So happy today to finally get my potatoes in the ground!
It wasn’t the best spring day – I had resigned myself to housework tasks as it rained off and on all morning. But then it seemed to clear somewhat and even be reasonably warm… took a risk and went outside!
Normally I would like to dig this in and leave it a week… but I am too impatient now to just get stuff done.
I redug the plot and sprinkled the blood and bone in
Then made a bit of a grid pattern with an old broken gardening tool
I tend to leave my potatoes uncovered until I have planted them all – basically so I know where they are and I don’t trample them
I used up all the seed potatoes and moved on to the leftover potatoes in the shed that are trying to grow
Plot number one held 54 plants.
Moving on to plot number two…
I had to rake back all the seaweed then weed a little bit – but not much as the seaweed did a grand job of suppressing most of the weeds.
Then had to dig it over, then dig in the blood and bone before planting
I managed to squeeze in another 40 potatoes here.
I was digging up magnificent worms!
The sad little peanut gallery waited in vain for worm treats. (I only threw them worms that I accidentally broke – I prefer them in the garden working for me and the chooks get enough good food anyway!)
We really need to mow! Beginning to lose chickens! I suppose we will get around to it when we get a few days of sun in a row so it dries out a bit!
In a fit of enthusiasm I dug up a third plot and dug through some more blood and bone. I think my beetroot will eventually go here.
Happy to do a decent days work… although I am feeling it now in my limbs!!
Hope you all had a great day too!
Cheers!
I bet you’re very pleased to get those potatoes in the ground! Our spring this year was a real wet one too. I was late getting everything in! My garden was a mud pit for the longest time!! Luckily it finally warmed up and has been a pretty hot summer. It is really frustrating to have to wait to get your garden going, huh!!
How big are your garden plots?
Hi Pat – yes I think I was quietly fretting about those potatoes!! We had your wet spring last season, but the summer never really came good for us. Keeping my fingers crossed for this season! It was kinda warm today – even let my lettuce out! lol – just went out and covered them back up for the night.
Thats a good question re the plot size. One of these days I would like to measure them so people have an idea what areas I am working with (esp for my little gardening page)
Hoping the weather will go ahead more in leaps and bounds now. Fingers crossed!! 😀
Autumn has been a bit of a wash out here and I’ve found it difficult to get out in the garden for the rain. Somewhere in between us in the world they must be having all the nice weather 🙂
That made me laugh. Going to have to work out who has our decent weather and go and have a quiet word with them about it! 😀
It does make it harder to get out when the weather is grotty – I don’t mind the rain so much, but the cold doesn’t motivate me much! (Plus still got this cold/sore throat hanging on and not sure how much good it does you to prance about in the cold and wet when you aren’t totally healthy!! 🙂 )
Hope your autumn looks up soon – its such a lovely time of year usually!
I noticed that you plant the whole potato. We have always cut the potatoes so that each piece had an eye and then let them sit after cutting so that the cut healed and then we planted them. I know my Grandmother did it this way and I’ve never seen it done any other way. Maybe it is a USA thing? LOL We get more potatoes to plant doing it that way. I have no idea how the potatoes differ in size.
I also noticed that you said you had a cold. I have a great “recipe” for homemade cough syrup that really works. Here it is in case you want to give it a try.
Homemade Cough Syrup
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (unfiltered is best)
2 Tablespoons honey (raw local is best)
2 Tablespoons water or lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ginger (you can use ground ginger or fresh ginger)
Mix all together. Take a tablespoon at a time when you are coughing. Do not give to small children because of the honey. You can make it ahead and refrigerate it for when you need it.
Hi Kathy!!
Thanks for the recipe! I’ll write that one up in my recipe book for future reference… yesterday FINALLY my throat ceased to hurt so much! It was hanging on. Its still not completely shaken off but getting there!
Re the potatoes. The small ones from my crop I planted whole.(I have lots so it didn’t matter how many I used!) The seed potatoes I mostly cut in half – three if they were big enough with enough eyes. I hadn’t heard about letting them sit to heal after cutting! That actually makes a lot of sense now that I think about it! Will remember that for next season. I know a lot of people like to drop them in whole. I am just a bit more frugal lol
Thank-you so much for all the information! Hope you have a lovely day! (raining raining and sideways raining here today!!!)