Polyculture

Polyculture

Welcome!

Anyone can garden-from herbs in the windowsill to pots on the patio to small plots for veggies in your yard.

I actually have more challenges than most-which is why I have such easy solutions! enjoy-and grow more food!


Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Time for potatoes

yup, order them, go to your farm or seed store, or get out the greenish ones out of your cupboard ( those sometimes don;t work) set them in a single layer where they get some sun; once the green growth starts you are good to go.( greening them up first is called chitting. )

I used potato bags last year. easy and fun. but in super hot super droughty conditions, the potatoes did not reach full size in the last weeks. While i still recommend the bags, i am doing something really weird this year.

planting in rows in deeply dug trenches. And covering as they grow, into nice big hills.( trenches almost a foot with at least an inch of compost in the bottom)

I figure the bulk of soil will keep them cooler. Potatoes don;t like temps over 90 degrees.

I'll be putting compost and organic fertilizer in their bottom inch of soil, and adding a comfrey and nettle mulch before the heavy duty filling in goes on.(FEED potatoes. seriously)

this may seem like too much work for some-they are still kind of cheap at the grocery store. But you can grow varieties you have never seen at the supermarket-with far better taste, and moist and fresh from the ground.it's supposed to be quite a good return also on pounds per pound planted-if you make sure they have what they need! and if the trenches/row/hills are built up enough, I can forego the straw and that might be a good thing too. Wasn;t happy with growing them in straw.

I guess giving in to some old ideas-that work-is a good thing. I ordered hybrid tomato seed too-and cucumber, etc-to get a jump on disease etc. live and learn!

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