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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
 Posted - 11/07/2008 : 10:35:32
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Tony is very disappointed with the first crop of spuds he dug up yesterday only getting 60 medium to large ones and about 20 or so small ones, then there are the ones that went through the fork and the tiny ones the size of cherries were not included in that count, from five rows of seven in a row so 35 spuds planted and only 80 harvested that's not good at all.
Some planted the last week in March the rest in April into this deep bed about 3x3 mts.
All the soil came from the little hill under the huge gum tree in the chook yard that the chooks burrow in to have a dust bath..It only got the dregs on the compost bin as we had used most of it improving and deepening other veggie beds..
I reckon he did not water them enough as many a time I would burrow down to find them very dry, then he would get the watering can out and sprinkle sprinkle over the top I am the opposite I only water once a week or longer with plants and very deeply where Tony likes to make work for himself and water every day with the watering can  except the spuds as they are too far from the tank and a big bed.
Tony said its the soil I don't, have a look at the green veggies at the other end of the bed nothing wrong with them, because they get a decent watering even when it rains where this end does not as its under the gum tree branches..
So Girls share your potato growing secrets with Tony so he can get a good crop next time..
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts
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lorraine
assistant gardener
Australia
144 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2008 : 11:11:14
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hi Mary-Anne we live in the potato growing area here ,so my guess is its definetly lack of water
potato farmers always give the taters a good soak not just a sprinkle and if Tony's are growing anywhere near the gum tree it will take any water he may give them
plus its more beneficial to water the soil not the leaves ,sorry Tony |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2008 : 13:02:09
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Hi Jane and Thank You ..I have told Tony this so he has taken it all in, he said they don't need much water, fair enough they may not in Wales UK where he was born but this is Queensland, when we lived in Melbourne we had good small crops because they got watered by me as he was working in those days 6-7 days a week and did not have time.
I also told him it was not a good place for a veggie bed, under the drip line of the tree and too far from the tank but it fell on deaf ears, look I can understand him wanting to put it where he did as nothing much had to be moved or wheel-barrowed very far, this huge bed need to be behind the shed with the other veggie beds where it can be watered with a hose from the tank..
It will take a lot of work but we may be able to move it all in time..
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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lorraine
assistant gardener
Australia
144 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2008 : 15:11:22
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yes its definetly a man thing ,sorry again Tony , john is the same here as well , I seem to have the taters and cows to look after lately
the potato farmers here do water the tater plants a lot in the growing season then once they have flowered they hold the water back a bit so the taters dont rot, then leave them to die down before digging
also gum trees can get cranky about anything growing under them , they feel?? threatened and exude a type of sap stuff which can stop or slow things right down that are growing underneath them ,an old nursery man told me that years ago
your potatoes may need more water again as it gets a bit warmer up there
hope I have been some help |
Edited by - lorraine on 11/07/2008 15:13:08 |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2008 : 16:40:35
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Yes you have and Thanks Jane.. I have already started in moving that bed or should that be starting another one where all the other beds are..
We are having a cold spell at present and the smaller beds soil is wet for now thank goodness.
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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GardenDan
gardener
Australia
836 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2008 : 16:46:38
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Hi Tony...and Mary-Anne too :)
At least you are getting a crop...mine have been eaten...still fighting the wild life for the veges. We have soem good plants on the go now. I better water them more. All our tanks are now connected to pumps so while off work I can water them
Daniel
Happy Gardening |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2008 : 17:01:46
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Hi ya Daniel I replied to your other post.. Always something growing here..
I started cutting and lifting the grass for the new bed just before. Tony marked it out with a string line for me 4.3 x 3.3 mts. The soil is very damp there so its very hard to cut and lift..
I will do two large wheelbarrow loads a day if I can manage it.
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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otamot
head gardener
1013 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2008 : 04:11:20
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well it looks like a fantastic haul of potatoes to me maryanne! 
sorry to jump in on your post, but if I planted potatoes now, how would I do it? do I cut up whole potatoes and just plant them? and do the plants need a lot of sun while theyre growing? my vegie patch is pretty shaded this time of year so Im wondering if I'd be able to grow any in there  |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2008 : 06:50:13
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At least the ones you got look good and better than nothing. It looks like you have a big job ahead of you with that new garden bed. I can feel the sore muscles already! At least Tony is trying, and eating his own spuds will help make up for less than expected.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2008 : 12:03:13
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Well so much for that idea, there is not enough room for the firewood truck to get in close enough to the woodshed door.
I put the grass back this morning and we have decided to put that bed long ways starting nearer to the compost bins and closer to the nectarine tree and if that does not work we will have to make that bed smaller and cut the hardwood edges but don't really want to do that.
I feel everything needs a fair amount of sun to grow properly Ota. I cannot really advise you as I don't know what your weather is like it would have to be just a bit cooler than here, just watch the frosts if you get any.. I have never used cut pieces but I am not saying you cant. They also say you should never used supermarket spuds because of diseases but we have and will only be planting any new ones from what we grow I will see if I can buy some organic ones next time and give them a try..
Tessa will be able to help you better as she is a expert at growing them in your area.
They are nice looking spuds Gail and some quite big I weighed a couple of the medium size ones and they come in just 200gms so maybe three to a kilo the bigger ones..
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 13/07/2008 : 05:39:20
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You will find somewhere Mary-Anne. That's the problem with having to allow vehicle access to the backyard - I could have fun planting much more if I didn't have to allow access for trucks
Ota, I'm no expert, Tessa is a mine of info on spuds, and don't know your temps, etc but on average most vegies including spuds need about 5 hours of sunlight a day. Spuds like good drainage. Bigger spuds with plenty of eyes can be cut and planted - I do this sometimes if they are big ones. An old-timer once told me for my area to leave the spuds whole in our spring/summer (our wet season) so they are less likely to rot but it is ok to cut them in winter (our dry season). We can more or less grow them all year round here in a frost free area - I plant anytime. We get the occasional light frost, we had -1C near the house two days running a couple of days ago but luckily no frost near the house but you should have seen the paddocks further down the hill though 
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 13/07/2008 : 12:31:42
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Changed our minds again Gail as we would have to use the same soil again and they say not to do that because of diseases..
I started of with a five year crop rotation but that went with the wind as the bok choy, lettuce and tomatoes are coming up in the soil of all the beds and they never get pull out, we cannot plant potatoes in the other beds as they are too small..
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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GardenDan
gardener
Australia
836 Posts |
Posted - 13/07/2008 : 12:53:51
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So what have you decided to do now for spuds, Mary-Anne?
Daniel
Happy Gardening |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 13/07/2008 : 13:31:02
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No idea Daniel but we will work on something.
Its a watering thing as that area is no where near the two tanks..
So it looks like there will be a few hoses joined together next time to water them.
There is still plenty of soil under that big gum tree in the chook yard.
But we have to leave lots of it there so the chooks can have their dust bath..
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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tessa
head gardener
Australia
3682 Posts |
Posted - 13/07/2008 : 13:33:02
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well, mary-anne, at least they'll taste heaps better than anything you'll find in the supermarket.
were they the desiree?
ota...sure, you can cut the spuds...but i just buy small one and plant them whole. if you want to get a few weeks head start, just visit the local health food store. their spuds are not sprayed with chemicals that retard the spuds from throwing out shoots, so most times, you can find spuds with the eyes well and truly growing already.
we can grow spuds year-round here, ota...so whenever you get around to it will be fine.
most of my spuds recieve only a few hours of direct light per day and don't seem to be bothered by all the shade.
cranky people live longer. i'm going to live forever!
perth, wa |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 13/07/2008 : 14:22:28
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Yes they are Desiree Tessa.
Sorry about those two pics I wont blame the camera it was my fault I was taking a pic of a flower under a Halogen light the night before and forgot to reset the white balance back to sunlight the next morning.
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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