>Would you mind explaining:
>1. Are those plastic cups?
>2. Advantage of using the cups vs just planting in ground.
>3. At what point you chose to plant the growing plants and at what depth and how you managed it after. Did you hill them?
1.Those are plastic cups with 4 drainage holes around the periphery close to bottom made with a hot soldering iron. I use these pots for all my growing in the greenhouse.
2. The cup pots give a good start prior to ground planting. The ground temperature is monitored and when around 18C and higher the potatoes will grow and are planted about 4 inches deep. Ground temperature is remarkably consistent from around 20C and never higher than 22C about four inches depth. I always use a layer of wood chip mulch.
3. When vegetation is about 4 to 6 inches high I hill carefully, only once to cover any new tubers pushed up, and lay some compost in the valley made. Then I lay the wood chip mulch on. My space is such that about ten yards does the whole garden. I can pick up half a yard from a supplier in my van, but for convenience once a year I get ten yards delivered at $10.00 per yard, composted about a year..
4. I mark the seed potato with a four foot plastic rod, for ease of digging and to facilitate where to water. Each plant is allowed a foot diameter centered on the seed potato for growing. Water if necessary by running the magic wand down the rod just below the surface thus getting water just to the root. I prefer rain barrel water if there is enough, then it is simply dispensed by pail.This only takes a few minutes for each plant.
I only have around 60 plants, so taking care is not onerous. I expect a minimum of four pounds per plant and as high as eight of quality potatoes, usually of a large size. The bigger the better. For storage the vegetation is allowed to die off before harvesting. I brush dirt but don't wash for storage. I plan a separate row for current use during the growing season.
Note. A potato will grow anywhere, but quality potatoes take a little care.
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