Potatoes in Hay

Somewhere in my Internet perusals I came across a YouTube video of guys who did a potato planting experiment. They tested how many eyes a chunk should have for best harvest and they tested a number of popular growing methods for best results. 

The winners of the experiments were using a whole potato and the Ruth Stout method. Container plantings didn't result in a great yield, but the convenience of being able to move them to our garage and harvest in December was too good to skip, so I plan to plant some that way too.

The whole potato method is self explanatory. I'd never heard of the Ruth Stout method, but after a little research I discovered it's super easy. Also, we have a bunch of spent hay, so we have everything we need!

Start by putting potatoes on the ground, 12" apart. 

I started with a ruler and ended up using my foot as a measurement. 

Some of the seed potatoes had gigantic sprouts already. I chose to leave them attached and arranged them so the sprouts ran along the ground. 

Next, I spaced the onions. 

I also spread out some garlic bulbs I discovered drying out in the fruit room. Oops, forgot about those we harvested last fall... 

No way we're eating them so I might as well see if they grow. I had a few dried out potatoes left from our fall harvest and a few hard carrots, so I planted those as well. 

The last step is to cover them with about 8" of mulch/straw. 

It keeps the weeds down and retains moisture. According to my research, we won't even need to water them. 

Next year we can reuse the bed and simply add more hay over top. Perfect.