new potatoes for Xmas

[diver]

Some weeks ago I put some special seed spuds in (given to me by a friend on the plots) and when they came through I earthed them up and then covered them with fleece...so far so good ...and then came the frost and the frozen ground...and despite the fleece the whole lot have perished. I dug them up yesterday to see if there were any little 'uns...but the whole lot had rotted. Has anyone got any new spuds for christmas growing, and if so can they give me some hints as I am determined to get it right next year...do I need to put them in a cold green house or what?

[ina]

That's what I heard - or read - somewhere: plant tatties in pots and put them in a polytunnel or greenhouse for Christmas. I tried that, too late as usual - but maybe I should check how they are getting on out there! I expect I'll have some very early ones next year instead.

Ina

[Wombat]

Either that or try the thing with the tyres - their black and will absorb heat from the sun!

Nev

[nick]

dust with a little wood ash before planting - will help to stop them rotting in the ground. Good luck.

[diver]

well I didn't know that about wood ash...I will certainly do that next year...and then plant them either in tyres or in the cold green house, thanks

[ina]

Either that or try the thing with the tyres - their black and will absorb heat from the sun!

Nev

Nev, are you sure that the plants don't absorb something or other from the tyres? I always have the feeling that something "rubs off" - why else would you be left with black hands after handling them. I have no proof for that, it's only a suspicion, so I'd be glad if you could put my mind at rest here!

Ina

[Shirley]

Ina....

I must agree with you there - sounds like a great idea, but I'm not convinced. Perhaps someone can tell us.

[Boots]

I grow all my spuds in tyre barrels and the bulk of my other vegies are grown in big tractor tyres, because my soil is nothing short of shaley clay and I have spent a few years working with it, but it is still really only fit for natives and citrus.

The main benefit I find in building up spud barrels, is that it is very easy when it comes time to dig them up, because I just dismantle them and all the mulch and soil inside begins a lovely new bed for a different crop.

Heat at present is a problem, and I have no vegies out in the tractor tyres at the mo, but during our cooler times I find they work well, in that they hold the heat and retain moisture. I will plant them out again in Feb/March. The big benefit is probably that I very rarely have to water them.

I have had other people mention toxicity...and I did search it and all I could find was how horrendous they are when burned in landfill sites and how they simply do not ever break down. I came to consider tyres to be one of our worst products in terms of their potential to recycle and contribution to global warming via landfill, so I consciously began using them for a lot of things. I would hate to guess how many I have here to be honest I'll be in strife if someone does suddenly determine they are a health hazard!

Some time ago I heard they were being used to stop erosion or washout on our Aussie coastlines and I did wonder what effect saltwater would have on them...or more to the point what off gases might develop or what effect they may have on the ocean. But other than holding a bit too much heat here, I haven't noticed any problems with using them as beds or edging.

I'm not familiar with the whole storing thing... so I have no idea if any of that was helpful But yeah... I grow in them.

[Muddypause]

I think time will tell about nasty stuff getting out of the tyres into the veg. But I guess tyres are made so that they don't decay and break down, which presumably means stuff won't just leach out of them.

I think the real problem, here in the UK at least, is what do you do when you don't want to use them any more and want to get rid of them. Our local authority here won't let you dump them at the Civic Amenity Site (corporation tip) anymore because of the land fill problem.

I don't know what happens to old tyres now - presumably a specialist disposal company has to deal with them. They can be recycled into new road surfaces and roof slates, but somehow I thing supply will outstrip demand for a considerable time yet.

[Andy Hamilton]

I am going to line my tyres before I use them, aparently that is the best way. I was speaking to someone in the pub about it and that is what they do. Now it was a good night and as such I can't remember what they said they lined them with.