Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Garden Journal #4

It only makes sense that these garden journals speed up in mid-summer. It's when things start getting ready for harvest and eating. I suppose I could have written heavily about all the hard work of bed preparation and seeding, but those things just don't seem as exciting. Plus I didn't have my nifty phone with camera capabilities back then!

So this the Potato Journal. Potatoes were a complete experiment/accident for me. I had a few grow up in my compost pile and I decided to give it a go. They were put in pretty late if I understand what I have read about potatoes. They should have been much further along before the heat of summer. I will remember that for next year.

I read about mounding potatoes, so I knew what to do. I decided to start them low in one of the boxes and mound up as they grew. I didn't think about the fact that I was planting them in the worst clay soil at the bottom of the bed. They grew tops at first and I hilled up some new good soil around them, but then they seemed to quit. The summer heat hit and I guess they were just done. The tops slowly died off and I finally got impatient and pulled them this morning. This is what I got:


I am a little disappointed after my great success with the green beans. As an experiment and accident though, I should be happy. I have a few small potatoes that I coaxed from the earth. I will use what I have learned for next year: start earlier, have nice rich, fluffy soil below them and more to mound with, and have patience.

1 comment:

Misty said...

Look at the bright side: you have enough for one good batch of all-home-grown beans n' taters. The height of luxury if you ask me.