How to Plant Potatoes with the Ruth Stout Method

Learn how to plant potatoes with the Ruth Stout method—no digging, just mulch. Great for beginners, tough soil, and low-maintenance gardens.

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There’s an easier way to grow potatoes—one that doesn’t require hilling, tilling, or even much weeding.

It’s called the Ruth Stout Method, and if you’re tired of fighting your soil or spending hours planting potatoes, this approach might just be the answer.

I saw how well this method worked for Rachel over at That 1870s Homestead and figured I’d give it a try.

Plus, I had a huge pile of spent hay and straw from cleaning out the chicken coop and goat stall—seemed like the perfect way to put it to good use.

What is the Ruth Stout Method?

If you’ve never heard of Ruth Stout, buckle up. She’s the “mulch queen” of garden lore—famous for plopping down potatoes and other veggies under heaps of hay and calling it a day.

She didn’t set out to become a gardening icon. She just got tired of waiting for someone to come till her garden.

One year, she said forget it, tossed down some seeds, covered them with hay, and walked away. That season? One of her best gardens ever—and she never looked back.

She wrote numerous books, most with a tone that’s half instructional, half sass—like gardening with your snarky grandma. A few worth checking out:

• The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book
• Gardening Without Work: For the Aging, the Busy, and the Indolent
• How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back

Why Use the Ruth Stout Method for Potatoes?

Here’s a short list of reasons to try the Ruth Stout method of gardening for your potatoes:

• No digging. Ever. Not to plant. Not to harvest.
• Less weeds, thanks to the inches of mulch that smother everything in their path.
• You improve your soil quality over time. A single year of deep mulch can kickstart microbial magic.
• It’s a perfect method for handling heavy clay soil or rocky ground.

You can literally plant potatoes in a garden area you haven’t touched before. As long as you’ve got mulch material, you’ve got a potato patch.

Materials You’ll Need

• Certified seed potatoes (avoid grocery store ones; they’re often treated, unless they’re organic)
• Several bales of straw, old hay, or even leaves and pine needles (though hay breaks down better)
• Optional: drip irrigation if you live somewhere dry

How to Plant Ruth Stout Method Potatoes

1. Lay down your seed potatoes.

Just place your seed potatoes directly on top of your garden bed with the eyes facing up, spacing them about 12 inches apart on center.

2. Cover with a thick layer of hay.

Now for the good part—grab that hay pile and cover the potatoes with 6–8 inches of mulch. This blanket holds moisture, blocks weeds, and keeps the soil cool and dark, which potatoes love.

I used a mix of old hay and straw from the winter cleanup of our goat stalls.

3. Keep up with the mulch.

That hay’s going to settle, and some spots will thin out faster than others. So whenever you notice a bare patch or a weed popping through, add more mulch.

The goal is to create a deep, lasting cover that feeds the soil and saves you work.

4. Water if needed.

If you get regular rainfall, you might not need to water at all. But if things dry out, give the bed a soak.

You can tuck a drip line under the mulch if you want to set it and forget it, but it’s not required—I’m just keeping an eye on the weather and watering by hand if it looks too dry.

Tips for Success

• Use thick mulch—always: Start with at least 6–8 inches of hay, straw, or other organic material. Add more as it breaks down.
• Avoid sprayed materials: Never use hay or straw treated with herbicides—residue can ruin your soil and plants.
• If using straw, supplement wisely: Hay feeds the soil as it breaks down. Straw doesn’t offer the same nutrients, so add natural fertilizers to keep your plants happy.
• Keep adding mulch all season: Top up as it settles or thins. The mulch layer should remain thick to suppress weeds and retain moisture.
• Mix green and brown materials: Combine greens (like kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings) with browns (like leaves, pine needles, straw) to build fertility over time.
• Let the soil biology do the work: Don’t till, dig, or disturb the layers. Trust the worms and microbes to improve your soil naturally.
• Read some Ruth Stout gardening books to learn even more.

FAQs

Ruth Stout Potatoes Method Cheat Sheet

Want a quick reference? Pin this cheat sheet for later!

Final Thoughts

The Ruth Stout Method for planting potatoes is garden rebellion done right.

You don’t need a green thumb, a tiller, or even a raised bed. Just mulch, a handful of seed potatoes, and the willingness to try an easier way.

The last time I planted potatoes, it took me hours over several days just to get them all in the ground. Dig, drop, cover, repeat—over and over.

This time? I planted all my rows in under 30 minutes. No digging. No aching hands. Just a big pile of goat-stall hay and a whole lot less stress.

I’m still waiting to see how the harvest turns out—but after watching how well this method worked for Rachel over at That 1870s Homestead, I’m feeling hopeful.

And hey (no pun intended)—next year, I’ll already have my mulch down. That alone feels like a win.