Sewing a Potato-Growing Bag from Landscape Fabric. 4.17.22

I read in a book that potato-growing bags can be made from weed suppressing fabric ("Growing Potatoes" by Dion Rosser). But no pattern was provided. We have a roll of landscaping fabric so I decided to try. I measured the diameter of a half-barrel planted and went with that.

I'm making a second one with more precision so will give details when I post that. This one is roughly 2 feet in diameter, with sides that can unfold to 2 feet tall. The top and bottom are reinforced, and the bottom has about a dozen one inch holes cut for drainage, with button-hole type reinforcement around the drainage holes. The sides and bottom ate double layer of landscape fabric. I used denim-weight polyester thread so the seams wouldn't deteriorate with soil contact and moisture. 

 Here is the final result. I planted it with five Kennebec seed potato chunks. The sides are folded down and will be unfolded upwards as needed as I fill in more soil during growth.

This was so much easier than planting in the ground. Incredibly easier. Now the important test is to see how they grow and produce.

Kitchen Garden. 4.16.22

I'm pretty happy with the vegetable half. The fruit half will need a lot more tidying up this Spring.

First Apple Blossoms. 4.16.22

It's interesting, Gravenstein isn't the first to bloom. Scarlet Sentinel is the most prolific in bloom at the moment. It's by itself, with no apple trees blooming nearby. It will be interesting to see if it sets fruit. It usually does. A good, late pie apple that keeps well.

Others starting to bloom. Zestar got hit by the sleet and snow. Still lots of buds to open.

Summerred is also blooming. There are lots more to bloom over the next month.

Potatoes. 4.16.22

Also known as "The truffles of Bavaria (I just made that up LOL). The first batch that I planted, from sprouted potatoes, is all growing. These are the red potatoes that I planted Feb 13.

The second batch, from "official" seed potatoes, is also all growing. I planted those March 12, so they needed about a month to emerge. Most have been visible for about a week. They are Yukon Gold and Red Norland, which is what they had at that Orange big box store at the time.

Yesterday I finished planting the earliest of early varieties, Envoy. It will be interesting to compare. Half are in the ground and half are in nursery bag containers. Yesterday or the day before, I planted all of the early variety, Yukon Gem, in the ground. They are an improved Yukon Gem, more productive and disease resistant. Today I planted the first of the midseason potatoes, my favorite variety Kennebec. I reserved a few starts for a container that I'm sewing. That leaves the other midsesson, a German variety I haven't tried before, Soraya. So maybe they really are "The truffle of Bavaria" LOL. And the late season Elba. I hope to have those in the ground in a few days. I think this will be more than we need. The harvesting season will be June to Sept, and some shoukd keep at least 3 months, maybe quite a bit longer. No Russets this year, but Kennebec can do anything a Russet can do, and do it better. Next year I'll cut back, grow the top four maybe - a super early, and early, a mid, and a late season. Depends on how they perform this year and if the container method is worthwhile and easier.

Some of the Moved Plants in the Meditation Garden (continued) 4.16.22

The Itoh peonies survived their move and are growing. There are a few flower buds. It wouldn't surprise me if those don't develop. It was a traumatic move for them. And for my back.

The Camassia bunches are all sending out lots of flower buds.

All of the lavenders survived their move and are growing.

That mostly leaves the perennials I started from seeds. More on those another time. Most of them are growing but it would not surprise me if thecneed another year before they reach blooming size.