This spring has been soggy and cold. I planted my potatoes today - a bit late, but the soil finally dried out enough to till.
And my snap peas did not rot in the ground - they are all of 4 inches high.
Also a late plant in mid-April.
Also a late plant in mid-April.
These are Norland Reds.
The first thing to do is cut them up. Two eyes per piece. See those growths that look like warts? Those are called eyes. Some of the eyes are really growing, others are teeny with just a pink/red spot on the potato skin.
On these smaller reds, you can cut them up into two or three pieces. Let them 'dry' for a few hours. This seals the wet part so it grows instead of rotting.
Your holes should be about 2 feet apart and about 10 inches deep. Or so. By the 20th hole, whatever floats your boat. You can add fertilizer or compost if you desire but my soil is pretty awesome for potatoes.
Place two pieces of potatoes at the bottom of each hole with eyes up to the sky.
Cover the hole halfway with dirt. We'll be infilling later as the green shoots emerge.
If you look closely, I have hung my airplane decorations. My kids painted these over twenty years ago from wood kits. They have held up remarkably good hanging outside all summer.
The airplanes are holding up really well, considering their age, and the fact that they're outside a lot :D Do you have fence neighbours, Kathy? One of my fence neighbours does a LOT of gardening, and during harvest, I frequently find gifties on top of our shared fence - it is AWESOME! She grows potatoes in an old Rubbermaid bucket at the side of her house - she has quite a green thumb - certainly greener than mine and my husbands, lol! Enjoy your garden(s) - they're a lot of work, but the payoff is quite yummy and/or pretty :)
ReplyDeleteI have always had gardening neighbors. For a few years, we had one neighbor grow the zucchini, one the cherry tomatoes, and one the squash as these plants provide more than one family will ever eat.
DeleteOh how I love new potatoes. My mom would grow them and peas and then make a cream sauce with lots of butter and put in the new potatoes and peas cooked up.. oh my goodness.. nirvana. How is your bamboo doing? ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteAll planted except the yellow. Figuring out the perfect spot.
DeleteI hope you have a great growing season...you know what ours has been from reading my blog. Funny-I had not wanted to grow potatoes this year but several grew themselves from the compost pile! They seem to be doing great-ha. I too loved the airplane decorations-those are awesome and memory filled!
ReplyDeleteHappy Mother's Day!
All of my plants, whether started in the greenhouse or planted directly outside have been stagnate in their growth. I planted my potatoes in big tubs behind my greenhouse on St Patrick's Day, and they are up about 2 feet now. They are about the only plant that is doing really good so far this year. Love the planes, especially since you children did them so long ago!
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