I just planted a few potatoes the Ruth Stout way, the lazy way

Ruth Stout,  (June 14, 1884 – August 22, 1980) she was an author of gardening books and a "lazy" gardener. She pioneered the deep mulching method that basically eliminates watering and weeding gardens. I learned about her method by watching a film strip, remember them?,  back in the early eighties while I was attending ECCC in upstate NY.

Here is a quick-and-dirty video that demonstrates her way of "planting" potatoes.

The soil in this garden bed is rich in nutrients and has already been used for three years. Basically, you place the potatoes on top of the garden bed and then you cover them with lots of hay. Hay was Stout's prefered milching material. She didn't like leaves and she didn't use straw either. She said NOT to pull any weeds that may come up, but to just add more hay on top of the weeds to kill them.

You can find "bad hay" very cheap if you check your local Craig's List or at any local farms. Usually they go for $2 per bale and I use about four bales every year.