We had read that you could grow an incredible potato crop in a very small vertical space known as a potato box. Josh in wonderful handy-dad fashion made a beautiful redwood potato box according to spec. We purchased seed potatoes and tended the box all summer long, adding new levels as we went. The plants flourished. It looked like a potato jungle growing out of the top!
Finally came the big spud dig day. The whole family started digging through the soil hoping for the 100 pounds of promised potatoes. Quickly, however, our hopes were dashed. We did find some nice taters at the very bottom of the box but they didn't keep re-seeding as they grew up as was promised. Josh proclaimed them the most expensive potato crop in the history of potatoes (if you factor in the wood for the box).
Still, that night he prepared half of the modest crop by oven frying them with olive oil and herbs and they were amazing...creamy soft texture and a beautiful buttery flavor. We read that many people fail in their potato box harvest because they choose the wrong varietal. Apparently, this only works with late summer varieties. We choose Yellow Finns which should have fit the bill. So, we have several months to decide whether to try the great potato experiment a second time or whether to re-purpose the box for another crop.
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