How To Grow Potatoes In Tyres

Yep, it can be done and quite a large number can be grown within the circumference of a single tyre, just build it up, build it up, build it higher!

I haven't done it yet- however, a mate of mine told me how a couple of weeks ago which led to further investigation on exactly how and it's quite simple and effective.

From I've been told and researched,you will need;

-Seed potato

-Spare tyres, the quantity depends on the size of the harvest you are wanting

-Soil

-Mulch (optional)

-Selected vegetable fertilisers can't hurt either (Seasol or the like).

Start of with a single tyre filled with soil and add your seeds. As they grow, keep bulding your tyre tower as necessary!

Ideal conditions for growing potatoes;

-Choose a sunny position with as little shade as possible and is free from frost pockets. Potatoes can be grown in virtually all soil types.
-Dig in plenty of well rotted compost or manure in the autumn if none has been added for a previous crop.
-This will lighten heavy soils and give body to lighter ones helping to prevent the leaching of nutrients.
-Rake in a general fertilizer 2 weeks before planting potatoes.
-Do not add lime - growing potatoes like a soil pH of just under 6... slightly acidic.

Imagine the harves if you have 10 stacks of 10 tyres! Imagine all the chips, mashed potato, bread etc.

If TSHTF I reckon spare tyres will be in excess supply

I might even make it an addition to my existing vegetable and herb garden this weekend (as I have a 4 day weekend

More References & Advice

Better Homes & Gardens

Kiddiegardens.com

Burke's Backyard

Happy gardening!

I figure you are talking about making potato grow bags like this:

www.instructables.com...

But the tires aren't necessary. You can do it without them. The tires are mainly just for maintaining the bag's shape.

Originally posted by allenidaho
I figure you are talking about making potato grow bags like this:

www.instructables.com...

But the tires aren't necessary. You can do it without them. The tires are mainly just for maintaining the bag's shape.

Similar, however the bag is restricted by it's size whereas tyres can be continued upwards on top of each other and would be a hell of a lot easier to grow in as opposed to wrestling with a bag full of soil. You can also do things like use tractor and truck tyres which dwarf the size of any bag I have seen and would be a lot easier to use

This sounds like a great idea, but I know next to nothing about growing potatoes. So I pose a question; how do the potatos in the lower tires grow if they are not receiving sun light for their foliage?

reply to post by mileysubet


I think what you do is very gradually build your tower up, the potatoes already within the soil receive light from the top pieces of foliage. You keep it all as one plant basically, so gradually build the soil up around the plant as it grows and increase tyres and soil as necessary, hope that gives some clarification!

If and when I start my own off, I'll let you guys know how it goes and any dilemmas involved.

Thanks for this post - Boy, did i plant my taters all wrong this year. i just made hills and didn't get many taters in return, plus cut a few digging them up. Next spring i'm doing it right...

ive been using the tire method for years, it works wonderful, and takes up little space with maximum output. I usually stack them 4 high, they're old tires from my F-150, I got two stacks like these, and usually make out pretty good at harvest time..... IMHO highly recommended method......

just to add, you can make singles of carrots, and onions as well, it just makes it easier at harvest time with less chance of damaging the vegetables.

Question: Does the tire leach the petroleum product it was made from into the soil? Don't like the smell of automotive rubber anyway, sure don't want to ingest it. Just asking, does that make a difference?

Nice! Although, trash cans work as well, and maybe are a bit less cumbersome. Who wants to disassemble a ten foot tower of tires and soil? Haha. Would be a real bummer to build up such a fancy structure only to find those precious tubers at the bottom of the stack all rotted up eh? Cool stuff.

This is such a great idea. I have old tires and have had no clue what to do with them. I could even tent netting over the top. Thank you so much for this.

Originally posted by SunflowerStar
Question: Does the tire leach the petroleum product it was made from into the soil? Don't like the smell of automotive rubber anyway, sure don't want to ingest it. Just asking, does that make a difference?

That's a good question and one that I was concerned with as well however, all indications point to there being no danger or health risk in it

Originally posted by redstorm
Nice! Although, trash cans work as well, and maybe are a bit less cumbersome. Who wants to disassemble a ten foot tower of tires and soil? Haha. Would be a real bummer to build up such a fancy structure only to find those precious tubers at the bottom of the stack all rotted up eh? Cool stuff.

Great idea! I cant see the disassembly being much fun either. The benefit of the tyres method is you can build it up higher than a bin (what we call trash cans) would allow.

Originally posted by AuntB
This is such a great idea. I have old tires and have had no clue what to do with them. I could even tent netting over the top. Thank you so much for this.

No problem good luck with it- let me know how you go.

I did a long row of potatoes this year in wooden pallets. Started with a layer of straw w/ chicken manure and shoveled soil on top of that, planted the potatoes as well as some cabbages and onions , lettuce too. It worked out great! Just keep adding more straw and compost as the tops begin to show. I had our up to 5 pallets high.

When it is time to harvest, just start pulling one pallet at a time off.

I will do this again as it saves on water and weeding, as well takes less room and the quantity is abundant.

I really did plant lettuces, onions and cabbages after I planted the potatoes, it worked out fantastic as the lettuces and onions came out before the potatoes and the cabbages came out after.

reply to post by antar


Awesome! I need to get me some tyres and do the same...onions, lettuces, potatoes and many other possibilities within the small space of tyres of pallets.

If the SdoesHTF You could produce SO much food using these methods and keep a decent amount of people fed from the confines of a small backyard.

You may want to skip the tires.

I know asbestos break dust are on the throw aways. And they are not ever going to use anything food safe in the materials.

Straw boxing works well. Or as the other poster said palles but pallets are heavily soaked in toxic chemicals to prevent mold and mildew growth as well.

Straw pits and mounds work well. But if you have mounds the outside edges are too dry so you only get good grawth in the center unless you use several drippers or small sprayers to keep it all soaked.

Originally posted by Pirateofpsychonautics
Great idea! I cant see the disassembly being much fun either. The benefit of the tyres method is you can build it up higher than a bin (what we call trash cans) would allow.

Thanks. But if you build it up too high, will the older ones on the bottom not rot before the tops mature? Is what was meant by "rotted tubers", haha.