If you are trying to remove GMO products from your diet, one of the must go items is potatoes.  These have been GMO for years.  So, as we are working daily to eat better, eat real food and eat local- it was time to grow potatoes.  Now, according to my  great-grandfather Valentine’s Day is not only a day for love but for planting potatoes.  Well, I am a bit late this year, but it just was not possible to get it done in February.

So, week before last the day came.  Jonathan and I got busy and planted potatoes.  This year I am trying potato towers.  Potatoes are one of those plants that will produce roots along every bit of stem that is covered in soil or compost and then grow taller.  So, the idea behind the tower is to get soil and plant going just as high as possible giving you the most produce in the smallest amount of square footage.  Growing vertical is a great way to maximize a small growing area.

To make a potato tower, you will need seed potatoes, wire, straw, and compost.  Dig out a circle about 18-24 inches in diameter & 2 inches deep.  Place the seed potatoes in the hole and cover with soil.  Wrap enough wire in a circle the size of the hole and fold the ends over each other to fasten it together.  We used stakes that keep our weed barrier in place to hold the towers down.

So, here goes nothin’.  We shall see how this goes.  I am really looking forward to good tasting, home grown potatoes!

Digging out the grass and soil to plant potatoes
Digging out the grass and soil to plant potatoes
putting the seed potatoes in the soil
putting the seed potatoes in the soil
Staking down the towers
Staking down the towers
close up of stake
close up of stake
All finished, now we just have to wait!
All finished, now we just have to wait!
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