Gitrdun Day!

[digitS']

Okay, it is 9pm so we can be sure that Thistle' is sound asleep by now . . .

Thirty pounds of seed potatoes!! Good goobly goop! Yeah, I can imagine 300 pounds + from those!

I scaled back to only 100ft this year, Thistle'! Doubling it last year was fun but I got tired of moving the spuds around after the end of July/August harvest. Down in the basement to try to keep them cool. Back up to the garage in the fall to keep them cooler. Back down to the basement again to keep them from freezing! De-sprouting - twice! I still lost quite a few of the Purple Majesty! (It wasn't that they didn't keep as well - one or another was goin' be left for last!)

Anyway, only 2 varieties this year: Yukon Golds and I felt lucky to find Sangre red seed potatoes again! I'd like to have more varieties but it does complicate the harvest if I just do a little at a time - starting from one place and working my way thru a bed as they mature, over the course of several weeks.

Anyway, I don't think you are late on 'em! I got the spuds in about as early as I could. It seems like the soil temperature was still 45! The Yukons are the only ones completely up. Only a couple of Sangre have made an appearance. I didn't wait for much sprouting but they did have a few days at room temperature before going into that cold ground.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Hey I'm still up! Took today as a rest day, and I'm off again tomorrow so I'll be up and out early. Don't you love these bright early mornings? It's so much easier for me to get up at the crack of dawn when it's my own garden I get to work in. Almost makes me giddy!

Did you find your Sangre locally Steve? I seem to be turning into something of a potato snob, and walked right by the seed potato offerings at the feed stores. It's all the same variety every year.
I bet you'd really like Marris Piper. Makes awesome hash browns, and good in soup too.

Fortunately I think I have a good potato storage setup. It worked well last winter, but I'm not sure what it would be like if we had a prolonged subzero stretch. I might be hauling them in and out too...

Something I've been considering this year is cutting back on tomatoes next year, like maybe just 4 plants. They don't do great for me, and frustrate the bejeebers out of me all summer, then they take up a lot of space too...

I may have to hunt you down at whatever Farmers Market you're at and buy some of yours.

I hope that didn't scare you into joining the Tomato Growers Witness Protection Program!

 

[digitS']

zzzzzzzz zzzzzzz snorrk snuffffle zzzzzzz


What! Oh, potatoes and tomatohs . . .

Sangre came from NW Seed!

I am completely out of anything special at the Spokaloo FmMt, Thistle'. Next market will be in June! Let's see, Sweet 100, Sungold and Early Girl. Most of the Early Girl sown late for late runs to the market. You'll find DW & DD near front and center and DS should be showing up when Wednesday markets start mid-month. Me? They keep me locked up in the basement . . .

Steve