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I experimented with the Ruth Stout method for potatoes this year and just dug them all up today. On the off chance anyone actually cares enough to read it, here's my findings:
>group A was planted conventionally: dug into trenches then earthed up as they grew above the soil
>group B tubers were immersed halfway into the soil and buried in hay, then covered in more hay as they got taller
>group C was an attempt at a "hybrid" system: potatoes were dug into trenches as standard but covered in hay instead of earthing up
>all three groups used a combination of Nicola and Desiree tubers, grown in regular soil in coastal east midlands of England
Regarding yield, I didn't have access to measuring tools this year and so was only able to eyeball it: A and C were vaguely similar, but B had significantly higher insect damage, with very few tubers not at least partly eaten or bored into. All tubers were found in the soil, with none actually formed in the hay itself in either B or C.
Less digging work obviously saves time and effort, but in terms of yield relative to labor B didn't really seem any better than A; C at least saved effort in earthing up/removing the top layer in harvesting without the same degree of reduction in yield.
B and C both had better, less dry soil than A with less watering, since the hay mulch sheltered it from the sun all summer, but if anything B had become too moist and had gotten bogged up by the thicker layer of hay starting to rot (which also encouraged mould on the partly eaten tubers)
In conclusion, the Ruth Stout method didn't really go so well in my experience, but the hybrid method showed promise and I'm going to try it again next year; I'll also try and make sure to measure the exact weight of the yield so I can more accurately compare its output to the conventional method.
