Couch Potatoes

This year we decided to concentrate on the vegetables we want to can. Last year the beans made it until December and the tomatoes until February, so we knew we needed more of those, but we got a little carried away with the potatoes: 230 plants.

Laura and I had thrown in a few sprouted potatoes from her vegetable bin last year, and we got ten or twenty decent potatoes without knowing or understanding anything about how to take care of them. They grew. We threw some tires around them, and that was about all. We probably over-watered them. The vines died off a little early, and we dug them before the first cold snap, but all in all they weren't too bad. Funny what a little success can inspire.

This year they were one of the first things we put in the ground. We started with about five pounds of various types from a potato farm in Idaho. We sulphured them well, trenched them in, and they started ok. But the rain didn't stop until June, and only the purple variety from Peru made it. The rest died off by July. They didn't rot, because I can still dig up the pieces and they are covered in sulphur and they are hard. They have about ten little potatoes the size of marbles around them, but the vines didn't make it.

That's ok because we still have twelve rows left. We planted more at the end of April. So far the russets and the yukon golds bought from the local feed store are doing the best. The vines are thick and green, and they grow steadily. We threw in some spidery things from Laura's pantry again; alien-looking grey things with long legs. They shot out of the ground, but too tall and too fast. They are growing. However, the vines are yellow and many are wilting because they just aren't very healthy.

Potatoes seem to be the most time consuming and troublesome of the vegetables this year. I call them the couch potatoes. They want a drink, or some magnesium, or a comforter thrown around them. Hilling them has taken some time.

We opted not to do the tires this year because of the snakes. D hates snakes, and we want D in the garden. The water that the tires held last year was a haven for the snakes.



Laura started the hilling process with wheat straw. We read that using straw keeps the potatoes clean. Then we read that it just encourages bugs? It's also hard to keep the light off the new potatoes if it filters through the straw, so we did the second go round with soil...... 3 yards of soil hand carried and placed ever so gently around their little necks. That was 2 pickup loads. By hand!

Twelve rows took two days. The potatoes grow between the seed piece and the top of the hill. Leah had the best idea. In her garden in Utah, she dug an eight inch trench and planted her seed pieces in the bottom . She keeps pulling the soil into the trench as the potato plants grow.


Ours are hilled with straw and soil, and we'll see who has the best potatoes.

Why are we growing so many?

1. We want to know which variety does best in our garden.
2. We want to see if we can keep our own seed stock until next year, and what the quality will be if replanted.
3. We want to see if potatoes will keep in saw dust in a garbage can through the winter.
   
4. We want to see how they can for stew.
5. We want to try potato flour.
6. We need counseling.
   

Straw Bale Gardening...

Mom came across this idea last Winter. We decided to use this method on one border of our garden - the side that butts up to the pasture - because the deer are a problem in our area, and mom learned some things about deer that made this method of planting extremely inviting. (More on that later.)

Straw bale gardening steps:
1. Buy any kind of straw (NOT hay - hay is stubborn and will grow grass that follows in it's footsteps) and arrange them anywhere you like, in whatever layout/pattern that tickles your
fancy. NOTE: The bales do NOT need to be on soil. The whole idea is that the plant's root system grows within the bale, excluding the need for good ground. It is best if you buy bales in the winter and let them weather for some time outside. We bought ours in the very late winter, and had to douse them with a hose for several days before they were ready... but now I'm getting ahead of myself...



2. Wet the suckers!! As I mentioned, we used a hose. You can put them out in the winter and it will have the same effect. The idea is to start the breaking down process within the bale. You'll find the bales will heat up as they begin to compost. The "cooking process" will last somewhere around five to seven days and the bales should start to cool down enough to plant.


3. Dig your holes. This was tricky. We tried everything. We dug with our hands, with hand tools, with the dog's tails... nothing. Finally, we rented an auger from a place in town, and - barring the fact that you need two strong men - it worked like a charm. (Interesting Side Note: When D and I started this day, Kevin (my cousin) was still at work. I helped D auger out holes in the first couple bales, then stopped short and said, "D I don't think I should do this anymore. If I am pregnant, I'm gunna shake this baby's brains loose!" A week later, we found out I was 4 weeks... well... "with child". Hmm. A little Cherry child to be exact. Excellent.) The holes need to be about a foot deep, and just wide enough to create a space for transplants or seeds.




4. Fill the holes with any good potting or planting soil. Add peat moss and/or a little bone meal if you so choose, and voila - you have yourself a nice little garden spot (and some beautiful wheat grass if you use wheat straw like we did!) We planted peas and cabbage in ours. They're doing great!!