Artichoke Lover’s 2022 Garden

[Artichoke Lover]

I’ve seen the first butterflies and lizards today. Everything is starting to wake up!

The

 

[ducks4you]

@Artichoke Lover, you should have had small, plastic toy soldiers next to them. Then, we could have a
"Jurrasic Park" moment!

 

[Artichoke Lover]

The potatoes and onions are up. Some of the potatoes aren’t up yet and I don’t know if they are duds or just slow to emerge. The strawberries are in full bloom and the blueberries and blackberries are starting to bloom.
The strawberries I planted in November 2020 may be the most prolific weed I’ve encountered. I bought 40 plants. That first spring they produce maybe a gallon and got about knee high. This year I have probably a minimum of 200 plants and they sent runners about 4-5 from the garden. I think I’m going have to start digging them up and burning them because at this rate of multiplication I’ll have a couple thousand by next spring

 

[ducks4you]

Birds could have eaten them.

 

[meadow]

Do birds eat potato plants?!

One variety of potato is going gangbusters over here, but the other two are barely showing any sign of life.

 

[ducks4you]

Birds eat EVERYTHING...like those darn starlings!!!

 

[meadow]

Ain't that the truth! I was sitting up by the porch, watching a starling hop over to some peas. Rascal took a bite right in front of me! Then another! Cheeky fellow. My garden looks like Fort Knox now.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do birds eat potatoes?!

You mean potato plants. The tubers should be buried so they should be safe.

I've never had a problem with birds eating potato plants. Potato plants and their cousins tomato plants contain solanine in fairly high concentrations. Solanine is toxic to chickens so I'd assume it might affect other birds too. One bite won't kill them, it takes a fair amount to even make them sick, so they'd have to stand there and really chow down for it to hurt them. But the solanine makes it taste bitter. Really unpleasant. If that is the only green thing around chickens and other birds may eat it but if they have other options they should take a bite or two and then move on to something else that tastes better.

 

[meadow]

You mean potato plants. The tubers should be buried so they should be safe.

I've never had a problem with birds eating potato plants. Potato plants and their cousins tomato plants contain solanine in fairly high concentrations. Solanine is toxic to chickens so I'd assume it might affect other birds too. One bite won't kill them, it takes a fair amount to even make them sick, so they'd have to stand there and really chow down for it to hurt them. But the solanine makes it taste bitter. Really unpleasant. If that is the only green thing around chickens and other birds may eat it but if they have other options they should take a bite or two and then move on to something else that tastes better.

Yes, I did mean potato plants. Thank you for the correction.

Good point too about the solanine.

 

[AMKuska]

Looks like your garden is a bit ahead of mine! I hope things go well for you. We don't have any lizards here. Are they normally tame enough to hang out on your hand??