Giant Tube culture

From: Roger Sieloff ISDH <sieloff at ideanet.doe.state.in.us> on 1997.02.16 at 06:06:51(367) > How about this: instead of planting them in spring when the ground warms, > WHAT ABOUT putting them on TOP of the ground and THEN burying them with a > loose, well draining mixture of leaf mold and sand?--sort of a tuber > mausoleum. Then when they go dormant simply uncover, tip into a wheel barrow > or other suitable implement (if too heavy to lift) and cart indoors. > > What do you think? How 'bout THIS: In climates which warrent the following, why not try and recycle a couple old tires? Simply place the tuber atopt the ground, place a tire around it and fill with soil. The nice thing about this is that additional tires can be stacked up as needed. Urban potato gardening is quite easy employing this method. Roger L. Sieloff

From: SNALICE at aol.com on 1997.02.17 at 02:38:52(368) I will be planting Coladium in and amongst the gophers which have freeways running up and down my property! I don't know if gophers like Coladium, but they may want to sample them. The tires are a good idea, or you could build simple, but more attractive open-ended boxes just the right size for the tuber, lay screen down under each one and plant the tuber, so they can't work their way up to them. Is that a good idea? Sue Zunino

From: nancy swell <swell at erols.com> on 1997.02.17 at 02:54:44(372) > How 'bout THIS: In climates which warrent the following, why not >try and recycle a couple old tires? Simply place the tuber atopt the >ground, place a tire around it and fill with soil. The nice thing about >this is that additional tires can be stacked up as needed. Urban potato >gardening is quite easy employing this method. Roger, are you a West Virginian? Haven't seen tire gardens since I left home..... . Nancy +More Nancy Swell | "I have the receipt for fern seed" 505 Baldwin Road | "I walk invisible" Richmond, VA 23229 USA | Henry IV, Act 1 Zone 7 - min. 0 (-18 C), max. 100+ (38 C), NARGS, AFS, BPS, HPS, RHS swell@erols.com

From: SHoltz1036 at aol.com on 1997.02.18 at 02:54:01(380) A great addition to the very charming effect of old tires in the yard would be a method that I tried last fall to protect bulbs such as tulips - spray "Ropel" (brandname), an animal repellent, all over the tubers and let sit for a minute. Crush up some moth balls (this was almost impossible) and mix thoroughly with the planting soil. There should be no creatures (including yourself!) hanging around your tender tubers due to the toxic stench of the moth balls. I have yet to see if it really worked - but I'm deep in the woods and have seen no holes dug up yet, even underneath the trees! Stacy

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