Growing Potatoes in Carbon - Part 5 of the Potato Grow Bag Trials

[@BigMoComedy]

I´m repeating myself but i just need you to know that your videos are very much appreciated. Amazing stuff!

[@REDGardens]

Thanks!

[@kurt5490]

This series keeps getting better with each video drop! I definitely think you're on the right track adding automated irrigation. That alone might double the yields. And drive the nutrient deficiency of the poor performers even harder. I'd like to see the results of undecomposed hay/straw with regular doses of synthetic fertilizer. Fertigate or top dress? The addition of composting worms to a portion of each media type would be interesting too. With irrigation the populations should be sustainable.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, I think irrigation will make a huge difference! The straw with synthetic fertiliser would be very interesting. I was thinking of trying cardboard, synthetic fertiliser and a little bit of very good compost for some life.

[@kurt5490]

@@REDGardens Excellent idea!

[@drdjnorg]

You are acceleration everyone's gardening knowledge with these very informative videos.

[@sashalevage2550]

I've tried some various grow bag techniques with potatoes and it's incredibly interesting to continue seeing the similarities despite the difference in climate. Very excited for this one! Thanks so much for these in depth videos. I look forward to them so much.

[@REDGardens]

It has been so interesting to growing like this, and I have been learning so much! And I enjoy harvesting them, as I can be sure to get all the potatoes.

[@Tippler0611]

Having just created new beds with spoiled straw, this highlights how essential it will be to get nitrogen on the straw asap so it can break down before spring planting. I'm consistently impressed how well your Irish climate applies to my Pacific Northwest US growing! Your experience and analysis is greatly appreciated

[@REDGardens]

Getting the nitrogen in there really seems to help. We do seem to have similar climates, though I think you might get warmer in the summer (depending of course on the elevation.)

[@samvimes1482]

Very inspiring to see all of this. If it wasn't for the fact that it is almost winter, one would want to rush outside and start planting right away. I believe that I made too many mistakes last year. Armed with this knowledge I hope to improve on my harvest results. Thanks!

[@REDGardens]

Glad you got inspiration out of the video! Hope you ah e a good season next year.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

A great overview of your trials. Thanks

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@earth.agario]

the quality of this video is incredible. thank you so much

[@REDGardens]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@gailthornbury291]

I know it would be nearly impossible but it would be fascinating to see if the flavour of the potatoes varied depending on the growing medium.

[@REDGardens]

I really wanted to do that, but it would be a lot of work. And because I let the trial go without correcting the errors or deficiencies that became obvious during the trial, I figure it would be better to save a taste test for when I managed each type better.

[@rickthelian2215]

Next year you should try some slightly aged horse manure mixed with bedding wood shavings hay or straw.

[@REDGardens]

I would be a good thing to include in the trial.

[@glassbackdiy3949]

Another great demonstation, thankyou! Seems the best way to get the benefits of container growing regardless of medium is to allow roots access to the soil beneath the containers!

[@REDGardens]

Yes. That would be the best option, if you want to get the most out of container growing.

[@MeandYouHello]

Love your videos thank you for sharing

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@recklessroges]

I predict that Round 2 with the same compost is going to be better.

[@REDGardens]

I think you are going to be right in that prediction.

[@joniboulware1436]

While I have dabbled in gardening in several different climates from the desert to the mounftains to the pacific northwest, I relued mostly on commercial bagged compost. Then in the pacific northwest I had access to enough leaves and kitchen scraps and lawn trimmings to make my own compost. This was amended with npk fertilizer and vermiculite to form the first 8 inches of growing medium in a 10 inch deep raised bed. The top 2 inches was commercial raised bed mix. First year was good results, but the second was amazing with a top off of 2 inches of home compost. You have driven home the point that we don't always know what we are buying with commercial products and we need to adapt accordingly. But home compost is, I think, generally the most diverse and the best.

[@REDGardens]

I would to have more experience growing in different climates and soils like that. Thanks for sharing your experiences. When compost carries so much around the world I really worry about simple recommendations for people to follow.without adapting and amending based on local conditions. It is one of the things that worries me about making videos about my successes and failures, that people in very different contexts will copy what I do. But I agree that home compost is usually best.

[@davidhayes5382]

Forgive me if you covered it in the video. The potato plants you say were very slow to grow .my guess would be PH issues. If the pH is affected the plant nutritional uptake is really affected . I learned this from growing hot chillis . Although I am only gardening about 3 years. I spend lots of time studying and KZbining and have a nice collection of citrus and stone fruit trees and other fruit plants . Thank you for taking the time to share your research. New subscriber 👍💚🇮🇪

[@REDGardens]

I didn't mention pH in the video. Our soils are naturally high pH, about 7.5, because they are calcareous or limestone based. Not much I can do to reduce that without adding a huge amount sulphur. The pH will affect things in the fertility in the soil as you mention, but I can grow some really great potatoes in this soil, so long as I add enough fertility, which I think is easier and less drastic than changing the pH.

[@bobaloo2012]

Thanks for another great video. As an on and off market gardener for more than 40 years, your channel is really the only KZbin channel I follow closely as I usually learn something from your measured approach and testing. Regarding the potato trials, I do wonder if perhaps you were somewhat limited in maximum yield by the depth of the seed potatoes. Looking at you planting them, although I'm sure it seemed deep, I think the top of the seed potatoes were no more than 100mm or so beneath the surface, which forced all the production into the same area. I'd try filling the bags perhaps 100mm deep, the placing the seed potato, then filling the rest of the way to get them deeper. In my gardening I've found getting them deeper has really increased my production.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks, thanks means a lot from someone with a lot of experience! And thanks for the suggestion planting deeper. I think that could really help.

[@HelenRullesteg]

To me the main take away from all this I that you have confirmed my suspicion that fresh community compost is just not that good, that it needs to break down more before being of much use and needs amending. I have been so disappointed with the results where I spread that kind of compost thinking it would be great (based on different renowned growers' recommendations who say they only use compost and nothing else). So thank you for doing these experiments, it has helped me to understand much better why things work or don't.

[@REDGardens]

I think some of this growers who are recommending the simplicity of just adding compost like this either have much better compost, or several years that has given the stuff a chance to really break down.

[@samuelclark1095]

I absolutely love your content but watching you fill pots up from the bag of growing medium at the start of this video prompted the comment. I use a repurposed cattle sweet feed tub it makes the whole process a lot faster and more consistent.Thank you for your continued uploads and useful knowledge.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks for the tip!

[@doinacampean9132]

I think the spent mushroom compost "wood" have appreciated the municipal compost (and produced some amazing mushrooms as a result).

[@Qopzeep]

So would you say that spreading compost in the autumn, perhaps amended with nitrogen, would be a much better bet for the spring in terms of nutrient availability?

[@REDGardens]

I think that would be better.

[@liabobia]

Do you have a video on your organic fertilizer mix?

[@REDGardens]

Not yet! It is basically a version the Complete Organic Fertility mix developed by Steve Solomon, that I have adapted to my soils.

[@KnowledgeNerd123]

I'm curious how that municipal compost is made. Without actually seeing, feeling, smelling it in person it's hard to tell but it seems... inert/sterile. If it's made very quickly at very high temperatures this might kill off a lot of the microbes, fungi, beneficial bacteria, etc. then it's left to sit in bags and doesn't have a chance to become inoculated. Could explain the slow start that those plants had.

[@REDGardens]

Yes, it is fairly inert and sterile, made from a lot of woody matter and produced at high temperatures. It takes quite a while really mature and start to be a net benefit to the plants. The slow start thing still confuses me. Normally the young potato plant gets all the nutrients it needs from the original seed potato, enough to grow quite big, or to at least get a few good leaves going above the surface. But these plants growing in the municipal compost directly were even slower breaking through the surface. I don't think they would have needed to get anything from the compost to do that, so is seems like there is something actively slowing the growth.

[@fpsninja1]

@@REDGardens could it be some herbicide residue?

[@kirawelty]

Slow decomposing carbon, do you think something like oak leaves would work? Have you tried keeping chickens for fertilizer (nitrogen)? My main compost is chicken coop soiled pine shavings with kitchen waste, my secondary compost is all the leaves (red & white oak and maple). It's funny you keep dropping potato videos when I'm trying to figure something out with my potatoes. My potato harvest was dismal this year, deer ate the leaves of all potatoes. I had no idea deer would eat nightshade family.

[@REDGardens]

I don't know how leaves would work, I don't have any experience with those. Having done this trial I am more impressed with the bagged compost mix I buy in, as it is decomposed enough to hold nutrients, by doesn't seem to decompose very quickly once I get it. I still don't know what is in it.

[@inthestudy]

I'd love more data on the biochar option, unless I missed something you didn't talk about this middle-of-the-pack option. Can you share any info about what the actual contents of the medium were? It seemed to be one of the most consistent media in your lineup.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, I didn't mention much about the biochar option. It was ok yield, but I think I needed to add more fertility to fully charge the biochar. I have heard that the benefits of charcoal like this tend to take several seasons.

[@Hayley-sl9lm]

What is the carbon source in your professional grow mix, coco coir?

[@REDGardens]

I don’t know. Seems to be a mix of stuff.

[@marcozietz4597]

I did some research. There is only one peat free "Proline Substrate" called "ProLine Kräutersubstrat 70 % TerrAktiv /Kokos + 30 % GreenFibre" based on a pie chart on their website it consists of: 45% coco coir 30% "GreenFibre" (decomposed woody materials) 15% "TerrAktiv" (decomposed green waste) 10% "TerrAktiv FT" (fermented "TerrAktiv")

[@escapegoat3472]

Where do you store potatoes after harvest?

[@chriswalford4161]

How did you describe that wood chip, please?

[@spsmith1965]

Wanted to see this. Thanks. You must have grown up in the US. You don't sound Irish.

[@prjndigo]

He's a Ehstern Canehdian iirc.

[@REDGardens]

Close, from Canada, near Toronto.

[@Chris-bx4vk]

What general purpose fertilizer is that?

[@REDGardens]

It is a version of the Complete Organic Fertiliser mix from Steve Solomon.

[@lizc8187]

Bruce, what did you do with the One-Rule Compost after you tipped it out?

[@REDGardens]

I put it back in the bag, and topped it up with more of the same kind of compost, and plan to grow in it again this year.

[@michelemarble6799]

Bruce have you ever tried potatoes in leaf mold instead of soil or as an amendment.

[@REDGardens]

I haven't. I don't have access to enough leaf mold. But I imagine it soul be similar to the results from the other carbon materials, relying on the added fertility.

[@panjab6119]

So the rooftop mix produced the highest yield.... I'll be trying that 👍 what was the fertility added?

[@REDGardens]

Yes, but only slightly better than some of the others. I use the same general purpose dry fertiliser hat I mix myself based on the Complete Organic Fertiliser advice from Steve Solomon.

[@peter2327]

stupid question: why not intentionally poke a hole in the bag and make the plant root in the ground soil, so it would sip water from ground soil and the nutrients from the bag soil.

[@REDGardens]

Not a stupid question. That would make sense, and would definitely do that, if I wanted to have more resilient plants and bigger growth. But, although that would have been great, it would introduce a variable in the trial that would reduce how much I could learn. I wanted to see how the plants would grow in the different materials, so decided to isolate them from the ground. Which meant they would not be able to rely on the moisture or benefit from the nutrients in the ground.

[@KnowledgeNerd123]

This is the best series since GoT

[@REDGardens]

Haha thanks!

[@goldassayer93555]

Add clay. I grow potatoes in my 4 by 8 ft garden planters. i fill these with yard soil which is a sand/silt mix with nearly zero clay so i add 1.5% of dry Sodium Bentonite clay also called pond liner clay. This clay expands 14x to 18x when watered so i end up with a sand, silt clay ratio of 40, 40, 20%. I add some compost to this and some nitrogen and phosphorous as indicated by soil test and get good potato production. the sodium bentonite clay retains water like a sponge and during our hot summer months i get no wilting now where without the clay i would get wilting in the summer heat. my experience is that adding nitrogen during the growing season increases the size of the plant but does not seem to increase the weight of potatoes produced. Thanks for your report. good information especially the quantitative comparison of outcomes from the soil mixes.

[@REDGardens]

That would be interesting to try.

[@Karishin32]

I swear i've seen this exact same video like 5 times now.

[@REDGardens]

Haha, yep!

[@PolygonSwan]

I was under the assumption excess nitrogen at the fruiting phase inhibits tuber formation.

[@REDGardens]

I think there is a big difference between excess and deficient nitrogen at that stage. I think most of these potatoes did it have enough.

[@pinballwizard6906]

✌️😎

[@REDGardens]

👍

[@jisa39]

This potato saga is fantastic 🥔🥔🥔🥔 Go Urine!

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@theodorhertervig9510]

When you add alot of carbon, you can expect nitrogen deficiency do to the carbon gabbing on to some of it. A note to keep in mind

[@REDGardens]

That is definitely the case with some of the carbon rich material. With others, like our own compost, it is rich enough to be a source of carbon.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Watch Bruce's other videos

[@theodorhertervig9510]

I use clover 🍀 in some cases to bind nitrogen, they live with nitrogen fixing bacteria in the roots, nice videos keep it up, I like those comparison videos, helps me pick vegetables to grow

[@oonikown5998]

🤓

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@elainetyler1710]

91

[@REDGardens]

👍

[@retrobob3802]

I'm not sure 'carbon based' is the right description. Plenty of carbon in the soil as well, all life on earth is carbon based.

[@REDGardens]

I call it 'carbon' based because it is almost entirely (or even 100%) made from organic material in various stages of decomposition, as opposed to 'mineral' based which is mostly inorganic clay, silt, sand and rocks, plus alls the good carbon and soil life as you mention. But in the case of our soils it is about 90% mineral and 10% organic matter, so it is mineral based. I don't know a better term than carbon to differentiate them, because they are different.

[@deanwatt]

Why do people like yourself plant their seeds in pre bought bags of compost? I have only ever used sieved compost out of my own no dig beds and never had an issue?

[@REDGardens]

Just wanted to try a bunch of different things, and the bags were available. For some people they don’t have decent soil to start with. I also really liked that the bags were a hell of a lot lighter than any of them that had soil.

[@deanwatt]

@@REDGardens Yeah that's fair enough, I thought I may have been missing out on something that could be improving my seedlings. My beds are easily 90% mushroom compost, 5% terrible dirt and 5% compost I made. The mushroom compost is a fantastic medium now it's fully broken down in its 4th year. On a different subject, have you ever tried catching the runoff / liquid that is produced by your compost? I have set up my first bay so I can, will see what it does next season when I add it to plants. Seems like it should have good stuff in it! Who knows, might be free fertility!

[@deanwatt]

@@superresistant0 He was planting seeds in it.

[@REDGardens]

@@deanwatt I use the bagged stuff for convenience, and to avoid the weed seeds in the soil.

[@REDGardens]

@@deanwatt I haven't caught any of the runoff from the compost, but I am starting to dug out the enriched soil underneath for use in other garden, and replacing it with poor quality stuff.