I recalled a  long time ago reading about planting and growing a potato crop inside of a stack of discarded automobile tires.  Removing the tires from the top down as you use up the potatoes.  There is usuall three or four tires in the stack, filled with dirt until the potatoes reach harvesting size at the top level. 

I just googled the whole idea, and I"ve found a whole bunch of blogs, etc., saying it's what they do and it's great and all that.  One of the sites even discusses my concern which is the various chemicals that might leech (leach?) out of the tire and affect the safety of the food. 

I grew about six potatoes in one of those bucket things I bought at WalMart, but since it was my first experiment I don't think I let them stay in the pot long enough.   They are kinda small. 

Have any of you either grown veggies in old tires or know of anyone who has?  Anybody got any special knowledge of the chemical composition of tires, old and used, that might seep into the soil if someone was growing root vegetables in a stack of discarded tires?  Just doesn't sound safe to me, but, in my situation, if it can be cone, it would be a wonderful assist to be growing our own food.  The soil here is seemingly devoid of nutrition for anything other than weeds and the few huge trees on the property.  So I have to purchase all of the soil t6 get anything, especially veggies, to grow.  A stack of tires producing 25 lbs. of potatoes at harvest time would be a pretty nice and economical way for me to obtain potatoes.

Anyone?

Thanks.

Jeanne, I've seen potatoes grown on top of the ground, just covered with newspapers and straw. Now there may well have been some leaching of nutty, right-wing ideas out of those papers, if they were, say, the New York Post or something like that. But I think they were actually old copies of Mother Jones and The Farmers Almanac, so it was probably OK.   Anyhow, slosh a little water on the top of the hay every so often and, in late August, brush that hay aside and pick up the spuds. 

Myself, I wouldn't worry about leaching out of old tires. It might happen, but I wouldn't worry about it. It sounds like a cool idea. You could mix up a couple of big bags of potting soil, a 40lb bag of composted cow manure and a bale of peat moss.  Throw some lawn clippings in there. Fill up a little stack of tires, throw in some potato eyes, put a little straw on top, see what happens. Wife says she has heard of this being done with sawn off whiskey barrels, too.

Best potatoes I ever grew were on the site of an former septic system drainfield (I did not know this at the ttime of planting). Seriously, one potato filled both of us up at mealtimes.  I do not wish to think about leaching at this time in connection with those potatoes.

Wouldn't that cost more than the potatoes, gramps?  LOL!!!

I looked it up.  $3.49 for 5 lb bag at Shop-rite.

I can't even grow a grow a tomato or zucchini plant.   I do NOT have a green thumb. 

I suppose you might do it for the potato adventure, rather than the savings

I figured it had to be the adventure.

Thanks for the feedback.  I think I'll give it a go if I am still here next spring.  Duhhhhh, I really don't know what is "tater" planting time.  I'll have to check on it.

Grampa, what is, and where do you purchase "straw?"  I know what is "pinestraw" but I think the potatoes would  taste like pinecones or something.

And how do you use the old Sears catalogues with the straw.

As for the reason for growing potatoes, or anything else, for that matter, is that the veggies taste better.  I planted lettuce in early spring and it was the best I've ever eaten.  Bibb Lettuce and Romaine, and Boston Lettuse.  I did those in containers.  Also growing three kinds of squash, snow peas, tomatoes and bell peppers. 

Years ago, when we lived in Florida, I grew turnips, among other root vegetables and they were so sweet and tasty that my kids used to go out in the hard an pull up a half dozen or so turnips because they tasted so good.  When I was a kid, I had to hold my nose to eat turnips.  I thought my mother was trying to make me barf.

Thanks all.  Much appreciated.

jd - My dad always had a garden at the back of the yard when I was a kid.  I remember arguing about picking green beans before I could go to the pool.  Some veggies (the green beans and tomatoes) grew really well.  Others not so well, lettuce, carrots.  He didn't do potatoes. 

The rhubarb and dandelion grew wild.   I absolutely positively hated rhubarb and dandelion as a kid/teen.  So, so bitter.  Mother made a sweet and sour dressing for on top of the dandelion and Dad absolutely loved it.  I could not get past the bitter.   I'd really like to try it now.  I'd probably like it.

Something else I hated then, but would probably like now.  Mother and I canned tomatoes and peaches.   The Ball jars.  I did like the tomato soup from the canned tomatoes on winter days.  My sister hated that.  I remember grousing about just buying a can of peaches when we were doing the canning. 

We had apple trees in our backyard, too.  The apples were too tart to eat, but with tons of sugar and cinnamon they made good applesauce (canned again) and apple dumplings.  Mother occasionally made apple pies from them, too.  That said, they spoiled me for other apple pies.  The canned commercial filling tastes like the can to me.  Hers was really the only apple pie I like. 

The hospital I work at makes apple dumplings occasionally.  I bring one home for mother when they have them and she adores them (so do I).  Hubby doesn't quite understand the fuss, but whatever. 

I understand the taste better part.  I don't grow it (the local farmers do) but I can't wait for Jersey corn and tomatoes.  The corn starts in July and the tomatoes a little later.  

Jeanne, straw is the dried stem of a grain plant, after the grain kernels have been stripped or shaken from it. It's baled up and sold at garden stores, farm supply stores, etc. Distinguished from hay, which is dried, leafy grass (dehydrated food for cows). A bale is a yard long, 18" high and 18" wide, weighs maybe 35-40 lb. You'd use it sparingly on top, I should think. Too much and it would mold. Bear in mind, I have not done this tire potato thing personally, so my advice may be worthless. I have made wine, and as it turned out, I should have been growing potatoes instead. 

   ps: My father in law always planted potatoes on Good Friday. In our tradition that's the Friday before Easter, which is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.