DIY Projects - Growing potatoes in containers

This is a great idea I will be experimenting with this year in my garden. I usually plant my potatoes in my raised beds, then cover them with black ground cover after they reach about 5 inches or so, then in fall I remove the liner and dig my taters. However with this, it would seem easier, just because you tip over the barrel and gather them. Easy! I am also thinking that I might get a higher yeild this way. Something to try anyways.

Not to mention if your limited for space, this would be great for patio gardening! If you try this, please let me know your results this fall, would love to here how they turned out! I will be posting my results too.

1. You'll need a plastic trash can. Drill 8 holes in the base and 8 more around the can about 8 inches from the bottom for drainage.

2. Pour 12 inches of all purpose potting soil into the can. Mix it with a shovelful of garden compost and some well rotted manure (but not to much, as potatoes are prone to scab if to much manure is used)

3. Place 2 seed potatoes on top and cover them with more compost and soil. (Just use seed potatoes to start, as your sprouting buds from the grocerie store doesn't produce great crops). Water daily except in really rainy weather. (but not wet or soggy or your potatoes will rot!)

4. When their shoots are about 8 inches above the compost, add another layer of compost and soil to just cover them. Keep doing this until you have reached the top of you container. (the potatoes will continue to push their way, thru the soil and produce potatoes from the sides of the plant)

5. When the plants flowers stop blooming and the plant starts to turn yellow in the fall, it is time to harvest. Just dump over your barrel and reap your rewards!

Jo.

Post - it Note Mondays

I decided it would be kinda fun to do post it note mondays here at garden witchery.

Spring Cleaning

I started it.....but not in the house yet...LOL I feel there's no point in spring cleaning indoors if I cannot open my windows to let out that stale air. And it certainly isn't warm enough here to do that yet. However it was warm enough out to get a jump start on my spring cleaning outside. Since I was to lazy, and frankly burnt out last fall from summer projects, to even clean out the beds, I get the lovely privledge of doing them in the spring. Yay!

However, I only had got the grapes, raspberries and half of my strawberry bed cleaned and pruned when we got a foot or more of snow dumped on us yet again. Just when everything was drying out nicely and the daffodils and crocus were peaking out from their winter slumber...BAM! Mother nature, was PMSing.

You know it's like I say....SNOW.... it's like the attractive guy across the bar, at first mysterious and interesting. But when you get acquainted.... you realize.... it's just a big inconvenience. Pretty much sums it up.

Nothing is getting done as of yet......Our greenhouse sits idle, because it's just to damn chilly and windy out to even atempt to put the greenhouse cover on to get it going....(sigh) bah!

However...there is one thing my daughter and I had fun doing this past week, and that was getting our seeds ready. we spent the better part of the day making our newspaper cups and filling them with soil and planting our seeds. At least we are getting a jump start on that! Broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, and peppers so far.

Finally, new life emerging! I love it, I have been devoid of the color green waaayyy to long!!!!!

Jo.

Vegetable in Review - Okra

Abelmoscbus esculentus

Okra

I personally have never grown Okra in my garden, and actually have never even eaten any. However my husbands aunt, grows it, and prepares it. Apparently it is a quite the yummy veggie from what she has told me, although, I have seen her prepare it, and I have noted that when cutting raw okra, it is very slimy. Not sure why, but it is.!

I think this year I am going to give it a shot though. I like to try new and different varieties, if I like them, i continue to grow them, if not, they don't make into my garden again. LOL

So here is a little research I have done for you so that if you wish to grow this unique veggie, you'll know how to!

Okra is a warm season vegetable, meaning it has to have fairly warm  temperatures (both soil temps and air temps) to germinate and grow.

Plant okra in the soil after all danger of frost has gone, because okra does not transplant well at all.

Plant in deeply dug soil, amended with compost, and plant seeds about 18 inches apart. Feed 3 times during the growing season with any organic fertilizer, such as compost tea, or fertilizer made with bat guano, earthworm castings or your own homemade brew.

Water occasionally during the season, and it grows well in full sun. Harvest is in 55 to 70 days when the pods are 3 to 5 inches long.

Pests of okra are earworms and cabbageworms.

Jo.