With the 50% chance of rain today and tomorrow, I can't be cutting any hay. So, I used the time to work in the garden and do some clean up around the place. it's amazing how quickly it gets out of hand around here. I scooped some dirt in the tractor bucket and dumped it in the front yard to make it handy for me to hill the potatoes up. I let them get way too tall so it took me a while to get them hilled up to where they needed to be. A 5 gallon bucket of water to finish it up and there they are, ready to grow me more tubers. With the promise of at least the 70 lbs I harvested last year, I'm excited about this crop. I will be sure to water it more than I did last year! It still amazes me that in the space of a car tire, I can harvest that much food. Such a simple method, just cut the sidewalls off, lay the seed potatoes right on the ground, cover with a little dirt, water and wait. Hill them up as needed and add tires as they grow. Harvest is the opposite, I removed one tire at a time and pulled my potatoes out of the dirt as I knocked it off the tire stack. If you have a hard time growing potatoes in the ground like I do, this is the perfect method for you!
The truck is back in action and ready to take the hubster to the doctor in the morning. He's only had 3 really nasty spasms today and just a few more small ones. I hope he's on the healing up side of this. We'll have to see what the doctor says about when he can be scoped. Keep us in your prayers...
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Deer other varmints have not seemed to be interested in eating my potatoes which is also helpful. I saw some digital camo special purpose bags this year and saved my boxes for carrots, radishes, etc. It seems to be working out well. I don't know as I will get 70 pounds, but from your illustration, I may not be aggressively mounding them up enough.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that things are beginning to look up already. Praying for your husband, and that the truck stays on the road for you.
ReplyDeleteSo the seed taters go in the bottom tire and as they grow out you add more soil and another tire? That is the whole trick? Does it work with sweet taters too?
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that hubby is healing. Still here for ya.
WV Gruvioso - Italian for REALLY COOL!
Hey Russell! The goat occasionally nibbles a leaf or 2 on mine but nothing else much bothers the stacks here. I have a young doe dead on the edge of my big garden today. I think they coyotes got after her while she was birthing and she jumped in to get away and didn't make it. I try to not let the tops get more than a foot tall without mounding them up. They just need a few inches above the dirt to keep going and the watering keeps the tubers producing.
ReplyDeleteSue! Thanks so much and glad to see you back on the blogoshpere!
Leaddog, yep, just lay them on the ground and cover with dirt. I use small seed taters whole. It seems to help as opposed to cutting up larger ones. As the grow, I just cover the stalks with dirt and add the tires as necessary. This stack will end up at least 5 tires high the way it's going! Not sure on the sweet taters, I would imagine they would work too. I'm the only sweet tater eater here :( Thank you for all the support!
Glad to hear your hubby is doing better. I am going with your tater idea next year, already have pick up old tires for free on my hubbies to do list this weekend so we are ready in the spring. we planted ours in 12 inch raised beds this year but I can't keep them mounded, not expecting to have much luck with them.
ReplyDeleteDebby, you'll really like the tires. makes it so easy to grow tons of potatoes. Hubster is hanging in there.
ReplyDelete