New Potato Boxes

Well I made some boxes which worked fine for the last 3 years. I just wanted to increase the height and hopefully the harvest.This time I wanted them taller than a duck can reach as the ducks tend to peck on the leaves (and I thought potato leaves were poison).

This time I bought some cedar deck boards. Much lighter and should be more resistant to rot. I cut 4 pieces of square 1.5" wood the same length as the width of the board. This I screwed to the board, with a slight offset. The offset being the width of the 1.5" piece.

 All the cedar deck boards were cut to 2 feet. This was more my limit to size than anything. I then used the 1.5" piece to screw the other 2 sides to it, to make a square. (ok yes not a perfect square, but who's measuring.

 

Repeat 4 times. And then stack them. Well, not yet. I start with 2 and stack and add the other 2 later once the potatoes are above the 3 and 4 square height

The offset 1.5" pieces prevent the squares from shifting and the whole thing is rather sturdy. my last box reached only to about the 3rd level and I was able to get a bucket of potatoes per box. lets see what I can get this time.

I lost my seed potatoes this year, when the basement fridge packed up. I really liked the Ratte potatoes and could not find any to order this year. I will keep my eyes out to find some for next.

My soil temperature is already 13.5 degrees Celsius and so I have planted out lettuce, kale, rappini, and peas after hauling to truck loads of mushroom compost into the garden.