A Permanent Potato Patch
Veggie Offline
Super Pest Controller
#1
My question to the G&G team is:-
If I set aside a patch of ground and planted it with potatoes, dug up a few each year but left the tiddlers in the ground, would they keep producing or go down with some terrible disease?
Why am I asking? :_
I have some spuds that keep appearing year after year in the same place. From memory, they're blue ones which I didn't like so I've left them to their own devices. 
I also have some couch infested ground that is a pain to clear but I could bung spuds in amongst it and, maybe, "earth" them up with piles of weeds.
Could also throw in all the potato peelings as people seem to complain that they are the cause of spuds popping up in unwanted places.,

Daft idea, O Sensible Ones?? 
The Moneyless Chicken says:- 
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.
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SarrissUK Offline
Member
#2
That's what naturally happens when I grow spuds as I never find them all lol
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Small chilli Offline
Super Pest Controller
#3
Run with that idea Veggie. It’s brilliant. I think as long as you give the area a good feed annually with manure or something. It’ll work great. I have a dalek that is my permanent spud bed . I really must try to remember to harvest some from it this year and feed it Rolleyes .
Builder that would like to go play in the garden.
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PyreneesPlot Offline
Mountain Dweller
#4
Give it a go, why not? Eventually you might have a new variety of spud unique to you!
Has Anyone Seen the Plot?

Hautes-Pyrénées (65), France
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Vinny Offline
Geordie living 'ower the watter'
#5
Don't want to pour cold water on your plans Veggie but I think you will get diminished returns from the area? I have a row of  Jerusalem Artichokes which I don't harvest. I think the longer I leave them  year on year the yeild will just get less? Just using them as an example.
"The problem with retirement is that you never get a day off"- Abe Lemons
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Veggie Offline
Super Pest Controller
#6
With JA s that would be a bonus (sorry Bren, I know you like them).

I'm not bothered by diminishing returns as I'll only be planting odds and ends of shop bought spuds and the peelings. Not going to put much effort into it either. Probably trowel out a hole large enough for a spud, bung it in and throw a load of weeds on top.

To be honest, I was expecting comments about disease, slugs and blight but there's been nothing about that. I'm not a good spud grower anyway so my expectations are not great. Also, I'm fighting a losing battle with the couch grass so its tempting to let the spuds do battle with it rather that anything that I have hopes for.
The Moneyless Chicken says:- 
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.
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Mark_Riga Offline
Member from Cheshire
#7
I don't think a permanent potato patch would be a good idea. One farmers field nearby was used for patatoes 2 years running so I would think you could use them for 2 or 3 years to help clear the couch but longer would be a risk of building up disease. And the potato peelings would not be a good Idea for the same reason. I watched the Huw Richards' video on weeds which had a trailer for one about slugs which I though had some good ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxqE76AXmlk

I've used similar for slugs in greenhouse by leaving tiles, slate or large stones on damp earth for them to shelter under and killing them in the morning - he advises to put a plank over newly sown rows of seeds to keep the soil damp and inspect under it regularly before the seedlings emerge to find any sheltering slugs. Could do same in potato patch.
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Veggie Offline
Super Pest Controller
#8
Thanks Mark. The slugs that trouble me are those little black ones that burrow into the spuds. I'm trying some in pots this year but I've given up hoping for edible spuds out of the soil.
The Moneyless Chicken says:- 
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.
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Vinny Offline
Geordie living 'ower the watter'
#9
(31-05-2022, 09:25 PM)Veggie Wrote: With JA s that would be a bonus (sorry Bren, I know you like them).

I'm not bothered by diminishing returns as I'll only be planting odds and ends of shop bought spuds and the peelings. Not going to put much effort into it either. Probably trowel out a hole large enough for a spud, bung it in and throw a load of weeds on top.

To be honest, I was expecting comments about disease, slugs and blight but there's been nothing about that. I'm not a  good spud grower anyway so my expectations are not great. Also, I'm fighting a losing battle with the couch grass so its tempting to let the spuds do battle with it rather that anything that I have hopes for.
Round here the spuds would lose the battle with the wicken grass! Rolleyes I have had wicken grass grow through spuds before! Cry
"The problem with retirement is that you never get a day off"- Abe Lemons
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JJB Offline
Moonraker
#10
I had to look up Wicken grass Vinny, is it the North south divide showing up again, I've only ever known it as couch grass, other name is twitch, another name I don't know. You live and learn, as they say.
Gardening is an excuse not to do housework
Greetings from Salisbury
Qualified member of the Confused Nutter's Club 
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