Is it gorgeous outside or what? Charlotte is a city of flowering trees. The daffodils, tulips and the little purple ground cover flowers are going crazy. Even one of the azalea bushes is blooming in my yard. Saturday morning at Renfrow’s hardware, people were buying tomato plants. I was sorely tempted to do so as well. The ones in the greenhouse are still a little too small to leave their mother.
Potatoes have been a major failure in our garden since we moved in from Waxhaw. Every year visions of new potatoes dance through my head and like old Charlie Brown trying to kick that football, I give it another try. This year a new approach is being used. It is a hybrid of a few methods that were mentioned in this month’s Organic Gardening magazine.
Mitchell Hales, a brick mason, was kind enough to donate a bag that came full of sand from Home Depot. He had used the sand of course. About three 4” slashes were made near the bottom to facilitate drainage. About 4” of garden soil and compost and play sand were put on the bottom. The ph tested at 7.2 which is way too high for potatoes. A little sprinkling of sulfur was put on this and another thin layer of soil was added. The seed potatoes were spaced about 10” apart all around the surface of the soil and another 3” of soil was added. This also was sprinkled lightly with sulfur. Pray for potatoes.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label Potatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Potatoes. Show all posts
Monday, March 21, 2011
Monday, July 12, 2010
Lessons from this Years Garden
There are things to do and things not to do. A big to do is to get the whole garden into raised beds. Another thing to do is be more diligent with the pepper spray. Both fig trees will definitely get a heavy pruning. The things not to do deal mostly with what not to plant.
There will be no potatoes and corn. The melons do well; but they all get ripe at the same time and we don’t eat them. The jury is still out on the melons. The three sisters will have sunflowers in the place of corn. There will be more varieties of tomatoes, peppers and squash and more eggplant plants. There will be lots of cucumbers, the same amount of okra and more pole beans. There will be green beans and speckled limas.
The spaces between the beds will be mulched much earlier next year to avoid grass. The mimosa tree that shades the garden will come down. It is possible the poplar tree will come down too.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
There will be no potatoes and corn. The melons do well; but they all get ripe at the same time and we don’t eat them. The jury is still out on the melons. The three sisters will have sunflowers in the place of corn. There will be more varieties of tomatoes, peppers and squash and more eggplant plants. There will be lots of cucumbers, the same amount of okra and more pole beans. There will be green beans and speckled limas.
The spaces between the beds will be mulched much earlier next year to avoid grass. The mimosa tree that shades the garden will come down. It is possible the poplar tree will come down too.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Firecracker 4th
The promised rain did not materialize, watering was needed. The weekend of the 4th did show some progress in the garden however. The tomatoes are coming in fast enough to give a couple away. Not quite fast enough to can. There are several egg plants almost ready to pick. We are getting over 1 pound of cucumbers every day. The potatoes were pulled off. There was a net loss on the amount of seed potatoes and the harvested potatoes. I really mean it this time. No more potatoes!!!
One of the beds where the potatoes were planted was filled with compost and covered with dirt. Also the upside down tomatoes were planted. This year a rack was built to keep them high enough off of the ground that they will be hard for deer to browse. Last year just as the plant was loaded with tomatoes, a deer ate the whole thing. This year it is hoped that they will last long enough to come into the green house and produce some late tomatoes.
The corn is finished. Something ate the ones that were on the ground and knocked the rest of the corn down. In the three sisters bed, the beans hit the ground as well and got eaten by whatever ate the corn. The butternut squash grew into the yellow squash bed and all the way through it. There are loads of butternut squash. The powdery mildew is back and I tried to spray it, but the sulfur stopped up the nozzle on the sprayer. When it was being cleaned a part was lost so today I have to get a new sprayer.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
One of the beds where the potatoes were planted was filled with compost and covered with dirt. Also the upside down tomatoes were planted. This year a rack was built to keep them high enough off of the ground that they will be hard for deer to browse. Last year just as the plant was loaded with tomatoes, a deer ate the whole thing. This year it is hoped that they will last long enough to come into the green house and produce some late tomatoes.
The corn is finished. Something ate the ones that were on the ground and knocked the rest of the corn down. In the three sisters bed, the beans hit the ground as well and got eaten by whatever ate the corn. The butternut squash grew into the yellow squash bed and all the way through it. There are loads of butternut squash. The powdery mildew is back and I tried to spray it, but the sulfur stopped up the nozzle on the sprayer. When it was being cleaned a part was lost so today I have to get a new sprayer.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Monday, April 19, 2010
The Long Silence
It is almost always better to do something than talk about it. That has been the situation in the garden this month. Now everything is coming up great and the concentration is on weeding and building support structures. Watering has also become important very early in the season.
The only thing that has not come up well is the potatoes. They were planted in raised bed boxes that had not been filled, so they are really just planted in the dirt. Only 5 potato plants have come up. They will get one more week to manifest themselves or they will be covered with compost and dirt and the new bed will be either planted with something else or covered with leaves until it is needed.
Both salad and sallet greens are gracing our table and the tables of our friends in abundance. Onions too. Even a few asparagus are showing up. They are not very thick. Not even as thick as last year. There are more of them though. The sugar peas (sugar snap) are 30” tall already; but they do not have blossoms yet. They are supported by bamboo poles and a cats cradle type of string arrangement. String is a necessary evil in the garden. If it is not carefully and completely removed after use, it can really cause havoc with the tiller.
OK… I’m back to doing and eating.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The only thing that has not come up well is the potatoes. They were planted in raised bed boxes that had not been filled, so they are really just planted in the dirt. Only 5 potato plants have come up. They will get one more week to manifest themselves or they will be covered with compost and dirt and the new bed will be either planted with something else or covered with leaves until it is needed.
Both salad and sallet greens are gracing our table and the tables of our friends in abundance. Onions too. Even a few asparagus are showing up. They are not very thick. Not even as thick as last year. There are more of them though. The sugar peas (sugar snap) are 30” tall already; but they do not have blossoms yet. They are supported by bamboo poles and a cats cradle type of string arrangement. String is a necessary evil in the garden. If it is not carefully and completely removed after use, it can really cause havoc with the tiller.
OK… I’m back to doing and eating.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Spring Garden Finally Planted
The traditional time in Charlotte for planting the spring garden and starting greenhouse plants is Super Bowl weekend. The greenhouse plants were pretty well started; but the spring garden was a problem. The ground was frozen Super Bowl Saturday. Sugar peas went in on Super Bowl Sunday along with broccoli and bok choy plants. The rest of the stuff did not get in until this weekend and yesterday. On the weekend spinach, kale, radishes, beets, onions, mesclun and arugula went into the ground. Yesterday (Monday) the rape, chard, turnips, mustard and potatoes were planted.
The moon is waning which is not a good time to plant; but the soil was finally right. To wait on a new moon for the potatoes and an increasing moon for the other stuff would put everything too late. I am too superstitious to thumb my nose at the moon and too practical to wait for it. It is supposed to rain and snow today. How long will it be before the soil is dry enough for planting?
Since the garden is mostly into raised beds now, the potatoes needed special treatment. All of the raised beds have fairly fresh compost except for some that have not been filled. The unfilled beds were used. The ground under them was tilled before the beds were built; but the rain must have re-packed the soil. It had to be tilled again before the potatoes could be planted. The soil in the unfilled raised beds was very dry for this time of year. The soil in the raised beds has the perfect moisture level. They had been covered with leaves until Sunday when the mulch was removed to allow for drying of the soil.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The moon is waning which is not a good time to plant; but the soil was finally right. To wait on a new moon for the potatoes and an increasing moon for the other stuff would put everything too late. I am too superstitious to thumb my nose at the moon and too practical to wait for it. It is supposed to rain and snow today. How long will it be before the soil is dry enough for planting?
Since the garden is mostly into raised beds now, the potatoes needed special treatment. All of the raised beds have fairly fresh compost except for some that have not been filled. The unfilled beds were used. The ground under them was tilled before the beds were built; but the rain must have re-packed the soil. It had to be tilled again before the potatoes could be planted. The soil in the unfilled raised beds was very dry for this time of year. The soil in the raised beds has the perfect moisture level. They had been covered with leaves until Sunday when the mulch was removed to allow for drying of the soil.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
How to Plant Potatoes
Start with good seed potatoes. The potatoes from the grocery store are crap. Using seeds from crap will yield crap. Cut the potatoes so that each piece has a thick piece of “meat” and at least one eye. The rest of the potato can be eaten. The little seed pieces need to be cured before they are put into the ground.
Lay them out on a piece of paper so that they don’t touch one another until they get a leathery texture. Plant them in deeply worked soil about 2” or 3” deep. They should be about 6” apart and the rows should be 1 1/2’ apart. A row of onion sets can be planted between the rows of potatoes.
As the potatoes grow the plants should be covered with dirt or leaves to keep most of the plant buried. The potatoes are ready to pick when the plant blooms. You may want to “gravel” a few new potatoes once in a while. Just stick your hand in the dirt under the plant and feel around until you find a few potatoes.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Lay them out on a piece of paper so that they don’t touch one another until they get a leathery texture. Plant them in deeply worked soil about 2” or 3” deep. They should be about 6” apart and the rows should be 1 1/2’ apart. A row of onion sets can be planted between the rows of potatoes.
As the potatoes grow the plants should be covered with dirt or leaves to keep most of the plant buried. The potatoes are ready to pick when the plant blooms. You may want to “gravel” a few new potatoes once in a while. Just stick your hand in the dirt under the plant and feel around until you find a few potatoes.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
False Spring
False Spring
Saturday morning the air was warm enough to go outside without a jacket. What a great time to plant the spring garden. Saturday saw carrots, radishes and beets sowed into a row 3’ wide and about 25’ long. Sunday was for Swiss chard, Tokyo cross hybrid turnips, curly mustard, mesclun mix and kale in one bed of 3 rows. Potatoes and onions went into another row.
The soil was too alkaline for potatoes so the first step was a heavy dusting of sulfur. It made me think about George Bush. Then I worked in a whole bunch of leaves so that the soil seems to be about ½ leaves and ½ dirt. Then the potatoes went in and a side row of onion sets. I still need to plant arugula and lettuce. Spinach has survived from the fall garden; but it never got big enough to pick. Maybe this warm weather will bring it up.
The weather man (fickle as he is) has promised us a week of spring like weather. I am quite sure it will be followed by more hard freezes and possibly some snow. I hope we won’t get early bloom on the flowers and fruit trees.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Saturday morning the air was warm enough to go outside without a jacket. What a great time to plant the spring garden. Saturday saw carrots, radishes and beets sowed into a row 3’ wide and about 25’ long. Sunday was for Swiss chard, Tokyo cross hybrid turnips, curly mustard, mesclun mix and kale in one bed of 3 rows. Potatoes and onions went into another row.
The soil was too alkaline for potatoes so the first step was a heavy dusting of sulfur. It made me think about George Bush. Then I worked in a whole bunch of leaves so that the soil seems to be about ½ leaves and ½ dirt. Then the potatoes went in and a side row of onion sets. I still need to plant arugula and lettuce. Spinach has survived from the fall garden; but it never got big enough to pick. Maybe this warm weather will bring it up.
The weather man (fickle as he is) has promised us a week of spring like weather. I am quite sure it will be followed by more hard freezes and possibly some snow. I hope we won’t get early bloom on the flowers and fruit trees.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Finally a Garden Weekend
Finally a Garden Weekend
Saturday morning I planted 4 flats of plants. Sunday morning some of them had already germinated. Sunflowers and Nasturtiums are unbelievably fast. I also laid off several rows in the garden and tested the ph. I am beginning to wonder if something is wrong with my ph meter. None of the spots I tested was less than 6.1
I have not added lime to the soil in 3 years. I add lots of leaves and compost. I was under the impression these things would make the soil more acid. I added sulfur to several rows last year. A spot from last years potato row, where I had brought the ph below 5 was the lowest ph. It was 6.1. I guess I will have to add more sulfur this year.
Next weekend I would like to plant potatoes, sugar peas, radish, carrots, onions, greens and salad greens. I am debating whether to till the soil or just plant. I tilled everything really deep at the end of the season last year. It has been heavily mulched since then. Maybe I will just pull back the mulch and plant the seeds. The potatoes will be the exception. I prefer to incorporate the leave into the potato bed. Also I need to add sulfur. The sugar peas of course will be inoculated. I may plant them without removing the mulch.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Saturday morning I planted 4 flats of plants. Sunday morning some of them had already germinated. Sunflowers and Nasturtiums are unbelievably fast. I also laid off several rows in the garden and tested the ph. I am beginning to wonder if something is wrong with my ph meter. None of the spots I tested was less than 6.1
I have not added lime to the soil in 3 years. I add lots of leaves and compost. I was under the impression these things would make the soil more acid. I added sulfur to several rows last year. A spot from last years potato row, where I had brought the ph below 5 was the lowest ph. It was 6.1. I guess I will have to add more sulfur this year.
Next weekend I would like to plant potatoes, sugar peas, radish, carrots, onions, greens and salad greens. I am debating whether to till the soil or just plant. I tilled everything really deep at the end of the season last year. It has been heavily mulched since then. Maybe I will just pull back the mulch and plant the seeds. The potatoes will be the exception. I prefer to incorporate the leave into the potato bed. Also I need to add sulfur. The sugar peas of course will be inoculated. I may plant them without removing the mulch.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
May Flowers?, Yes!!
May Flowers, Yes!!
And the rains came and they came and they came and they came. Now comes the sun, then comes the flowers. The rain started Saturday. It rained Sunday and Monday. My rain barrels have gone from almost empty to over half full. In a dry moment, I walked through the garden yesterday. All the little green things were smiling. The things I planted and the weeds.
The task at hand is to conserve this water just in case we don’t get more. As soon as the ground makes a dry crust, it will be worked with the tines on the hoe. Then comes the mulch. 3 or 4 inches will be enough to start with and not too close to the plants. If it is available half-finished compost is the perfect mulch for most things. Do not use that on potatoes or peppers. Potatoes taste nasty if they get too much Nitrogen. Peppers will make gorgeous plants and no peppers. I learned that the hard way. Just plain leaves are great for peppers and potatoes.
The mulch will last longer and do a better job if newspapers are placed on the ground before the mulch is added. With potatoes don’t use the newspapers. Bring the mulch up to the potato plant so that only the top of the plant shows. Some of the potatoes in my garden are 2’ tall now. The mulch is within 6” of the top. More will be added this weekend because the rain packed it down. When the potatoes start “making” they are really easy to “gravel” from the leaves.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
And the rains came and they came and they came and they came. Now comes the sun, then comes the flowers. The rain started Saturday. It rained Sunday and Monday. My rain barrels have gone from almost empty to over half full. In a dry moment, I walked through the garden yesterday. All the little green things were smiling. The things I planted and the weeds.
The task at hand is to conserve this water just in case we don’t get more. As soon as the ground makes a dry crust, it will be worked with the tines on the hoe. Then comes the mulch. 3 or 4 inches will be enough to start with and not too close to the plants. If it is available half-finished compost is the perfect mulch for most things. Do not use that on potatoes or peppers. Potatoes taste nasty if they get too much Nitrogen. Peppers will make gorgeous plants and no peppers. I learned that the hard way. Just plain leaves are great for peppers and potatoes.
The mulch will last longer and do a better job if newspapers are placed on the ground before the mulch is added. With potatoes don’t use the newspapers. Bring the mulch up to the potato plant so that only the top of the plant shows. Some of the potatoes in my garden are 2’ tall now. The mulch is within 6” of the top. More will be added this weekend because the rain packed it down. When the potatoes start “making” they are really easy to “gravel” from the leaves.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Separation Anxiety
Separation Anxiety
I am in S. Korea now and I must admit I miss my garden. This is a critical time of year to be away. Monday afternoon was spent in the greenhouse. Almost everything left in there was trying to climb out of its pot. I repotted everything that was too small to go in the dirt outside. The water from the rain barrels is almost gone. As the plants get bigger they really drink the water.
The potatoes were getting pretty leggy. I had piled up the dirt from around them as high as it would stay. I had to mulch them with leaves. A week or so ago, I built a rail of 2” X 6”’s along the sides of the potato row to hold the leaves back. Now I will pile leaves to keep only an inch or two of potato plant exposed until the leaves are mounded as high as they will go. Ideally the potatoes will think the leaves are loose soil and make really big potatoes in the dark. Please pray for my potatoes, even if they like the dark side.
The asparagus have made huge beautiful ferns. I wonder why I did not plant them in the flower beds out front. I think I will buy some more and use them in the flower beds. Perhaps I should rethink the entire garden in terms of the decorative value of some of the plants. We have been using vases full of blooming rosemary stems in the house. What else can be used this way?
David Segrest practices international real estate and writes an international real estate blog. Email is david@segrestrealty.com , Web page http://www.segrestrealty.com ,Blog http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
I am in S. Korea now and I must admit I miss my garden. This is a critical time of year to be away. Monday afternoon was spent in the greenhouse. Almost everything left in there was trying to climb out of its pot. I repotted everything that was too small to go in the dirt outside. The water from the rain barrels is almost gone. As the plants get bigger they really drink the water.
The potatoes were getting pretty leggy. I had piled up the dirt from around them as high as it would stay. I had to mulch them with leaves. A week or so ago, I built a rail of 2” X 6”’s along the sides of the potato row to hold the leaves back. Now I will pile leaves to keep only an inch or two of potato plant exposed until the leaves are mounded as high as they will go. Ideally the potatoes will think the leaves are loose soil and make really big potatoes in the dark. Please pray for my potatoes, even if they like the dark side.
The asparagus have made huge beautiful ferns. I wonder why I did not plant them in the flower beds out front. I think I will buy some more and use them in the flower beds. Perhaps I should rethink the entire garden in terms of the decorative value of some of the plants. We have been using vases full of blooming rosemary stems in the house. What else can be used this way?
David Segrest practices international real estate and writes an international real estate blog. Email is david@segrestrealty.com , Web page http://www.segrestrealty.com ,Blog http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Why the Frozen Greenhouse?
Why the Frozen Greenhouse?
I was really puzzled about the greenhouse freezing. The little block heater worked during the coldest part of last year when the greenhouse was not nearly as tight as it is now. I took home an extra block heater and bought a pad to go under a couple of flats.
When I got home, I went to work in the greenhouse. I noticed that there was no heat coming from the block heater. It was cut off. Duh!!!!! I vaguely remember my son commenting that I had forgotten and left the greenhouse plugged in all day. I told him that I didn’t forget. I left it on purposely. I had no idea that he had turned the heater off. The broccoli plants did not seem to have been killed. They may have been stunted though.
Today (1/7/08) is the day for root crops according to Blum’s http://www.blumsalmanac.com/ . I will be planting radish, carrots, beets and potatoes. Yesterday I cut the eyes out of potatoes that we are planning on cooking. They are laid out on a piece of paper to “cure”. This makes them more rot resistant when they are planted. This will be the second planting of potatoes. They will not come up until the ground warms some.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
I was really puzzled about the greenhouse freezing. The little block heater worked during the coldest part of last year when the greenhouse was not nearly as tight as it is now. I took home an extra block heater and bought a pad to go under a couple of flats.
When I got home, I went to work in the greenhouse. I noticed that there was no heat coming from the block heater. It was cut off. Duh!!!!! I vaguely remember my son commenting that I had forgotten and left the greenhouse plugged in all day. I told him that I didn’t forget. I left it on purposely. I had no idea that he had turned the heater off. The broccoli plants did not seem to have been killed. They may have been stunted though.
Today (1/7/08) is the day for root crops according to Blum’s http://www.blumsalmanac.com/ . I will be planting radish, carrots, beets and potatoes. Yesterday I cut the eyes out of potatoes that we are planning on cooking. They are laid out on a piece of paper to “cure”. This makes them more rot resistant when they are planted. This will be the second planting of potatoes. They will not come up until the ground warms some.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
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