Comments on: Garden Diary 6 http://www.towseyfrench.com/2009/05/04/garden-diary-6/ trekking towards sustainability in portland, oregon, u.s.a. Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:53:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Jeremy Towsey-French http://www.towseyfrench.com/2009/05/04/garden-diary-6/comment-page-1/#comment-1195 Jeremy Towsey-French Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:35:58 +0000 http://www.towseyfrench.com/?p=764#comment-1195 Thanks much for reading Carrie --and thanks for your reply! I'm working on a garden postmortem article as we speak, so you're timing couldn't be better. Until that piece hits, I'll summarize: Our potatoes did pretty well. The yield from 14 row feet was smaller than I hoped, but I've never grown potatoes 'on purpose' (volunteers supplied us in the past), so my expectations were not well-informed. One thing that did surprise me was the size of the potatoes. All three varieties (Yukon Gold, Deep Blue, Russet) produced well-shaped and well-colored tubers --and some were as large as a restaurant-sized baker potato. Fortunately, that's where the comparison to a baker ends as our spuds all had amazing flavor. I'm pleased with the results and will likely expand (at least double) our crop next year. I'd love to try a barrel --and may-- but I'm also going to give a tire-tree a try this year. I have four 14" truck tires that will make a nice potato tube, so I'll make sure to update with a new article on the tater-tires next spring when we plant. As for tilling, our soil has a high clay percentage that makes it ill-suited for roots as-is, so we definitely wanted to till as part of the amendment process. This was also true for our carrot crops, which turned out amazing carrots (well, one row shined, the other failed --more on that later). Whatever the case, we elected to till-in the soil amendments this year --and we did it all by hand (no machine tilling). The results have been fantastic, so if I'm not supposed to till, I'm happy to be wrong! This being said, we're planting a crop of fall/winter favas this year so we can let the roots do the tilling for us. Nine months of rain on our soil does little to help condition the earth for spring planting. One thing that stays in my mind is Solomon referring to a backyard garden as a 'sink', whereby the soil is only as good as what you put in as it eventually all drains out. So, however you keep the soil loamy enough for spuds is up to you, but in my non-professional opinion, it's imperative to make sure you bring in the proper amendments to help balance poor soil, and then make sure your roots have a fighting chance at expansion. Fortunately, potatoes go up and out, so you can just keep piling on soil and thereby have more control --not so easy with other roots. Keep your eyes open for my garden postmortem --and again, thanks much for reading! Thanks much for reading Carrie –and thanks for your reply! I’m working on a garden postmortem article as we speak, so you’re timing couldn’t be better. Until that piece hits, I’ll summarize:

Our potatoes did pretty well. The yield from 14 row feet was smaller than I hoped, but I’ve never grown potatoes ‘on purpose’ (volunteers supplied us in the past), so my expectations were not well-informed.

One thing that did surprise me was the size of the potatoes. All three varieties (Yukon Gold, Deep Blue, Russet) produced well-shaped and well-colored tubers –and some were as large as a restaurant-sized baker potato. Fortunately, that’s where the comparison to a baker ends as our spuds all had amazing flavor. I’m pleased with the results and will likely expand (at least double) our crop next year.

I’d love to try a barrel –and may– but I’m also going to give a tire-tree a try this year. I have four 14″ truck tires that will make a nice potato tube, so I’ll make sure to update with a new article on the tater-tires next spring when we plant.

As for tilling, our soil has a high clay percentage that makes it ill-suited for roots as-is, so we definitely wanted to till as part of the amendment process. This was also true for our carrot crops, which turned out amazing carrots (well, one row shined, the other failed –more on that later).

Whatever the case, we elected to till-in the soil amendments this year –and we did it all by hand (no machine tilling). The results have been fantastic, so if I’m not supposed to till, I’m happy to be wrong! This being said, we’re planting a crop of fall/winter favas this year so we can let the roots do the tilling for us. Nine months of rain on our soil does little to help condition the earth for spring planting.

One thing that stays in my mind is Solomon referring to a backyard garden as a ‘sink’, whereby the soil is only as good as what you put in as it eventually all drains out. So, however you keep the soil loamy enough for spuds is up to you, but in my non-professional opinion, it’s imperative to make sure you bring in the proper amendments to help balance poor soil, and then make sure your roots have a fighting chance at expansion. Fortunately, potatoes go up and out, so you can just keep piling on soil and thereby have more control –not so easy with other roots.

Keep your eyes open for my garden postmortem –and again, thanks much for reading!

]]> By: CarrieK http://www.towseyfrench.com/2009/05/04/garden-diary-6/comment-page-1/#comment-1193 CarrieK Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:30:09 +0000 http://www.towseyfrench.com/?p=764#comment-1193 I would love an update on your potatoes. Mine didn't fair so well this year. I tried a potato barrel. Also, I've read Steve Solomon too; I'm curious about you tilling you garden, I kinda thought we weren't supposed to do that? I'd love your thoughts! Thanks! I would love an update on your potatoes. Mine didn’t fair so well this year. I tried a potato barrel.
Also, I’ve read Steve Solomon too; I’m curious about you tilling you garden, I kinda thought we weren’t supposed to do that? I’d love your thoughts! Thanks!

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