Potatoes just don’t grow on trees. They grow deep and hard to dig them out. Plus they take too much space to grow and they need the room for it. And they like well prepared, soft moist soil that’s easy for them to take roots in. besides potatoes should not be planted in the same place year after year, because they infect their own soil and can cause the crops to get blight.
For those who don’t have much space in our garden, this is a great alternative. Despite living in the city, you can still grow your own potatoes and have a good yield.
How to grow potatoes in tires has its advantages and that is you can grow different types of varieties. They are referred to as ‘new’, ‘earlies’, or ‘main crop’. ‘Fingerlings’ are small potatoes with long, narrow shape like fingers. ‘Main crop’ potatoes store well. Do remember that green potatoes are poisonous.
How to grow potatoes in tires needs seed potatoes to start. Before planting potatoes you need to chit them. Chitting is when you get your seed potatoes and placing them in a light, dry environment to encourage sprouting.
Stack four or five tires that are progressively filled with good compost and moist, aerated soil. Loosen soil just enough for some drainage and place the first tire. Fill with soil and make sure to fill the inside of the tire casing as well.
Cut your seed potatoes into pieces that have at least two ‘eyes’ or sprout buds in each piece. Plant three or four cut potato seeds into the soil in the tire center. Cover with enough soil up to the top of the opening. Remember to use well-composted fertilizer and don’t use fresh manure for this will burn up the potatoes.
Once the potato plant grow about eight inches tall, add another tire and add loose soil around the plant. repeat process for the subsequent tires. The covered stalk will take roots while the plant grows upward towards sunlight. Since you are raising the soil level the plant is able to keep growing without choking up.
Water the plant and make sure that the soil is moistened all the way down to the base of the pile.
Since the tire acts as insulator and heat, the added warmth stimulates the lateral roots to multiply quickly and gives you more potatoes.
How to grow potatoes in tires takes about two to four months. Harvest your crop until the top dries up and remove the tires, work your way down harvesting potatoes as you go. Store potatoes in a dry, cool place to ensure freshness.
http://howtogrowpotatoes.org/video-on-how-to-grow-potatoes-in-a-bin/
http://howtogrowpotatoes.org/how-to-grow-potatoes-in-pots/
http://howtogrowpotatoes.org/how-to-grow-potatoes-in-bins/
http://howtogrowpotatoes.org/how-to-grow-potatoes-2/
Replacing 2 tires on a front wheel drive car?
I just purchased 2 tires because one of my rear tires was flat and not repairable. My car is front wheel drive and when I asked the tire center about putting the new tires on the front, he abruptly said “It’s best to keep them on the back” with no explanation. I’ve always thought the best tires should be on the front in a front-wheel drive vehicle. Am I wrong?
Answer
I work in the tire industry. It is my job to be an “expert” on tires. As an expert, I can say, with absolute certaintly, that new tires, when replaced as a pair should ALWAYS be mounted on the REAR AXLE, even on a front wheel drive vehicle.
Especially on a front wheel drive vehicle.
This is a proven SCIENTIFIC FACT, verified through actual testing.
As the poster earlier indicated, Michelin Tire Co. recommends this. Bridgestone/Firestone has recommended this since at least April of 2003. The industry group for all the major manufacturers – the Rubber Manufacturers of America (RMA) recommends this. Any responsible, reputable tire dealer will also recommend the same thing. Many of them state this policy on their web sites (IIRC; Discount Tire and Costco are good examples).
Mounting tires on the front axle because the car is FWD is the old way to do it, not the right way. The only logic behind it is “straight-line” traction in snow and tire wear issues. Vehicle STABILITY, which is provided by the rear axle, was completely and wrongly ignored.
Loss of traction at the rear of the car, especially on a FWD car can result in sudden “snap” oversteer – a condition where the car wants to swap ends. You can see what I am talking about at the Michelin web site;
http://www.michelinman.com/care/tip6.html
Take special note of the part of this film where 2 identical cars are set out on a wet road simultaneously. Both are travelling the same speed (45 mph) – hardly excessive speed for driving in the rain under most conditions. 1 car has two new tires on the rear axle and two tires that are 1/2 worn (ie: still “good”) in the front. The other car is the opposite, with brand new tires on the front, half-worn tires in the back. At 45mph the car with new tires on the front suddenly spins out of control with little or no warning, the car with new tires on the rear is moving along in complete control at the same speed.
Nuff said.
Oversteer is both extremely dangerous and very difficult for even an experienced race car driver to recover from, let alone the average soccer-mom or Joe-sixpack. I know because it has happened to me on the road (and I am an experience race driver). Let’s just say I will never put just 2 snow tires on a car again! I’ve also confirmed this on a wet handling track under controlled conditions in a test conducted by one of the major tire manufacturers – conditions just like those in the Michelin video.
If any of you non-tire experts who are recommending 2 new tires be mounted to the front can do better than this, I’d like to see it.
Of course whenever possible all 4 tires should be replaced at the same time and rotated regularly. They will last longer and provide uniform traction and performance.
PS
To DodgeMan – If you want to keep your shop I suggest you start following this policy religiously. I know for a fact that lawsuits have been filed and won because a shop put 2 new tires on the front axle and the customer later had an accident because of it. Given the directives of the major tire manufacturers and the RMA, if you do this and get sued, you will lose.
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