We cannot drill our way out of this oil crisis. Since 2000, oil companies working in the U.S. have doubled the number of wells drilled per year.
Although increased drilling has added new oil to the nation's supply, it has not done so fast enough to offset the terminal decline of existing fields.
We are going to have to import more of our oil. Period.
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:31 pm Post subject: Anyone planting potatoes? Or whatnot?
Hey all,
Anyone planting potatoes? Let me know your experiences. How 'ya doing? I planted a bunch this Sat morning and let me tell you there is no greater feeling. Then knowing you will be eating six months from now, these potatoes. But you know, if you cant plant six months worth, then three months worth, or even 1 month worth is worthy. Anything is good. Anyways, I'd love to hear your experiences. I'm kind of exhausted (but in a good way) from all todays planting but please let me know.
Anything new your starting, zucchini, squash, corn, carrots etc is good. Its all relative I just choose potatoes - well, because they store good (and have good frying potential not to mention I can eat them practically every day - or every other day). Anyways, let me know. How are people doing out there? Good luck to ya' all!!!
Joined: Dec 04, 2004 Posts: 2313 Location: perpetual state of exhaustion
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:36 am Post subject: Re: Anyone planting potatoes? Or whatnot?
Its still way too cold for most things here, but since the ground can be worked (though we won't see our last frost date till May 6th or so) I am planting my peas and spinach... or was supposed to until we got 2 inches of snow today. Talk about crazy weather! _________________ LIfe is the journey. and I may resemble a worn out shoe by the end. but I bet I'll be just as comfy.
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:49 am Post subject: Re: Anyone planting potatoes? Or whatnot?
Yesterday I ordered slips of Puerto Rico, White and Red yams. Bing says the white are the best (they grow them in the Philippines). Its warm here, and we have been growing and eating spinach, mustard and turnip greens. Also planted, but not ready yet, six rows of Texas 1015, white and red onions, one row carrots, one row (per advice of old, old organic farmer) of yellow squash. (I've always planted hills before). Also one row butternut squash. Also one plot of Mortgage lifter, one plot celebrity, one plot brandywine, one plot roma tomatoes. Also Thai 38 inch long beans, Chinese red noodle beans, ampalaya (bitter melon), Upo, Tigger melon, Orange watermelon, Georgia Rattlesnake watermelon, Charleston grey watermelon. For some reason the beets and cantalope failed (bad seed?). I have been composting all the throwaway produce I can from the grocery store where I work, and yesterday my boy and I went and turned the pile for the third time....we have a HUGE pile (several tons, perhaps) of beautiful black dirt now. I'm going to start a new compost pile now. Unfortunately, we are out of room, we live in town on a double lot and have made most of the lawn into garden.
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:23 am Post subject: Re: Anyone planting potatoes? Or whatnot?
I had potatoes left over from last year's crop in the basement, and by a month ago they had 6 inch shoots coming off of them. Finally a couple of weeks ago I could not stand it and I planted ~ 40 of them. The plants are just coming up now! I planted them about 10 inches deep, will mound them up through the season, looking forward to about 600-800 potatoes in a couple of months or so.
Joined: Oct 11, 2005 Posts: 389 Location: Arizona, USA
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:53 am Post subject: Re: Anyone planting potatoes? Or whatnot?
What happened to your beets? I've read that some root crops, such as beets, will have small roots and big leaves if the soil is over-fertilized or perhaps too rich.
I'm not sure how many times you can replant potatoes from the same stock before you need to re-order new seed potatoes. Also, make sure you rotate them to different plots each time you replant since potatoes are notorious for accumulating disease in the soil.
I haven't planted any potatoes yet, but the other day my wife bought some individually wrapped organic potatoes from the store. I was blown away by the flavor in the organic potatoes. I could practically eat them like a hand fruit. I wonder how many consumers realize how bland and dusty their regular store potatoes really are and what a real potato should taste like. You're in for a treat with your first crop of potatoes! I'm sure they'll be delicious.
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 10:23 am Post subject: Re: Anyone planting potatoes? Or whatnot?
Didn't plant beets. Yes, have rotated potatoes to a different plot this season. I have three plots, will rotate corn in, then bush beans, potatoes every third year in the same plot. Think that should be okay.
We had this discussion last year about planting from last year's crop, not buying seed potatoes. I'm doing because I'm pretty sure in 20 years there won't be any seed potatoes. So I'm experimenting now.
Joined: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 10712 Location: Village of Idiots
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:19 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone planting potatoes? Or whatnot?
JJ wrote:
Yesterday I ordered slips of Puerto Rico, White and Red yams.
If you live in a climate where the soil doesn't freeze (zone 8 and warmer, possibly zone 7 with mulch), sweet potatoes ("yams") will come back the following year from tubers left in the ground. I have sweet potatoes from plants I put in several years ago. You can eat both the tubers and the foliage from sweet potatoes. The growing tips of the vines are especially nutritious. _________________ "...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow..." - jboogy
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:20 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone planting potatoes? Or whatnot?
Ludi wrote:
JJ wrote:
Yesterday I ordered slips of Puerto Rico, White and Red yams.
If you live in a climate where the soil doesn't freeze (zone 8 and warmer, possibly zone 7 with mulch), sweet potatoes ("yams") will come back the following year from tubers left in the ground. I have sweet potatoes from plants I put in several years ago. You can eat both the tubers and the foliage from sweet potatoes. The growing tips of the vines are especially nutritious.
thnaks, we'll try leaving some in the ground this year...(we're 8B before global warming, I understand the zones are changing now...) had some ube (purple yams) I got from the Philippines, but they never came back, and Bing didn't seem to care (I was pretty excited to get them, though....)
Joined: Jan 03, 2005 Posts: 1097 Location: western Wisconsin
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:08 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone planting potatoes? Or whatnot?
Windmills wrote:
I'm not sure how many times you can replant potatoes from the same stock before you need to re-order new seed potatoes. Also, make sure you rotate them to different plots each time you replant since potatoes are notorious for accumulating disease in the soil.
I wonder how many consumers realize how bland and dusty their regular store potatoes really are and what a real potato should taste like. You're in for a treat with your first crop of potatoes! I'm sure they'll be delicious.
We have been saving seed potatoes of some of our 25+ varieties for over 25 years, and they are doing well yet. Some we need to replace every few years, due to disease usually, and I suspect it is usually disease on the seed that we buy, but most of them grow without problems after all these years.
We have grown all the potatoes that we eat for that long because of flavor, and because they are easy to grow, provide lots of food value, and can be easily stored with out using energy.
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:28 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone planting potatoes? Or whatnot?
Does anyone have any experience growing from "true potato seed", not tubers?
I have a few packets of seeds I ordered and froze along with all my other backup seeds, however I didn't really even realize there were such a thing until I stumbled upon them on a website. I only found 2 varieties available, at that.
Also, has anyone ever tried saving the "true" seed?
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:40 am Post subject: Re: Anyone planting potatoes? Or whatnot?
Most of my potatoes are in, but I need to cover with white cloth as there is still risk of frost. I am adding one more small bed this year, which is dug but not planted.
For now I am trying a 6-year rotation in my main beds, partly to learn what will grow here, and to see if I can provide a wide variety of food. However, I guess that if the situation gets a lot worse (food wise- price wise etc) I would need to go to a three year rotation, doubling the potatoes grown, and also doubling the peas/beans.
I have not yet tried keeping seed potatoes as I do not grow nearly enough for my own need (and I don't have a good root cellar so they sprout way to early anyway). _________________ We should teach our children the 4-Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rejoice.
Joined: Jan 03, 2005 Posts: 1097 Location: western Wisconsin
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:42 am Post subject: Re: Anyone planting potatoes? Or whatnot?
SpringCreekFarm wrote:
What's the earliest you folks plant your spuds in around zone 5?
I could be planting them now ( april 21 ) but is that too early?
We are in zone 4, straight east of Minneapolis/St Paul. We often plant at least some potatoes on Good Friday, but not this year, as Easter was very early. We are planting ours this week, now that the snow is gone. It all depends on the weather. Potatoes can take a little frost, so we always plant them much earlier than tomatoes, for example. If you are a zone warmer than us, I would think they could be in the ground for a month by now. So, get them planted.
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