Potatoes-Season 2: Score Voles 2 Gardener 0
Posted by: TammyThe scores says it all. I have once again had my efforts thwarted by a creature smaller than my seed potatoes! Last year, I planted in tradition troughs and covered the seed potatoes. It was pretty successful early in the season when I periodically went out and filched out a few potatoes for dinner. Later, when I went to harvest my final haul, I was shocked to discover almost every remaining potato had been dined on by voles.
This year, I decided to make my life a bit easier in terms of soil management by doing the lazy bed method. I basically placed my cut seed potato on the ground and covered with straw. My smaller raised beds made the trough method more difficult and this made filching a few for a meal, easier.
Apparently, this method makes it easier for voles, too! Today, when I moved aside the straw, I found a vast network of vole trails. There wasn’t a single potato to be found! The only potatoes I obtained this year was from my garbage-pail-potato experiment. The barrel method works great for so many people but I was still determined to plant in the ‘normal’ method. I guess I have to keep the potatoes entirely out of the ground here, or I’ll never enjoy a homegrown potato.
So, this has led me to ponder next year’s potato season already. I had placed my seed potato filled garbage pail between my two vertical beds. There is adequate spacing there and neither climber-filled fence shaded the barrel. I’ve decided that I could easily fit three to four garbage cans in that walkway. On the other hand, I’ve also thought on having my husband create four square, wooden planters or two rectangular planters for that area. Seeing as he doesn’t want to give up more lawn for my gardening, this would maximize my current space nicely.
I do hope this idea works because honestly, 3 strikes and I might be out of the potato game!