Text 20706, 76 rader
Skriven 2007-09-27 11:41:14 av HAP NEWSOM (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av JOAN MACDIARMID
Ärende: heat levels
===================
HI Joan!

-> 
->  >What I can't understand is why these people are so
->  > worried about my harvesting the 'maters if they don't much like them?
-> 
->  BM> Because they think you don't know better than "what *everybody*
->  BM> knows."
-> 
->  The little girl barely knows what they are! She keeps
->  calling them potatoes! Ha! Too bad I can't plant
->  potatoes next year, to show them how they grow! But
->  I suspect too many would grow out into the lawn area
->  so I couldn't harvest without tearing the grass up.
->  My gardening is necessarily limited, as I have a
->  foot or so of ground to plant in, alongside my
->  apartment, and the sun is limited there. I figure
->  no vines, because they would trail out into the grass
->  and get hit by lawnmowers, and no underground crops
->  like potatoes or yams. Maybe I might try for an early
->  crop of spinach next year, though. And I sometimes do
->  herbs in porch pots.
-> 
If you'd really like to do potatoes, there is a simple, workable, and fun
way to do them! A gardening friend has a method for doing potatoes that
sounds perfect for the situation in which you live!

Get a clean garbage can or similar container. Plastic works great because
it won't rust out. Drainage is absolutely necessary. Drill several 1/2 inch
holes in the bottom. It also helps to drill some holes in the side about
half-inch up from the bottom of the container. 

Fill the container with about 6 inches of good potting soil. Mix in about a
handful of osmocote 14-14-14 fertilizer. Osmocote is a slow release
fertilizer that will stay active for approximately 2 1/2 months. Organic
fertilizers formulated for acid loving plants such as rhododendrons also
works well. (Note: After 2 1/2 months with osmocote, or about 1 1/2 months
with organic, fertilize with a good water soluble fertilizer such as
Miracle Grow about every two weeks according to directions on the label).
Place whole seed potatoes in the soil. There should be about 5 inches
between potatoes. Cover with an additional inch or so of soil. All potatoes
should be completely covered with soil. Water the spuds in. 

The potatoes will begin to grow. When the vines reach 4 inches, cover all
but 1 inch with compost or straw. I like to use compost, because it is easy
to reach in to pick potatoes. Every time the vines grow another 4 inches,
keep covering all but the top inch. Eventually, the vines will grow out of
the top of the container. It is a good idea to stake up the vines so they
don't fall over and break. Place 4 bamboo or wood stakes (one in each
corner) and tie the vines to the stakes with twine. By now the whole
container will be filled with compost. Soon the vines will flower. Not long
after that, the vines will begin to produce potatoes all along the vines
that are covered with compost in the container. Once they have become big
enough, you can reach in and pick a few for dinner any time you want. These
spuds are called "new potatoes." They won't keep long in the fridge, so
pick-em and eat em. After the vines die back at the end of summer, the
potatoes remaining are storing potatoes. You can harvest and store them as
you normally would. These will keep well as long as they are stored in a
dark, cool, and relatively dry location. 

One last note: take care to provide adequate water. You don't want to drown
the plants but it's also important the soil at the bottom never dries out.
In late summer spuds may need to be watered on a daily basis. Use a
watering can to water to avoid wetting the foliage. I found that keeping
the containers in an area with morning sun exposure prevents the soil from
drying out too rapidly and still allows enough sun for a bumper crop. 

This method of growing spuds is really fun. You get lots of them without
using much space, and it amazes visitors to your yard. Last year I
harvested 35 large Yukon Gold and 55 good sized Peruvian Blue potatoes.
Great served with brussels sprouts! 

chat with you soon!
ha
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