Planting spuds (no-dig method)...

 Today was spud planting day!  First thing this morning, I helped the guys work the steers.  We weighed them and vaccinated them against pink eye, a disease that often comes up during a dry, hot summer.  That was a job well done.  My goal for the day was to get my 28 pounds of spuds planted in the afternoon and oh joy, it happened, mainly because of Honey Bun and his tractor.  The nice thing about ranching is that we have some heavy duty tools that most backyard gardeners don't have, plus I have a willing man to help me!  I help him;  he helps me!

 

This is my first time planting spuds in the "no dig method."  I've only ever planted potatoes the old fashioned way -- digging deep in the soil, then at harvest, digging them up with a spade and cutting through many a potato.  The first picture shows my spot.  It's a patch of old grass right next to my veggie garden/raised beds.  This terrible soil.  First we spread a few inches of rotted manure right over the grass and did no tilling.  I put newspaper over part of the manure, but  I ran out of newspaper so we just finished the rest without it.

 Next, we laid the potatoes in, eyes down, on the soil.  We planted five rows in a spot 26' x 15'.  This year I planted Yukon Gold (our fav) and Kennebec Red potatoes.  I bought the seed potatoes at the feed store and they were so nice that I'm hopeful that their babies will grow up to be every bit as good as their parent potatoes.  (Now I'm having a vision of Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head and their children.) 

 

Lastly, we covered the entire bed with about 1 foot of straw and then watered it down really well.  I started watering  by hand with the garden hose, but decided to set the sprinkler and let it soak for a good hour or more.  We had a nice shower of rain after that which was perfect timing.

Source

This is what I hope my potato plants look like in a few weeks when they start pushing through the straw.  It all depends on how warm the temps are and how much rain we get. I have a hydrant right next to this potato patch so I'll be able to keep it watered if needed.  Some no-dig potatoes hardly need any water due to the deep mulch.  Next up -- planting the onion sets.  The rest of the veggie beds will have to wait until we are past our last frost date which is some time in mid to late May. Have you ever planted spuds in a deep bed of straw mulch?  Any tips or encouragement?

If you are interested in planting a No-Dig Potato Patch, check out these resources.

No Dig Potatoes Video

Growing Potatoes by the No Dig Method

Bare Bones Gardening No Dig Potatoes