Despite several years of success with our Ruth Stout style potato beds (growing potatoes directly under hay mulch), during the past two years, we’ve been invaded by hungry voles. So this year, we decided to try a simple method of deterring them them, with companion planting.
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Exvellent content. Thank you. I use the Ruth Stout method and would like to avoid voles.
My mother always planted onions within other crops. No animals
Still watching but I have a rodent problem so thank you!
Great video
Word to the wise: always request hay/straw that has no pesticides and herbacides. No grazon or roundup. My entire garden died because I 'assumed' it was free of chemicals. Wahhh
Excellent experiment! Thanks for sharing this experiment with us!
i am really enjoying walking onions for the purpose of pest reduction, very potent and easy to manage.
thx
I have two small potato beds. About the size of a queen size bed each. And a few times during the summer and when I plant them I will sprinkle the hay and the ground with a mix of cinnamon and ginger powder. So far it's worked good to keep rodents at Bay. I tried to sprinkle them usually directly before a rain so it'll wash the cinnamon down into the hay deep
The voles here are specifically eating my onions, I never would've dreamed they would go for onions of all things.
I'm not planning to plan potatoes, but I still love your videos
they are so relaxing 😀
I love your respect for scientific principles when sharing your results…an honorable and rare quality these days.
You back !!!! What happens to you ?
Question. If you boxed in an area with wood bured in the ground to stop Quackgrass. Maybe 4 inch underground and 2 above ground, like a mod raised bed.
Dig your ways. All gardens are an experiment station. You are right about the allium hatred. Voles hate them. Also hot peppers.
I'm looking foward for the next years! Even if we do not grow potatoes. haha!
Quick search, and there is no confusion – onions are rodent control.
Please pray for us here in Texas. The drought is worse than I can remember. All of our crops are dead, can't plant for fall, water restrictions, dying fruit trees, ants eating what crops were left, etc… 2 months worth of triple digit temps including the humidity.
Back when I kept my gardens, I was plagued with another rodent specie, (rabbits.) I got a tip from an experienced gardener that told me to plant Marigolds around the entire perimeter of the garden. I never again had any problems, plus the garden was always ringed in rather attractive flowers of various colors. (just don't get you nose too close to smell the flowers, they stink to high heaven, which was the deterrent to the pests. . . .!!!!)
I've had intensive vole problems. I'm moving g my walking onions this fall. And I know where the garlic is going to go.
Great video. Potatoes are so fun to grow. Look forward to seeing how this works in the years to come. I’ve got a vole who’s been attacking my rhubarb patch.
What a beautiful Monet-like backdrop. Love your vids.
I've been watching your videos and I'm going to use the Ruth Stout method. Question: When you plant potatoes do you need to rotate the crop so that you don't plant them in the same area for 2 years?