Sadly, I have to report some bad news...
The potatoes didn't make it.
WTF??!!! I follow the information (or so I thought) from a "grow potatoes in a barrel" site.
The whole thing with potatoes is; when they are ready, the plant dies off. Well, mine were dead. (granted, I didn't think that the 100 plus degree weather could have had ANYTHING to do with it).
I'm thinking to myself, "well, their dead, they should be ready!" I had all sorts of potato concoctions running through my head. Creamy mashed potatoes, double smashed garlic potatoes, home fries, french fries, baked, boiled and grilled.
So over I dump the metal trash can that I modified for potato production. Eagerly I dug through the dirt. I dug...and dug.....................and dug. Nothing. Not a spud to be had.
I looked at the stalks of the plant. The roots vanished about 6 inches into the dirt. They rotted away.
Ugh!!!
So I run back inside, jump on the net, google growing potatoes and wouldn't you know it, the original site that I got the info from...NO LONGER EXISTS!!!!
Is it any wonder?????!!!!!!!!!!!
So I googled other people who grew container potatoes, everyone else seemed to jibe with the same info in regards to soil prep. Which I might add, went completely AGANST THE SITE I GOT MY ORIGINAL INFO FROM!!!!!
So in essence, the person on the site I got my original info from was chatting out the back of her front!!!
Note to self: CHECK MULTIPLE SOURCES!!!!
So now I have to wait till February to try again.
The death of the potatoes really didn't help my mental state. I have lost my squash, pumpkins, peas and string beens in the last 2 weeks due to the oppressive heat.
It's been a lousy summer for me gardening-wise.
I still have hope with my new tomato and pepper plants. They seem to be hanging on. I actually have one only pepper so far, but it seems strong! My basil and the rest of my herbs seem to be hanging tough. The blackberry bushes are a little crisp but still going strong. The lemon tree and grape vine have bounced back and are doing well. The fig tree was looking a bit sorry yesterday, but I gave that a deep watering and it perked right up.
Bottom line: we need rain. I start using my reserves tomorrow. Yeah, the monster tanks are already empty. I used the last of the water tonight.
I don't know how farmers do it.
It's a bit of a downer this time around, but I'm hoping that the forecast for rain later this week proves to be true. That would go a long way.
And as always, Green is Good. A bit crunchy and brown at time, but still good!
Cheers!
2 comments:
Just keep in mind that you had some nice crops earlier in the summer. Unfortunately the water tanks didn't outlast the heat. I was thinking, if you just dug up the whole back yard you could put a huge cistern in the ground underneath your garden and then the two tanks would be backup to that...... gotcha thinking huh???
Sorry about the spuds, Bro. But like Kimber said: you had a nice yield -- plus you have berries and tomatoes and figs and a pepper! I agree about this summer. It was hot everywhere and hardly rained in NY, too, which is weird. I'll be so glad when August finally ends. P.S. I love your Mr. Potato Head with pennies on the eyes. It cracked me up.
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