Planting Potatoes in Straw or Hay

Today I will see everyone at the Ardrossan Community Patch to talk about growing potatoes in straw.  I have been doing it for years on the farm since we have a lot of variability.  We have found our yields are as good as when planting straight into soil.  Some say you need to prepare the soil (which will likely lead to better results) but I've also planted on very hard ground or cardboard where I want to kill some grass.  Regular watering and fertilizing will always yield better, but I've honestly done this in areas where we don't have easy access to water (like in our pasture) and it is amazing how this application works.

What I would avoid as he has done in this video is adding the compost.  He does say well composted but animal manure can lead to potato scab which we've experience.  In some ways the straw method is one that helps us to avoid potato scab because its a cleaner method. 

It also stands to mention that straw is great for the garden for the organic matter it adds to the soil.  However, you will need to pay attention to fertility since when the straw breaks down, the carbon will tie up much of nitrogen.   Finally, in our climate if you are doing this method in early spring, be prepared that it might delay the sprouting somewhat since it will keep the soil cooler.  To help get things going, you can put some black plastic or a tarp over the straw or hay to help increase the temperature.  Just be careful that if you have a few warm days you don't accidentally "cook" your potatoes.  You can lay the tarp for a week or two before you plant.