Well, I'm waiting for this next round of rain/snow to pass, but I've got potatoes and onions ready to go. I'm planting my mater seeds, herb seeds, and more flower seeds today.
potatoes under straw PART II
O.K I think I made a mistake, I cut my potatoes yesterday thinking that I could go ahead and plant them today in their pots but unfortunately it is supposed to snow tomorrow, of all things, so I have the cut potatoes in my house, the harm is already done but my goodness snow!, I would have never guessed.
Anyways I have 2 things I can do, one is to either go and plant my potaoes and since they are in containers move the containers inside the house, or laundry area where at least they will be sheltered from the harsh environment or 2 just wait a few days and then plant them out in their respective containers when this snow or cold chill passes, my question is which one is better, and are there any other alternatives?
I was trying to follow the best time planting date according to the Farmers almanac but so far not very impresed since I was supposed to be planting these taters in the ground today. I guess go figure.
You should be okay with the potatoes cut for a few days. Some people recommend cutting and letting them sit for several days, anyway, to form the "callous." I've had mine in the ground for a couple of weeks, but it has been cold and damp. There's been no sign of growth yet. I did check a couple to see if they were rotting and found that they seem to be fine. Now it just needs to warm up enough for them to grow!
David
Dreaves gave good advice. A few days for the cuts to dry will do them good. I think of it being like a scab on our bodies, it gets tougher after a few days.
With all the rain and cold I'm surprised everything hasn't rotted in the ground here.
Thank you guys, right now it is just raining, if it really snows I wonder if it would even stick, I'll let the potatoes sit for a little longer, it is supposed to be cold all week so probably the seed potatoes will just go dormant and just sprout when it warms up. Lets hope for some warm weather.
Hey, Guys,
I think I'm gonna go ahead and at least cut my potatoes tomorrow. I've got a whole bucket of wood ash my DH so lovingly put out for me (uh, yeah...), and I managed to rescue two gallon ziplok baggies of it before it goes out to the trash.
So, I'll cut potatoes when I get home, dust with the ash, and put em back on the plate in the closet to scab over. Hopefully, the weather will break soon. We're supposed to have sunshine tomorrow, but temps won't top 47 or so. Then, back into the 30s M, T & Wed. It's a waiting game.
But, not such a bad thing, cause the 13 cabbages are loving the rain and the cold! And, I'll get to work on prepping more colander eBuckets and tidying up where I can. I so want to dig out the rest of the gardening mix I ordered that's been sitting in my compost bin, so I can restart my compost. Been collecting coffee grinds and veggie scraps in buckets and have two or three 40-gallon bags of confetti shredder paper and enough leaves to layer about 4' high. But, the ground's too wet for me to tackle shoveling set dirt into buckets. Maybe if it stays dry tomorrow I can get a start a little while after church Sunday.
Hugs!
Wow it is snowing right now and it looks like it is sticking, my kiddos are very excited, they have not seen a lot of snow so this is pretty new to them.
As far as the ashes for the potatoes what I did is once I cut the potatoes to size and left at least 2 eyes on each piece, I took the cut side and dip it into the ashes since the cut part is moist the ashes stuck to the cut part no problem, I think Farmerdill mentioned to do it this way since you really don't want to put way to many ashes in the ground.
Linda our temps are going to be about the same so I might go ahead and either plant them tomorrow or the day after the latest. I really hope this weather cooperates.
Carminator1,
"Being about the same" is what I like best about our conversations. It's much easier to keep up!
We need to check up on Steph. I heard they got 11" of snow last night, and set a new record for one-day totals!
I am here, frozen, but here! LOL The officially tally is 11.2" of snow in a 24 hour period. Amazing! It's the all-time record for snowfall on a single day here in North Texas. It was mezmerizing to watch fall and made everything so pretty and quiet at home. I wish I didn't have to get out in it, but I did. Yesterday, I thought I was going to have to park my truck and walk 2 blocks home. I started slipping twice in my neighborhood. I made it eventually. The very DH brought me to work today since I was dreading getting out in it.
Wow Stephanie, unbelievable! we had a few snow flurries today but nothing major and it unfortunately for my kids did not stick at all. To think that you are in zone 8 and to have that much snow, I really hope all your plants are doing good.
I love snow the day that it falls, it looks very pretty all in white but after a month of it it gets brown and yukky looking and then is is not as much fun anymore, I remember that I had never seen snow until I moved to Washington DC with my parents, we were all so excited to see it for the first time but then after 4 years living there and by the way we had a record year of snow, well I have to say that we got tired of it and my parents got tired of digging it up to be able to get out of the house and get to work.
I was expecting snow but somebody else got mine. They announced yesterday that schools and government offices would be closed. Instead, it was just a big rain event. A bit of an over reaction but the day wasn't fit for anything anyway.
A friend called me today from Pensacola Fl, she was all excited that it was snowing, she did not like it when I told her that it probably would not stick at all she was a little mad, but then I don't think she has ever seen snow.
O.K yesterday I decided to go ahead and plant my potatoes, we will see if they do anything or if I even get a harvest, not planting much of anything in my raise beds yet, just waiting for next month to start planting my summer veggies, I did start some radishes a couple of weeks ago but we will see if I can harvest them before I plant my summer crop. Has anybody planted their potatoes yet?
I'm in West central MT at about 4000 ft. and one can never be sure when the last freeze will be, though with the El Ninyo it should be earlier than normal, but I'd like to get some seed potatoes sooner than later because of concerns of what war in the ME could mean to oil supplies and secondly the world economy is shaky besides. How long could the potatoes last in the frig before needing to be planted, or is there anyway to know for sure? Also, is there any way to save over from even late variety potatoes for seed for next year? thanks
Most fridges are too cold for potato storage. For more information on potato storage, go here http://www.ronnigers.com/id8.html and click 2010 Catalog and Growers Guide to download a pdf. You'll find the information you're looking for on pages 2, 4, and 7.
Carminator been sick with bad cold since Saturday. Stayed bed all day. But felt just enuf better yesterday afternoon 2 throw a few shovels of dirt in de washing machine baskets n Smartpots and lay the potato seeds in. Not good enuf to label which potatoes went where though! I have a vague recollection. Very vague. But they're in. Was I supposed 2 cover completely? I pushed em in firmly, watered em in, then barely covered em with a little more soil. N since I was digging the planting soil from 1/2 of the compost bin I went ahead and rebuilt other half with layered shredder paper, veggie slush, coffee grinds, n leaves. Have 2 cover my bin with old carpet keep out stray cats! LMK bout taters.
This message was edited Feb 15, 2010 12:26 PM
I have a question ...
If your seed potatoes have sprouts, can you still divide them and then let them sit to scab over? I wasn't sure how many eyes I'd have on mine, so waited until they sprouted. Any help appreciated!
I've been nearly dead with some kind of crud, coughing my brains out. Linda cover those taters with 6" to start. ALL the growth will be above the seed piece so it doesn't matter how much is under them. By the time they grow through that, maybe frost will be history. I'm cutting mine today.
Yes Becky. A medium potato will make 3 or 4 chunks if the eyes are spaced out well. If you cut them too small, they may not have enough energy to survive.
Good luck to all.
Oh my, Twiggy, take care of yourself!
Twiggy~You & I must have the same thing! I finally went to the dr today and he told me my lungs sounded horrible! He gave me a shot in the hiney, 3 prescriptions, and a do not go to work order. Hope you're feeling better soon!
Yikes! Y'all take care of yourselves. I am sending healthy vibes your way ~:~:~:~
Thanks Twiggybuds for the information and help! :-)
Becky, I'm blaming it on the snow! LOL I was fine before it rolled into town.
Stephanie - Well, I'd probably be sick too if my area got hit by snow. I am in central FL on the east coast. No snow, but some very cool weather here the past month or so!!
Been sick all weekend and 2day is #4 still sick. Bad sinus and cold. Potatoes need more soil on top. Broccoli stopped bolting and started tightening up again. DH covered WSing jugs for me - temps in mid 30s last 2 bites an more ahead. Mustards n collards playing beach volleyball at nite. Other cabbages doing fine in de cold. Alka Seltzer Cold is calling me...
Boy so sorry to hear that you guys are sick, I'll be praying for you guys to get better soon, it must be this horrible weather we are having, no doubt about it. My son is a little congested as well, he has been for the last week but at least he has no fever and he seems to be as energetic as always.
Sometimes I wonder if the weather is going to change at all, remember that very soon at least in my zone I can start to plant the maters by the middle of next month but if it continues like this I wonder if that will ever happen.
You guys take care, the veggies can wait just take care of yourselves first.
Carminator1,
I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!
Alka Seltzer Cold Formula in the tasteless packet you add to a liquid beverage did NOTHING for me (although the regular ASC Plus usually worked....)
Anyway, for the runny nose, sniffling, sneezing, fever, stuffy head thingy, try plain ole CVS brand Nasal Decongestant in a red and white CVS box. Behind the counter with the pharmacist. It's pseudoephedrine HCI 30 mg and dried me up within 1 hour of taking it. Only $4+ per 24-tablet box! Wow!
I got a hoop house put up yesterday - yay!!! 1/2" pvc pipe from HD anchored in 12" sections of 3/4" PVC pounded into the ground. Used sheets but will need to find plastic. Moved the milk jug tomatoes from top of the spa to the concrete launching pad. I think I'm getting the dreaded damping off!!!! Some of the seedlings have "swooned" and the soil was very moist from the last rain. Hoping they dry out under the hoop house.
Farmerdill advised need to pot up the bell peppers that're leaning over inside. Crowded. Hoop house will protect and give sun til April. Also, can start fall seeds under there, too!
Potatoes in the dirt are looking like they wanna take off and were just waiting to feel the soil! Exciting! Come on, ya'll.
Who else has their spuds in the dirt?
Linda
I've had mine planted for a couple of weeks. Nothing showing yet, but there is growth on the couple of seed potatoes that I checked. Surviving the freezing and wet so far!
David
I have a question. Once I plant these little puppies, I cover them with approx. 6" of dirt, even though it'll cover up the eyes that are growing?
Linda so glad you are feeling better! :) Look into Lowes for the plastic cover, I bought mine there in a big role, I think the thickness is a 4 which is really enough, sometimes when I place the plastic and check inside the hoop house is very warm even if it is nasty outside. I've had my beds uncovered for the last few days, most of my veggies are either bolted or they will just be too small for me to be able to leave in place once I am ready for the maters.
Yes stephanie cover the taters up, the little tubers will grow up and you'll be able to see the little plants coming up to the surface, you will have to keep covering them up with dirt as they grow and just leave a few inches of the plants up in the surface, this is suppose to increment the number of taters you get, plus this way the new potatoes you get don't get exposed to the sun and get green.
Okay, cover w/ 6" of soil or leaves, or compost, or whatever. Got it!
Now then, I took my taters off the top of the hutch where they've been languishing and the reds, purples, and fingerlings are doing great. Lots of eyes growing, yada, yada. However, the Kennebecs only have one eye growing on each tater! There are little eyes in other places on the taters, so should I just go ahead and cut those puppies into sections and plant them as well, or what??
Kennebecs in the front, fingerlings in the background. Do you see the little eyes just starting to sprout?
Stephanie,
Those little buds should grow too. You can go ahead and cut as long as you leave a fair amount of potato (food) for the young plant. My Kennebecs seemed to have fewer eyes than the others, but I was still able to cut into several pieces.
David
Great! Thanks so much for the help, David!
Another question....They're predicting more of that white stuff for us (the "s" word) Monday and Tuesday. It shouldn't be as much as the last time and the temps won't be as cold. Can I go ahead and get these puppies going in their containers or should I wait?
For anybody that has already planted...are you getting any above ground growth yet? I planted my potatoes on schedule here (just before Valentine's day) but the cool damp weather has slowed my potatoes emergence. I spot-checked a couple of seed potatoes this morning. They still look fine, no rot or anything, but only have tiny sprouts.
I have 30 foot rows of Kennebec and of Red Pontiac. I plan to harvest the Pontiacs small, and use as new potatoes and leave the Kennebecs for full-size use. I'll be using the Earthway push-plow my wife gave me for Valentine's Day to hill the potatoes...it should be easier and faster than hoeing by hand. It's also WAY quieter than the two-cycle gas cultivator for weeding between rows. (Isn't that a great present? I only bought her roses...)
David
David I have mine in pots but no sight of any green comming up just yet, I think just like you mentioned the cold weather is slowing them down a little bit. That's a really nice gift, have fun using it, :).
I'm planting this weekend. Didn't want to plant with the snow coming.
Nope! No growth in my washing machine tubs, yet! I'll keep ya'll posted.
Well, two of my varieties are in their container! Since our container is so deep, DH piled about 4" of leaves on the bottom of it, then we put about 2" of soil, planted the tater pieces, then piled another couple of inches of leaves on top. Didn't know we had so many leaves in our backyard! LOL
They're under all these leaves, I promise!
Hey Stephanie. What are the diminsions of that container? I have a similar bin, but a bit smaller perhaps. How many seeds did you fit into it? Thanks!!
Looking good Steph! I saw my buds peeking up outta the soil this last week!