Growing local
Spudz at DBay
From 750g of seed potatoes plus a couple of Dutchies from a retailer, harvested 3.730g.
Planting in August is a tad too late in the heat ... next time I'd plant as soon as the eyes have developed. And I'd give them a tad more space, too. A 300L bed was a bit cramped. And I'd mix compost (if I have enough!) with the cane mulch and try and encourage some more tubers further up the stems.
The cane mulch plus the layers of 30 percent shade cloth I used to extend the bed depth allowed the tubers to grow without any light.
There's some upside and some downsides - when was anything any different? ;-) I've learned a lot from this exercise - previously if a potato plant came up I'd let it be but I didn't do anything special to it - of course the crop was hardly worth digging!
Next time - there will be a 'next time' I hope the eyes develop earlier in the season - planting March-April would give them a cooler and longer growth period. They were really floundering these last couple of weeks and I decided this morning to dig them up and was really pleased with the results given the very short time they were in the bed. August to October is not a long time for potatoes.
Here are the photos, on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ees-in-stereo/sets/72157622555349881/s...
Planting in August is a tad too late in the heat ... next time I'd plant as soon as the eyes have developed. And I'd give them a tad more space, too. A 300L bed was a bit cramped. And I'd mix compost (if I have enough!) with the cane mulch and try and encourage some more tubers further up the stems.
The cane mulch plus the layers of 30 percent shade cloth I used to extend the bed depth allowed the tubers to grow without any light.
There's some upside and some downsides - when was anything any different? ;-) I've learned a lot from this exercise - previously if a potato plant came up I'd let it be but I didn't do anything special to it - of course the crop was hardly worth digging!
Next time - there will be a 'next time' I hope the eyes develop earlier in the season - planting March-April would give them a cooler and longer growth period. They were really floundering these last couple of weeks and I decided this morning to dig them up and was really pleased with the results given the very short time they were in the bed. August to October is not a long time for potatoes.
Here are the photos, on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ees-in-stereo/sets/72157622555349881/s...
Add a Comment
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Comment by Elaine de Saxe on October 31, 2009 at 11:27pm -
It's kind of been sorted but there's still some confusion. I used another browser but I found that since I had already uploaded the photos, when I went to make an album, those photos were waiting to be organised. I also found that it is a very specific spot on the 'drag photos here' frame - not just anywhere which is what I had been trying to do. I cannot see where to put any captions though.
Mmm, so potatoes are long day plants, then? Hadn't thought of that one! Would like to know more about their cultural requirements for Briz if you have links or tips - or if they are definitely long-day then that nails the time for planting. Can you confirm this day-length requirement, Scarlett?
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Comment by Scarlett Patrick on October 31, 2009 at 5:58pm -
they look great. i love the cranberry red - wow. I think July is a good time for planting - just gives you three months before the hot comes on, and it's after the equinox. although our heat was very early this year!
it's a pity you're having trouble with the photos. i wish i could help. if you describe step by step what's going wrong i might be able to work it out..?
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