardener who plants potatoes whole. I save any green potatoes, and set aside duck egg up to tennis ball sized potatoes, chit them in indirect light until they have well developed sprouts and plant out in a 250 square foot Ruth stout plot. They produce great, and because I save my own seed potatoes there’s no financial incentive for stretching my seed potatoes by cutting them to a single eye.
Some insight from an idaho potato farmer. A cut potato is going to have less vines meaning less numvers but the the spuds will get bigger. Also variety matters. How we water reds and russets is completely different. Also how we plant reds and russets are different. Also if you do this again you should try a regular mound. As well as the straw mound. That's how we grow commercial potstoes. We mound our rows 6 inches deep 12 inch spacing or 9 inch spacing if your going for reds and for numbers. Last your friends advice is great advice. We go through and mechanically kill our vines since our season is too short for letting the vine dry out in its own. So if your season is too short you can always just cut the vines to start the hardening process. You just cut them then wait like 2 weeks. Last just an explanation of why you had some rot is that it looked like your soil was quite wet. If the soil is too wet after the plant dies it csn cause the spuds go rot.
@@Christian-jx3nx if you want to see how commercial growers do it you can go watch rocky mountain farmer's channel. He makes videos about growing commercial potatoes.
Couple years back I planted red and also russet. Watered them the same - generous watering here in NE Texas. The russets were all wet and gross and falling apart. The reds were excellent.
@@polywog9591 ya thats what happens when you over water. They start to rot in the ground. Especially if the vines are dead but the soil is really wet. Do you know what variety of russet it was?
A great upper-body exercise routine for us older folks. Find a room where you can comfortably stretch both arms out. Grasp a 5-pound potato sack in each hand and slowly lift, then lower your arms. Repeat ten times. Do this daily. After a couple of weeks, try it with 10-pound sacks. After a month, move up to 25-pound sacks. When that becomes easy, upgrade to 50-pound sacks. Then, when you feel confident, put a potato in each sack...
When I used the Ruth Stout method, I kept topping up the straw, leaving a good healthy top. That ended up being a deep pile and a lot of beautiful potatoes. When growing in ground I found hilling made an enormous difference in yield.
@tristanchristiansen9054 my aunt grows them in straw that has mushrooms spoored into it. Shes tried winecaps and oysters. Both grew mushrooms and potatoes very well
As a newbie gardener with limited resources to make my own mistakes: Thank you guys so much for all the work! My first plot in ground at the community garden has gone PHENOMENALLY because of you guys! All my plot neighbors are curious how I am doing things but can't argue with the results. Companion planting has been my biggest strength. We have deer roam around the community plots like it's a salad bar, but I would never know unless my neighbors weren't complaining about it every day. I've only had them munch my cucumbers, green beans, and a sunflower at the start of the year ONCE but since we introduced several other plants they haven't even so much as left a hoof mark nearby. You have saved me SO much grief, and I do believe kept my love for gardening strong my first year since it's not filled with so many failures due to ignorance that I lose motivation. Super appreciate you guys and everything you do!
Next time try the method I've heard yields the most. I haven't tried it myself yet but it sounds promising. Using a grow bag or bucket with drainage or dig a deep hole in the ground. Plant the potatoes in about 4 inches of soil at the bottom of the hole, then add more soil as the plant grows. So when the plant is 4 inches tall and another 3 inches of soil. Keep doing this to the top of the bucket/hole, then treat as any other planted potatoes. The guy in Wales that showed this method had amazing yield over many containers. Basically the entire container was filled with potatoes.
this only works with indeterminate potato varieties. it will not produce more potatoes in a determinate variety. Most potatoes a home gardener grows are determinant ie. yukon gold. you can google your variety online to see what your variety is.
The method that netted us the best return was what we did last year. Bought 3 lbs of seed potato, and also had a couple store bought reds that sprouted. Ended up with over 100lbs harvested. Here's what I did: Presprout the spuds and get them under grow lights for a week. Then cut into pieces with one or two eyes per piece and let it heal for 48 hours. I think we ended up with something like 40-50 seed pieces. Then I set each piece into a shallow tray of potting mix (1/3 compost, 1/3 coir, 1/3 vermiculite) and let them grow roots and shoots for a couple weeks until spring started to arrive. Got them in the ground early March (handful of bone meal in each hole), and added compost around each plant once they were a foot tall. Made a ferment of borage leaves steeped in water for a couple weeks, and poured it diluted a few times over the season with some fish fertilizer. Then we harvested the results throughout July. I couldn't believe how many came out of the ground. It took some work, and a lot of space on our garage bench, but it was totally worth it.
I forgot to add that to did have to pot the seed potatoes on into small containers from the trays, otherwise the roots would have become a tangled mess. So maybe you could skip the shallow tray, and go right to a small pot or solo cup. It was quite a learning process.
What is your ag zone? I'm in 7a and march is still in the freeze zone. Also, I grow in raised beds. I do like your first steps, as they're not really that different from a hardening off of seedlings.
@@Neenerella333 8b near Salem Oregon. Our last frost is around April 1st, so sometime in March is usually good for us. Spring is ridiculously wet here, so I put a low tunnel over it all with 6mil plastic or fabric row cover clipped on so they don't drown!
@joshuahoyer1279 Ah. I'm in Northern New Mexico, 6900ft, last frost is usually Mother's day. Dries out once it gets warm. I should look up long day/short season varieties. I inherited some blue and Yukons that did well with no help from me.
I was very successful with a modified Ruth Stout method ... a tower. The outer ring was six inches of straw and the dirt center was about 12 inches. The tower was around 3 feet high. I planted 4 lbs most of which I had cut and harvested 20 lbs of good size to tiny. I haven't done it again as setting up and harvesting is really hard by yourself but it remains my best harvest ever.
Correct. I've gotten the same results with red potatoes regardless of planting method. This experiment is very amateur. Someone did not do science experiments on school. Doesn't understand variables
@@tjduprey also he used an extremely small sample size! he needs to re-do with dozens of plants for each method...and record air and soil temps various times of day.
Also whether the type is "determinate" or "indeterminate"; the first grow on one level whereas the latter produce up the stem, as you hill as the plant grows.
Canada has outlawed single use plastic shopping bags, so now we've all accumulated a ridiculous amount of cloth shopping bags. This year, I decided to use some of them as grow bags, and its been a great success. I planted potatoes in the largest Walmart bags. I started them half filled with soil and topped them off with mulch as they grew. I haven't harvested them all yet, but I have reached into one small section and picked a few pounds for dinner. They were huge and really packed in there. If the rest of the bag has that many, we're going to have a huge harvest in a couple of weeks. I also planted cukes and tomatoes, which produced as well as those we grew in similar sized pots. Two of the bags were very light fabric and are beginning to break down, but they should hold together just fine for the rest of the season so long as we don't try to move them.
single use plastic bags Are not single use.. who uses it for only one thing?? i mean after who has not used them as garbage bags?? car garbage bag. lunch bag. carry a few nights worth of clothing it for short trip.. plus they made them bio degrable awhile ago so no need to worry..
What a great idea! I never remember to take my bags into the supermarket with me and end up buying more. This is a great way to increase my growing space and reuse the bags :) xx
Is there a Reason why you barely put any Soil in the 5gal bucket? But in the other grow bag you filled it all the way up? Because it looks like you barely put even 2 gallons of soil in it 🤔
And because that the plant did not get enough sun, The weatnes because the lack of holes and the little amount of soil.. Nah dude, that plant was mean to die.
@lolka359 my urban homestead is full of 5gallon buckets.. I come from a family of gardeners.. if 5gallon buckets weren't successful nobody would use them....... clearly
@@savinginstyle yeah, i use to use "tiny plots" as well, i use plastic bags and wood boxes (like 4-6 gal) and it works nice. Just the "no holes and less than 2 gal of soil in a bucket" it was not the best way to plant a potatoes. (I love potatoes by the way)
This was my thought while I watched this -- Ruth Stout was planting into a layer of straw mulch that looks almost preposterously thick -- at LEAST a foot! Would love to see this tried for real.
Yes,, this was not a Ruth Stout planting, but even if he had used proper mulch depth it wouldn’t reflect the full potential of the method at such a small scale. Deep mulching a narrow strip is going to have limited moisture retention and soil building effects as compared to a larger, broader plot. And at the same time it is creating an island of habitat for the isopods in a desert of bare soil, thus concentrating their population around the planting, whereas a large plot of deep mulch will allow them more space to roam and reduce their feeding pressure on each tuber.
I would also add that the Ruth Stout method, at least in my opinion, is considerably less work than in ground potatoes. Throwing straw on top of the potatoes is a great deal easier than digging twice, once to plant and again to harvest. I have also heard that a bed of sand and sawdust makes for a good base. Very easy to harvest. But have never tried that method myself, as I try to plant a fairly large number of potatoes, and I am trying to limit the external inputs.
Agreed. What he did was not Ruth Stout. He just put a light scattering of straw over it. It need to be very thick, as the decaying straw turns into soil over time. He did not do his research.
We tried growing potatoes in containers with drainage AND a row in-ground. The containers ranged in size from about 18 gallon to 30 gallon, with a different number of potatoes in each container. The potatoes planted in a row were planted in new ground, mostly red Georgia clay only amended with some compost where the seed potatoes were planted. Most of the potatoes grown in containers were planted between 6" and 8" deep and then "hilled" with either a mixture of compost and topsoil or plain straw when the greenery was at least 4 inches tall. What we found was that the in-ground method barely grew any potatoes for us. We did also bury some of the containers about one-third deep in the ground, so the containers suffered less issues with drastic temperature or moisture levels. The drawback to this was that it also allowed any pests or disease within the natural soil to infiltrate those containers. Overall, large containers worked best for us. We also had a fertilizing schedule with fish emulsion or a slow-release organic pelleted fertilizer to help the plants along. Also, once we were done "hilling", we placed a two to three inch layer of straw once the greenery of the plant was tall enough to prevent greening of any potatoes on the surface of the soil. Each of our containers AT LEAST tripled the amount of seed potatoes planted, so three pounds of seed potatoes grew at least 9 pounds of mature potatoes for us. One variety grew over 11 pounds of edible potatoes (for 3 pounds of seed potatoes). Ultimately, I think anyone who wants to grow potatoes should try several methods to see what works best for their growing and gardening conditions.
One thing to consider with the Ruth Stout trial is that your straw covering reflects the sun and reduces the soil temperature slowing the growth compared to your in-ground trials. Also noticing that you have your 6" deep and 12" deep potatoes switched. 0:44 shows your 12" deep potatoes closest to your leeks.
We use Ruth Stout method in the San Joaquin Valley because our soil is just sand and nutrients don't stick around unless you fertilize heavily. He seemed to really half-ass the amount of straw. I don't think we ever do less than 6 inches to start with and then add more as the season goes and always in mounds. I also wonder if he was using treated 'ground cover' straw. A lot of straw and hay not meant for animal feed is treated with Grazon, which is a herbicide. I luckily have a few acres so I can grow enough alfalfa to use the next year. We also limit ourselves to White Rose potatoes that have always thrived in our region.
I noticed you had the 6 inch depth potatoes mixed up with the 12 inch depth potatoes at the end. So in fact the 6 inch depth potatoes yelded the best and the 12 inch depth potatoes were the largest.
I saw that too, that makes me wonder if he even dug deep enough to get all of the potatoes out in that area. But the deep ones being big makes sense since the roots went down deeper.
Was looking for these comments, and totally agree with all of you! Was thinking all the same things.q He definitely swapped the 6 and 12 inch ones. Next time, perhaps put markers in.
very interesting. i just want to share an idea as to what method I've seen used back home in Africa. of course we use the trenched but Ive always wondered why the farmers always make heaps when they want to plant. I think the one you planted 12 inches gives the best reason for it as you see its clear with this that the plants do better when they have to struggle from a depth before they come out but most times its more difficult for the farmer to get them out of the ground. Hence, they make the heaps give the plants the additional depth after they have planted them which gives both the planter and the plants what they both want. The plants get a deeper depth than they would have gotten if they had been planted just 6 inches into the ground and the planter wont have but six inches to dig into the floor to harvest. I hope it makes sense to you. just my observation.
Yes, the traditional UK/Irish method is to make heaps/hill them up for exactly that reason - you're achieving the 12 in "depth" going up rather than making the poor plant come all that distance before finding the light. And since the leaves have more sunlight earlier in the process, they grow better. If you have the time and a long enough season, hilling them up a couple of times can be good, but even letting the plants grow to about a foot and then hilling up once so that the stems are mostly covered works well. Also, with the Ruth Stout method, I thought you were supposed to mix manure with the straw - which helps solve the light problem - and definitely add more manure/straw as the plants grow. My personal method is a hybrid of those - I plant the potatoes a few inches down, then "hill them up" with straw and manure as they grow .
😂 As a science fair director and science teacher, a Montana ranch girl, and long time homesteader , I absolutely adore your channel and this video in particular. The way you walked through the variables, showed the differences between methods, asked for predictions - you seem like a born educator! When you’ve made your first billion or so with your seed company, maybe you could design curriculum for schools to help students learn gardening as they grow the fruit and vegetables needed for their lunch program or local shelter systems. ❤
I only plant in containers. What sense does it make NOT to put drainage holes in the bucket? Plants need drainage and he knows that. Already an unfair advantage.
I used both 35L plastic grow pots (large nursery tree pots) and 30gal grow bags, using the method suggested by Tony at Simplify Gardening (UK), and had amazing success. Potatoes, like tomatoes, have both determinate and indeterminate types. Knowing what growing habit the potato variety has makes a difference in how to plant within the containers. I also had drip irrigation set up for the plastic containers, which I had set outside the south side of my greenhouse. I never got irrigation set up for the grow bags but will do that next year. Even without irrigation, the grow bags grew very well with my occasional watering, and regular rain. My overall harvest was FANTASTIC, and I'm currently curing and prepping them for storage, which will hopefully last us at least partially into the winter.
Great food for thought. I've now planted potatoes twice in 8 years and they just keep coming back. I recognize it's because I miss some, but doing this method has worked and I just reseed with a few starts every 5 or so years.
Interesting. Here's my experiment this year: I planted in cardboard boxes (open top and open bottom). I planted them all standard 6" deep. Half, I simply let grow. They're gorgeous! Then for half the crop, as they grew, I filled in with dirt, with an end result of those potatoes to be buried approx one foot deep. At this point the plants are comparable. And it's not time for harvest yet up here in the north... So we'll see 🙂 (In my eighth decade and I still can't stop experimenting! 🙃)
I have had an astonishing 6.5kg potato harvest this year. Single, whole potato, planted at around 10cm (4") deep in my no dig bed, with no amendments other than compost. Space was a real game changer for me as those sputs I planted in a container this season didn't even come close to that.
A modification to the 5 gallon bucket that I've used with success for peppers and tomatoes is to put a section of drain pipe across the bottom diameter. Cover the drain pipe with lawn fabric. Fill with soil. Then, drill a hole on the side of the bucket about were the middle of the drain pipe is at. This allows for a water reservoir to persist while letting it drain out when the water reaches the hole level, never flooding it. Also, the remaining water (I think) migrates up towards the roots via capillary action.
The people who lived in this house before us planted fingerling potatoes. No matter what we plant, no matter how many potatoes we pull out, more will just pop up. They are incredibly resilient!
Thank you for being honest and up-front about your experimentation methods. It wasn't a perfect test, but it got the job done. I'm so tired of channels that try to get me excited about good results for engagement. I just want to know how to best grow potatoes, and this video gave me a ton of great info!
Thanks for sharing this! I have been planting my potatoes last two years in the circular tall birdies beds, 12 inches deep. Great yields, no pest pressure.
I've been planting mine in buckets about a foot deep, I've not had any issues with them not making it to the surface. On a side note I do grow with fine wood multch mixed with 20% compost (something free draining) as we get hurricanes here every few years in zone 9b (Gulf Coast) the constant rain for 3-4 days had a tendency of water logging plants so I opted for very free draining even if I have to water more often. I planted a foot deep so I didn't have to back fill them as they grew and from my experience they do produce tubers on the stem leading to the top even without back filling. Not nearly as heavily as base where the original tuber was placed, but still I would see them growing near the surface while watering. I would plant in the soil but it's mostly hard clay and rocks here so not really ideal especially for a rental property.
I live in NW UK and it rains here alot, we use a method where you plant the potato about 4-5" down and when the plant surfaces and gets a good crown,you then bury it up to the top and rinse repeat until you get to half a foot and then let it grow. It stops surface water getting to the roots and tubers and causing rot.
I tried trench and grow bag methods this year also as an experiment, and what I found works best here was 20 and 25 gallon grow bags, 3 plants each. I cut the potatoes into sections with 2 or 3 eyes each, to get the most out of each potato. Each bag this far has given me enough potatoes to fill about 2/3 of a 5 gallon bucket of potatoes per grow bag. That's a ton! They do have to be watered daily, so it's more work. But they will give you an incredible yield.
I grew the Clancy potatoes from Botanical Interests seed last year in a grow bag and got a good yield. I grew them again this year in a grow bag, plus another grow bag with store bought one.l (both 20 gallon). They both had beautiful growth and I need to harvest tomorrow. They died back, but It has been raining. I also think that the bucket could have been filled to the top with soil so it had better access to light. Thank you
We plant ours in tires and large plastic tub containers. We even used cardboard boxes 1 year. Plant in little soil/compost, top with a little more of that dirt/compost, then as they grow, we add grass clippings. It keeps them moist during dry spells. We get great yields with very little effort!
My potato plants in my Epic grow bags look amazing this year! I can't wait to harvest! (I started late so I am having to wait longer than most to harvest)
I can’t wait to harvest my potatoes next month, planted in raised bed in may. Plants have been big and lush all summer. I just did russets and reds as that’s what I could get ahold of.
Up here in interior Alaska, I do a combination growing. Start the seed potatoes, I always cut mine up in 2 to 4 pieces, in a grow bag in the green house. When the soil thaws, till it and plant the grow bag halfway down in the soil. Now cover with straw mulch. I can leave these alone until harvest time without even needing to water them. Always get a decent harvest and just pull the grow bags out the ground to dump and harvest.
I'm sure someone else has already made this comment, but I'm not going to read through all 516 comments (at the moment) to find it. This is an excellent trial, but two changes need to be made: One, that bucket NEEDS drain holes. The reason the potato in the bucket isn't growing well is because the roots are rotting! Saturated soil doesn't have enough air in it. And Two, it would only be an accurate trial if all the potatoes planted were the same variety from the same source. Varieties of potatoes vary greatly in their yields, and even in their growing condition preferences. So really, someone who normally grows several varieties ought to do this experiment with each variety they like to grow. It's possible that one kind would do better grown one way, while another variety might do better grown another way. Kudos for trying, though! Edited to add: A valid trial would have the same number of potatoes planted in each variation, too.
I started growing potatoes this year with different kinds of containers. I planted in some 10 gallon buckets and the harvest was poor, but the potatoes I put in some much smaller containers did so well! Next year, I'll have to try some of the methods you demonstrated here!
Potatoes come in 3 different sizes. Earlies or New Potatoes 55-70 days usually determinate Mids 70-90 days Lates or Main Crops 90-120 days usually indeterminate All 3 can be left longer, just watch for leaves yellowing from the lowest leaves up. If you're plants are healthy, and growing several pots you can always dump 1 to check progress and leave or dump the rest based on results. Or better yet just dump buckets as needed based on consumption. There's nothing better than fresh potatoes. Good Luck Dakota Oh, check out Wood Prairie Family Farm, or Maine Potato Lady. Both sites give great info on each type and Variety.
I've been growing my potatoes in grow bags just because harvesting is so easy and I can move them to follow my meager winter sun, but the evaporation is a problem. Next year I'm placing the grow bags in kiddie pools to solve that. 🤞 Your experimentation videos are my favorites! 💚
This is how I do my backyard tests to see what happens. ❤ it’s fun to see how goes until I learn more and do the gardening and farming to live off of but for now it’s just year two hobby. Thank you for sharing
I think the bucket also puts in a lot of shade so it might have been hard for the plants to get enough sunlight. I'm wondering if you need to use the bucket, make sure to fill up the bucket with soil higher to the top.
I love your honesty here, it is so much more helpful than those who only show perfection. You learn so much more from what goes wrong or unexpectedly, so I really appreciate you sharing this info!
The pill bug complaint about the Ruth Stout method is super specific to your spot -- I've used Ruth Stout and am this year, have zero problems with pill bugs.
Perhaps pill bugs are more of a problem in warmer climates? I'm in South Florida where they are pretty much everywhere. I gained from watching this that I would not try that method.
@@bethb8276 I'm Maine. We have pill bugs and earwigs, but they are non-issues in my garden--unlike San Diego it seems. My issues are just Japanese beetles and only as to roses and grapes, they don't impact anything else.
it is also because he didn't use enough hay/straw you are supposed to have a large mound of straw/hay (like a foot or more) on them not that tiny amount he put there
@@Just_A_Name14he did this experiment in his backyard… take it for what it is. He did a great job and provided us with great insights. No need to wear a lab coat and carry a clipboard for every single experiment video to give more credibility.
As others have said, the Ruth Stout method is not just a thin layer of mulch over the potatoes. It is a method for the whole bed and/or garden that affects the health and moisture of the soil. I have grown potatoes under a 12" layer of chopped dry leaves, in dirt, and in grow bags filled to the top with soil. All methods did well, but the "Ruth Stout" method under mulch was amazing and so easy to harvest! A few potatoes grew under the soil as well, but most were on top of the soil under the leaves. If/When the leaves started to break down, I put more mulch on to "hill" them. I did use old hay one year and that was a rotting mess. Do not recommend. Leaf mulch seemed to be the best for me.
I've always added more material to the top of the whichever method i use. Looks like the bucket and grow bag and RS could have use more material on the top. I don't think you can just plant and leave it. More material on top will shield from the sun too and provided more depth, which the in the soil has that the others didn't
I use Ruth stout but I hill them. Last harvest I planted 3 potatoes and got 25kg. I didn't water or do anything other than keep hilling them. I did the same thing for sweet potatoes except I planted 4 and got 23kg for my first ever attempt I got comparable quantities. My third lot is in thr ground at present. When I compare them with my neighbours potatoes that we plant at the same time using the same potatoes but she trenches & hills them. Hers always Sprout faster (almost a month this time) but I get about 10-20% more so far since the comparisons started. Obviously we can't compare quantities produced this time yet as they've only been in the ground almost 6 weeks so far. Mine are fairly small and hers have been hilled twice, I believe. We are planting a second lot in a week where we are going to plant using both methods. Will be interesting to see the results. Her soil, I believe is definitely better quality than mine given she has been gardening for over 20 years and my garden is 3 years old. No testing done just more an assumption.
Hmm. I'd love to see this controlled by variety and do this: In ground, 1 potato, 6, 12 and 18 inches deep (how deep is TOO deep in other words?) In grow bag (watered properly, perhaps drip?) 6 and 12" deep, soil filled to top (so shading from the bag isn't a factor) The Stout method is only reasonable if you have a lot of mulch and I don't get the attraction since digging isn't that hard. I don't see the difference between single potato and trenched aside from the obvious that a trench has more plants.
My understanding of the Ruth Stout method is to start with a much thicker layer of straw that's been slightly composted, and add more during the growing period to keep at least 12" on top. I plan on trying that next year
This test is meaningless. You should have planted the same potatoes. You should have drilled the bucket and put more soil in it, since the leaves never seemed to get full sunlight.
I love growing potatoes in grow bags; they grow very well for me. I grow them in a 10-gallon grow bag, and my potatoes grow really big,they grew alot bigger than the potatoes shown in this video using any of the methods he performed. It shows that It shows that it's best to also do your own study and see how it performs for you within your environment and care.
For physical reasons I can't dig holes or trenches so this year I did the Stout method, planting 6 or 7 potatoes on top of the ground and covering with several inches of straw. We had a drought and I think I didn't water them enough. Although I did get greenery, the few potatoes I got were between marble and golf ball sizes. The couple that were larger had been chewed on by the pill bugs that inhabit the soil all over our yard. I had slightly better luck last year with cardboard boxes, perhaps because the pill bugs couldn't get to them.
so glad u did this! I was wondering if i could get better results in my raised bed by planting my potatoes deeper so I will definitely be doing that this fall!
We do trench and hilling, but we do very small hilling at the beginning, and after potato plants are about 10-15cm tall, we increase hilling. This way the potatoes sprout earlier as they are not as deep and have warmer soil around them in the spring, while they are deeper in the hot summer during the time they are growing the harvest potatoes. It takes a bit more work in the growing season, but works great for us.
Paul gaustchi discusses this. He plants potatoes in wood chipa around his orchard. He collects the potatoes by hand digging and puts back the largest potatoes he finds and covers those in the chips. He doesnt cut them in half because he says the energy to produce the plant and new tubers is stored in the potato.
year 4 of growing in 25 gallon Grow Bags. I typically plant (In New England) St patrick's day, and harvest early July. Replant immediately. I grow in 1/3 my own compost, 1/3 peat, 1/3 last year's soil. My return, typically is between 5 and 7 times the weight of my seed potato planted. As you mentioned, I am diligent about watering. AND, am fertilizing w/ Granular Bone Meal.
Nifty! I've had bad luck with potatoes in the past because I was using containers. This year I've used my raised beds. They just died back so I'm gonna wait another week and hope it's good!
The barrel method is my personal favourite. 1: Cut the top and bottom off of a white plastic food grade 55 gallon drum, it really does need to be white because of light during initial growth. 2: Pick a spot for your barrel where you're not going to want to move it, bare soil in an existing garden is easier but you can even do this on top of grass as long as you put down a layer of mulch or newspaper to stifle the grass. 3: Add a 4-6" layer of soil/ compost to the barrel and put 1-3 seed potatoes in the middle. Fewer seed potatoes tend to lead to larger potatoes at harvest, but more seed potatoes gives better growers insurance. You can even grow different varieties in the same barrel to see which one does best in your context. 4: Add another 6" layer of soil/ compost on top of your seed potatoes. 5: Wrap the outside of the barrel with a light blocking material such as a few layers of burlap or panda plastic (white side out if in a warm/hot climate) up to the level of the top of the soil in the barrel. This will stop potatoes from going green that grow too close to the edge of the barrel. Black plastic garbage bags also work, but you run the risk of cooking your potatoes if you're in a warmer climate. 6: Continue adding layers of soil/ compost every week or two as the potatoes grow, basically continual hilling. Take care to not bury / remove too many leaves so that the plant still has enough energy input to grow. 7: Continue to increase the height of the light blocking material around the outside of the barrel to match the soil level. 8: Once ready to harvest, tip the barrel over or lift it straight off the mound of soil in the middle. Letting the soil dry out a bit first makes this much easier but still requires a fair amount of muscle power. 9: Enjoy your spuds!
This method isn't necessarily meant to reduce over all effort. It mostly just changes it to above ground effort rather than below ground. The reason I prefer it is because if reduces/ eliminates the chance of damaging or missing potatoes when digging them up. If your growing season accommodates, this method can grow a lot of potatoes in very little space.
Hi Kevin. I have often only planted the eyes and eaten rest of the potatoe. Planting just a cut eye did give me a whole potato plant and lots of potatoes.
In the 80s I did some farming use to plant anywhere from 100 to 200 lbs of potatoes in my field (in SE TX). We would cut our potatoes into sections with 1 eye in each section, then lime them and put in the ground on Feb 14th and dug them up about May 13 . I would dig a trench about 6"-8" deep and cover them. As the tops grew i would go back and add soil to them as they grew. Best I can remember I fertilize them once or twice . My rows were somewhere between 100’ to 200’.
Kevin, All container grown crops need drainage and fertilizer. I'd like to see this repeated with fertilizer for the containers and a bit more straw/hay on the Ruth Stout method as it didn't look deep enough. Very good video!
Thank you for making this video, it was so educational. When I was growing up in the 60s we would cut up the potatoes to have 1-2 eyes per piece. Then we'd plant them in a trench about 10-12" deep. Each eye giving us one plant. However, I can see how planting a whole potato would work as well. Last year I tried the 5 gallon bucket method (mine had drainage holes) and as the plants grew I added more soil because the stem will grow more potatoes if it is in soil. The yield still wasn't very good and the potatoes were small.
Old timers always cut the potatoes into quarters as I recall. I think they made sure there was an eye in each piece? Mom would mound the dirt and make hills. Interesting that various growing methods all still work basically.
My first time ever growing potatoes myself ( my siblings STILL complain about hilling potatoes on our grandparents’s farm - 60 years ago- but I was fortunately too young to be assigned that task). I cut two sprouted potatoes from my pantry in half and planted them in a cardboard box, adding more raised bed soil as the plants grew taller. Harvest was 3 pound of medium to small red potatoes with no expense except the soil, which I will mix with my worm castings and compost and reuse. I have a photo of my harvest but don’t know how to attach it here.
Love that you're doing these experiments. Really wish you had controlled for variety, though. Can you speak on whether there is any data from tests that control for all other variables to suggest a yield/variety that could be used to normalize your results here?
We got AMAZING results. The last couple years we put the potatoes in the ground, but hilled them with fresh grass clippings. Many grow in the grass clippings and some in the ground. And the covered ground is easy to dig up. Also a plus is we rarely or ever need to water and very few weeds.
We'll do this grow again guys! In a much more Epic fashion. Read all the comments and AGREE. Comment on this if you'd like to suggest an improvement for next time. Not my best showing but still wanted to publish the results! - Kevin
Would love to see results for determinate (such as Yukon gold) vs indeterminate (such as russet). I tried my own potato experiment this year and fill a raised bed with our north Texas heavy clay soil, hilled them up once with bagged soil. I ended up with fewer, but much larger potatoes out of that bed vs my raised bed with good soil which produced numerous small potatoes. This comparison was with Yukon gold. I did have other varieties in both beds but no other direct variety comparisons. I set out to see if I could grow in heavy clay and I was impressed with the answer I got! I did fertilize at planting.
@@epicgardening not needed, you took the time to show us something fun. The "actually" crowd doesn't know how hard you guys work, and you don't have to be perfect. Easiest crop to grow and they still complain.
I don’t any criticisms, I was just was curious what would happen if you did the cut in half potatoes, but also 12” deep?
@@alexanderdiaz0512 it has nothing to do with how hard they work…it’s just a matter the fact that it doesn’t work to compare unlike things and expect to be able to sus out some meaningful conclusions. If you want to see how a specific variable affects an outcome you have to control all other variable or you cannot reliably determine which variables contributed to a given outcome…and…well, it also has to do with that not being a proper representation of the Ruth Stout method. There’s nothing wrong with people providing them with constructive criticism, and Kevin’s comment above provides a great example of how to graciously take it for what it is, a desire to see them do even better work than they already do.
@@epicgardening I would love to see the experiment scaled up somewhat and for the Ruth Stout planting to have its full depth of mulch. I don’t know how feasible it would be for you to do this, but I believe it would be ideal to establish a Ruth Stout plot to be managed according to her method for at least a couple of seasons prior to beginning such an experiment given that such methods as hers, lasagna gardening, Back to Eden and the like benefit from a cumulative effect over time that cannot be reliably captured in a first year planting under such methods.
There was a second issue with your bucket potato beside the lack of drainage holes. That plant needed more dirt. That's a tall bucket, so putting it so deep in the bucket like you did prevents it from getting adequate light while its young, stunting its growth and potential potato production.
If you'd like to try the bucket potato again this is what I've tried and recommend; add drainage holes, then fill the bucket most of the way with dirt. Plant the potato 4-6 inches down and mulch the top if you feel like it. no earthing up, just watering and fertilizing as needed.
side note: in the future for a more fair trial comparison, do the same number of plants for each method. the results of 1 bucket potato or 3 grow bag potato plants are not a fair comparison to draw against an entire row of traditionally trenched potatoes. The results you get from which will not yield conclusive data. Furthermore, use the same variety for each test, or if you want to see what method works best for which varieties devote the space to trialing several plants of all the varieties all these different ways.
for example; if you want to trial 1 specific variety, plant 5 plants for each method of that 1 variety. If you want to trial multiple varieties like a red, a gold, and a russet and you have 5 planting methods to try out, do five plants of each variety for each of the 5 methods. You'd have a lot of potatoes at the end of the trial, but too many potatoes is a good problem to have. Best of luck to your future experiments.
I completely agree with you . I couldn't have said it better. ❤
YES! These were pretty much the points I was going to make as well. I thought it obvious the bucket one was not getting as much light as any of the others. And most definitely, the same number of plants and same varieties needed. Good starter experiment I guess, enough to see which directions to pursue.
I was thinking the same thing
This is how I did it this year and it worked great!
Great analysis 🎉
We volunteer for a gleaning organization and at no point have we ever planted whole potatoes. The potato farmer told all of us to cut the potatoes, leaving “at least one eye.” We let them dry out for 3 days, then trench plant a foot apart. Hundreds and hundreds of pounds of donated potatoes.
I plant the eyes as well, and always ger great harvests 👌🏻
I’ve noticed more pest pressure with cut potatoes rather than whole ones. But I’ve never tested them side by side. Might be a good experiment for next year!
Yeah I'd never seen home growers plant whole potatoes, always just one or two eyes.
I get a tremendous yield using a double trench method, similar to hilling. I dig a trench 10-12" deep, plant 6" apart, and backfill the trench halfway. When plants get 10-12" tall, I fill in the rest of the trench, then mulch. I may have to compare it with the outright planting to 12" next year. Maybe less work for a similar yield
@@lanasinapayen3354I am a home gardener who plants potatoes whole. I save any green potatoes, and set aside duck egg up to tennis ball sized potatoes, chit them in indirect light until they have well developed sprouts and plant out in a 250 square foot Ruth stout plot. They produce great, and because I save my own seed potatoes there’s no financial incentive for stretching my seed potatoes by cutting them to a single eye.
Some insight from an idaho potato farmer. A cut potato is going to have less vines meaning less numvers but the the spuds will get bigger.
Also variety matters. How we water reds and russets is completely different. Also how we plant reds and russets are different.
Also if you do this again you should try a regular mound. As well as the straw mound. That's how we grow commercial potstoes. We mound our rows 6 inches deep 12 inch spacing or 9 inch spacing if your going for reds and for numbers.
Last your friends advice is great advice. We go through and mechanically kill our vines since our season is too short for letting the vine dry out in its own. So if your season is too short you can always just cut the vines to start the hardening process. You just cut them then wait like 2 weeks.
Last just an explanation of why you had some rot is that it looked like your soil was quite wet. If the soil is too wet after the plant dies it csn cause the spuds go rot.
You should make a video 😊 id watch it.
@@Christian-jx3nx if you want to see how commercial growers do it you can go watch rocky mountain farmer's channel. He makes videos about growing commercial potatoes.
you saved me the effort of explaining
Couple years back I planted red and also russet. Watered them the same - generous watering here in NE Texas. The russets were all wet and gross and falling apart. The reds were excellent.
@@polywog9591 ya thats what happens when you over water. They start to rot in the ground. Especially if the vines are dead but the soil is really wet. Do you know what variety of russet it was?
A great upper-body exercise routine for us older folks. Find a room where you can comfortably stretch both arms out. Grasp a 5-pound potato sack in each hand and slowly lift, then lower your arms. Repeat ten times. Do this daily. After a couple of weeks, try it with 10-pound sacks. After a month, move up to 25-pound sacks. When that becomes easy, upgrade to 50-pound sacks. Then, when you feel confident, put a potato in each sack...
Made my day.
I’m slow. Took me a minute but good joke
😂😂😂
😂😂😂🥳 💪
An oldie, but a goodie!
When I used the Ruth Stout method, I kept topping up the straw, leaving a good healthy top. That ended up being a deep pile and a lot of beautiful potatoes. When growing in ground I found hilling made an enormous difference in yield.
I think that is the way you are supposed to do it. Is to add soil or some other growing medium and keep topping regularly.
ive also heard the straw should be old like 3+ months starting with some fungal action
this method also helps amend the garden for the future
It's alway nice to go to the garden and get fresh potatoes dig and eat in an hour.
@tristanchristiansen9054 my aunt grows them in straw that has mushrooms spoored into it. Shes tried winecaps and oysters. Both grew mushrooms and potatoes very well
As a newbie gardener with limited resources to make my own mistakes: Thank you guys so much for all the work! My first plot in ground at the community garden has gone PHENOMENALLY because of you guys! All my plot neighbors are curious how I am doing things but can't argue with the results. Companion planting has been my biggest strength. We have deer roam around the community plots like it's a salad bar, but I would never know unless my neighbors weren't complaining about it every day. I've only had them munch my cucumbers, green beans, and a sunflower at the start of the year ONCE but since we introduced several other plants they haven't even so much as left a hoof mark nearby. You have saved me SO much grief, and I do believe kept my love for gardening strong my first year since it's not filled with so many failures due to ignorance that I lose motivation.
Super appreciate you guys and everything you do!
Next time try the method I've heard yields the most. I haven't tried it myself yet but it sounds promising. Using a grow bag or bucket with drainage or dig a deep hole in the ground. Plant the potatoes in about 4 inches of soil at the bottom of the hole, then add more soil as the plant grows. So when the plant is 4 inches tall and another 3 inches of soil. Keep doing this to the top of the bucket/hole, then treat as any other planted potatoes. The guy in Wales that showed this method had amazing yield over many containers. Basically the entire container was filled with potatoes.
I'm not sure it would work in South California as it's alot drier, the reason we do that in britain may not transfer to warmer climates
this only works with indeterminate potato varieties. it will not produce more potatoes in a determinate variety. Most potatoes a home gardener grows are determinant ie. yukon gold. you can google your variety online to see what your variety is.
The channel Simplify Gardening has a really good video similar to this that works for determinate and indeterminate varieties.
@@FindTheFun it's the nature of the variety, not the nature of the conditions
Not enough soil in bucket plus no drainage
The method that netted us the best return was what we did last year. Bought 3 lbs of seed potato, and also had a couple store bought reds that sprouted. Ended up with over 100lbs harvested. Here's what I did:
Presprout the spuds and get them under grow lights for a week. Then cut into pieces with one or two eyes per piece and let it heal for 48 hours. I think we ended up with something like 40-50 seed pieces. Then I set each piece into a shallow tray of potting mix (1/3 compost, 1/3 coir, 1/3 vermiculite) and let them grow roots and shoots for a couple weeks until spring started to arrive. Got them in the ground early March (handful of bone meal in each hole), and added compost around each plant once they were a foot tall. Made a ferment of borage leaves steeped in water for a couple weeks, and poured it diluted a few times over the season with some fish fertilizer. Then we harvested the results throughout July. I couldn't believe how many came out of the ground. It took some work, and a lot of space on our garage bench, but it was totally worth it.
thanks I'm going to try this
I forgot to add that to did have to pot the seed potatoes on into small containers from the trays, otherwise the roots would have become a tangled mess. So maybe you could skip the shallow tray, and go right to a small pot or solo cup. It was quite a learning process.
What is your ag zone? I'm in 7a and march is still in the freeze zone. Also, I grow in raised beds. I do like your first steps, as they're not really that different from a hardening off of seedlings.
@@Neenerella333 8b near Salem Oregon. Our last frost is around April 1st, so sometime in March is usually good for us. Spring is ridiculously wet here, so I put a low tunnel over it all with 6mil plastic or fabric row cover clipped on so they don't drown!
@joshuahoyer1279 Ah. I'm in Northern New Mexico, 6900ft, last frost is usually Mother's day. Dries out once it gets warm. I should look up long day/short season varieties. I inherited some blue and Yukons that did well with no help from me.
I was very successful with a modified Ruth Stout method ... a tower. The outer ring was six inches of straw and the dirt center was about 12 inches. The tower was around 3 feet high. I planted 4 lbs most of which I had cut and harvested 20 lbs of good size to tiny. I haven't done it again as setting up and harvesting is really hard by yourself but it remains my best harvest ever.
I think the type of potatoes makes a big difference on return. Also where you live.
Correct. I've gotten the same results with red potatoes regardless of planting method. This experiment is very amateur. Someone did not do science experiments on school. Doesn't understand variables
@@tjduprey also he used an extremely small sample size! he needs to re-do with dozens of plants for each method...and record air and soil temps various times of day.
Also whether the type is "determinate" or "indeterminate"; the first grow on one level whereas the latter produce up the stem, as you hill as the plant grows.
Canada has outlawed single use plastic shopping bags, so now we've all accumulated a ridiculous amount of cloth shopping bags. This year, I decided to use some of them as grow bags, and its been a great success. I planted potatoes in the largest Walmart bags. I started them half filled with soil and topped them off with mulch as they grew. I haven't harvested them all yet, but I have reached into one small section and picked a few pounds for dinner. They were huge and really packed in there. If the rest of the bag has that many, we're going to have a huge harvest in a couple of weeks. I also planted cukes and tomatoes, which produced as well as those we grew in similar sized pots. Two of the bags were very light fabric and are beginning to break down, but they should hold together just fine for the rest of the season so long as we don't try to move them.
single use plastic bags Are not single use.. who uses it for only one thing?? i mean after who has not used them as garbage bags?? car garbage bag. lunch bag. carry a few nights worth of clothing it for short trip.. plus they made them bio degrable awhile ago so no need to worry..
What a great idea! I never remember to take my bags into the supermarket with me and end up buying more. This is a great way to increase my growing space and reuse the bags :) xx
@@beingsneaky no plastic is biodegradable
That's a great use for those bags, thanks!
@@thecanadianfuhrer8602 not entirely true, it just takes a long time. its just carbon after all.
Is there a Reason why you barely put any Soil in the 5gal bucket? But in the other grow bag you filled it all the way up? Because it looks like you barely put even 2 gallons of soil in it 🤔
And because that the plant did not get enough sun, The weatnes because the lack of holes and the little amount of soil.. Nah dude, that plant was mean to die.
@lolka359 my urban homestead is full of 5gallon buckets.. I come from a family of gardeners.. if 5gallon buckets weren't successful nobody would use them....... clearly
@@savinginstyle yeah, i use to use "tiny plots" as well, i use plastic bags and wood boxes (like 4-6 gal) and it works nice. Just the "no holes and less than 2 gal of soil in a bucket" it was not the best way to plant a potatoes. (I love potatoes by the way)
Ruth stout is a very thick layer of mulch. Like 12 inch then stomp and add more thick. Read her book and pls experiment more
This was my thought while I watched this -- Ruth Stout was planting into a layer of straw mulch that looks almost preposterously thick -- at LEAST a foot! Would love to see this tried for real.
Yes,, this was not a Ruth Stout planting, but even if he had used proper mulch depth it wouldn’t reflect the full potential of the method at such a small scale. Deep mulching a narrow strip is going to have limited moisture retention and soil building effects as compared to a larger, broader plot. And at the same time it is creating an island of habitat for the isopods in a desert of bare soil, thus concentrating their population around the planting, whereas a large plot of deep mulch will allow them more space to roam and reduce their feeding pressure on each tuber.
I would also add that the Ruth Stout method, at least in my opinion, is considerably less work than in ground potatoes. Throwing straw on top of the potatoes is a great deal easier than digging twice, once to plant and again to harvest. I have also heard that a bed of sand and sawdust makes for a good base. Very easy to harvest. But have never tried that method myself, as I try to plant a fairly large number of potatoes, and I am trying to limit the external inputs.
@@SM-td7ux yes, she is the master/mistress. I think you can still find her on RUclips - people filming her in her later years.
Agreed. What he did was not Ruth Stout. He just put a light scattering of straw over it. It need to be very thick, as the decaying straw turns into soil over time. He did not do his research.
We tried growing potatoes in containers with drainage AND a row in-ground. The containers ranged in size from about 18 gallon to 30 gallon, with a different number of potatoes in each container. The potatoes planted in a row were planted in new ground, mostly red Georgia clay only amended with some compost where the seed potatoes were planted. Most of the potatoes grown in containers were planted between 6" and 8" deep and then "hilled" with either a mixture of compost and topsoil or plain straw when the greenery was at least 4 inches tall. What we found was that the in-ground method barely grew any potatoes for us. We did also bury some of the containers about one-third deep in the ground, so the containers suffered less issues with drastic temperature or moisture levels. The drawback to this was that it also allowed any pests or disease within the natural soil to infiltrate those containers. Overall, large containers worked best for us. We also had a fertilizing schedule with fish emulsion or a slow-release organic pelleted fertilizer to help the plants along. Also, once we were done "hilling", we placed a two to three inch layer of straw once the greenery of the plant was tall enough to prevent greening of any potatoes on the surface of the soil. Each of our containers AT LEAST tripled the amount of seed potatoes planted, so three pounds of seed potatoes grew at least 9 pounds of mature potatoes for us. One variety grew over 11 pounds of edible potatoes (for 3 pounds of seed potatoes). Ultimately, I think anyone who wants to grow potatoes should try several methods to see what works best for their growing and gardening conditions.
One thing to consider with the Ruth Stout trial is that your straw covering reflects the sun and reduces the soil temperature slowing the growth compared to your in-ground trials.
Also noticing that you have your 6" deep and 12" deep potatoes switched. 0:44 shows your 12" deep potatoes closest to your leeks.
We use Ruth Stout method in the San Joaquin Valley because our soil is just sand and nutrients don't stick around unless you fertilize heavily. He seemed to really half-ass the amount of straw. I don't think we ever do less than 6 inches to start with and then add more as the season goes and always in mounds. I also wonder if he was using treated 'ground cover' straw. A lot of straw and hay not meant for animal feed is treated with Grazon, which is a herbicide. I luckily have a few acres so I can grow enough alfalfa to use the next year. We also limit ourselves to White Rose potatoes that have always thrived in our region.
I noticed you had the 6 inch depth potatoes mixed up with the 12 inch depth potatoes at the end. So in fact the 6 inch depth potatoes yelded the best and the 12 inch depth potatoes were the largest.
I saw that too, that makes me wonder if he even dug deep enough to get all of the potatoes out in that area.
But the deep ones being big makes sense since the roots went down deeper.
I noticed that too. I was reading comments to see if anyone else noticed. But I do like both yields. :-)
Ahh I was starting to think I was crazy!! Lolol literally the only reason why I started searching the comments 😂
I pretty much stopped listening after he did that mistake and just used my eyes
Was looking for these comments, and totally agree with all of you!
Was thinking all the same things.q
He definitely swapped the 6 and 12 inch ones.
Next time, perhaps put markers in.
very interesting. i just want to share an idea as to what method I've seen used back home in Africa. of course we use the trenched but Ive always wondered why the farmers always make heaps when they want to plant. I think the one you planted 12 inches gives the best reason for it as you see its clear with this that the plants do better when they have to struggle from a depth before they come out but most times its more difficult for the farmer to get them out of the ground. Hence, they make the heaps give the plants the additional depth after they have planted them which gives both the planter and the plants what they both want. The plants get a deeper depth than they would have gotten if they had been planted just 6 inches into the ground and the planter wont have but six inches to dig into the floor to harvest. I hope it makes sense to you. just my observation.
Yes, the traditional UK/Irish method is to make heaps/hill them up for exactly that reason - you're achieving the 12 in "depth" going up rather than making the poor plant come all that distance before finding the light. And since the leaves have more sunlight earlier in the process, they grow better. If you have the time and a long enough season, hilling them up a couple of times can be good, but even letting the plants grow to about a foot and then hilling up once so that the stems are mostly covered works well.
Also, with the Ruth Stout method, I thought you were supposed to mix manure with the straw - which helps solve the light problem - and definitely add more manure/straw as the plants grow. My personal method is a hybrid of those - I plant the potatoes a few inches down, then "hill them up" with straw and manure as they grow .
😂 As a science fair director and science teacher, a Montana ranch girl, and long time homesteader , I absolutely adore your channel and this video in particular. The way you walked through the variables, showed the differences between methods, asked for predictions - you seem like a born educator!
When you’ve made your first billion or so with your seed company, maybe you could design curriculum for schools to help students learn gardening as they grow the fruit and vegetables needed for their lunch program or local shelter systems. ❤
No drainage holes in the bucket was certainly a choice lol
I only plant in containers. What sense does it make NOT to put drainage holes in the bucket? Plants need drainage and he knows that. Already an unfair advantage.
@@ambreewilliams6585 I guess a cheeky way to demonstrate the importance of drainage? And/or just pure trolling 🤣
He only used that one bucket. The grow bags have drainage pores already.
yeah the 5 gallon bucket said this was rigged! lol
@@willwebber6496as well as the sides of the bucket prohibit long periods of direct sunlight like it would in a raised bed.
I used both 35L plastic grow pots (large nursery tree pots) and 30gal grow bags, using the method suggested by Tony at Simplify Gardening (UK), and had amazing success. Potatoes, like tomatoes, have both determinate and indeterminate types. Knowing what growing habit the potato variety has makes a difference in how to plant within the containers. I also had drip irrigation set up for the plastic containers, which I had set outside the south side of my greenhouse. I never got irrigation set up for the grow bags but will do that next year. Even without irrigation, the grow bags grew very well with my occasional watering, and regular rain. My overall harvest was FANTASTIC, and I'm currently curing and prepping them for storage, which will hopefully last us at least partially into the winter.
This is exactly the kind of video that makes you and Eric so wonderful. Thank you very much for making this video.
Great food for thought. I've now planted potatoes twice in 8 years and they just keep coming back. I recognize it's because I miss some, but doing this method has worked and I just reseed with a few starts every 5 or so years.
I love your backyard garden experiments! It makes me want to try new planting methods and seed varieties. 👩🏼🌾
1:45 in and I'm already feeling that things mention with the tests already have me questioning the results
Interesting. Here's my experiment this year: I planted in cardboard boxes (open top and open bottom). I planted them all standard 6" deep. Half, I simply let grow. They're gorgeous! Then for half the crop, as they grew, I filled in with dirt, with an end result of those potatoes to be buried approx one foot deep. At this point the plants are comparable. And it's not time for harvest yet up here in the north... So we'll see 🙂 (In my eighth decade and I still can't stop experimenting! 🙃)
I have had an astonishing 6.5kg potato harvest this year. Single, whole potato, planted at around 10cm (4") deep in my no dig bed, with no amendments other than compost. Space was a real game changer for me as those sputs I planted in a container this season didn't even come close to that.
A modification to the 5 gallon bucket that I've used with success for peppers and tomatoes is to put a section of drain pipe across the bottom diameter.
Cover the drain pipe with lawn fabric. Fill with soil.
Then, drill a hole on the side of the bucket about were the middle of the drain pipe is at.
This allows for a water reservoir to persist while letting it drain out when the water reaches the hole level, never flooding it.
Also, the remaining water (I think) migrates up towards the roots via capillary action.
The people who lived in this house before us planted fingerling potatoes. No matter what we plant, no matter how many potatoes we pull out, more will just pop up. They are incredibly resilient!
Thank you for being honest and up-front about your experimentation methods. It wasn't a perfect test, but it got the job done. I'm so tired of channels that try to get me excited about good results for engagement. I just want to know how to best grow potatoes, and this video gave me a ton of great info!
We made mounds for the potatoes and they worked great!
Thanks for sharing this! I have been planting my potatoes last two years in the circular tall birdies beds, 12 inches deep. Great yields, no pest pressure.
I've been planting mine in buckets about a foot deep, I've not had any issues with them not making it to the surface. On a side note I do grow with fine wood multch mixed with 20% compost (something free draining) as we get hurricanes here every few years in zone 9b (Gulf Coast) the constant rain for 3-4 days had a tendency of water logging plants so I opted for very free draining even if I have to water more often.
I planted a foot deep so I didn't have to back fill them as they grew and from my experience they do produce tubers on the stem leading to the top even without back filling. Not nearly as heavily as base where the original tuber was placed, but still I would see them growing near the surface while watering.
I would plant in the soil but it's mostly hard clay and rocks here so not really ideal especially for a rental property.
I live in NW UK and it rains here alot, we use a method where you plant the potato about 4-5" down and when the plant surfaces and gets a good crown,you then bury it up to the top and rinse repeat until you get to half a foot and then let it grow. It stops surface water getting to the roots and tubers and causing rot.
I tried trench and grow bag methods this year also as an experiment, and what I found works best here was 20 and 25 gallon grow bags, 3 plants each. I cut the potatoes into sections with 2 or 3 eyes each, to get the most out of each potato. Each bag this far has given me enough potatoes to fill about 2/3 of a 5 gallon bucket of potatoes per grow bag. That's a ton! They do have to be watered daily, so it's more work. But they will give you an incredible yield.
I grew the Clancy potatoes from Botanical Interests seed last year in a grow bag and got a good yield. I grew them again this year in a grow bag, plus another grow bag with store bought one.l (both 20 gallon). They both had beautiful growth and I need to harvest tomorrow. They died back, but It has been raining.
I also think that the bucket could have been filled to the top with soil so it had better access to light. Thank you
I love growing potatoes so I really enjoyed your video. I found how you tried different growing methods very interesting. Thank you .
We plant ours in tires and large plastic tub containers. We even used cardboard boxes 1 year. Plant in little soil/compost, top with a little more of that dirt/compost, then as they grow, we add grass clippings. It keeps them moist during dry spells. We get great yields with very little effort!
My potato plants in my Epic grow bags look amazing this year! I can't wait to harvest! (I started late so I am having to wait longer than most to harvest)
I made mounds of compost- plopped down the potatoes and then covered them with hay- so a little bit like Ruth Stout!
I often try different ways like you have here to see what takes place over time.
I can’t wait to harvest my potatoes next month, planted in raised bed in may. Plants have been big and lush all summer. I just did russets and reds as that’s what I could get ahold of.
Have done pink fur apple and anya this year as earlies, enjoy your fresh spuds best with some garlic butter or dijon-mayonaisse
Up here in interior Alaska, I do a combination growing.
Start the seed potatoes, I always cut mine up in 2 to 4 pieces, in a grow bag in the green house. When the soil thaws, till it and plant the grow bag halfway down in the soil. Now cover with straw mulch. I can leave these alone until harvest time without even needing to water them.
Always get a decent harvest and just pull the grow bags out the ground to dump and harvest.
I'm sure someone else has already made this comment, but I'm not going to read through all 516 comments (at the moment) to find it. This is an excellent trial, but two changes need to be made: One, that bucket NEEDS drain holes. The reason the potato in the bucket isn't growing well is because the roots are rotting! Saturated soil doesn't have enough air in it. And Two, it would only be an accurate trial if all the potatoes planted were the same variety from the same source. Varieties of potatoes vary greatly in their yields, and even in their growing condition preferences. So really, someone who normally grows several varieties ought to do this experiment with each variety they like to grow. It's possible that one kind would do better grown one way, while another variety might do better grown another way.
Kudos for trying, though!
Edited to add: A valid trial would have the same number of potatoes planted in each variation, too.
I'm coming up on my fall planting for potatoes in a couple of weeks.. excellent timing, thank you.
I started growing potatoes this year with different kinds of containers. I planted in some 10 gallon buckets and the harvest was poor, but the potatoes I put in some much smaller containers did so well! Next year, I'll have to try some of the methods you demonstrated here!
Potatoes come in 3 different sizes.
Earlies or New Potatoes 55-70 days usually determinate
Mids 70-90 days
Lates or Main Crops 90-120 days usually indeterminate
All 3 can be left longer, just watch for leaves yellowing from the lowest
leaves up. If you're plants are healthy, and growing several pots you can
always dump 1 to check progress and leave or dump the rest based on
results. Or better yet just dump buckets as needed based on consumption.
There's nothing better than fresh potatoes. Good Luck Dakota
Oh, check out Wood Prairie Family Farm, or Maine Potato Lady. Both sites give
great info on each type and Variety.
@@marktoldgardengnome4110 Thanks for the tips!
I really love this type of video. Giving a comparison of different methods and their results is very interesting!
I've been growing my potatoes in grow bags just because harvesting is so easy and I can move them to follow my meager winter sun, but the evaporation is a problem. Next year I'm placing the grow bags in kiddie pools to solve that. 🤞 Your experimentation videos are my favorites! 💚
It also helps with less evaporation to have the grow bags very close together so they're touching.
This is how I do my backyard tests to see what happens. ❤ it’s fun to see how goes until I learn more and do the gardening and farming to live off of but for now it’s just year two hobby. Thank you for sharing
I think the bucket also puts in a lot of shade so it might have been hard for the plants to get enough sunlight. I'm wondering if you need to use the bucket, make sure to fill up the bucket with soil higher to the top.
For real there was like 2cm of soil in that bucket!! WTF!
I went back to the beginning 3 times to see what in the world was that sample "humble potato"! Indeed, humble but epic!!
I love your honesty here, it is so much more helpful than those who only show perfection. You learn so much more from what goes wrong or unexpectedly, so I really appreciate you sharing this info!
Great video. I used grow bags this year and was very disappointed with yields. Looking forward to a deep dive on grow bags to maximise yields.
The pill bug complaint about the Ruth Stout method is super specific to your spot -- I've used Ruth Stout and am this year, have zero problems with pill bugs.
Perhaps pill bugs are more of a problem in warmer climates? I'm in South Florida where they are pretty much everywhere. I gained from watching this that I would not try that method.
@@bethb8276 I'm Maine. We have pill bugs and earwigs, but they are non-issues in my garden--unlike San Diego it seems. My issues are just Japanese beetles and only as to roses and grapes, they don't impact anything else.
Pill bugs are a menace in my garden in the PNW. I’ve given up on ALL root crops.
it is also because he didn't use enough hay/straw you are supposed to have a large mound of straw/hay (like a foot or more) on them not that tiny amount he put there
Ours was trench and mound dirt through the season. Got us through winter, family of 5, plus guests, all through.
You should really use proper testing methods. You are introducing too many variables to provide any meaningful results.
D1 hater
@@Just_A_Name14he did this experiment in his backyard… take it for what it is. He did a great job and provided us with great insights. No need to wear a lab coat and carry a clipboard for every single experiment video to give more credibility.
I agree. No lab coat required, but it wouldn't be that hard to plant the same number of potatoes for each method and make them the same variety.
Totally agree. When he was describing the setup I was thinking we won’t learn anything conclusive from this. It was sloppily done.
You’re not even a fox efox2001
As others have said, the Ruth Stout method is not just a thin layer of mulch over the potatoes. It is a method for the whole bed and/or garden that affects the health and moisture of the soil. I have grown potatoes under a 12" layer of chopped dry leaves, in dirt, and in grow bags filled to the top with soil. All methods did well, but the "Ruth Stout" method under mulch was amazing and so easy to harvest! A few potatoes grew under the soil as well, but most were on top of the soil under the leaves. If/When the leaves started to break down, I put more mulch on to "hill" them. I did use old hay one year and that was a rotting mess. Do not recommend. Leaf mulch seemed to be the best for me.
I've always added more material to the top of the whichever method i use. Looks like the bucket and grow bag and RS could have use more material on the top. I don't think you can just plant and leave it. More material on top will shield from the sun too and provided more depth, which the in the soil has that the others didn't
This was worth watching, I've never grown my own crop and now I'm excited to try! I might trench them 18-24" deep next year!
I use Ruth stout but I hill them. Last harvest I planted 3 potatoes and got 25kg. I didn't water or do anything other than keep hilling them. I did the same thing for sweet potatoes except I planted 4 and got 23kg for my first ever attempt I got comparable quantities. My third lot is in thr ground at present.
When I compare them with my neighbours potatoes that we plant at the same time using the same potatoes but she trenches & hills them. Hers always Sprout faster (almost a month this time) but I get about 10-20% more so far since the comparisons started. Obviously we can't compare quantities produced this time yet as they've only been in the ground almost 6 weeks so far. Mine are fairly small and hers have been hilled twice, I believe. We are planting a second lot in a week where we are going to plant using both methods. Will be interesting to see the results. Her soil, I believe is definitely better quality than mine given she has been gardening for over 20 years and my garden is 3 years old. No testing done just more an assumption.
It didnt even dawn on me to roll them grow bags back like that. Thanks! And I agree that stinky potato water is up there with skunk spray. Lol
Hmm. I'd love to see this controlled by variety and do this: In ground, 1 potato, 6, 12 and 18 inches deep (how deep is TOO deep in other words?) In grow bag (watered properly, perhaps drip?) 6 and 12" deep, soil filled to top (so shading from the bag isn't a factor)
The Stout method is only reasonable if you have a lot of mulch and I don't get the attraction since digging isn't that hard. I don't see the difference between single potato and trenched aside from the obvious that a trench has more plants.
My understanding of the Ruth Stout method is to start with a much thicker layer of straw that's been slightly composted, and add more during the growing period to keep at least 12" on top. I plan on trying that next year
Use labels next time? Think your 12"deep was moving around.
Fun video. A lot of variables but still gave me some good insight into why certain methods have worked better for me over the years.
"trench tomatoes" 4:04
For a guy who doesn't have a garden, but only a small terrace every single bit of advise is needed. Thanks.
This test is meaningless. You should have planted the same potatoes. You should have drilled the bucket and put more soil in it, since the leaves never seemed to get full sunlight.
The test isn't but the bucket certainly was lol
It does demonstrate, however, typical issues with the method. So, not only is the test about the potato yield, but also demonstrates method issues.
Great experiment. 12" it is! Thank you and God bless you.
Cool potato research! Thanks EG team 🥔
The corn plants behind you looks really nice.
i always grow in bags
Very interesting to see this as I too planted my potatoes super deep this year at about 12 to 18 inches.
First
I love growing potatoes in grow bags; they grow very well for me. I grow them in a 10-gallon grow bag, and my potatoes grow really big,they grew alot bigger than the potatoes shown in this video using any of the methods he performed. It shows that It shows that it's best to also do your own study and see how it performs for you within your environment and care.
For physical reasons I can't dig holes or trenches so this year I did the Stout method, planting 6 or 7 potatoes on top of the ground and covering with several inches of straw. We had a drought and I think I didn't water them enough. Although I did get greenery, the few potatoes I got were between marble and golf ball sizes. The couple that were larger had been chewed on by the pill bugs that inhabit the soil all over our yard. I had slightly better luck last year with cardboard boxes, perhaps because the pill bugs couldn't get to them.
so glad u did this! I was wondering if i could get better results in my raised bed by planting my potatoes deeper so I will definitely be doing that this fall!
We do trench and hilling, but we do very small hilling at the beginning, and after potato plants are about 10-15cm tall, we increase hilling. This way the potatoes sprout earlier as they are not as deep and have warmer soil around them in the spring, while they are deeper in the hot summer during the time they are growing the harvest potatoes. It takes a bit more work in the growing season, but works great for us.
Paul gaustchi discusses this. He plants potatoes in wood chipa around his orchard. He collects the potatoes by hand digging and puts back the largest potatoes he finds and covers those in the chips. He doesnt cut them in half because he says the energy to produce the plant and new tubers is stored in the potato.
I love these planting experiment videos. Thank you.
Thank you for a very informative and helpful video. I love it when you do experiments - so informative. Thanks again!
Thanks so much for doing this experiment!
STRAW BAIL Planting method , a method my grandfather taught me in CLAY County hard surface . Seasoned 2yr straw , plant potato around the base .
Thanks. Seems like digging deeper is the best option.
year 4 of growing in 25 gallon Grow Bags. I typically plant (In New England) St patrick's day, and harvest early July. Replant immediately. I grow in 1/3 my own compost, 1/3 peat, 1/3 last year's soil. My return, typically is between 5 and 7 times the weight of my seed potato planted. As you mentioned, I am diligent about watering. AND, am fertilizing w/ Granular Bone Meal.
I like your channel. I learn so much. Just wanted to say that I really appreciate the time you take to share your knowledge.
Nifty! I've had bad luck with potatoes in the past because I was using containers. This year I've used my raised beds. They just died back so I'm gonna wait another week and hope it's good!
I love these comparison videos, thanks Kevin!!
The barrel method is my personal favourite.
1: Cut the top and bottom off of a white plastic food grade 55 gallon drum, it really does need to be white because of light during initial growth.
2: Pick a spot for your barrel where you're not going to want to move it, bare soil in an existing garden is easier but you can even do this on top of grass as long as you put down a layer of mulch or newspaper to stifle the grass.
3: Add a 4-6" layer of soil/ compost to the barrel and put 1-3 seed potatoes in the middle. Fewer seed potatoes tend to lead to larger potatoes at harvest, but more seed potatoes gives better growers insurance. You can even grow different varieties in the same barrel to see which one does best in your context.
4: Add another 6" layer of soil/ compost on top of your seed potatoes.
5: Wrap the outside of the barrel with a light blocking material such as a few layers of burlap or panda plastic (white side out if in a warm/hot climate) up to the level of the top of the soil in the barrel. This will stop potatoes from going green that grow too close to the edge of the barrel. Black plastic garbage bags also work, but you run the risk of cooking your potatoes if you're in a warmer climate.
6: Continue adding layers of soil/ compost every week or two as the potatoes grow, basically continual hilling. Take care to not bury / remove too many leaves so that the plant still has enough energy input to grow.
7: Continue to increase the height of the light blocking material around the outside of the barrel to match the soil level.
8: Once ready to harvest, tip the barrel over or lift it straight off the mound of soil in the middle. Letting the soil dry out a bit first makes this much easier but still requires a fair amount of muscle power.
9: Enjoy your spuds!
This method isn't necessarily meant to reduce over all effort. It mostly just changes it to above ground effort rather than below ground.
The reason I prefer it is because if reduces/ eliminates the chance of damaging or missing potatoes when digging them up.
If your growing season accommodates, this method can grow a lot of potatoes in very little space.
I love the seeds that you sell, they actually sprout, and grow well unlike seeds from the supermarket or a farmers store
Hi Kevin. I have often only planted the eyes and eaten rest of the potatoe. Planting just a cut eye did give me a whole potato plant and lots of potatoes.
In the 80s I did some farming use to plant anywhere from 100 to 200 lbs of potatoes in my field (in SE TX). We would cut our potatoes into sections with 1 eye in each section, then lime them and put in the ground on Feb 14th and dug them up about May 13 . I would dig a trench about 6"-8" deep and cover them. As the tops grew i would go back and add soil to them as they grew. Best I can remember I fertilize them once or twice . My rows were somewhere between 100’ to 200’.
I planted mine in box’s right on top of the grass, buried in 10-12” of soil. Got a big harvest.
Excellent experiment and video! Potatoes are amazing!
Kevin, All container grown crops need drainage and fertilizer. I'd like to see this repeated with fertilizer for the containers and a bit more straw/hay on the Ruth Stout method as it didn't look deep enough. Very good video!
Thank you for making this video, it was so educational.
When I was growing up in the 60s we would cut up the potatoes to have 1-2 eyes per piece. Then we'd plant them in a trench about 10-12" deep. Each eye giving us one plant. However, I can see how planting a whole potato would work as well.
Last year I tried the 5 gallon bucket method (mine had drainage holes) and as the plants grew I added more soil because the stem will grow more potatoes if it is in soil. The yield still wasn't very good and the potatoes were small.
with ruth stout the hay/straw compacts down so you need to add more straw as the season goes on unless you used a lot of straw in the beginning.
Old timers always cut the potatoes into quarters as I recall. I think they made sure there was an eye in each piece? Mom would mound the dirt and make hills. Interesting that various growing methods all still work basically.
My first time ever growing potatoes myself ( my siblings STILL complain about hilling potatoes on our grandparents’s farm - 60 years ago- but I was fortunately too young to be assigned that task). I cut two sprouted potatoes from my pantry in half and planted them in a cardboard box, adding more raised bed soil as the plants grew taller. Harvest was 3 pound of medium to small red potatoes with no expense except the soil, which I will mix with my worm castings and compost and reuse. I have a photo of my harvest but don’t know how to attach it here.
Love that you're doing these experiments. Really wish you had controlled for variety, though. Can you speak on whether there is any data from tests that control for all other variables to suggest a yield/variety that could be used to normalize your results here?
We got AMAZING results. The last couple years we put the potatoes in the ground, but hilled them with fresh grass clippings. Many grow in the grass clippings and some in the ground. And the covered ground is easy to dig up. Also a plus is we rarely or ever need to water and very few weeds.