Taters

[PapaDave]

Pretty anaemic compared to some, no, most of you guys with gardens, but here's my tater haul for this season.
Only got 5 of the 8 that I planted to produce, and these could have gone a tad longer, I guess. Never had taters before, so this is a nice surprise.
This is all I managed to get planted this year, and only because my wife said we were going to have to throw out this small bag that we got and didn't use.
I had grandiose plans of green beans, maters, broccoli, and onions this year, but this is what I did. We had a goat earlier this year who was left in the garden, and by the time we got rid of him the garden was all overgrown and I got real busy with work. He got into the raised bed where these were and I think that's what killed the other 3 plants. On the bright side, when I get the garden tilled, it'll have quite a bit of goat compost in it. :lol:
I know, excuses, excuses..... is it too late to plant broccoli?

 

[begreen]

Not too shabby man. Are they Red Pontiacs or Lasodas?

It's not too late to plant broccoli. Just pay attention to the days to mature. There is a wide difference between varieties. A fast one is Early Dividend. A slow one is Southern Comet.

 

[smokinj]

Looking Good!

 

[PapaDave]

To be honest BeGreen, no idea. Wife remembers them being red in the bag. :red:
Big problem we have here, is the ground is very sandy ( good for taters, I think), so once the summer temps hit, we start losing stuff unless it gets watered 20 times a day. The water just disappears into the sand. I'm going to try hooking a pump to our well that's right out by the garden gate so it's easier to water, but that'll have to wait til next year....maybe.
Thanks for the info on the broccoli- both Bev and I are big consumers of the stuff.
The tiller took a dump, so need to get that running to get the garden tilled and maybe throw a bunch of straw down so next spring I don't have the usual mass overgrowth.
I've got at least a couple months.
sj, thanks. I think these will be smothered in some olive oil and garlic, then baked.

 

[begreen]

Consider growing a green manure covercrop like buckwheat or winter rye in early fall. Till this into the soil and it will help build up tilth in that sandy soil. Also till in leaves and grass clippings as long as there are no chemicals applied to the lawn. Once the tilth has built up, you will use a lot less water. Mulching and drip irrigation also help a lot in reducing watering needs.

 

[PapaDave]

I've got a nice compost pile (actually 2 of 'em) and there's already a bunch of hay that was put out for the goat.
I had the garden tilled and planted in '08 but didn't realize then how sandy the soil was or how difficult it would be to keep things watered. The idea is to do as you've suggested with the straw and I've thought of doing the rye thing also, but have a hard time finding it around here. I need to talk to the guys in Mio (Amish) at the feed store if they have what I need.
Would oats work? I can get that all day long at the Amish store.
The garden is pretty big at about 60x50, and I don't need all that. Work in progress (or not).

 

[begreen]

I've had best luck with buckwheat (chops up easily) and winter rye (tills in nicely if you don't let it get too tall). Some folks use red clover and or vetch, but I try to stay away from them because if you don't get it fully tilled in they become weeds (unwanted plants) that keep on spreading. Oats can be used but is not winter hardy. Here's a good site on cover crops with a lot more information.
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/bjorkman/lab/covercrops/index.php

 

[PapaDave]

Thanks BG, I think I remember seeing buckwheat at the feed store.

 

[nate379]

1/2 of those aren't even big enough for seed taters ahahahahaha!

 

[nate379]

1/2 of those aren't even big enough for seed taters ahahahahaha!

 

[PapaDave]

But, they were tasty. :coolsmile:

 

[lukem]

But, they were tasty. :coolsmile:

Those little one are the best. I boil them in salted water and toss in butter.

I'm going to dig my potatoes in a couple weeks. Should have a good crop this year...should get 100lbs, but hoping for 150. Need some rain to loosen the soil before I dig though...or I may have to water.

 

[smokinj]

But, they were tasty. :coolsmile:

Those little one are the best. I boil them in salted water and toss in butter.

I'm going to dig my potatoes in a couple weeks. Should have a good crop this year...should get 100lbs, but hoping for 150. Need some rain to loosen the soil before I dig though...or I may have to water.

Didnt you get rain over the weekend? I got 3 inchs and flood my garden....I Need lots of sunshine! :cheese:

 

[lukem]

But, they were tasty. :coolsmile:

Those little one are the best. I boil them in salted water and toss in butter.

I'm going to dig my potatoes in a couple weeks. Should have a good crop this year...should get 100lbs, but hoping for 150. Need some rain to loosen the soil before I dig though...or I may have to water.

Didnt you get rain over the weekend? I got 3 inchs and flood my garden....I Need lots of sunshine! :cheese:

Yep. Got rain. A whole .007". That's all the rain we've had since July 2nd.

 

[smokinj]

But, they were tasty. :coolsmile:

Those little one are the best. I boil them in salted water and toss in butter.

I'm going to dig my potatoes in a couple weeks. Should have a good crop this year...should get 100lbs, but hoping for 150. Need some rain to loosen the soil before I dig though...or I may have to water.

Didnt you get rain over the weekend? I got 3 inchs and flood my garden....I Need lots of sunshine! :cheese:

Yep. Got rain. A whole .007". That's all the rain we've had since July 2nd.

Wow we are mixing up fungicide as I type...3 inchs in 36 hrs and had waterd 2-1/2 before that hit. Its a soup bowl.

 

[mecreature]

But, they were tasty. :coolsmile:

Those little one are the best. I boil them in salted water and toss in butter.

I'm going to dig my potatoes in a couple weeks. Should have a good crop this year...should get 100lbs, but hoping for 150. Need some rain to loosen the soil before I dig though...or I may have to water.

Didnt you get rain over the weekend? I got 3 inchs and flood my garden....I Need lots of sunshine! :cheese:

Yep. Got rain. A whole .007". That's all the rain we've had since July 2nd.

same here no rain to speak of. I have been watering every other day.

I am a straight shot west of Jay. I watched all that rain go east just north of me.


those taters are good eating, especially the smaller ones.


I had a good crop last year with some jewel sweet potatoes too.

 

[BrotherBart]

I know they have green leaves gang. But I am sending this one to the DIY room. Just cannot figure out a green energy connection.

 

[PapaDave]

Thanks BB, I was following the lead of some other posts re: gardens and greenhouses and veggies.

 

[Czech]

Simple pleasures, fresh dug taters, just picked eggs, just cut asparagus, eating berries as you go for a morning walk. I grew golds this year and they have been wonderful, like butter!

 

[PapaDave]

That reminds me. We have wild raspberries growing and the bushes are getting quite a bit of fruit. My wife loves the things, so I know what I'll be doing tomorrow.
Hope it doesn't rain 'til after I can pick some.

 

[richg]

To quote my hero, idol and mentor Smeagol, "What's taters?"

 

[PapaDave]

Potatoes.

 

[begreen]

I know they have green leaves gang. But I am sending this one to the DIY room. Just cannot figure out a green energy connection.

Growing your own saves a whole lot of energy in transportation, refrigeration and handling. Growing organic saves even more. Synthetic (inorganic) fertilizer is made from natural gas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haber_process

 

[smokinj]

I know they have green leaves gang. But I am sending this one to the DIY room. Just cannot figure out a green energy connection.

Growing your own saves a whole lot of energy in transportation, refrigeration and handling. Growing organic saves even more. Synthetic (inorganic) fertilizer is made from natural gas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haber_process

YEP YEP local food or in this case out the back door is about as green as it gets.....

 

[begreen]

At one point it was considered the greenest thing you could do to help the nation.