Forums >Off the Beaten Path>2011 Gardening Thread
My winter bulbs are going in either tonight or tomorrow. Sad because there are still some flowers on my geraniums but if they don't get in soon they may not get in. Plus the geraniums aren't going to last much longer, we've already had frost.
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Prince of Fatness
We tried closer, like 18 inches, but we got a lower yield overall because the plants competed too much with each other. As for yield, maybe half a doze good-sized potatoes per plant, a couple additional smaller ones in a good year? Yield is really going to depend on soil and growing conditions. This year was hard on them, I'm only getting 4-5 small ones per plant, less than half the yield by volume as in an average year.
We tried closer, like 18 inches, but we got a lower yield overall because the plants competed too much with each other.
As for yield, maybe half a doze good-sized potatoes per plant, a couple additional smaller ones in a good year? Yield is really going to depend on soil and growing conditions. This year was hard on them, I'm only getting 4-5 small ones per plant, less than half the yield by volume as in an average year.
Agree. Tech, you can plant them closer. I do. I plant them 16 inches apart and the yield is still good. As spaniel says the yield varies with the weather but my experience (probably about 10 years at this point) is that the Red Pontiacs consistently yield pretty well. The other variety that you may want to try is the Yukon Gold. They are an early variety, so you'll be able to dig them up earlier. I harvest those around the 4th of July. Agway should have both of these varieties.
If you can, harvest some leaves and build a pile of them. Use them to mulch the potato plants. I never hill the potatoes, I mulch them with a bunch of leaves. Another advantage with leaves is that they really retain moisture .... cuts down on watering.
MTA: And I saw another question that you had. Yes, you dig the plant up and it is gone. You dig them up after the plants have died off (they flower then die off a few weeks later).
Not at it at all.
Agree. Tech, you can plant them closer. I do. I plant them 16 inches apart and the yield is still good. As spaniel says the yield varies with the weather but my experience (probably about 10 years at this point) is that the Red Pontiacs consistently yield pretty well. The other variety that you may want to try is the Yukon Gold. They are an early variety, so you'll be able to dig them up earlier. I harvest those around the 4th of July. Agway should have both of these varieties. If you can, harvest some leaves and build a pile of them. Use them to mulch the potato plants. I never hill the potatoes, I mulch them with a bunch of leaves. Another advantage with leaves is that they really retain moisture .... cuts down on watering. MTA: And I saw another question that you had. Yes, you dig the plant up and it is gone. You dig them up after the plants have died off (they flower then die off a few weeks later).
Hmmm. 80 days I've read. So, it is possible to dig some up on July 4th, then plant some more, and have some in October?
Jeff
More like 60 or so with Yukons, 80 - 90 is about right with the Pontiacs.
I never had any luck with a second planting. For one thing, you won't find seed potatoes to buy so you would need to put some of your harvest back in. Secondly, they just don't do all that well in the heat of summer. I've had some come up on their own (didn't see them while digging), and they didn't amount to much. My recommendation is to do one crop and be done with it.
I store them in either an open cardboard box or paper bag in the basement and they keep for quite some time. Had some tonight come to think of it.
More like 60 or so with Yukons, 80 - 90 is about right with the Pontiacs. I never had any luck with a second planting. For one thing, you won't find seed potatoes to buy so you would need to put some of your harvest back in. Secondly, they just don't do all that well in the heat of summer. I've had some come up on their own (didn't see them while digging), and they didn't amount to much. My recommendation is to do one crop and be done with it. I store them in either an open cardboard box or paper bag in the basement and they keep for quite some time. Had some tonight come to think of it.
So that will work? You can use some of the taters you harvest to seed the next round?
My garden this summer was both good and horrible. Since it was my first attempt at a garden, I'll take it as a success regardless.
Cucs - I couldn't give them away fast enough! Had a huge supply, they tasted great and even made 6 jars of pickles. Plant is spent now though.
Tomatoes - epic failure. My fault I think. I put the patio tomatoes into the garden and put the beefy tomatoes into the container. doh! Needless to say, not one edible tomato from either plant. As an experiment,, I just ripped up the container plant and threw it into an empty spot in the garden now just to see if anything would produce. I honestly didn't know that tomato roots need room to spread
Zucchini - Had lots of massive yield! I was giving them away too. Made zuc bread, zuc muffins, zuc parmesan, etc. I didnt realize how big the plant would get and take over almost my entire garden. It died after the hurricane though. Also it looked like the roots were rotting towards the end...is this normal??
Peppers - got two tiny peppers which were quickly chewed up by some insect. Now the plant has gotten bigger, but none of the flowers are producing......figures.
Cilantro and Parsley.....they were ripped out a couple weeks after planting them. I hate how huge they get and I know I wouldnt have used nearly enough of it to justify keeping it around.
Its a good thing I had a neighbor whose garden was as rich as a supermarket. She brought me baskets of things like kale, toms, banana peppers, etc all summer long. I'm insanely jealous of her green thumb!!!
Feeling the growl again
I dig mine as late as I can without risking the ground starting to freeze -- typically early November here in Indiana -- except for a supply I keep in the house that I dig as we eat them. Then I keep them in milk crates in the garage out of the sun over the winter. You want to keep them as cold as you can without freezing them, and my garage stays at about 40 over the winter. They are usually edible until almost spring.
I use the leftovers as seed for the next year. You can even cut them up, leaving 1-2 eyes and a chunk of potato as food in each piece. Then they will all grow sprouts from the eyes.
My Dad originally bought the Red Pontiacs I grow when I was 7-8 years old. We've been using them ever since. They're a bit of a family heirloom now.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Have you tried grass clippings? I intend to try the leaf thing this year, but I don't think I will get enough. However mowing 2 acres, if I actually raked the grass I would have an endless supply all year.
I dig mine as late as I can without risking the ground starting to freeze -- typically early November here in Indiana -- except for a supply I keep in the house that I dig as we eat them. Then I keep them in milk crates in the garage out of the sun over the winter. You want to keep them as cold as you can without freezing them, and my garage stays at about 40 over the winter. They are usually edible until almost spring. I use the leftovers as seed for the next year. You can even cut them up, leaving 1-2 eyes and a chunk of potato as food in each piece. Then they will all grow sprouts from the eyes. My Dad originally bought the Red Pontiacs I grow when I was 7-8 years old. We've been using them ever since. They're a bit of a family heirloom now.
Don't think I would be able to do that then. My garage gets below freezing. And the basement is in the 50s/60s during the winter.
Having "heirloom" vegetables would be cool. Guess I could put them in the fridge, right?
Don't think I would be able to do that then. My garage gets below freezing. And the basement is in the 50s/60s during the winter. Having "heirloom" vegetables would be cool. Guess I could put them in the fridge, right?
The basement will be fine, they just may not be edible for quite as long. They will be fine to plant the next spring.
The problem with grass clippings is that they will start to cook real hot if heaped too thick .... might damage the plants. I do use them between rows and in open areas of the garden to keep weeds down. You just need to spread them real thin so that they dry out quickly.
Leaves don't cook nearly as hot and by the time I use them they have been sitting in the compost bin for 6+ months.
Great! Of course, this is all dependent on the fact that I actually get some yield next year from the garden.
I'm looking forward to the potatoes. April...c'mon!
The problem with grass clippings is that they will start to cook real hot if heaped too thick .... might damage the plants. I do use them between rows and in open areas of the garden to keep weeds down. You just need to spread them real thin so that they dry out quickly. Leaves don't cook nearly as hot and by the time I use them they have been sitting in the compost bin for 6+ months.
Thanks, I read that too. I think I will save the leaves for on the rows and use grass in between to cook those little b**t**d weeds and stretch my leaf supply further.
I haven't visited this thread in awhile as my garden was pretty much a bust this summer. But my most successful harvest was a cantaloupe. I never planted it, it just sprang up in my front shrubs along the house. I thought it was a cucumber vine and left it. When I came home from vacation in mid August there was a grapefruit sized cantaloupe. I just picked it last weekend, but I'm waiting for it to ripen a bit before I attempt to eat it. It looks just like one from the grocery store!
That's pretty cool!
And a little scary. :-)