[AT] potato planting

[Ron Cook]

Ralph,
     Raining here with some sleet and supposed to snow tonight. Western 
Iowa.  Sioux City area.  My potatoes won't get planted until May, 
either, the way it looks.
     I have always used your method of planting and hilling.  Until this 
weather went goofy, I had intended to enlarge the potato patch and was 
interested in mechanizing somewhat.  However, my new area has not been 
plowed and it will be too wet to plow now.  Sod.  It is looking like I 
will be going back to my old area that is worked already and will be 
using the shovel and foot method again.  I may come up with something to 
hill with, but it will more than likely end up being the hoe again.
Ron Cook
Salix, IA
On 4/17/2013 9:36 AM, Ralph Goff wrote:
> On 4/16/2013 4:37 AM, charlie hill wrote:
>> We always planted potatoes on top of the row with the
>> top of it knocked down but we planted them on 48" rows (middle to middle)
>> so that gave us plenty of ability to bed them up plus we were working in
>> sandy loam that was good and loose.
>>
>> Charlie
>>
>>
> I wonder if I am the only one using the old "shovel method" of planting
> potatos? I set up a line of baler twine and two sticks as a guide. Walk
> along with a bucket of seed and shovel. Stick shovel in ground and open
> the soil just enough to drop in the seed. Remove shovel, pack with size
> 13 boot and move one step further and repeat.
> I admit it is a little labour intensive but I don't plant the whole
> patch in one day. I like the staggered planting method. Usually try to
> get a row in by the first of May although it won't happen this year.
> Then plant another row or two a week later . Sometimes finishing up the
> end of May.  Very often the later seeded ones turn out better but at
> least I have a few early ones to eat in August. Plus, if the early
> plants get frozen by a late frost I still have time to replant.
> Planting is no big deal but I find hilling by hand is a workout. By day
> its the heat. In the cool of the evening its the mosquitos.
> Oh well, right now that all looks pretty good compared to looking out
> the window at our snowbanks that refuse to melt.
>
> Ralph in Sask.
>
>