How to properly plant potatoes under straw in the garden

There are many potato planting options that take less time and effort than the traditional method and still yield a rich crop without the use of chemicals. One of them is growing potatoes under straw. The material nourishes plants, protects against adverse weather conditions, and retains moisture.

Growing potatoes under straw

Such vegetables grow not in the ground, but on it. A thick layer of straw covering the tubers and moist soil provide nutrition and protection. Planting and maintenance is easier: no need to dig up the soil, weeding, hilling bushes. Up to 10-12 buckets of potatoes are obtained from one bucket of planting material.

Features of the method

Dried stems of cereals and legumes are well suited for this method: when rotted, they fertilize the soil. If there is not enough straw, hay is used, combined with cardboard.

Reference! The same straw has been used for several years in a row. After harvesting it is dried and keep until next season.

Planting potatoes under straw in the garden takes place without hassle: digging, weeding, feeding, watering are excluded or reduced. When harvesting, it is enough to raise the straw layer and collect clean tubers.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of growing potatoes under hay:

• saving time and effort on site preparation and maintenance;
• protection against temperature extremes, frost, hail, moisture retention in hot weather;
• reducing the number of pests, especially the Colorado potato beetles;
• biological feeding (worms start in the lower layer, which create nutritious humus).

Main disadvantages:

• rodents settle in the straw;
• raw material is favorable for slug breeding;
• the cost of the covering material: the initial covering, when settling, is reduced by 50% and requires replenishment during the summer;
• greening of tubers from exposure to sunlight with an insufficient layer of straw.

Landing options

There are 2 main ways of planting potatoes under straw: classic and alternative.

Classical

Sequence of work:

1. The selected area is slightly loosened with a hand cultivator or flat cutter, parallel grooves are made 5–8 cm deep, with a distance of 60–70 cm between them. In another version, the tubers are laid out directly on a grass cushion.
2. Sprouted potatoes are placed in the grooves in increments of 30–40 cm.
3. Cover vegetables with a layer of hay or straw 20-25 cm thick.
4. After the first shoots appear, the plants are huddled, straw is added between them (a layer up to 20 cm in height).

It is important to avoid getting the covering material on the sprouts so as not to damage them.

Alternative

In this method, potato seeds are placed in small holes, sprinkled with earth on top, and only after that the entire area is covered with a layer of straw of 20-25 cm.

Important! For arid climates, soils with admixtures of sand and clay, this is a more reliable option.

Everything else is done as in the classical method: rows with holes - after 30-40 cm, the distance between rows is 60-70 cm.

Minimum straw

Since a lot of straw is required to cover potatoes, some gardeners mix it with household cardboard. For this, boxes from household appliances are suitable.

The material is laid out on the ground, cross-shaped cuts are made at the planting sites and holes for tubers are formed at a distance of 30 cm from each other.Between the rows, they stand 60 cm each. The whole bed is covered with a prepared canvas. Vegetables are planted in prepared holes, the whole structure is covered with straw 10-15 cm high.

Landing rules

The basis for a rich harvest is laid in advance: in the fall they prepare a plot for planting, and in early spring they germinate seeds.

Preparing the garden

To improve the composition of the soil, they introduce into it:

• compost or humus, preferably 2-3 years old;
• dry ground citrus peel: its smell scares away rodents;
• finely ground egg shells: disinfects the soil;
• ash: effective against wireworm.

Fertilizers are scattered over the ground and slightly loosened with a rake.

On future potato beds, green manure plants are planted: alfalfa, rye, oats, phacelia, mustard. As a result, in the spring, they receive soil saturated with useful substances, without weeds.

Tuber preparation

Seeds prepared in March. The tubers are sorted out, getting rid of damaged and infected specimens. Small potatoes the size of a chicken egg are suitable for planting. They are dipped for 10 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, dried and placed in boxes.

Containers with planting material are left for 3 weeks in a cool dry place (at + 5 ... + 15 ° C). This time is enough for sprouts to appear.

Features of care and cultivation

When growing potatoes under straw or hay, some rules are followed:

1. The culture is planted in warmed (at least + 10 ° C) soil. Otherwise, seedlings will not appear for a long time.
2. They do not have a plot in a shady part of the garden.
3. The soil must be constantly moist.
4. To prevent the potatoes from turning green, they are buried 5-7 cm in the soil.
5. A layer of straw is formed quite high: 20–25 cm. It is lightly tamped or a little earth is poured on top so that the wind does not carry the material around the garden.
6. If the summer is dry, the potatoes are watered periodically.

When the tops are dry, they begin to harvest. To do this, raise and move the mulch layer aside. If desired, potatoes are harvested during the summer when they are young. Move the dry grass carefully, without damaging the bushes, so that they continue to grow under their shelter.

Tips & Tricks

For the first time, potatoes are planted under straw in a small area. The results are compared with those obtained after conventional cultivation.

Helpful! Potatoes for planting next year are selected during the current harvest.

Ultrasonic rodent repellents are installed in the garden. To combat slugs, plants are scattered around the garden bed that pests cannot tolerate: garlic, horseradish, wormwood, nettle, mint, tansy, parsley, lemon balm. If this is not enough, special preparations are used: "Slime-eater", "Thunderstorm".

Reviews of gardeners

There are different opinions about the method. Experienced summer residents get a good harvest. Those who experimented for the first time have more modest results.

Valentina, Odintsovo: “I conducted an experiment last year. It was a pity to throw away the remains of the sprouted potatoes. Spread it out between the rows on the mowed grass. I covered it with straw, then added freshly cut lawn grass. But I made the rows too close - it was inconvenient to add mulch. I liked this half-lazy method, and this season I continue my experience. It is convenient to harvest: raised the hay, took out what I liked, closed it, and let it grow further. In the end, I pulled back all the straw blanket and collected the clean tubers. "

Sergey, Izhevsk: “I will share my experience of growing potatoes under the hay: I planted 7 varieties 5-10 tubers. I didn't spend much time on this: I spread the tubers on the ground and covered them with dry grass. Of course, this is easier than digging with a shovel. As the potatoes grew, he forgot to add material. I think that's why I got a lot of green tubers when harvesting. Mice started up - brought 2 cats, after a few days the mice disappeared. I left 1 cat in the house. Because of the hay, the tops came out later than usual. There were few beetles, but still there were.Different varieties gave different harvests. I concluded that it is better to select tubers for this method. It will not hurt to cover the area with something opaque, at least in the first half of growth. "

Alexander, Krasnodar: “When they ask me how I planted potatoes, that I got so much harvest, I answer:“ Under the straw. ” It preserves the ideal microflora in the beds. The tubers under it are warm and humid, they turn out tasty and large. I plant no more than 2 buckets, but I collect no less than 12 ”.

Conclusion

Growing potatoes under straw attracts with the simplicity and biological purity of the harvest. The classical method is used or combined with alternative ones. It is important not to forget the general rules of farming: the correct choice of planting material, care for soil fertility, crop rotation.