Potatoes n mud

[Esaias]

Got my raised beds planted last week with yeller squah, zucchini, green beans, and bell peppers. Just put a row of potatoes in about 30 minutes ago. Problem is its been raining like Noah's Flood and its supposed to rain the rest of the week through the weekend. I had a trench for the potatoes but the ground is SOAKED and the trench is full. Dug a side trench to drain it but it still has standing water.

So....

I pulled the mulch back, threw in some peatmoss and composted manure, put my taters in it, covered them with peat moss and some dry topsoil I scrounged up from the garage, pulled the mulch back in between the little tater hills, and said a little prayer.

Hopefully the Lord will bring out the Irish in us and we can get this patch through the monsoon and onto the table.

[jediwill83]

Got my raised beds planted last week with yeller squah, zucchini, green beans, and bell peppers. Just put a row of potatoes in about 30 minutes ago. Problem is its been raining like Noah's Flood and its supposed to rain the rest of the week through the weekend. I had a trench for the potatoes but the ground is SOAKED and the trench is full. Dug a side trench to drain it but it still has standing water.

So....

I pulled the mulch back, threw in some peatmoss and composted manure, put my taters in it, covered them with peat moss and some dry topsoil I scrounged up from the garage, pulled the mulch back in between the little tater hills, and said a little prayer.

Hopefully the Lord will bring out the Irish in us and we can get this patch through the monsoon and onto the table.
Sounds like an amazing recovery to nature that refuses to cooperate.

[Tithesmeister]

Got my raised beds planted last week with yeller squah, zucchini, green beans, and bell peppers. Just put a row of potatoes in about 30 minutes ago. Problem is its been raining like Noah's Flood and its supposed to rain the rest of the week through the weekend. I had a trench for the potatoes but the ground is SOAKED and the trench is full. Dug a side trench to drain it but it still has standing water.

So....

I pulled the mulch back, threw in some peatmoss and composted manure, put my taters in it, covered them with peat moss and some dry topsoil I scrounged up from the garage, pulled the mulch back in between the little tater hills, and said a little prayer.

Hopefully the Lord will bring out the Irish in us and we can get this patch through the monsoon and onto the table.

Potatoes are about the most fun crop to grow in my opinion. They’re pretty forgiving, and you can pretty much count on a crop of decent potatoes as long as you take care of the Colorado potato beetles when they show up (and they will). Kids of any age love digging taters, even old kids like me. It’s like digging for treasure.

It’s usually an easy crop, and even the mud shouldn’t mess it up unless they rot before they leaf out. I’d probably wait myself and not plant until you have a window of drier weather but it’s unlikely that dryer weather won’t happen in the next week or so. Hope you have a bountiful crop and a lot of fun.

[Birddog]

you planted in a light moon though. You were supposed to wait a week until the dark of the moon. Didn't they teach you that?

Now your tubers will be all plant and no roots.

If you waited a week then you would have had better root crops.

Above ground plants you plant by the light of the moon, below ground plants you plant at the dark of the moon.

[Birddog]

It was the dark of the moon, the sixth of june, a kenworth hauling logs....

[Birddog]

it is a waning crescent though so you might be okay.

[Esaias]

What? I planted by the light of the sun. Quit reading back issues of the Farmer's Almanac!

[shag]

Planted our fruit trees last week. 2 peach, 2 apple, 2 pear. 1 plum. Still need to put in my 2 cherry trees.
Working on fencing in a new garden area in the next few days, to keep the deer and critters out.
If the rain ever actually let’s up for more than a day or two...we’ll start getting a garden put in.

Wish I could raise chickens for the eggs, but my son is very allergic to eggs.

[Birddog]

Man, got some more trees, got my peach trees budding soon.

[Tithesmeister]

Those taters up yet?

[Esaias]

Those taters up yet?

I planted two rows total. The first row has sprouted cute little green bushy looking sprouts. The second row I expect to be popping up early next week.

I saw a rather fat rabbit lurking in the yard. Hopefully he will be content with all the clover in the yard and ignore my raised beds and my muddy potatoe patch. Otherwise he might discover what #7 birdshot tastes like if I catch him. Run, El-ahrairah, run! :)

My garlic cloves haven't done anything. Some beans and some bell peppers have sprouted up, and most of the squash has too. I'll probably replant beans and peppers and some squash this coming week, plus some lettuce and tomatoes and more potatoes. I still have 4 or 5 bags of seed potatoes, some are already growing in the bags. I need to get them in the ground too.

The ducks (we have 4 ducklings) are getting bigger but I suspect 2 are drakes. Argh!

Chickens are cute as can be. Got the runs fenced, gonna build the coops this next week.

Curiously cold for early April. Must be that global warming I keep hearing about.

[Tithesmeister]

I planted two rows total. The first row has sprouted cute little green bushy looking sprouts. The second row I expect to be popping up early next week.

I saw a rather fat rabbit lurking in the yard. Hopefully he will be content with all the clover in the yard and ignore my raised beds and my muddy potatoe patch. Otherwise he might discover what #7 birdshot tastes like if I catch him. Run, El-ahrairah, run! :)

My garlic cloves haven't done anything. Some beans and some bell peppers have sprouted up, and most of the squash has too. I'll probably replant beans and peppers and some squash this coming week, plus some lettuce and tomatoes and more potatoes. I still have 4 or 5 bags of seed potatoes, some are already growing in the bags. I need to get them in the ground too.

The ducks (we have 4 ducklings) are getting bigger but I suspect 2 are drakes. Argh!

Chickens are cute as can be. Got the runs fenced, gonna build the coops this next week.

Curiously cold for early April. Must be that global warming I keep hearing about.

Thanks for the update. I have a gardening trick that I learned on potatoes I’d like to share with you. (I don’t know how much you know about potatoes. You may know more or less than I do, so just take it for what it’s worth.) Typically you hill your potatoes up a couple of times with dirt after the plants start growing. An old man who is a friend of mine told me that instead of using dirt to hill up around the plants, he knew someone who used pine straw. He convinced me to try it. I used grass clippings from my lawn mower instead. I had great results. The potatoes grow in the mulch (pine straw, or in my case grass clippings). They are easier to harvest, cleaner, and easier to check on when you’re looking to see if they’re ready. If you want to gather a few early potatoes for peas and potatoes etc. you can just pull the mulch back, gather what you want, and then cover it back up. I recommend it.

[Esaias]

Thanks for the update. I have a gardening trick that I learned on potatoes I’d like to share with you. (I don’t know how much you know about potatoes. You may know more or less than I do, so just take it for what it’s worth.) Typically you hill your potatoes up a couple of times with dirt after the plants start growing. An old man who is a friend of mine told me that instead of using dirt to hill up around the plants, he knew someone who used pine straw. He convinced me to try it. I used grass clippings from my lawn mower instead. I had great results. The potatoes grow in the mulch (pine straw, or in my case grass clippings). They are easier to harvest, cleaner, and easier to check on when you’re looking to see if they’re ready. If you want to gather a few early potatoes for peas and potatoes etc. you can just pull the mulch back, gather what you want, and then cover it back up. I recommend it.

Actually I know very little. But I had planned on using grass mulch (grass clippings) to hill up around the taters as they grew. So I'm glad your post serves as a bit of confirmation that I was on the right track.

:thumbsup

[shag]

Got my tater starters from a buddy today, so I’m ready to put them in the ground. Going to use straw hay on mine.

[Tithesmeister]

Actually I know very little. But I had planned on using grass mulch (grass clippings) to hill up around the taters as they grew. So I'm glad your post serves as a bit of confirmation that I was on the right track.

:thumbsup

When they bloom is when they start making potatoes. It’s also when those Colorado potato beetles show up. It’s a critical time. They think you planted potatoes just for them. And they will eat them all up. They don’t leave any for you. Be ready!

Got my tater starters from a buddy today, so I’m ready to put them in the ground. Going to use straw hay on mine.

:thumbsup

[Esaias]

When they bloom is when they start making potatoes. It’s also when those Colorado potato beetles show up. It’s a critical time. They think you planted potatoes just for them. And they will eat them all up. They don’t leave any for you. Be ready!


Well thank the good Lord I'm in Texas!! :heeheehee :happydance:happydance

[Esaias]

Got my tater starters from a buddy today, so I’m ready to put them in the ground. Going to use straw hay on mine.

Cool, we're all gonna get fat this fall from gorging on potatoes. :yourock

[Tithesmeister]

Well thank the good Lord I'm in Texas!! :heeheehee :happydance:happydance

Do y’all have any Mexicans in Texas? Hondurans?

You may have Colorado potato beetles as well.

A strange thing happens when Colorado potato beetles cross the state line from New Mexico. Do you know the difference in Colorado potato beetles in Texas, and the same in Colorado?

[Esaias]

Do y’all have any Mexicans in Texas? Hondurans?

You may have Colorado potato beetles as well.

A strange thing happens when Colorado potato beetles cross the state line from New Mexico. Do you know the difference in Colorado potato beetles in Texas, and the same in Colorado?

All these illegal bugs! I'm gonna build a wall. A great big BYOOOOOTIFUL wall!

Actually I've got rolls of bug screen so I'm thinking about making a fence. I'm actually more concerned about Texas jackrabbits than anything else at the moment.

Saw the fat bunny again last night. Also saw an armadillo. Gonna have to have late night armed garden patrols. Either that or keep the Golden Retriever outside at night...

[Tithesmeister]

Do y’all have any Mexicans in Texas? Hondurans?

You may have Colorado potato beetles as well.

A strange thing happens when Colorado potato beetles cross the state line from New Mexico. Do you know the difference in Colorado potato beetles in Texas, and the same in Colorado?

The difference in Colorado potato beetles in Colorado, and Texas, is size. Everything’s bigger in Texas. When you see Colorado potato beetles in Texas, many people mistake them for military vehicles. Tanks etc.. They come in military columns, moving in quasi platoons, and they are almost the color of desert storm camouflage. Some conspiracy theorists have mistaken them for military maneuvers. :heeheehee

All these illegal bugs! I'm gonna build a wall. A great big BYOOOOOTIFUL wall!

Actually I've got rolls of bug screen so I'm thinking about making a fence. I'm actually more concerned about Texas jackrabbits than anything else at the moment.

Saw the fat bunny again last night. Also saw an armadillo. Gonna have to have late night armed garden patrols. Either that or keep the Golden Retriever outside at night...

You may try turning your ducks loose on the potato beetles. I’ve known of geese cleaning a garden up of bugs. If the ducks like potato beetles, they may just be the answer. I’ve seen them eat horse flys until they could barely waddle around. They’re like bug vacuums.

I’ve usually just handpicked them. They normally don’t last but three or four days. But, Lordy they can do some damage in a little bit of time. Don’t turn your back on your potatoes when the bushes are full grown.

[Tithesmeister]

One of the funniest things I’ve seen, is a chihuahua chasing a Texas jackrabbit. It seemed like that jackrabbit would turn around and chase the chihuahua. You could see the ears on the jackrabbit running through the brush, and occasionally you’d see the chihuahua bounce into view.

[KeptByTheWord]

Our planting season doesn't start until June. I've got seeds started in the greenhouse. Because our growing season is so short, I have to start everything in the greenhouse.

Compost is like gold in the garden. Also mulching makes a world of difference. I am going to try using the pine straw for potatoes. I've also used hay straw and that works really well too. My chicken manure has finally sat for two years, and I will be using it this year in the garden.

[Esaias]

I thought too much pine needle turns the soil acidic and inhibits garden production???

[KeptByTheWord]

I use pine straw for my strawberries and raspberries already. But you're right, it may be too acidic for the potatoes.

[Tithesmeister]

I thought too much pine needle turns the soil acidic and inhibits garden production???

It can. Some locales benefit from added lime, to drop the acid content. Others would actually benefit from pine needles, because their soil is naturally low acid. Texas has typically a high content of lime in some areas. The way to know for sure is to check the ph of your soil. If it’s acidic, add lime (and probably forego the pine needles). If the ph is too low, pine needles will benefit your soil ph, and make a great mulch as well.

Ph is very important. Different plants like slightly different ph levels. Usually if you amend your soil to a balance of ph that is kind of in the middle of the range, it will work for a lot of different plants.

If your ph is out of the range of whatever plant you are trying to grow, it will behave as though it needs fertilizer. The soil can be fertile, but if the ph is off, the nutrients will not be available for the plants to take up.

[Originalist]

It was the dark of the moon, the sixth of june, a kenworth hauling logs....

By the dark of the moon - I planted
But there came an early snow

[Pressing-On]

Esaias, What do you use to thwart fireants? Big problem around here. I certainly don't want to use pesticides. Not that I am going to garden, but just curious. LOL! The only thing I would willing grow are jalapenos. :D

[KeptByTheWord]

Esaias, What do you use to thwart fireants? Big problem around here. I certainly don't want to use pesticides. Not that I am going to garden, but just curious. LOL! The only thing I would willing grow are jalapenos. :D

My dad lives in south Texas, and deals with the horrible fire ants. He had success treating them with Splenda. After he saw the Splenda killing the fire ants, he stopped using Splenda in his food. He said if it kills the ants, its probably killing me, lol :heeheehee

[Pressing-On]

My dad lives in south Texas, and deals with the horrible fire ants. He had success treating them with Splenda. After he saw the Splenda killing the fire ants, he stopped using Splenda in his food. He said if it kills the ants, its probably killing me, lol :heeheehee

Oh my goodness! I am going to have to see if that works!!!! :heeheehee

[Esaias]

Esaias, What do you use to thwart fireants? Big problem around here. I certainly don't want to use pesticides. Not that I am going to garden, but just curious. LOL! The only thing I would willing grow are jalapenos. :D

I leave them alone. Years and years ago back when I was younger I used old gasoline. Or fresh gas, pour it on, let it soak a bit, and light it up. :)

Now I just ignore them. They ignore us.

[shag]

I leave them alone. Years and years ago back when I was younger I used old gasoline. Or fresh gas, pour it on, let it soak a bit, and light it up. :)

Now I just ignore them. They ignore us.



And all my rowdy friends have settled down...

[shag]

Anybody go looking for these little jewels?

[Esaias]

And all my rowdy friends have settled down...

Lol a country boy can survive.

[Esaias]

Anybody go looking for these little jewels?

What are those, morels? I pretty much only hunt mushrooms in the produce aisle at the grocery store. Back in the day, though, before I was a Christian, I got my mushrooms out of cowfields...