songbird wrote:
Snag wrote:

I planted some Yukon Gold taters last summer , and they didn't do
diddly - maybe because I planted them kinda late . The rows are well
defined , so I can avoid that area when I till new ground for next
year - the question is should I leave them and hope for new growth
and a crop next year or just till 'em under and try again ? I did
dig a little and found a few very small potatoes , but nothing I
felt was worth harvesting .

tilling them under won't accomplish anything as the
plants for next season will come up from the mini-potatoes
so if you don't get all of those out of there you'll
have sprouts next season.


Eh , I was afraid of that . Mr Armadillo has been rooting for bugs in the
tater patch , and he uncovered a few taters . I'll get the rest out before
first frost . If they're gonna sprout , I want 'em to sprout where I want
them to grow .


Also , is this the right time to get garlic in the ground for next
year ? As much as we like it I'd like to have some out in the garden
, and try out using the scapes . note to self , get some daffydills
for the wife this fall!!

planting time depends upon variety, but i have had
no problems planting the hard-necked garlic as early
as August and as late as November. plant the largest
cloves possible. if planting from scapes, you will
be waiting two years to harvest bulbs with cloves.
the single bulb from a one year scape is edible but
they are not easy to peel. instead i plant them a
few inches deeper and use them as a green onion substitute
through the winter and into spring (up until the plants
start forming hard stems and the papery tunics on the
cloves).

I cheaped out and picked up some bulk garlic at the store today . Big
cloves will be going in the ground by week's end , time permitting we're
building , or should I say I'm building the first room of our new house .



I'll be expanding the garden space next year down hill some more .
The soil further from the edge of the woods seems much more fertile
if this year's results are any indication , and while I'll lose part
of the blackberry patch I feel the trade off is worth it - those
berries grow wild all over the place up here and they're a bi**h to
pick .

seedless variety is a great help and avoids much
bloodshed. i won't let the thorny kind even get
started around here, the red raspberries and wild
roses are bad enough (and the sumac and poison ivy).


songbird

These are apparently native blackberries , and they do have vicious thorns
.. This year was kinda exploratory , first summer I've been here full more
or less time . Next year I expect to provide a significant contribution to
our food supply . If the deer cooperate I'll be supplying some of the
protein too ...
--
Snag
out in
the shop