Gardening: (2016– )

[KennethT]

1 hour ago, Shelby said:

They say that if you pick the flowers off,  the potatoes will be bigger....I'm not sure about that.  After they flower they sometimes  produce a green ....kind of a green tomato looking thing--not edible.  I'll try to remember to take a picture.  The flowers don't last long so I'm not sure anything pollinates them at all.......You dig the potatoes after the plants start to die off.

I'd assume that any growth other than the minimal amount of leaves for full use of sunlight/minerals/water/CO2 is just taking energy away from making tubers.

[chromedome]

I find potato blossoms very pretty, though you do need to get up close to really appreciate them.

 

You can actually grow potatoes from the seeds in the small tomato-like fruit, and I know of a few landrace gardeners who do exactly that in order to get varieties that are finely attuned to their own growing areas. I had attempted to save some from a couple of my plants, and try growing them out myself, but sadly they fell victim to an in-fridge spill during winter storage.

[Shelby]

3 minutes ago, chromedome said:

I find potato blossoms very pretty, though you do need to get up close to really appreciate them.

 

You can actually grow potatoes from the seeds in the small tomato-like fruit, and I know of a few landrace gardeners who do exactly that in order to get varieties that are finely attuned to their own growing areas. I had attempted to save some from a couple of my plants, and try growing them out myself, but sadly they fell victim to an in-fridge spill during winter storage.

Cool.  So I could pick the green tomato things and just keep them in the fridge until next spring?

[chromedome]

That's what I've read. Can't verify it personally, alas, for reasons cited above.

[Annie_H]

I did grow potatoes for for a few years but not worth it here. My 'armchair' crops are garlic and rhubarb---zucchini, beans. No trouble or tending. 

My rhubarb 'farm' is nuts. 200 pounds in a 80ft row from three 100 year OLD mother plants divided 15-20 years ago. We thought at the time it would be a good retirement farm. 80 foot row every two years. from 20 year old Mother plants. Shit happens and we no longer care about such. We just give away and so many city slickers, co-workers, will be thrilled this week getting fresh rhubarb. 

The flowers are gorgeous but need to be removed. If not, the plants do not care. 

(we are in the Catskills. Remote farm.) 

One car passes maybe twice a day. 

We just tonight harvested about 20 pounds of rhubarb. Will go to city co-workers and I make juice. 200 pounds if I feel like harvesting. 

 

 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

Not exactly gardening - but I attended a party this afternoon for a colleague who is moving away. The host lives in an historic house in Dundas - lots of old trees. 

 

Found this on the ground while leaving.

 

 

 

 

 

[Shelby]

12 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Not exactly gardening - but I attended a party this afternoon for a colleague who is moving away. The host lives in an historic house in Dundas - lots of old trees. 

 

Found this on the ground while leaving.

 

 

 

 

 

What is it?

[Kerry Beal]

4 minutes ago, Shelby said:

What is it?

Leaves and flower of a tulip tree based on leaf identification. 

[Shelby]

20 minutes ago, Annie_H said:

I did grow potatoes for for a few years but not worth it here. My 'armchair' crops are garlic and rhubarb---zucchini, beans. No trouble or tending. 

My rhubarb 'farm' is nuts. 200 pounds in a 80ft row from three 100 year OLD mother plants divided 15-20 years ago. We thought at the time it would be a good retirement farm. 80 foot row every two years. from 20 year old Mother plants. Shit happens and we no longer care about such. We just give away and so many city slickers, co-workers, will be thrilled this week getting fresh rhubarb. 

The flowers are gorgeous but need to be removed. If not, the plants do not care. 

(we are in the Catskills. Remote farm.) 

One car passes maybe twice a day. 

We just tonight harvested about 20 pounds of rhubarb. Will go to city co-workers and I make juice. 200 pounds if I feel like harvesting. 

 

 

 

 

Wow.  I love rhubarb.  200 lbs?????  And more to come I assume.  I've tried to grow it here.  It just doesn't work. 

[gfweb]

11 hours ago, Shelby said:

Couldn't resist taking a picture of the potato plants.  The flowers are so pretty.

 

How many potatoes per plant?

[Shelby]

10 hours ago, gfweb said:

How many potatoes per plant?

It varies....but probably around 6 to 8.  It's fun to dig them up...like Easter egg hunting.

[Annie_H]

16 hours ago, Shelby said:

Wow.  I love rhubarb.  200 lbs?????  And more to come I assume.  I've tried to grow it here.  It just doesn't work. 

 

Really more like twice that. Just seems like an excessive #. We harvested two paper grocery bags. About 6 bundles in each. 20# bags each?. Neighbors are welcome to help themselves. 20 pound for us I like to juice and make a bbq sauce. That is 60 this weekend and barely looks like we touched it. 

3 hours ago, Shelby said:

It varies....but probably around 6 to 8.  It's fun to dig them up...like Easter egg hunting.

When my niece and nephew were young and visited one summer they were shocked how French fries grew. 😂 They grew up on fast food and easy packaged foods. Sister does not cook. 

 

Chive farm, lol. Things seem earlier this year. 

 

 

[Annie_H]

On 6/4/2022 at 9:58 AM, KennethT said:

I have found that many times, marijuana growers are at the forefront of growing technology

Whenever I have issues growing all winter indoors, I consult their forums. Whiteflies, etc. 

[Annie_H]

Rhubarb juice is really good. This pic was a few years ago but I'll be making a batch this week. Simmer until soft, then strain. The juicy pulp I freeze in 1/2 pints. Add to sauces and I'll make a batch of summer bbq sauce. 

This year were were late tapping our maples so only 5 gallons. --need forty gallons for a gallon of syrup. Cooked the five down to a half gallon and will mix it with the rhubarb, some ginger, turmeric, etc. ---for seltzer and cocktails.

We try for forty gallons every year but seem to end up with 20 making a half gallon of maple. Plenty for us but no gifting. 

I'll get maybe 24 juice containers for the freezer and take out one or so a week to thaw for that week. 

 

 

[TicTac]

On 6/3/2022 at 7:11 PM, KennethT said:

No - the planter is just decoration. The fabric pot will sit inside with an inch of space all around between fabric pot and the planter. 

I can possibly see some mold/mildew issues due to lack of airflow in that space; but like @heidih said; you are pretty detail oriented and as such, I am sure it will get figured out

[TicTac]

On 6/4/2022 at 9:58 AM, KennethT said:

I actually have 2 different types of fabric pouches - I'm not sure which I like better.  I have the standard felt ones but I also use these.  I have found that many times, marijuana growers are at the forefront of growing technology, probably because it's such a high value crop.  The Radicle bags are a woven pvc mesh.  My kaffir lime and curry leaf plant are both in them and they love them.  I moved my lemongrass from a fabric to Radicle bag and its growth exploded, although I'm going to move it bag to fabric because I want to change it from a round pot to rectangular to make it easier to harvest some of the inside stalks.  Right now it's in a 3 gallon radicle bag which has become filled edge to edge with lemongrass.

Just getting caught up here, sorry for the multiple replies...

 

I have used both a cloth pot (some cotton like material), and a woven plastic fabric one (root pouch - recycled water bottles - BPA free) - while I am still only part way through my first season with the woven plastic one, It seems of higher quality and far greater breathability.  Great drainage.  Will post an update pic soon, but plants are thriving.  

On 6/4/2022 at 11:36 AM, KennethT said:

I didn't realize that potatoes flowered.  What happens after the flowers have been pollinated?

Gorgeous flowers, actually.  You can mound more soil up to a few inches below the flowers and they will keep shooting out potatoes into the mounded earth.  I am experimenting with a multi-stage grow in cardboard boxes.

[Annie_H]

3 hours ago, TicTac said:

You can mound more soil up to a few inches below the flowers and they will keep shooting out potatoes into the mounded earth.  I am experimenting with a multi-stage grow in cardboard boxes.

When I grew potatoes that is what I did. I built 3x3ft 'sleeves' from 2x12's. Like raised beds. As the plants grew, I added another sleeve and soil. Mostly peat as I remember. I put five potato cuts in each box. One in each corner and one in the middle. Different depths. No recall of the yields but usually a healthy amount and saves small garden real estate growing 'up'.  No need when lots of field space is available. 

[KennethT]

My laksa/rau ram/vietnamese coriander plant is out of control.  It has become a jungle after just a couple months after clipping 5 small sprigs off my last plant and rooting them.  It drinks about 2.5 liters of nutrient every couple of days!

 

14" wok shown for scale....

[heidih]

You are clearly satisfying its wants and desires  Lovely!

[KennethT]

9 hours ago, heidih said:

You are clearly satisfying its wants and desires  Lovely!

Thanks, but to be honest, this plant grows like a weed.  It's basically impossible to kill!

[heidih]

2 hours ago, KennethT said:

Thanks, but to be honest, this plant grows like a weed.  It's basically impossible to kill!

So it is saucy andindependent - still holds true. I've seen people over-care such plants and destroy their true nature (seriously)

[Shelby]

Ronnie went out and picked mulberries for me yesterday (it's in the midst of poison ivy so that's a no no for me).

 

Put a tarp on the trailer and just shook 'em all down.  Said it worked like a charm.

 

 

 

 

 

Took me 3 hours to de-stem....come to find out I could have cooked them in a pie with the stems and it would have been just fine lol.

 

My fingers are very purple.

 

Mulberry pie is super good.

Edited June 13, 2022 by Shelby (log)

[KennethT]

1 hour ago, heidih said:

So it is saucy andindependent - still holds true. I've seen people over-care such plants and destroy their true nature (seriously)

That's what I mean by impossible to kill.  It is very happy with wet feet - it can basically live in a swamp, but it is also surprisingly drought tolerant!  Really, you just need to make sure it gets a decent amount of light.

[lemniscate]

I am not a gardener.  I plant stuff, but don't expect much.  This year is an anomaly.   I have a 4' x 12' area I have planted a lemon tree, a pomegranate, some sort of a seedless grape vine (thompson?) and cape honeysuckle.  It all just overlaps and the lemons and pomegranates do fine and I harvest what I care about.  The grape vine has been forgotten for years and just intertwines with the other trees and does essentially nothing.  I think I must have hacked back the grape vine in Jan/Feb for some reason because I actually got a harvest of grapes just now.  They are small, yet sweet and I probably got about 5-ish lbs.   Anything over 7' high and too hard to untangle from the lemon and pomegranate are angel's share for the birds.  I'm pretty chuffed about eating backyard grapes.

Edited June 15, 2022 by lemniscate (log)

[heidih]

Beautiiful. And next time when you hack them back - try some grape leaves.  https://forums.egullet.org/topic/132868-young-grape-leaves/