Harvesting Dig vs. No Dig Potatoes - INTERESTING Results! #21

It's been 4 months since we started our dig vs no dig potato experiment. The plants have started to die back which is a sign that they're ready (although we probably could have left them longer). We pull the plants and weigh the spuds and find some very interesting results.
Which planting method gave the biggest yield? Let's find out...
club.makedogrow.com

[@wolfiecoo]

How my grandma has been doing it for 5 decades rn is: Mix in compost into the soil up to a whole shovels deep. Add compost on top and with a rake mix it in and make the soil extra fluffy. Make slightly elevated heaps for the potato plants. And rotate the field on a 4 year basis. 3 fields with potatos and 1 field composted but having cover crops on it.

[@SwimCoach8]

First, a digging fork will make digging potatoes much easier. Second, my guess is your neighbors have been gardening and amending their soils for more than one season. Your soil should not have compacted that much during the growing season. Organic matter/composting will make a world of difference in you dig beds. Your no dig beds are nearly completely supplemented soil. Even the cardboard adds nutrients and loosens the soil. Give your dig areas time. I think you did well for a first season. Build the soil and quit looking over the fence at your neighbors garden hehehehehe. Thanks for the update and I can't wait for the garden tour!

[@leestimis9264]

I have always planted and grown extra knowing I was going to share some with the animals. It always will happen so plan that way i say. I learned this the first year I ever had a garden. Nature will take WHT it wants. Found out that it is better to have the attitude of sharing with them with gowing extra than just enough for me. It works out fine with this plan. I love gardening and growing. So satisfying !!

[@unhuz]

Hi, i'm from Lisbon, but i spent my childhood on the Arganil area, a bit north from you guys, and the potato planting/harvesting was a big anual thing... one difference in planting relative to you was that we always planted the potatoes cutted in half, and closer to one another, so more plants. We also made a bed of compost on the bottom of the trench. We also water them from time to time, but not much. The plots were used yearly for decades for potatos, corn mixed with pumpkins, and cabbages. Maybe your low yield comes from the fact that the ground was abandoned for a long time. I always heard the old ones saying that the ground needs to be used/planted frequently to become more fertile. Anyway, keep up your excelent work... it's a must see for me.

[@stuffifollow]

It's a good comment to follow!

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Interestingly this is not what our neighbours do ... they don’t add anything to the soil, and only use this particular plot for their annual potatoes. They do spray fertiliser however, so maybe that compensates for the soil. They delivered us a sack of their potatoes today, they were similar size to the ones we got, but we couldn’t compare yield

[@unhuz]

@@MAKEDOGROW , and do they use the plot every year? do they rotate crops there or only potatoes? i find fascinating that even on a little country like Portugal, things can be done differently from region to region ;)

[@MAKEDOGROW]

@@unhuz we’ve only been here for two seasons so can’t be definitive in answering .... but both years have been potatoes (with a small number of tall kale plants), nothing else, no rotation and nothing in the off season. We’re firm believers that there’s no one way, or right way, to do anything.... everyone does what suits their needs and context 😀 But always interesting .... every day is an adventure

[@unhuz]

@@MAKEDOGROW Yeap... i agree... there is no ONE way.... what i like to do is try to know two or three different ways and then use them to find my own.

[@wizel10]

I'm farming potatoes in the country next to you. Three key important considerations: 1 - Potatoes grows mostly up and horizontal (they don't go further down), that's why soil needs to be added on top as they continue to grow up ("aporcar" in spanish), 2 - loose soil is needed for potatoes to easily extend and grow, 3 - food (you can add compost or even manure directly in contact with the potatoes). Potatoes type/class/variety have also some influence (from the color, looks like Rudolph that is a good choice). Watering is needed, but not in excess. Better give a good watering and then let dry. I water every 2 weeks, but frequency depends on the area and soil. Did or not dig contributes to soil fertilization, but your main difference (also in your raised bed) is the amount of loose soil on top and sides of your seed potato. For fertilization, most should be add at beginning (mix of compost and manure is ideal). Mid cycle, a potassium rich fertilizer will help to make potatoes larger.

[@permissiontoshine]

This is really interesting. Thankyou. 💖🐨💖🌈

[@moiragoldsmith7052]

It is good to share tips regarding the microclimate. We need to acquiesce to the weather, know the plot and love the soil eh!🥰.

[@steveiboy]

lots of points could be made regarding standing on your no dig beds, soil improved way better in no dig. looked like watering was more consistent. In the dig bed very little soil amendment, soil looked void of organic matter, the compaction in the dig was horrific. When you set them it looked like they was basically set on concrete. Lots of other points, but i think if some of the points i mentioned was addressed, next time your yields would be a lot better. Great content! All the very best to you both

[@QGDeclined]

I did, indeed, find this quite interesting! Can't wait to see the next generation results! -- I also love all the farm-raised viewers chiming in with their expertise! Great watch and read, everyone.

[@itsmewende]

After watching Charles Dowding on here for years, I had no doubt the no dig would be the winner. Plus the ones the critters ate, up the atty for the no dig too. I do love a good garden experiment, thanks for sharing. I'm enjoying your adventure in your new home, it's obviously been hard work, but obviously so worth it. Hope you guys have a nice weekend.

[@marcob1729]

As they noted in the video, there were many more factors than dig vs no dig. I'm not shocked at all that the bed with a recent history of planting and compositing, and given a HEALTHY dose of compost did better than planting into a fallow field with a shallow trough of fertilization. As we all saw at the end, the raised bed did the best, which is about as "dig" as it gets, since it was just put in this year. Planting time and soil compaction seem to have been the biggest factors when all the info is taken into account. Not dig vs no dig

[@suehowie152]

Love Charles and No Dig..

[@itsmewende]

@@suehowie152 ....I call him my garden guru, he's the best.

[@suepumphrey1559]

I love the gardening playlist.I wonder if you ever get a shot of the dog who keeps barking at you both. How patient you are!

[@sereniebellini]

I never thought a video about growing potatoes would be so 13 interesting! lol You guys make the most entertaining videos. Thank you!

[@sherry2836]

Interesting video. Many channels use certain words or phrases in each video more than they realize. One uses "literally", another uses "delicious", another uses "it is what it is", another uses "homestead". another uses "stunning". But I must say your "interesting" counter beat out even the "homestead" user! Love your harvest video and your garden looks amazing. Looking forward to the tour.

[@uteweyer1548]

no-dig all the way for me. It is astounding how well everything grows

[@rachelfrees1268]

You’ve made a believer of me re no dig gardens. I’m 82 and raised many/many gardens and loved every second doing so. We always amended the soil after tilling with manure etc. Weeds were the bane of every garden. A river ran thru our farm in Va., and we used the river silt mixed in with the soil. Watching you two is such fun. 👏👏💕

[@HeatherNaturaly]

I have a no dig garden, too. My potato plants looked fantastic! BUT..when they died back and I dug them, the medium was bone dry from top to clay base and the harvest was about what you got from your no dig bed 11 plants. I have only the rain, for water. I gave these potatoes as much water as I possibly could. My bath water every day plus tank water, but we've had a drought and scorching hot temperatures and it just all evaporated. I have to figure something else out because I replanted for a Fall harvest. Praying for rain...

[@sallyrowland6063]

I know I keep banging on about planting by the moon calendar, but I know there’s times good for planting leaf crops, and others good for root crops. Your lush potato crop may be super leafy, but have few spuds. Also, use some gypsum clay breaker ~ it’s fabulous. Great work ~ very INTERESTING 😂 👋 🇦🇺

[@sashacat53]

If you have the space which you appear to have, maybe you need to rotate your beds and always have one that you are adding mulch etc to build up the nutrients.

[@moniquehuijskens1950]

This was very INTERESTING...kindest regards from the Netherlands!

[@bryansarty3821]

Interesting!!! Great episode!

[@elizabethmusso5946]

The garden looks great! Wow!

[@nicarazzi]

Interesting! As always, an awesome video.

[@leftytrower8892]

Very interesting and can’t wait for the follow up video.

[@andreacrashe9894]

*Love your experiment on growing spuds. well done Kylie & Guy.*

[@elizabethtoet1113]

Thanks for another great video. Very interesting re the yields. glad you are getting some useful feedback

[@freddieivory625]

Enjoyed your vid I and trials!! Thanks for sharing

[@chronicfish]

Another great vlog guys! This is all very *interesting.* 😋❤

[@BrokenBackMountains]

No dig is similar to the ancient lazy bed system of Ireland and Scotland. The secret was to feed the beds every year with seaweed, compost, shells etc. Also, my family in Lithuania, feed the soil for the dig potatoes but they cut the seed potatoes in two with a couple of eyes on each bit.

[@kathryndavis6986]

Thank you for vlogging your journey! I really enjoy seeing it. I would love to be doing the same, but life circumstances will not permit. Wishing you both well from Eastern Oregon, USA.

[@moiragoldsmith7052]

Find out when the locals sow their potatoes...it tends to be Good Friday for NE UK. I dig a trench, put freshly cut grass, seaweed and comfrey in the bottom of the trench, sow my chitted potatoes, then wait for the magic to begin. As soon as they pop some greenery out of the soil, I draw soil up around them. I do this about 3 times when the plants are young (this obliterates the weed seedlings too). I tend to wait until the flowers show and usually get an abundant harvest. A cheeky tip, when the plants are nearing maturity, you can tickle some potatoes out of the surrounding soil whilst leaving the main haulm in😂👍. I do no dig also...but not for potatoes! I never seem to get a good crop this way. (Veg gardener for 42 yrs). I LOVE to see your progress. Every good wish to you both. 💖

[@champagnjethersiahdduvenag6078]

Inspiring. I love your family

[@niascheiber]

Excellent info. Very very INTERESTING 🤓 thank u for the “catch up” clips to get me up to date too.

[@flowersflowers473]

Seeing how well kept and organised your vegetable garden is gives me a lot of joy :) Also love all your experiments :)

[@sgrvtl7183]

I enjoy all your videos. You two make it very interesting and personable😊🌻

[@BuenavistaRuralClub]

Very interesting indeed !

[@jamesgrover2005]

I've been harvesting early potatoes grown in buckets, it's worked very well, we've got very little space here in the Netherlands, so it's possible to stack buckets in a pyramid until they get going and then when they're done I moved the buckets to a useless space for storage.

[@IPC0101]

The garden is looking very productive and lush

[@shandybenoit9732]

We love your videos here in Canada. It's giving us hope and helpful information for our eventual escape from here. We also think there should be a game, everytime "interesting" is said you take a drink 😁. Keep up the inspiring work and videos, thank you both so much!

[@paulagoulart8125]

I no longer can garden,so every Saturday I garden watching your experiments and your patience,you are both so meticulous with everything you do ,amazing.Love the humor ! Blessings to you both.

[@stevestephens8299]

I grew up on The Wirral Penninsular in Cheshire County and the soil was clay on top of sandstone ( 5 feet down). My father was a Horticulturist and fruit grower. His treatment was to dig in unslaked lime and chimney soot and we grew all sorts of vegetables to the envy of out neighbors. Seems to break the soil up nicely in my experience. Keep having fun!

[@peasparsleyandprayers2817]

This was a very INTRESTING video. LOL. I love watching your videos you two are great.

[@lindajoyce1808]

Have enjoyed the garden experiment especially the no-dig.

[@garykoblitz4932]

Many gardener's don't know that there are determinate and indeterminate potatoes. The mounding is done differently for each. Determinate grow horizontally only on one plane. Determinate grow up the stem as more mounding is done. I recommend chitting the eyes to minimize the seed potatoes required. Finally, I grew in grow bags this year, which facilitates harvesting. I understand buckets work, also.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Ohh, that’s interesting 😀 ... we’ll have to look up the varieties we planted to check what type they are. Definitely want to try growing in bags next year ... we have so many compost bags that would be perfect for it

[@gaynor3976]

Hmm interesting! Was great to watch the comparisons in the potatoes and what conclusions you came too. Now you can enjoy eating them and let us know how that goes. Have a good weekend and week ahead xx

[@chrislarsen2684]

Your string growing method is looking lovely - that is how I like to grow tomatoes - no blight and the fruit keeps going upward with new growth!! Looks like your garden is thriving!!

[@dgriffejoen]

Very interesting video.

[@518pablo]

Thank you for a very interesting video 👀

[@fay0005]

Interestingly I’ve been searching how to best grow potatoes too. I’m in Australia and cold climate however I came across an older gentleman KZbinr who was vegetarian and mostly self sufficient, he said “remember if you want leafy greens bump up the nitrogen, if you want tubers ie potatoes (and I’m assuming root crops), amend with blood and bone.” I’m trying that this year as my experiment… I thought you guys may find this interesting too🙂 loving the content!

[@stan525]

i was taught to Double Dig! dig one shovel depth & throw dirt to the right all across area. on last row turn around and dig again starting with the lower area dig second time throw to right . in the end you will have double dug the area. I hope this makes since

[@ForwardEarth]

Interesting video.

[@terrimccullough724]

I can’t wait to dig out potatoes and see what surprises are under the soil. I just planted our second Set that should be ready early fall.

[@dropshot1967]

containers and grow bags also work really well for growing potatoes. They give lots of control over soil quality, humidity and pests

[@donnastafford9799]

Good video, thanks.

[@carolbulmer8253]

Thank you for sharing your tater experiment. It was very interesting😊

[@TexasHomesteaders]

Pretty good harvest!

[@carlagarrett8584]

I got new dirt this year (12 yards), for the garden and raised beds, and that new dirt just made all the difference on everything.

[@chrislarsen2684]

Great to know - No Dig is the way to go!! So much easier, also with less space involved - more sustainable - the way of the future to help with the food shortages!!

[@loubob21]

I see many gardeners also growing potatoes in 5 gallon buckets. Easy to make the soil/compost mix as you like, easy to move plants if needed, and you can store them in the bucket until ready to be eaten. You might find this method a level 16 interesting.

[@nicolepouchet2479]

Interesting video❤️😄

[@EuropeanOnion]

Interesting video 😄

[@bettypearson5570]

I kept having problems with voles eating my root crops until I decided to use grow bags and pots. Potatoes were in the grow bags which I lined up on the edge of the graveled driveway. Underground pests don't burrow as much around gravel. Some of my other root crops I put in pots and put in various locations around the deck and patio and I decided to also put in a raised bed with what is called hardware cloth in the U.S. (1/2 inch wire mesh) at the bottom of the bed before filling the bed. Haven't had a problem since and was very surprised at how well the grow bags did.

[@footplate0]

It is recommended that a piece of virgin soil be double dug and incorporate compost in both layers as this will vastly improve your crop. Interesting experiment and thanks for posting

[@simonlewis6276]

Potatoes need what’s called a double dig .Soil compaction under them effects potato yield more than any other factor .Manure will give you bigger healthier plants and bigger spuds but not necessarily more tubers to begin with .Talk to your neighbours ! Tip 1 ,By the way for trench digging with an enchilada a bit shorter handle to suit your particular physique makes life easier and for a more efficient Rhythmic swing . Tip2 The best way to secure the head on the shaft is to wrap a strip of soft leather around the shaft and bang the iron head over the leather wrap from the thinner hand grip end of the shaft .( First put a saw cut in the business end of the wooden handle .Cut the surplus bit of handle sticking out beyond the iron shaft head and bang in the metal wedges into the wooden handle saw cut .Soak the head end and leather wrap in a bucket of water over night ,that will tighten the whole thing up even further and the damp leather will keep in so .Keep the blade sharp with a quick pass of the angle grinder or course metal file .Knock out any dings caused by rocks .Both tips I learnt from a 70 year old Portuguese farm labourer who spent his whole life digging trenches of all shapes and sizes and depths and purposes with this one tool .Happy digging ! Cheers .

[@suzilouden5964]

Seems you can't have TOO MUCH COMPOST......good organic soil is the secret. I grow all my spuds in buckets, not for lack of space, just for ease of planting, care & harvesting. Bon courage & thanx for the great video...😊

[@MAKEDOGROW]

We were just discussing using buckets/containers this morning .... but we’d need to buy a lot of them to grow the amount we want (I think). We might try cardboard boxes, have seen good results elsewhere

[@suzilouden5964]

@@MAKEDOGROW yes, I've also seen old cardboard boxes used to great effect - defo worth a try. If you packed the boxes close together they would support each other as they start to decompose. Better start collecting. Have a great weekend 😊

[@ChristineKelly1000]

@@MAKEDOGROW try 20L drums.

[@kenstreat6127]

Usually there is a first year bonanza with a freshly dug patch. The soil is full of nutrients and the pests aren't established. My first vegi garden was in an area where we removed the turf. It gave me a very deluded view of how easy gardening was going to be, everything grew spectacularly. Huge carrots! Massive cauliflowers. Abundant potatoes. It's been downhill ever since!

[@trevorwindle8980]

Hi guys the Chinese market gardeners in little bay Sydney grew all in sandy soil and mounded 30 cms once planted they used a ripe smelling manure mix of pig sheep and straw sprinkled over the top and you have never seen veggies so big , potash is a must to me 👍❤️❤️❤️🙏

[@sandradejong]

INTERESTING video! ;-)

[@barkerk100]

Double-digging the whole bed was my father’s favourite effective way of quickly improving the soil. Start with a spade deep trench at one side of the bed, turn over the bottom of the trench to a forks depth (the double dig), turn in some manure and compost in this second depth layer, then cover this trench by digging an adjacent and adjoining trench, alongside. Double dig with a fork, turn in nutrients, then just continue until exhaustion. Very effective for potatoes.

[@moiragoldsmith7052]

Yes, I agree with Dad...this is a great way to work with a new plot. I do like to earth up potatoes too. As soon as the shoots show I put more earth on top, I do this about 3 times. This keeps the weeds at bay and one season of this hard work...set the plot up for many years to come. 💖

[@victorgoncalves2442]

That's exactly how my granddad use to do in Portugal ,and also my dad . Also he used the grass on the bottom of the trench upsidedown (roots facing up) as compost , nothing waisted .

[@maeveskelly4686]

My dad did something similar every year in March (in Ireland). Always had a good potato yield. Also rotated where the potatoes were planted each year to prevent nitrogen depletion which can happen if you plant in the same spot every year (I have heard- I’m no expert).

[@hemlock40]

Very interesting indeed. We experimented (also in central Portugal) with potatoes between a dig bed and raised beds with wildly differing results depending on things like shade in the morning, soil drainage, soil quality, depth of the planting, etc. Rows of potatoes right next to each other had a different result. Our results were acceptable, but the elderly locals nearby using simple cheap low labor methods had much larger potatoes, and many more of them. It's a learning process for sure. I'm not even sure what I learned yet. Baffling.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Ha, that is interesting 😀 There definitely doesn’t seem to be a one way, or right way. Everyone is telling us all kinds of different things we must do .... yet our neighbours do the low labour method you refer to ... till, make some furrows, throw potatoes in and wait. Pretty sure they did one spray of synthetic fertiliser. Yesterday they delivered us a sack of theirs, equally small, even though their plants were much better. So who knows ..... Ultimately we’ll be growing our potatoes over in our olive grove (we think), and might have to do a whole load more controlled experiments. So glad we have years to work out how to do all this gardening/farming stuff 😂

[@fionagrows1848]

Very interesting! (Sorry...couldn’t resist😉😂)

[@Pete-nl8ok]

How interesting. Ha! I actually do enjoy the comparison in growing techniques though, very interesting!

[@MissouriCrookedBarnHomestead]

New subscriber here. I'm in the US, but I'm enjoying what you're doing in Portugal and have entertained the notion of moving somewhere overseas in some years time. My partner and I have considered it for some time, especially after what is going on with the political situation here. Portugal has been on the table of consideration. My partner is also a Programmer/Coder from way back since the late 60's. We are located in Cheyenne Wyoming and urban garden, but let me tell you, it's difficult with the city regulations and being surrounded by city folks and their ideas. Your garden and land looks beautiful.

[@keithaspin5160]

I love you guys !!!!! I loved your potato experiments....it was ALL very 'I N T E R E S T I N G'!!!!!!! LOL Best wishes from lil ole freezin england!!!

[@bioyac]

Interesting video ;-)

[@asgeirandersen]

Very interesting

[@martinjames3950]

I always dig my potatoes patch over then plant under black plastic always pleased with the results

[@Jan-Boer]

Thanks for the video, for a bit of normal yield with soil preparation you have to go to at least 5 kg per square meter. Good luck.

[@-_James_-]

Well, that was interesting.

[@leestimis9264]

I also wanted to add to your Last video about oyster shells that you are unable to get your hands on. Diatomaceous earth is easily available. It is already ground up And very helpful eaten and also put some on the ground so they can roll into their feathers. Takes care of pests inside and out for the chickens. Get the kind that is not mixed with other chemicals. You can even use it as an amendment to soil for pest control there also.

[@lorimontcalm9086]

I'd be interested to see how you will be storing the potatoes you've dug during the heat of the Portugal summer. Also in the results from the raised bed. Don't give up experimenting!!

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Last year, and this year, we put the sacks of spuds in the coolest room on the ground floor of the house. There’s probably a little too much light coming in, but it’s the best we can do at the moment

[@LCamp-cr7fs]

@@MAKEDOGROW I also remember from my childhood that the potatoes needed to be dry to store well.

[@minastirith997]

@@MAKEDOGROW grandpa used to bury potato harvest in boxes with sand in our basement. that way they stored for months

[@sheilakerr-jones4345]

Interesting! 🥺🥔🥔

[@catface101]

You could standardise it by using the bucket method and filling one with the soil from the scrub land and the other with compost soil to see the direct difference

[@SweetisMel]

Indeed INTERESTING! 😜 My dig potatoes didn’t do well at all. Most are very small, but not surprising since my digging was done by hand and not very deep. Hoping to up my game next season.

[@joanklaczek4009]

Something to note. When you have dug the row, it helps to let the spuds lie in the sun for the afternoon to “harden the skins”. Also note, that new potato skin is fragile, so if you throw it into the bins, you’ll bruise it and promote rot.

[@ritajohnson5594]

Always told to wait after flowering to dig potatoes I add straw and also look at other varieties such as an indeterminate you can plant succession right now i have 5 that are 2 weeks apart as well as grow later in fall in the Washington area

[@LCamp-cr7fs]

i love your intellectual curiosity! It makes everything interesting. Your dig bed will yield better every year, but I wonder whether it is worth it. We grew determinate potatoes and thus mounded the spud rows with loose soil. My father also used the double dig method, but the soil had to be dry enough to do it.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

We agree, though the no dig might have better yield the inputs to those beds would be better served growing veg we can’t easily buy. Eventually we’ll create our dig areas in the olive grove where we can also do cover crops and this feed the soil more efficiently and effectively

[@TheImanuelita]

Interesting indeed ;)

[@McFraneth]

This winter mulch heavily with horse manure. The winter rains will wash in the nutrients. Then ready for spring sowing. I am soooo jealous!

[@jamesmackay4652]

Nice lookin spuds.

[@iaintaylor5585]

Yup... interesting.

[@bearders22]

Dug up our early crop of charlottes this week. These were from last years harvest where we saved some to chitt. Wonderful waxy flavour. The experienced gardener next door thinks I'm mad as I always "mound" at the same time as I plant. Just seems a lot of pfaff to do it after they start to break the surface. Just shows as you have proved, there is no wrong or right way - just do what works for you. The extra challenge we have is that our beds are on a slope. The rhubarb at the bottom are triffid like whilst the potatoes do require constant watering. Isn't nature just fab?

[@permissiontoshine]

Nature is certainly a wonderous, interesting beast. The opportunities to learn and grow (whether that be via plants or just personally) is endless.

[@samstevens7888]

Charlottes are one I grow every year at my allotment. The flavour is amazing. Plus if you store them in the right way they keep for a good few months.

[@LookUpTheKalergiPlanWhitePeeps]

I'm absolutely enamored with this channel. I *love* seeing your progress, I'm all over the place as to where I am in watching your content but have watched quite a bit, even subscribed on the first video. (Hello from Eastern North Carolina in the U.S. by the way!) Side note, I used to work in tobacco as a child, ages 9-12 (at first it was to save up for a train set) then I found I enjoyed driving a farm tractor pulling double trailers behind it, the money it put in my wallet coming from an impoverished childhood helped too, so your tobacco videos brought some nostalgia if you will. The tobacco I worked in had huge wide leaves, so yours was a little different and all this time I never new the benefits that you guys showed tobacco has. I don't like commenting on newer vids because it seems those comments get lost in one another, so I figured I'd compile my thoughts and leave them here. I have high functioning autism so I'm weird like that lol. I wish you guys all the best of luck and thank you much for sharing your lives and experiences for me to find. You are two extremely intelligent very remarkable most beautiful people. Every video warms my heart. Please don't ever stop!

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Glad you’re enjoying our journey 😀 Something else we learnt about tobacco … it totally grows through the winter! I sowed some seeds in October as an experiment, and they took, crazy! We’ve had a couple of frosts in the last week and the plants (in pots, but outside) are still going strong. Hardy plants!!

[@brawler8811]

so intresting

[@cheskydivision]

The no dig was all compost and very soft ground. Possibly mound more soil on the plants as they grow and more compost.

[@antoniomaximino1410]

The preparation of the soil is the secret ! You must spread the organic material through the soil and than you must mixed. The soil must be loose under the potatoes. And before you put the potatoes on the soil, just put another batch of organic matter on the bottom.

[@stuffifollow]

A plow before the milling would be an excellent way of getting better soil.

[@jackpatteeuw9244]

I agree 100% ! Try making an "inverted" raised bed. • At the end of the growing season, dig a trench about the width of the tiller about 1m deep, removing all of the soil. Fill with wood chip and let rest. • A couple of weeks before planting, fill the trench with more wood chips so that it is no more than 30cm below grade. • To plant mix the removed soil about 50/50 with manure and fill to within 15cm. Plant the seed potatoes, and cover with more 50/50 mix. • Hill with the 50/50 mix. • You h Will have to keep adding wood chips at the end of each season as the old ones decay.

[@Pipscape]

Compost, compost, compost. Organic material will enrich nutrient poor compacted soil, but you do need to mix it in with dig spaces. And you do have to break up compacted soils for dig style growing. No dig has had extra nutrients added for a long time and the watering is more consistent there, too. That richness makes a huge difference! Organic matter and adequate moisture is key.

[@FromThePrairies]

I use potato’s as the first thing to grow in a new garden as the very action of planting and harvesting helps to develop the soil. Yield is also not prolific but it’s a great first crop for a virgin garden.

[@kg1478]

Lazy dog farm on KZbin did a video on a scientific paper that if you pull the flowers from the potato plant it will increased our yield.

[@lindakurtz2653]

In the dug area, raking back the loose topsoil and broadforking the lower level of dirt to break the compaction should help all the soil life proliferate.

[@HelenRullesteg]

That was exactly my thought, using a broadfork might be very useful in this context. I'm not a fan of rototillers, the do loosen the top soil but everything just stays compacted underneath.

[@bobyonker3100]

Thanks for sharing all of your interesting experiments. Are there any potato recipes to come?

[@deborahh3912]

Very interesting 😄. Love how you are experimenting, even with the humble spud. Have you thought about cover crops to fertilise and loosen soil structure by any chance you know that thing the permaculture crowd do?

[@anthonymatthews3698]

Interesting.