Ruqayyah Snyder
Growing potatoes in tyres is a great option when space is an issue. It is inexpensive, fun for the family, and a good way to help the environment by recycling old tyres. Potatoes are easy to grow and taste great when harvested from your own backyard. They require full sun (at least 6-8 hours a day) and plenty of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, to produce a large number of big potatoes. While potatoes grow well in tyres, it is important to note that some studies have indicated the presence of heavy metals, including lead, that may leech out of car tyres and be absorbed by the growing plant. However, there are methods to mitigate this risk, such as lining the inside of the tyre with plastic sheeting.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Why grow potatoes in tyres? | It is a good option when space is an issue. |
| How many tyres? | At least two. |
| What to put in the tyres? | Straw, seed potatoes, soil, compost, fertiliser, sheep manure, hay, potting mix. |
| How to stack the tyres? | Stack two or three tyres and fill them with damp earth and compost to just over half the depth of the stacked tyres. |
| How many seed potatoes? | 4 or 5 seed potatoes, about 2 inches deep, with the eyes or shoots facing up. |
| How much soil? | Cover the seed potatoes with a couple of inches of soil. |
| When to water? | Water lightly. |
| When to harvest? | Shoots from the potatoes will appear through the top surface and when they are about 30cm tall, the top layer of straw can be removed and the potatoes harvested. |
| How to harvest? | Kick the tyres aside and pick up your crop. |
| What to do with the tyres after harvesting? | The tyres can be stored until next time and the rich soil can be used as mulch on the garden. |
| What are the downsides of growing potatoes in tyres? | Some studies have indicated that there are heavy metals, including lead, that leech out of car tyres. |
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What You'll Learn
Preparing tyres: Clean, stack, and fill with soil, straw, or hay
Preparing tyres for growing potatoes involves several steps. First, source at least two old tyres. You can try asking your local garage if you don't have any available. It is important to clean the tyres before use. Give them a good hosing-out, and beware of potential spiders hiding in the rims. Choose a sunny spot in your yard, garden, patio, or balcony, and place one tyre flat on the ground. It is recommended to have good drainage below the tyres to prevent waterlogging; a bed of rocks or plastic sheeting lining the inside of the tyre can help with this.
Next, fill the first tyre with a layer of soil, straw, or hay. Place 4-6 seed potatoes on this layer, ensuring the eyes or shoots are facing up. Then, cover the seed potatoes with another layer of soil, straw, or hay. At this point, you can add the second tyre and continue layering with soil, straw, or hay as the potato grows. You can stack two or three tyres initially and fill them with damp earth and compost to just over half the depth. As the plants grow, add another tyre to the stack and more soil to support the young plants.
When the plants are established, you can stop watering to allow the plant to die back before harvesting. The tyres can be stored and reused, and the soil can be used as mulch.
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Potato seed types: Certified, virus-free, or sprouted
When it comes to growing potatoes in Australia, it's important to consider the type of seed potatoes you'll be using. While it may be tempting to save money and use potatoes from your previous harvest or purchase seeds from an uncertified source, it's best to invest in certified, virus-free seed potatoes to ensure the health of your crop and prevent the spread of diseases.
Certified Seed Potatoes
Certified seed potatoes are professionally grown and guaranteed to be disease-free. They are often referred to as "seed potatoes" because they are specifically grown for planting and have been inspected and approved by agricultural authorities. These seeds are typically available from reputable growers or garden supply stores. While they may be more expensive than other options, they offer higher yields and reduce the risk of your crop being affected by viruses such as potato leafroll or potato virus Y.
Virus-Free Seed Potatoes
Virus-free seed potatoes are essential to preventing the spread of viral diseases that commonly affect potatoes, such as potato leafroll virus and potato virus Y. These viruses can be transmitted by aphids and infected potato tubers, and they can severely impact the health and yield of your potato crop. By starting with virus-free seed potatoes, you can break the disease cycle and protect your plants.
Sprouted Seed Potatoes
Sprouted seed potatoes are simply seed potatoes that have been pre-sprouted or "chitted." This process involves inducing the potatoes to begin growing before they are planted in the soil. To do this, you can place your seed potatoes with apples, bananas, or onions in a paper bag. The ethylene gas released will trigger sprouting. Alternatively, you can spread out your seed potatoes in a shallow box or egg carton with the seed end pointing up and keep them in a warm, bright spot until sturdy green shoots appear. While pre-sprouting is not necessary, it can give you an earlier start to the growing season and higher yields.
When growing potatoes in tyres, as described in the "My Productive Backyard" article, it is recommended to use sprouted potatoes. However, it is important to note that this method has fallen out of favour due to concerns about heavy metals, including lead, leeching out of car tyres and potentially contaminating the potatoes. Alternative methods suggested include the pile method, large pot method, and circle of wire netting method, all of which still utilise sprouted potatoes.
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Planting: Place seeds, cover, and water
When planting potatoes, it is important to ensure you are using certified seed potatoes to protect your garden from diseases. You can purchase these from garden centres and produce stores. If you are using sprouted potatoes, place them about 2 inches deep with their eyes or shoots facing up. Cover them with a couple of inches of soil or compost. If you are using straw, ensure you have a layer of soil on top of the straw before adding more straw. Water your potatoes well.
If you are planting in tyres, stack two or three tyres on top of each other and fill them with damp earth and compost to just over half the depth of the stacked tyres. Place your seed potatoes and cover with soil. As the plants grow, add another tyre to the stack and add more soil around the young plants to support them. Potatoes grow best in full sun, so choose a sunny spot for your tyres.
If you are planting in a garden bed, spread a thick layer of newspaper over the ground to prevent weeds from shooting through. Water the newspaper as it is laid down to stop it from blowing away. Place your seed potatoes about 30 cm apart and cover them with peastraw, grass clippings, compost, and sheep manure. Water lightly.
As your potato plants grow, continue to mound more straw, compost, or soil over them. This will prevent the potatoes from turning green and becoming inedible. It is important to monitor the water carefully as too much water can cause diseases. Potatoes need plenty of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, to produce a lush crop. You can liquid fertilise with high nitrogen for about six weeks, followed by a high potassium fertiliser for a couple of weeks.
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Maintenance: Add tyres, soil, and fertiliser as plants grow
Growing potatoes in tyres is a great option when space is an issue. It is inexpensive, fun for the family, and helps the environment. To maintain your potato patch, you will need to add tyres, soil, and fertiliser as your plants grow.
Start by placing one tyre on open ground and adding a layer of straw, hay, or potting mix. Then, place your seed potatoes on top and cover them with another layer of your chosen material. As the potato plants grow, add another tyre and more layers of potting mix or straw/hay. Continue this process until you have 4 or 5 tyres stacked. It is important to ensure good drainage below the tyres to prevent waterlogging. Consider placing a bed of rocks under the tyres for this purpose.
When the plants grow to about 2 to 4 inches, add more soil around the young plants to support them. You can also add organic matter such as sheep manure or compost, and a slow-release fertiliser. Liquid fertilising with high nitrogen for about six weeks will encourage leaf growth. Then, switch to a high-potassium fertiliser for a couple of weeks to promote tuber production.
To prevent the compost from drying out, make sure to keep the plants well-watered. However, be careful not to overwater, as too much water can cause diseases. Potatoes prefer full sun and need plenty of nutrients, especially nitrogen, to produce a good crop. With proper maintenance, you will be able to harvest healthy potato plants after about 6 weeks and a full crop after 16-20 weeks.
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Harvesting: Dig into the side of the mound or kick tyres aside
When it comes time to harvest your potatoes, you have a couple of options. One method is to wait until the plant has flowered and started to die down—this usually takes around 16 to 20 weeks from planting. At this point, you can simply kick the tyres aside and pick up your crop. The rich soil that remains can then be used as mulch on your garden.
Alternatively, if you can't wait that long, you can start harvesting after about 10 weeks. Dig into the side of the mound and extract some of the forming tubers, but be aware that these will be smaller than the full-grown potatoes and will reduce your overall crop. If you want to wait for a larger yield, keep an eye on the foliage; when it turns yellow or brown, your potatoes are ready to be harvested.
It's important to note that potatoes should be stored in a dark and cool place after harvesting. Additionally, while tyre gardening is a popular and inexpensive method, some sources suggest that heavy metals may leech out of car tyres and into the groundwater, which could be taken up by the growing plant.
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Frequently asked questions
Place a tyre on open ground and put a layer of straw, hay, or potting mix inside. Then, place 4-6 seed potatoes on top, ensuring they have eyes or shoots facing up. Cover with another layer of your chosen material and add another tyre. Continue layering the potatoes and material until you have 4 or 5 tyres stacked. Top with soil and fertiliser.
Potatoes grow best in full sun, so choose a sunny spot. They also need good drainage, so consider placing your tyres on a bed of rocks.
Water your potatoes regularly, but be careful not to overwater as this can cause diseases. Liquid fertilising with high nitrogen for six weeks will encourage leaf growth, then switch to a high-potassium fertiliser to promote tuber production.
You can harvest early "new" potatoes when the flowers on your potato plants have opened or their buds have fallen off. For your main crop, wait until the foliage has turned yellow, brown, or flopped. Simply kick the tyres aside to access your potatoes.
Some sources indicate that heavy metals, including lead, may leech out of car tyres and be absorbed by the potatoes. However, other sources refute this claim. To be safe, you may want to line your tyres with plastic sheeting before filling them with soil.
