Would you grow your potatoes this way?

I just finished planting a "new" way, for me, to plant potatoes! In a bed about 6' X 8,' I dug small depressions in the ground and placed potato cuttings in them. I filled the bed with cuttings spaced about 18" apart.

I then covered them up with about 3" to 4" of wheat straw. Once the plants start to grow through the straw to about 10" tall, I'll add more straw to just under the top two sets of leaves. and then keep doing that until the mulch is about 12" to 18" above the top of the block border. That will equal approximately 20" to 26" of straw mulch covering the potato cuttings.

The reason that I'm trying this method, is because with all of the changes going on in outlining my beds with concrete block, I do not have the soil prepared as I would normally have. I had heard of this method from a Rodale gardening article that measured the effectiveness of planting potatoes several different ways, to determine the potential improvement in yield. 

We shall see, so please follow along as they grow and are harvested at the end of the season. I will post more photos as the plants emerge from under this first application of straw, then throughout the rest of the potato growing season here in North Central Texas.

Author's Note as of April 3rd, 2016: Prior to the beginning of April, we had a lot of rain, so the above test plot all died from being too wet. This is how I usually prepare my seed potatoes. And, this is how I mulch my potatoes once they are growing

Please feel free to share this with your vegetable gardening friends!

Preparing Your Springtime Plantings

For those of you, like me, who enjoy planting their own seeds for springtime plantings, rather than go buy them at the local nursery, the following are a few tips that I have used for years. Please keep in mind that there are several different USDA Zones across the country, so please go to USDA.gov to find out what yours is in regard to when you should get your seeds started indoors (find out when the last frost date is in your region).

There are a few things that you’ll need to get your seeds off to a good start…some are optional, but all of them have proven to help my pre-season seeding practices be successful.

Soil: If you choose a cheap bagged soil, you may get poor results. I do not have any personal connection with “Jiffy” brand of products, but they have worked VERY WELL for me over many years.  I use the Organic seed starting mix, not because I have a “bend” toward being organic, but because it WORKS! After many attempts at finding and using several different brands, Jiffy works the best for me and my situation.

I also use Jiffy brand “Peat Pots. I choose to start my seeds in the 3” pots, so that by the time I can transplant some of the more sensitive plants into the vegetable garden, like peppers, I can plant the entire pot without disturbing the roots of these delicate babies.

Water: I have consistently expressed the need to keep your seedlings evenly watered. As you can see by the photo above, I place all of my seed pots in trays (with no drainage holes in the trays).  I ALWAYS water from the bottom of the pot (I pour water into the tray), rather than watering into the top of the pot. 

The potential to dislodge the seeds is a risk I do not want to take. I am also able to avoid “damping off” disease. The peat post start to soak up the water and within just a few minutes the entire pot is moist and the seedlings get all the water they need.

Light: I am a simple man, without a lot of resources. To provide my family with quality produce from the garden, at a better price than the grocery store, which always seems to be a challenge, I do not own EXPENSIVE grow lights. 

For all of the years that I’ve been growing my own seeds, I have found that a simple “shop light” with T-8 or T-12 cool white fluorescent bulbs work just fine. I use 4 shop lights with 2 bulbs in them and they are set on a timer for 14 hours per day. Yes, the “grow lights” may have beneficial light waves, or some other magical force, but the cost is too prohibitive for my situation.

Heat: All too often I am told by the so-called experts, on some social media sites, that a warming pad placed underneath the seed trays is unnecessary. Even though I have expressed that I grow in my garage, and it gets below freezing on some days while I’m growing the seeds, they still lambaste me for such a foolish waste. And then I ask them “what is their germination rate?” When I’m told that they get a whopping 75% to 80 %, I kindly let them know that I typically get 95 to 100%.

So, if you can afford a warming pad, because you do not have the proper spot inside the house to grow, then I’m suggesting that you consider getting one.

Seed: It seems like most “forward thinking” vegetable gardeners are shifting to, or have shifted a long time ago, to growing only “Heirloom” seeds. I have, and found it to be a good move. Yes, I do still plant a few “hybrid” varieties, but 95% of my seeding consists of heirloom varieties. I have used several providers in the past with so-so results (considering all of the other things above are the same), but have rested on one provider, The Seed Guy. His seeds are clean and plump and for the last three years (again, considering all of the other things above are the same) I have gotten 100% germination rate.

(NOTE: I am in no way suggesting that any seed company, or myself, are saying that you can ALWAYS get a 100% germination rate. I will say, however, that if you do all of the things listed above, your chances will be much better.) When I plant my seed, I usually plant a seed or two more in each hole. That way, when it’s time to thin the seedlings, I can choose the biggest and healthiest one or two in each pot.

Well, there you go. The things I do to get my seedlings prepped are listed above and I hope you will have the same success and fun that I have had throughout my gardening experience. Good luck to you and your gardening efforts.

Why do I vegetable garden?

When you vegetable garden, you are investing a lot of time, effort and energy into this endeavor. You do it for the health benefits that come from working the soil as well as eating your bounty. You do it to share the harvest and to preserve for the future months. It takes time to learn what works and what doesn’t.

You certainly do not learn it overnight. But failure is bound to show its ugly face from time to time, due to bad weather like heavy rain and wind, incorrect planning or scheduling like planting too early or too late and other problems like pest control issues (weeds, insects and diseases).

You will get used to common practices in the garden that are mainstays such as composting. Every great garden has a compost heap within the garden or at least nearby. 

A good gardener will use EVERY resource made available to them like materials that will keep feeding the heap. Look for stables in your area for a constant supply of manure. Raise your own livestock to supply yourself with your own manure. I raise rabbits and it’s one of the best manures around, in my opinion!

As our world is changing politically, our government is making it harder to get our money’s worth, so look for heirloom varieties of seeds that you can save seed from, for each succeeding season. Collect and share seed. It’s a great way to make friends and to try new varieties that have never grown in your garden. 

Share your bounty with others and it will come back to you. I practice paying it forward on a regular basis, and have been blessed in many ways because of it.

When it comes to harvesting, do it at the right time. Your plants produce the best tasting produce when taken from the plant at the right time. Harvest too early and you have to ripen veggies inside the house (if they will ripen off of the plant), loosing flavor and sacrificing nutrients. Harvest too late and you lose the benefit of those same nutrients too.

In regard to processing, harvesting properly is one of the most important steps in your effort to provide for your family. Learn what type of processing works best for each vegetable. Canning is not always the answer. As well, neither is dehydrating. Find out what works best for the veggie you intend to process and also what works best for you. Find a good, tough, vacuum sealer. This will become one of the best tools in your kitchen.

At the end of the day, I can say that most every day that I’ve done something related to my garden, has been a wonderful experience. Don’t let failure keep you from growing a garden every year. 

Don’t let someone else change your mind just because you miss the mark. I’ve had more failures than I would really want to admit, but they haven’t stopped me. I now have a 7,000 square foot garden and it produces all sorts of good things for my family and me, so GO FOR IT!

How to Grow QUALITY Tomatoes!

Celebrity Tomatoes are a great variety to have in your garden, no mater (sorry, I couldn't resist!) where you live. I do grow lots of heirloom varieties, but this is one great Hybrid for my garden. The tricks that work for me are the following, but these apply to most any variety:

1. Grow your own transplants to at least one foot tall before planting in the garden. Planting your transplants needs to be timed properly for your region to allow the plants to reach this height.

2. Prep your soil with lots of manures or compost in the fall months and let the earthworms do the mixing for you. Why should you break your back, right? Here’s my article on quick composting

3. Plant 7/8's of the plant into the ground, pulling all but the top two sets of leaves off.

4. Throw a tablespoon of Epsom salts into the bottom of the planting hole. Once completely planted, scatter one more tablespoon on the soil surface.

5. Know the difference between a Determinate and an Indeterminate variety, so you know if it’s' okay to pinch out the side growth. Here's my article on the subject

6. Keep an eye out for the bad guys: The dreaded Tomato Horned Worm, or the Tobacco Horned Worm

7. KEEP YOUR SOIL EVENLY MOIST THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE GROWING SEASON!. This is a "must do!" Mulch if possible (I use straw mulch about 4-6 inches thick). Even moisture also helps to reduce the likelihood of cat facing (a bad cracking of the tops of the fruit). Here’s my mulching video over on YouTube, and my article on mulching.

8. Most varieties are in the so called "heavy feeder" category, so you can side dress with compost or a well-rotted manure. I would wait until after fruit starts to set, otherwise all you will get is a LOT of leaf and stem growth. (Side Note: I do not fertilize at all here in Texas, as I do all of my soil work in the fall).

9. Cage or stake your plants at planting time. Here's my article on the subject.

10. Have a BOUNTIFUL HARVEST!