She Grows Potatoes In Stacks Of Tires

She Grows Potatoes In Stacks Of Tires FARM HOME Food 32-3-30 "It's a great way to grow potatoes," says Jennie Schmal, who planted potatoes in a stack of tires last year in Centerville, Texas. She got the idea from her grandmother. The process is simple. Fill a tire with dirt and plant potatoes as usual. As the potatoes grow, add another tire and more soil. Continue adding for a total of up to six tires. As the plant grows it adds roots at each level that produce more potatoes. Schmal cut four 4 by 4-in. access holes in the side of each tire. When the plant bloomed she reached into the doors on the lowest tire to find and pick new potatoes. She worked her way up the tires through the season. Other gardeners harvest from the top down at the end of the season, and use the tires to keep the potatoes fresh until they're needed. They simply lift off to pull out the spuds. The process works just as well in northern gardens. The key is adequate watering - a thorough soaking once or twice a week depending on the weather. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jennie Schmal, P.O. Box 703, Centerville, Texas 75833 (ph 903 626-5558).

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