[BOBtheBUTCHER]

Is it ok to use grass clippings to hill potatoes?

I have tons after mowing the lawn.

 

[grizzlyman]

i would use dirt. if the sun get's to them they turn green and are not edible.

 

[Creek Walker]

i would use dirt. if the sun get's to them they turn green and are not edible.

It would take more potatoes then you could possibly eat at a sitting to have any adverse affect on you.

Yes the green part is poisonous but it really would take a wheel barrow load to affect you.

However that does not apply to individuals who might have a allegoric reaction or more acceptable to the toxin.

Even if they turn green removing the green part makes the rest edible.

 

[MaKettle]

I use grass and leaves on mine as does my mother in law. We have for several years.

 

[BOBtheBUTCHER]

Grass it is then

I already have 4 inches of dirt and peat moss on them but I want another avenue to use up grass.

 

[Swampwood]

How about some potatoe growing basics? I've never tried.

 

[Bigbill]

I believe the misses and my son hill's them three or four times during the growing season. I think the potatoes grow upwards and sideways thats why we have to hill them often. Between the hills you can put the grass clippings to keep the weeds down only if you don't use weed killer. I just don't trust it not getting into the food. I try to not use any killers at all. I was told to keep on reseeding and the grass will choke out the weeds over time. So far its working for me. Bill

 

[BOBtheBUTCHER]

How about some potatoe growing basics? I've never tried.

The soil here is full of clay so i mixed it 50-50 peat moss and soil first, they like lots of water but good drainage.
I dug a ditch about 6 inches deep, planted the potato seeds with the eyes facing up.
Once the plants got to about 2 inches tall I started mounding dirt around the base, loosely.
I built a chicken wire fence around the potatoes to allow me to add more material and they keep growing.

I would a picture but its a headache to do it.

 

[pammygene]

I use chicken wire and only throw alittle dirt on them to start, then straw the rest of the way to mound.

 

[Allamakee County]

Won't fresh grass clippings get too hot for them?

I'm trying sawdust/shavings this year and I have very, very happy potato plants. Now to see if they actually make any tubers.

 

[2togo]

I covered the first 6", they just grew another 8". Are you susposed to keep covering?

 

[MaKettle]

You only NEED to hill when the potatoes start growing near the soil top. The covering doesn't produce more potatoes. It keeps the potatoes that grow healthy and growing.

I continue covering more because I add potatoes halfway through the season. I'm not sure if I'll do that as much this year because I have peas growing with my potatoes and am hesitant to disturb them. But there are 3 layers of potatoes growing on top of each other.