We built a couple of Ruth Stout gardens in the fall by simply laying some old spoiled hay over the grass. Today we peeled back some of the hay to find healthy worms and a layer of top soil – the perfect conditions for planting POTATOES!
VIDEO: Planting Potatoes in a Ruth Stout Permaculture Garden (QUICK and EASY)
We built a couple of Ruth Stout gardens in the fall by simply laying some old spoiled hay over the grass. Today we peeled back some of the hay to find healthy worms and a layer of top soil – the perfect conditions for planting POTATOES!
Hi guys, when do you plant your potatoes? Is it advisable to wait until after the last frost or can you plant them sooner? What was your experience?
I grow russet burbank & pontiac red, too! I have fantastic results and high yields in my area with these varieties. Also, Kennebec & french fingerlings….
Hi, another great vid. So this is what we did (and I hope it works). We had some empty soil covered with nonwoven fabric. I removed this and added some spoilt hay left outside in the meadow over the winter. I made two rows up to about 8" high as you recommend. My question is – this hay was not left on the soil from the autumn, so do you think we can still plant potatoes like you have done this spring?
So, no need for watering?
Does this method work for tropical countries with only 2 seasons (summer and monsoon season)? I live in Southeast Asia.
I followed Ruth Stout’s idea of throwing potatoes on cut lawn and covering with a big load of hay and we had a spectacular crop of potatoes. Now we have permanent potatoes… they grow like weeds. And that seems to me what happens originally in nature.
I followed Ruth Stout’s idea of throwing potatoes on cut lawn and covering with a big load of hay and we had a spectacular crop of potatoes. Now we have permanent potatoes… they grow like weeds. And that seems to me what happens originally in nature.
Can't wait for an update – planting year 2, year 3, etc.. 🙂
1:10 "…don't dream it's over…"
Please make more gardening videos! Love the Ruth Stout method. How do you plant tomatoes and cucs, etc. In deep mulch? I think you just plant them into the dirt under the hay, then put hay around plant. I've used these methods for 46 years but needed deeper mulch. Love your videos. Are you going to build a hoop house, etc? Share more. Like your gardening methods best! And your well documented processes. Thanks.
Will this work in hotter temperature areas like Oklahoma
Does it have to be rotten hay?
I just found your videos Yesterday and I am in thralled. Thank you for making these videos I appreciate it tremendously.
Where do you get your seed potatoes?
Thanks for this video. It inspired me to give it a try. Being slightly out of work because of COVID-19 and hearing in the news about food shortages, I wasn't taken a chance. I used the unused stone screened horse arena and made (3) 25ft. rows in March. The rows were layered in this order: Aged horse manure, top soil and screened compost, then topped with old hay. Today is June 12th and I have had to cover the potato greens twice after planting in early April. I also planted onion sets and butternut squash/zucchini by seed. It seems to be working just fine. I'll be adding more rows next year for sure.
OMGosh…you two are just ADORABLE together!! 🙂 Love your videos! Thanks so much for sharing!! 🙂 Your friend in Pennsylvania, Gina Louise xo
Can I use Timothy hay
Why hay and not straw. …just wondering
I may have asked this before, but you really don't need to water….at all? I'm in zone 7 Philadelphia, and we routinely get 90-95+ heatwaves in the summer….your thoughts? Love your channel 😉
Could they show how to get the seed potatoes?
Do you have a link for the potatoes you purchased?
Hay, or straw? Looks like straw to me.
Every time I watch this video, it makes me smile they way she says “potatoes”. Love it!
You guys inspired us to use this method this spring. you're videos are
entertaining and informative. hard to pull off. great job
How does the hay not blow away in the wind?
This's wonderfull, thank you..
Wow that girl fine af ..do a video with just her working the garden
Can I use straw instead of hay?
Can I use straw instead of hay?
I think Ruth's method was the precursor to the cardboard mulch method so many of us use today. In her day old hay would have been much easier to get than cardboard ( when was cardboard like we know it invented anyway). You use what you have. The woman was a genius intuitive gardener.