Today's haul!

I planted 0.4 kilograms of Russian Banana seed potatoes in 3 square meters of my ainneor. Today's yield was 22.9 kilograms! That's crazy! I cannot believe how productive this variety planted in a traditional ainneor is!

I now know how to grow potatoes. Now I need to learn how to store them and how to eat A LOT of them.

Tråd 4/4

#fata
#kartoffel
#potato
#ainneor
#LazyBed
#GrowFood
#Oregon

Wildfire smoke, be damned! I'm digging spuds, today!

This is last 3 square meters of the 5 sq. meter ainneor (lazy bed) I planted with potatoes in late April.

This variety is a fingerling potato called "Russian Banana." It is supposed to be excellent for potato salads.

Usually, the deer leave the foliage alone but they have been munching away at it for the last few weeks. (Lots of hot, dry weather, here.)

Tråd 1/4

#fata
#kartoffel
#potato
#ainneor
#LazyBed
#GrowFood
#Oregon

This morning, I harvested Dark Red Norland potatoes I planted in an ainneor (lazy bed).

On 30 April, I planted 2 kg of seed potatoes in a 2 sq. meter section of the ainneor. Today's harvest yielded 16.8 kg. Since I have only grown potatoes a few times in the last 30+ years, I don't know if this is a typical yield or not.

#fata
#potato
#ainneor
#FoodTraditions
#GrowFood
#Oregon

Tråd 1/2

Spud Digging Eve

#fata
#potato
#ainneor
#FoodTraditions
#GrowFood
#Oregon

Fata (Potato) Update

Nine weeks after planting.

The plant growth of the Dark Red Norlands (the two square meters of potatoes on the right) is just starting to die back. I'm guessing they will be ready to dig in the next week or two.

#fata
#potato
#ainneor
#FoodTraditions
#GrowFood
#Oregon

Fata Update

Seven weeks after planting.

#fata
#potato
#ainneor
#FoodTraditions
#Oregon

Fata Update

Six weeks after planting.

#fata
#potato
#ainneor
#FoodTraditions
#Oregon

Fata Update

About five weeks after planting.

I find it fascinating how different the foliage is in form and color between two varieties of potatoes. (See the second photo -- Russian Banana Fingerlings on the left, Dark Red Norlands on the right.)

#fata
#potato
#ainneor
#FoodTraditions
#Oregon

#ainneor
#fata

There's a lot of information available about the initial digging of ainneor (a lazy bed). What are some traditional ways of maintaining it?

I plan to plant fava beans (broad beans) as an over-winter cover crop to minimize the erosion of soil into the ditches that surround the ainneor.

Next year, do I just use a garden fork to break up the soil of the bed a bit, then shovel any soil that did erode down back up onto the bed?

Any tips from people who grow food in lazy beds?

Fata Update

Three weeks after planting.

#fata
#potato
#ainneor
#oregon

#ainneor

This was my instruction book:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqabt6z0sm8

7/x

#ainneor

A dug and planted ainneor.

This method for initial cultivation of an area is absolutely brilliant (our ancestors were geniuses). No labor is wasted on the strenuous task of removing the sod--it's just flipped over to become compost.

The Béarla name "lazy bed" is quite the misnomer. Making one is hard work but it is very efficient work.

After harvesting the potatoes, I will plant fava beans to protect the soil over the wet winter.

There is definitely more for me to learn!!!

6/x

#ainneor

Time to plant fataí (potatoes)!

Place the seed potatoes in the gaps between the sods (not under them). Chop up some soil in the trenches and shovel it into the gaps between the sods to fill them and cover the potatoes.

5/x

#LazyBed
#kartoffel
#fata
#potato
#Oregon

#ainneor

Continue placing sod puzzle pieces until the inside of the ainneor is filled. The next step is planting the spuds and filling in all the gaps between the sod pieces with loose soil (that will be dug from those trenches). But that's for tomorrow.

4/x

#ainneor

After you have outlined the perimeter of your ainneor with turned-over sods, toss some composted manure inside. Then start cutting more sods (from the outside your initially dug area) and place them (grass-side down) like tiles within the wall of the ainneor.

3/x

#ainneor

The initial step of digging ainneor--cutting and flipping over sods to form the outer perimeter.

2/x

My first attempt at digging and planting ainneor (a lazy bed). My initial outline cut will be 1.5 meters wide to end up with a 1 meter wide bed (hopefully?). We'll see how this goes...

1/x

#ainneor
#LazyBed
#kartoffel
#fata
#potato
#Oregon

We now have our seed potatoes for this Spring!

In a couple of weeks, I'm hoping to dig an ainneor (lazy bed) and get these spuds planted. Stay tuned!

#kartoffel
#prátaí
#ainneor
#LazyBed
#Oregon

#Ainneor
#LazyBed

Because of our wet Spring weather, I think the ainneor (lazy bed) is an ideal method for vegetable cultivation in western Cascadia (the western portions of Oregon, Washington, BC, and Alaska).

The initial cultivation (when the sod is still in place) can be done during the rainy season with minimal compacting of the soil.

(Photo by Dr. Charles Nelson at Inis Oírr, Aran Islands, Ireland)

1/3

#Ainneor
#LazyBed

A fifteen-minute video on how to create a ainneor (lazy bed). A brilliant way to create a raised garden bed on uncultivated land that retains and utilizes the sod and requires only a shovel or spade.

Video created by The Heritage Council with the demonstration by Ian McGrigor in Co. Kerry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqabt6z0sm8