Potatoes in tyre - black leaves

[orangey]

I'm growing potatoes in tyres. A week or two ago I added the second tyre and filled it with straw, which was followed by a week of rain. They've just started poking their heads through the top of the straw now, but the leaves have gone black. Hoping for an explanation other than blight, could it be that the top growth isn't expected to spend a couple of weeks surrounded by damp straw, and it's just gone a bit mouldy and will recover now they're out of the damp again?

I think when I add straw next I'll do it a little bit at a time, rather than a layer as thick as the tyre.

Thanks,

[Annpan]

Sounds to me like it could be either, just wait and see what happens.... sometimes that's all you can do.

[orangey]

I grow loads of veg in black tyres but have never tried potatoes, what a good idea. However, I've never heard of adding straw - I thought it was usual to cover the emerging leaves with more soil ? Could it be frost damage, that turns leaves black.

It hasn't been frosty here since they came up, fortunately.

With straw the potatoes are clean when you come to harvest them. And, it's easier for me to acquire that volume of straw than that volume of earth.

It's the first year I've tried it, though, so we'll have to see.

[MuddyWitch]

Orangey...where are you? It's a lot easier for us to help you if we know what climate we're dealing with.

MW

[JulieSherris]

Yep, I was going to ask the 'location' question as well.....

And I really wouldn't be quite so sure about those frosts you know... we had a light frost on Monday morning - and the only way I knew was because the dogs woke me up at 6am to go out... & I didn't see any frost... made a coffee, walked up the garden to say g'morning to the superstud bunny & there was a light frost on his roof!

Also, like you say, having the spuds sitting in damp straw might have an effect - damp straw will go mouldy anyway - whereas damp soil doesn't... keep an eye on it, but if you can invest in some half decent topsoil (maybe try freecycle?) to fill those tyres, maybe that would be the best way to go.

My spuds went in just after St Pats day & are a few days off having the 2nd tyre popped on - but looking good so far!

[Green Aura]

I've only just planted mine!

Mind they get plenty of daylight to catch up - soon it'll be 20 hours a day

[orangey]

Good point. Profile updated with location.

I'm always up and on the way to work around 6am, keeping a close eye on the frost.

I hope the straw won't go mouldy.

[chadspad]

As we have a big lawn, I use the grass cuttings on m spuds - that always works well

[orangey]

As we have a big lawn, I use the grass cuttings on m spuds - that always works well

Given how hot grass clippings get in the compost bin I'm surprised you're not growing baked potatoes ;)

[orangey]

Update.

Terrible plan. The bottom tyre, the one in the earth had potatoes, but none in the straw. Other people have had the method work, so I must have done something wrong, but I won't be using straw again in a hurry.

[MuddyWitch]

Thanks for the update. Its just as good to share the less successful of our methods to steer others in a more possitive direction.

The beauty of being a gardener is that we always believe next year will be better!

MW