My neighbor said my messy patch of volunteer potatoes was a waste of space.

Last spring, a bunch of potatoes I missed the year before sprouted in a messy, crowded corner. I let them go, and this week I dug up over 15 pounds of perfect Yukon Golds from that one spot. Everyone says you need neat rows and perfect spacing, but that tangled jungle did better than my planned bed. Has anyone else had a 'weed' turn into their best producer?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliot_johnson3124d ago

That "tangled jungle" doing better than the planned bed is awesome. I read somewhere that crowded plants can sometimes help keep the soil moist and shaded. What are you gonna make with all those potatoes first?

mark_mitchell24d ago

That idea about crowded plants helping the soil is spot on, @elliot_johnson31. My buddy had a pumpkin vine he thought was a weed and just let it take over a whole compost pile. It was a total mess of leaves, but it ended up giving him three massive pumpkins, bigger than any he'd ever grown on purpose. Sometimes the plants just know what they're doing better than we do.

robert_lopez6420d ago

Your neighbor is just plain wrong. I had a patch of carrots come up from old seed in what looked like a total weed pile. I almost pulled them, but I was busy and let it slide. When I finally dug in, the carrots were the sweetest and straightest I've ever grown. My neat rows that year gave me stubby, forked ones. Sometimes the mess just works better.