potato boxes

I'm trying potatoes using the cage method. I'm using what has become pretty nice soil dug from the big bed near the driveway, and which I assume is pretty acidic because of all the evergreens, amended with a few composts, including chicken manure. I don't have a soil test kit but I think this will be nutritionally correct.

The boxes are two feet square and 30 inches high. The idea is to add courses of boards and soil as the plants grow, eventually ending up with several cubic feet of potatoes. I blasted a mine shaft about a foot deep into the rocks beneath the boxes to give the initial growth a place to go.

Late season varieties should be used, otherwise you'll probably end up with a single layer of potatoes at the bottom of the box. One box has organic Desiree and the other has organic Yellow Finn. I planted five seed potatoes in each, which was about half the seed I received. Not sure whether I'll plant the rest somewhere else.

The potatoes finally arrived late this afternoon. I ordered them from Irish Eyes Garden Seeds on the 3rd of April, the order was processed on the 6th, and today is the 27th. That seems a little outrageous for a delivery from the same state. All items I ordered were listed as being in stock. I sent two emails asking for delivery dates in the meantime and never got a reply. I think I'll try somewhere else next time.