The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: Declan on February 07, 2010, 11:22:55 pm
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I have seen these grow bag things that you can grow potatoes in. As they grow you gradually fill up the bag more.. you know the thing.
I am just wondering if you could use old tyres to do the same thing. Say use two tyres on top of each other and as the potato plant grows you could "earth up" by adding another tyre and filling with soil. A farmer close by has loads of old tyres (to keep his silage pit plastic covered)- as the year goes on he needs less and less of them as he uses up the silage. Would this work or does anybody foresee any problems- indeed the tyres would even retian moisture as the water would permeate into the sides?
Any ideas or suggestions please?
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OH swears the tyre thing works, but I've yet to see him do it!
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I've not done it myself yet - I used old compost bags last year and just rolled the tops down, then as they needed earthed up I unrolled the top and added compost.
It's the same principle for tyres, which I'm planning to use this year - I'm certain I've seen it done on TV, but can't for the life of me remember which programme ???
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OH yes this is a great way to grow spuds, and a few other crops. ;D
Layer soil newspaper straw and compost and try and get as many tyres as you can stacked up, add a few slug pellets along the way too.
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Folks,
Thanks for the adivce so far- keep it coming. Jackie, what other crops are you talking about?
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That gardener on TV does it - Bob Featherdew (??) -lovely chap with a ponytail. I think one programme he had his kids helping.
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an easy way to grow potatoes ?? :o
First you collect old tyres.
Carry said tyres to where you want them to be .
Then you start to fill them with expensive bought in compost ? so you carry in bags of heavy compost and put it in the tyre.
Place spuds in the tyres and start to build up the stack . In the end you could be putting tyres quite high on top of each other !!
very heavy tyres and lots of lifting and pouring of compost !!! Lots of water too...then when they are ready to be harvested you start to pull down the stack !!
Now you have VERY heavy tyres filled with wet compost , which you place on the floor and empty out , so you are now at the same level as you would be if you grew them in the soil in the first place !!! plus you have a load of compost to clear up afterwards.
MMMMM !!!! me thinks I will carry on digging, and plant them in the soil , so much less work !!! Plus my veggie plot won't look like an old scrap yard !! ::) ;D
cheers
Russ
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Like Happyhippy, I use old compost bags for spuds. Worked a treat, although a few bags were affected by blight (my outdoor toms were affected as well). I don't use the tyre method because I'm paranoid about chemicals in the tyres leaching into the soil.
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I think I posted this before.I use empty 25 ltr; spray drums I don't worry about leeching and such like I don't support the Greenie/ Organic movement at all.I just don't believe it.I cut the top off with a jigsaw drill a few holes a inch and a half up from the bottom and put some rubble in to just above the holes.I go and collect a barrow full of molehills and mix with a 75 ltr bag of compost mixing in some 10-7-10 fertilizer I put about 8/9" of this on top of the rubble place a Lady Crystl seed in the middle and heap a 4" pile of mixture over it as the potato grows I fill up the drum with the molehill mix until the drum is full I supply the drum with water every day.You must not swamp the drum potato's like a lot of water but not drowned hence the 11/2" holes up the sides.Works a treat up the fence side.Since I have no garden. ;D :farmer:
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Why molehills? Are they particularly fertile or just available?
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Just handy I dont need to exert myself and its all riddled and nice loose soil mixes great with no lumps George
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I tried old 1 tonne dumpy sacks that builders get there sand and stuff delivered in, they worked great for potatoes, beetroot, carrots, spring onions and even salads. The best thing is, builders can't give them away quick enough and they last for years.
Rob ;D.
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Now thats an idea - I have one of them - and a big mound of earth spoil from building the cobservatory. Just need to move one towards the other till they meet!
;D
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If your doing potatoes you can take it easy by filing it quarter full then when it starts to grow add more and more soil, that will act as if you were banking up and increase the amount of spuds you get.
Good lock Rob ;D.
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That gardener on TV does it - Bob Featherdew (??) -lovely chap with a ponytail.
Flowerdew! ;)
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Have heard of the tyres working well but personally wouldn't eat potatoes that had been grown this way by choice due to all the nasty rubber they'd be surrounded by
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That's it! I knew I wasn't quite rght. Anyway I think he's lovely! ;D ;D
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Try this link Declan. ;D
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/sanders98.html
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Nice link, Jackie, except for one bit in the article. It says, chemical compounds are tightly bonded into the rubber compound so it doesn't leach into the soil, but if you do research into the manufacture of tires, they do them in stages, and even if they didn't, there is no guarantee that the metals, especially cadmium doesn't break free.
http://www.nexplanrecycling.com/autorecycling.html
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Sagehen this is a scientific research document and it shows that all that leaches from tyres into soil is zinc and plants need zinc. :)
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:I-oQWneIBjUJ:www.wbcsd.org/web/projects/tire/InterimReportonTireWearParticleresearch.pdf+reasearch+leaching+chemicals+tires&hl=en&gl=uk&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShOEPkSynqGxyFhRql6inkFFQxDoLDwWOrYk-aVD5Gnqs4ItZPU8kELjuhTX0hMaynmgGjbigcOXPYqlhN9UduuN3NP2apzoTPEVFYud-ZZ8Ij56tUtkV7Q6byCPGT4aibOAblP&sig=AHIEtbRGMuRuTKW3DV4lYlZZP2mzbxk5mw
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Hiya
Thanks for that link.
However it says here:
The RP and TP were next leached in simulated rainwater in accordance with OECD
guidelines (OECD, 2004). The rain water was dripped onto columns containing the RP
or TP for 16 hours to mimic a significant rainfall event. The water was then collected
and tested for organic chemicals and metals. A preliminary test was conducted to
identify the pH at which the maximum amount of chemicals or metals would leach. Four
different acidity levels were tested and it was found that more metals leached when the
water was less acidic. Therefore, all further experiments were conducted using
simulated rainwater that was not acidic (pH 7.5). Unlike the harsh conditions created
with the organic solvent experiment, no organic chemicals were detected in the water
leachate, except formaldehyde. However, the formaldehyde was detected at levels that
were too low to be reliably quantified (i.e., <50 ppb). Barium, boron, magnesium,
manganese, potassium, silicon, and sodium leached from the RP but did not leach from
the TP in significant amounts, suggesting that most of these metals are from road dust
and not from the tires. Zinc was detected in the water from both the TP and RP
columns. The amount of zinc from the RP columns was about twice as much as was
found in the water from the TP columns.
So, there may be formaldehyde as well, although the levels are apparently too low. I'm quite cynical about this study since it's backed by multi national tire companies, unfortunately. I suppose, at the end of the day, it's a personal preference, whether or not to use tires to grow?
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Yes true it is a baised research paper. However tomorrow Ill look for a more objective paper and Ill look to see just how much formaldhye is dangerous for humans :) In that paper it stated the rate they found was less than 50 parts per billion, that is very very low.
PS I was a research nurse and still enjoy researching so Im not doing it to be bloody minded. :)
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LOL jackie, I do like research as well ;D
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I'll keep using the ones I have. :&>
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Hello North fife I am sure you are doing it right.There is a lass posts on RCC I don't think her and the OH are short of cash but she amazed me with buying new timber to make raised beds then she didn't paint the wood with creosote in case it contaminated the soil? I ask you?I don't support any Greenie Movement Soil Association or Organics its all a con as shown by various reports in the newspapers.The pig affair reported on here last month how many people had them two conned?If it looks right, tastes right,it is right.There is far to much cleanliness many have no immunity at all every little bug thats going they catch it ;D ;D ;D :farmer:
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I agree with that Wizard. I have two nieces (townies) but their house is clinically spotless, as are they, and they are forever catching colds, bugs and everything thats going round. Their mother is fanatical.
I have 3 girls under 5 years old- and I love them getting out of the house to feed the chicks, collect the eggs and feed the sheep- and generally get mucky- my eldest girl loves to make mud bricks and dig in the stones!! I honestly believe that they do build up their immunity to all the worlds nasties without compromising their overall hygene.
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Well, I'm not the right person to discuss the Organic movement with - don't want to lose any friends here, lol. Issues close to our heart can turn into heated and unfriendly debates on-line, so it better be a non-starter for me... ;)
I got the tyres last year and planted my tatties in them. Had a brilliant crop, I think that they are black and retain the heat well also makes a difference. The tatties I had planted in an old bathtub all had frozen to mush! Only later in our food group did the issues of toxins from tyres come up, or at least the possibility of the rubber not being as inert as previously thought...As we've probably eaten some of the toxins by now, I'll keep at it ;D, I'll also try squashes and courgettes as I had a lousy crop in the soil last year - nil! Tatties will go in the ground this year, I have a few patches needing cleared and prepared :&>
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I'm with you Declan We had 5 boys that did every thing country boys do.Never any problems to talk of the odd cold etc none ever in hospital for ailment.None with broken bones we did have a scare when one fell out the apple tree Wash as far as possible on Sun-Mon-Tues-Wed-Thurs-Fri and on Saturday Wash possible as well in the bath.David is 49 and he gave us a fright he was taken into DPWH here in Grimsby with a suspected heart attack on Xmas afternoon 2009.He was most upset he missed the Xmas Goose He was kept in 8 days the specialist said its not a heart attack its =========== no idea how to spell or say it but it was something to do with a pipe at the heart closing and causing loss of blood circulation,But he appears to be OK now , :farmer:
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I live in the middle of a workign farm, have lots of animals and am in no way upset at a bit of dirt, I find it astonishing how people can live in all cream interiors these days lol I do think people have awful immune systems these days and a bit of exposure to good old muck would do no harm but don't see how chemical exposure can help you ??? I think that's part of the "clean" problem, all these clean houselholds use a huge amount of cleaning products to stay that way. I had ME some years ago - chemicals do affect your body eventually.
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As far as I know it has been proven that babies who live in a too clean house and prevented from eating dirt are much more prone to allergies and asthma. Surprisingly one of mine is probably allergic to Penicilin, awaiting the test. And I'm not a houseproud mum,lol. More imporant things to do with my time :&>
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Hey up Fife if your about drop in ;D ;D ;D Dont call if you've got yer posh frock on ;D :farmer:
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what's a posh frock ??? ::) :&>
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Absolutely agree with everyone about cleanliness and immunity. The body is not designed to live in a sterile environment because immunity against various things is strengthened only when they are exposed daily. In fact, living in too sterile an environment may be the trigger for auto immunity or an unregulated immune response (where you become highly sensitive to outside triggers).
However, we are not talking about organic bacteria/viruses/single celled organisms that can be killed by the body's immune system. We're talking about chemicals that are toxic in built up doses. If you chuck a spoonful of lead in your soup every now and then in the hope that your body may build immunity to it, chances are you're going to die from lead poisoning well before that ever happens! The kidneys and liver are the first port of call for flushing toxins out, so they will be overburdened, and whatever toxins are not flushed are stored in the body in fatty deposits. And like Molly says, chemicals do affect your body eventually. So whether or not you are against the organic movement, you can't deny that eating pesticides (for eg) daily in small doses will eventually affect you, not to mention the creosote in the soil and whatever else.
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Yes sagehen I read somewhere that all the old lead pipes has been removed from Balmoral Castle? Danger of lead poisoning no doubt.I'm still here after 73years 2 months and 10 days.So what! :farmer:
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I have to say that yes, you are an example of a healthy person, (COPD notwithstanding) but there are many others who suffer from dementia, alzheimers, arthritis etc who are not as healthy, or perhaps, as lucky, as you. Thank god (or whoever) you don't live in Balmoral castle, eh? ;D
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My son came over today and we got lots of jobs done - fixed the kennel popholes that were sticking with the damp, completed the new duck run and got the ducks into it and the surrogate duck(light Sussex hen) removed and put back in the hen run. ::)
Then we tackled the new dog runs - starting with clearing the back of the garage that the previous owners had left as a tip. ::)
Found two large dumpy bags - so am going to take them to the far end of the back garden, find things to dump in them, including what's left of the spoil from building the conservatory, add some decent compost and have instant flower beds. Need to get trailing stuff to go round the edges though - any ideas. All year round stuff would be best.
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I would sow Nasturtiums and Marigolds - they look nice, you can eat them in salads and they keep some beasties away (not sure which ones) from the veg Nasturtiums do trail, you could have a look a google images if that's what you would like ? :&>
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You liked it then and took it for what it was.I am told I cannot legally use lead weight on my fishing line should I go fishing?
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Are you talking to me, George? ???
Annie, some ground cover plants would work nicely, like sedums, or aubretias, or my personal favourite is tumbling teds. You can also get some roses which work as groundcover - they don't grow tall, nor do they climb. There's one that's called, 'County of Hampshire' which is really pretty.
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Thanks, folks, given me some ideas - I like colour and there is precious little in my garden once the daffs are by - loads of shrubs so I do also have rhoddy and butterfly bushes. But these are all at the front. Only specimen fruit and ornamental trees at the back, so will get going as soon as it's warm enough to plant. Anyone got any guesses when that will be?
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september 27th !!!!!
cheers
Russ
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RUUUUUUSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!! ::) :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
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sowweee !!!!! ;D ;D ;D
cheers
Russ