No-Till Potatoes

There is a lot of interest in growing crops like potatoes in organic, no-till systems. We feel it’s important to begin successfully integrating some of these high calorie crops back into regular rotation in market gardens, particularly to add diversity (both bio and to your market table). And we have found very little information on how to do so economically on any sort of commercial scale.

So, I’ve dug up (pun intended) a little content for y’all on no-till potato production that may be helpful, it certainly was for me. I will say, however, we need a ton more content on this crop. There are plenty of people growing potatoes no-till in backyards and sharing their work, but very few growing potatoes no-till in a market garden setting.

The first video is from Charles Dowding. It’s over 20 minutes long, but extremely detailed.

If you’re interested in the Ruth Stout Method of gardening (hay gardening), the following is a very small scale potato trial, but shows how it could work. Also, I just like the animations on their channel.

Here is another small no-till trial with leaf mold vs. compost vs. chicken bedding as the cover material. Again, a small trial, but well done.

Last, but not least, a couple of my own.

The bed prep:

The harvest:

If you have experience growing no-till potatoes, leave a comment or join the conversation in the growers community.