Time to plant potatoes
Last year I planted my potatoes much earlier - the beginning of March if I recall.
I had straw and fleece on the first two beds and they were going well.
By the middle of April the frosts seemed over so I removed the fleece. Then disaster struck.
Out of nowhere, on 21 April if I recall, there was a severe (-5 degree C) frost - those early potatoes were wiped out, never to recover.
So this year I have played it safe. I am just starting to plant my potatoes. There might still be a frost yet - but I will keep them fleeced until the end of April.
I am primarily using the no-dig method following Charles Dowding.
So to prepare the bed I pulled out the main weeds.
This bed was only used lightly last year with some lettuce, beetroot and latterly turnips and a few carrots.
I have been picking off the bigger weeds over the past few weeks and giving them to the chickens. So the clean up today was quite easy.
The main weed was Willowherb.
The chickens enjoyed the weeds.
The potatoes had been left to 'chit' just a bit too long but they should still be fine.
Alas the label got mislaid so I don't actually know which variety I have put down - hopefully these are earlies.
I just dug little 'indents' for each potato filling with it with that locally produced Martin's TLC compost to give the pototaoes a little boost. For reference I planted 32 potatoes in this bed.
I also threw down a few handfuls of potato fertiliser I found in the barn and some chicken manure pellets.
To finish off the bed I am topping it up with a good layer of dead/rotting leaves from the lane.
I added this to most of the beds last year and over the past 12 months it has broken down well and is generating some really good soil.
I am not going to get caught out with a late frost again this year so I have covered the bed with an old fleece.
I have another 4 packs of seed potatoes.
I will probably go for one more bed in the back garden here and the rest over in the pig garden.
If all goes well I will be aiming for at least 80kg of potatoes this year.
You might also be interested in some of my other posts :
My Life in 8 Songs - a chance to promote your organisation or project
The Newt and the Chicken House - How did the newt get in the bowl?
SteemRadio - schedule of all the steemit radio shows - week beginning 9 April 2018
My Life in 8 Songs [Thursday 5 April 2018] - @starkerz - interview & 8 songs
My Life in 8 Songs [Thursday 5 April 2018] - @allasyummyfood - interview & 8 songs
My Life in 8 Songs [Thursday 5 April 2018] - @anarcotech - interview & 8 songs
My Witnesses - time for a clearout & rebirth
The Steemit Name Challenge - @pennsif
My Garden, My Barn, My Books
Five Ways to Fix the Witness System
Time for a Steem Springclean - part 1 - Follows, Discords and Witnesses
[ photos by @pennsif ]
Excuse my city slicker question - how many potatoes does each of those potatoes yield? Is each little root thingy a shoot or a root? Gosh I sound stupid 😂
The sprouts / shoots you see on the seed potatoes in the pics will grow up to be green foliage of the plant.
Down below roots will start to grow out and along those roots little baby potato tubers will start to grow that fill out to become full potatoes over the next 3 - 4 months (depending whether they are earlies or main crop).
If the soil is good and the timing right I would hope to get maybe 6 or 7 good size potatoes from each plant and a bunch of smaller ones. The yield will be at least 0.5kg per plant, or up to 1kg if they grow very well.
oh wow! This is super interesting for me. I've always dreamed of having a small holding where i can plant my own veggies and become as close to self subsistent as possible
My potatoes are up and doing well. So like you hope for no late frosts.
👍
You are planting potatoes. Very good job
Nice post.
Gardening is beautiful thing and you are doing it well
Looks like youll have a great harvest!