Lessons Learned...

[gixxerific]

Awesome crop from a pot. They should be alright keep them out of the sun and let them dry.

I have potatoes in the ground and in pots. They are so easy to harvest that way. I just dump the pot in my garden, to save the soil, and the spuds are right there. Easy breezy.

You have some good ones there I would be proud.

[DoubleDogFarm]

You can't fool me, that's a box of raspberry glazed donuts.

Did you wash them, uh oh, you bad.

Eric

[SPierce]

Awesome crop from a pot. They should be alright keep them out of the sun and let them dry.

I have potatoes in the ground and in pots. They are so easy to harvest that way. I just dump the pot in my garden, to save the soil, and the spuds are right there. Easy breezy.

You have some good ones there I would be proud.

Cool. Thank you! I did both in ground and in pot gardening this year, I'm already pre-planning next year on what I want to go in ground, and what I think I can grow in my containers so I have plenty of room and variety. I want more vining things, like watermelon and pumpkins, squash, etc which will be ground- and more things that grow up, like lima beans and potatoes, tomatoes, etc in the containers!

Also, I was debating over the soil. It all has potato plant root around/in it. It is OK to leave the root leftovers in there, and plant other things in the soil? HOw should I store them afterwards? Should I leave them outside all night?

I'm so absolutely ecstatic right now, I've been texting everyone to tell them that I grew them on my own and been sending everyone pics/posted up onto my FB too. I'm such a nerd!

You can't fool me, that's a box of raspberry glazed donuts.

Did you wash them, uh oh, you bad.

Eric

at the donut comment

Actually, I read on a web site that they were supposed to be left out to dry after picking, so.. I just put them on the paper towel and left them outside. I haven't washed them, but they've been jostled around quite a bit. Hopefully they'll be okay!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Phew, ok good. Let dry and brush off or not. Store in a cool dark location.

Look at you grinning ear to ear.

Eric

[SPierce]

Phew, ok good. Let dry and brush off or not. Store in a cool dark location.

Look at you grinning ear to ear.

Eric

Got it! Basement it is. How long do they store for? What type of container is best?

And yeah. I was debating over whether to pull them or not, but they looked so pathetic and I wanted the container, so.... I just pulled them out. And a few potatoes came up with the plant that made me "ohhh!" so I spent an hour digging around to see what other sorts of potato treasures I could find, and I found plenty! I still one two plants left in my other container, that will hopefully make more potatoes ;D

My grandpa priest would be so proud if he was here to see. For me, gardening is not only a point of pride that helps to cover the grocery bill, but also near and dear to my heart; one grandfather was a farmer (unfortunately I can't afford to buy his farm, or I would ) and my other grandfather and I used to plant a garden together every year when I was small. Both have since passed on, so this brings back a lot of memories

[Runningtrails]

Great potatoes!

Lesson #1: keep up with the grass cutting and weeding!
Lesson #2: Start peppers and squash earlier next year.
Lesson #3: Only plant what will be used and no more. If we will not get the peas shellded, don't plant them.
Lesson #4: Keep all gardens near the house and close together for quicker and easier watering and care. I planted my cukes and some pole beans way out in the field and never see them.
Lesson #5: Only plant one variety of squash from each family. Preventing cross pollination is a pain.
Lesson #6: Also mentioned previously, only pick each day what will get processed that day.
Lesson #7: Don't start more projects than can possibly get finished in one season!

NOTE: There is no such thing as too much straw/hay. Layer it in the compost. Stash it in a corner. It will last for years.

[SPierce]

Great potatoes!

Lesson #1: keep up with the grass cutting and weeding!
Lesson #2: Start peppers and squash earlier next year.
Lesson #3: Only plant what will be used and no more. If we will not get the peas shellded, don't plant them.
Lesson #4: Keep all gardens near the house and close together for quicker and easier watering and care. I planted my cukes and some pole beans way out in the field and never see them.
Lesson #5: Only plant one variety of squash from each family. Preventing cross pollination is a pain.
Lesson #6: Also mentioned previously, only pick each day what will get processed that day.
Lesson #7: Don't start more projects than can possibly get finished in one season!

NOTE: There is no such thing as too much straw/hay. Layer it in the compost. Stash it in a corner. It will last for years.

Well said

Also, er, for the general posters reading this... my zucchini turned into the leaning tower of zucchini today.. it just fell right over. Not the container- but the plant! It's a bit top heavy with all the zucchini... is it going to be okay? I've got it in a container and now I'm worried !

[PunkRotten]

Really nice post thanks for all the tips. I am still learning myself and found some of your tips to be true. I am gonna make some changes next year. I planted way too many tomatoes too. BTW, what are those yellow or orange flowers I see in your garden?

[SPierce]

Really nice post thanks for all the tips. I am still learning myself and found some of your tips to be true. I am gonna make some changes next year. I planted way too many tomatoes too. BTW, what are those yellow or orange flowers I see in your garden?

Those are my pathetic attempts to attract some bees- but it didn't work very well! Going to try for some lavender next year. The flowers are marigolds; I picked up a tray of random straw flowers and marigolds to plant in my empty bed and decided to put them around/behind the pumpkins to get bees used to going over there.

Hand pollination down there it is, this year! My containers have bees galore, but the ground garden doesn't. strange.

[gardenbean]

Great picture of the spuds. Boil them and than add some butter and chives along with a touch of sea salt and crack pepper. There isn't anything better than home grown spuds

[SPierce]

Apparently, the best way to make home grown potatoes is to roast them in the oven with a prime rib or a pork roast. YUMMY! I tried boiling them, but they don't work as well. I think I'm going to try for some fingerling potatoes either this fall, or next year, too. I'm growing red right now! I just have to keep a better eye out for bugs, since I was seriously negligent this year and instead of researching what types of bugs I was seeing, I saw them and thought "oh, hey, bugs. Bugs are OK!" only to have them eat most of my lovely looking plants!

For those of you worried that your potato plants look horrible, take a look at my remaining container! They're almost half gone- but still making potatoes! I go out and check the undersides of the leaves every morning now, to make sure there aren't any colorado potato beetle larvae munching on them.
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-2-5.jpg[/img]

My container zucchini. They take a lot of water- but they apparently work in 18 gallon containers! Bought the blue rope totes and drilled holes in the bottom for drainage. I water twice a day, and deep, but it works- and they're doing better than in my in ground zucchini- if I were to try and stand the plant up, it'd be about 5 feet tall....
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-6-3.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-4-5.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-15-3.jpg[/img]

These lima bean plants were supposed to be a bushing variety, not a climbing one. Um... yeah. Learning to keep trellising of some kind on hand at all times...
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-8-3.jpg[/img]

My prized bell pepper.. grew it from seed, it was the only one that survived. No peppers yet- but it's growing taller! I sure as hell hope I get at least one this year so I can save seed from it! If I don't, I'm going to cry...
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-13-3.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-10-5.jpg[/img]

I planted my onions in-ground too deep, so even though I left them, I figured, hey, I might as well try some in containers!
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-12-2.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-11-3.jpg[/img]
^container also contains some fancy gourds... I tried to put some in the ground (see this pic)
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-3-4.jpg[/img]
I had originally planted 3. One of them just up and disappeared- another one got run over by the neighbors lawnmower or eaten by their dog... the third I decided to intervene so I moved it into my empty container, where some of my potatoes used to be. It's stunted, but new growth is showing up so I'm hopeful

Patio tomato; note to self: BIGGER CONTAINER.
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-28.jpg[/img]

And the tomatoes on it
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-23-1.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-22-1.jpg[/img]

Tomato in a 20 gallon pot; note to self; BIGGER CONTAINER. It's rootbound. I think I'll be trying out some garbage can containers next year! Drill holes in the bottom, and voila!
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-20-1.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-29-2.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-24-2.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-25-2.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-26.jpg[/img]

The pumpkin; I apparently have some powdery mildew that I need to tackle with some milk solution, just need to find a sprayer I can wash out properly!
[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Garden-19-2.jpg[/img]

It's now climbed halfway up my fence, and growing! I can't wait to get at least a pumpkin this fall!

[PunkRotten]

Hey are those tomatoes above "yellow pear". If so, I am growing them too. It's a pretty productive variety.

[SPierce]

Hey are those tomatoes above "yellow pear". If so, I am growing them too. It's a pretty productive variety.

Heya Yup, they are. I grew the regular red cherries last year and though I got a ton, I got so tired of the taste of them after, like, munching on 5...so I figured id' try a yellow variety! How do they taste?

[DoubleDogFarm]

Apparently, the best way to make home grown potatoes is to roast them in the oven with a prime rib or a pork roast. YUMMY!

Yes! Once you have pork roast and root crops out of a Dutch oven, cast iron, you'll never go back.

Eric

[SPierce]

Apparently, the best way to make home grown potatoes is to roast them in the oven with a prime rib or a pork roast. YUMMY!

Yes! Once you have pork roast and root crops out of a Dutch oven, cast iron, you'll never go back.

Eric

I'm making an attempt to grill some, right now- in foil patches... it's probably not going to work very well, I think I made the foil pouches too thick- but they're going to stay on there till they're done, even if I need to eat them for desert!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Ah Yes, My parents used to do the foil on the grill thing. Many memories of soggy boiled potatoes or burnt. Let me know how they turn out.


Eric

[SPierce]

Ah Yes, My parents used to do the foil on the grill thing. Many memories of soggy boiled potatoes or burnt. Let me know how they turn out.


Eric

I'm hoping good- I just took my steak (not home grown) and my zucchini (home grown) off the grill to eat- moved the potato pouches to the middle of the grill for more fire... hoping upon hope I didn't just waste 7 potatoes...

Edit: grilling fail. Epic suck, what a waste of potatoes. The coals went out, and they weren't even roasted yet. Augh! I guess I'll turn them into breakfast potatoes, with some eggs, and cook them that way!

[PunkRotten]

Hey are those tomatoes above "yellow pear". If so, I am growing them too. It's a pretty productive variety.

Heya Yup, they are. I grew the regular red cherries last year and though I got a ton, I got so tired of the taste of them after, like, munching on 5...so I figured id' try a yellow variety! How do they taste?

They are not the best tasting but they are ok. Similar to cherry and grape tomatoes but a little sweeter. The sweetness is really subtle though. I have just been popping them in my mouth as snacks. Other than that I guess I can put them in salads. Not sure yet if I will grow them next year or not.

But so far it has produced more tomatoes than all the other varieties I am growing.

[SPierce]

Hey are those tomatoes above "yellow pear". If so, I am growing them too. It's a pretty productive variety.

Heya Yup, they are. I grew the regular red cherries last year and though I got a ton, I got so tired of the taste of them after, like, munching on 5...so I figured id' try a yellow variety! How do they taste?

They are not the best tasting but they are ok. Similar to cherry and grape tomatoes but a little sweeter. The sweetness is really subtle though. I have just been popping them in my mouth as snacks. Other than that I guess I can put them in salads. Not sure yet if I will grow them next year or not.

But so far it has produced more tomatoes than all the other varieties I am growing.

Ok So far I have monster plants, and green tomatoes, but no actual ripe ones, yet! I guess I'll have to see what I can do with them and if I like them once they ripen.. I ended up with too many plants, as usual!

[SPierce]

Ah Yes, My parents used to do the foil on the grill thing. Many memories of soggy boiled potatoes or burnt. Let me know how they turn out.


Eric

Okay, lesson learned. Put the potatoes in foil, and on the grill with butter and thyme. DON'T expect to eat them with the steak, take the pouches off the grill, move to a container, and leave them with the fridge overnight. They will take on a nice firmness and flavor. Then, when you're grilling something the next night, boil potatoes from the night before for about 15 minutes, to cook them the rest of the way through. They keep the firmness and the flavor, but don't get all soggy

[SPierce]

Figured I may as well pick up right where I left off!

First 2 lessons for this year:

1- starter pots. When I put the soil in, fill them to the TOP, not partway to the top. I had to throw out a bunch of leggy plants.

2- Soil. Be careful what type of soil I buy for starting my plants in. My regular brand wasn't out yet, so I picked up something from the local grain store. Let me tell you, I'm not happy with it at ALL. It's hard, crusty and dries out so damn fast I'm actually worried about the well being of my plants. This weekend I'll be transplanting all my transplants into newer (bigger) containers with the potting soil brand I trust, instead of some random Scotts thing (which seemed ok when I first opened the bag, but...) ugh!

[jal_ut]

Store the potatoes in a cool dark place. They will keep for a couple of weeks with no special attention. The refrigerator works very well for a small amount. They would keep months refrigerated. Once you taste them, they won't last long.