Potatoes n mud

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Tithesmeister

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]

Originally Posted by Esaias

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]

Originally Posted by Tithesmeister

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.

[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]

Originally Posted by Esaias

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.

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!

Originally Posted by 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.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Tithesmeister

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!!

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

[Tithesmeister]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Well thank the good Lord I'm in Texas!!

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]

Originally Posted by 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?

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

Originally Posted by Esaias

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.