Companion Plant for new potatoes

[Meadowlark]

I've heard that horseradish is a good choice for companion planting with new potatoes. Anyone try that? What kind of results?

This year I'm using sugar snap peas as my companion to new potatoes thinking that perhaps the N2 addition will be helpful to the spuds.

I will determine success or failure by measuring against past production numbers which range from 10 pounds of new potato to 15 pounds of new potato per pound of seed potato.

In about 4 weeks the data will be in on the peas as a companion plant...meanwhile they are making a great snack while working in the garden.

If the companion plant doesn't work out , what's the worst that could happen? ...assuming I don't snack on them all.

 

[oneeye]

You can hurt a bachelor showing that kind of home cooking, so you may need to be a little careful. I don't know how many bachelors look at this forum. YUMMY!!!!!

 

[Meadowlark]

Early returns are very positive on this symbiotic relationship in peas and potatoes.

My potato leaves are much darker green than normal at this time of year indicating healthy N2 likely from the peas.

Harvest in a few weeks will be the real judge on productivity, but it is looking very good.

Can't resist having a small sample taste of what's coming

 

[Pepperhead]

You can hurt a bachelor showing that kind of home cooking, so you may need to be a little careful. I don't know how many bachelors look at this forum. YUMMY!!!!!

Bachelor here

Grab a breadmaker from Goodwill or something if you don't have one.
* 2.5 cups of AP flour (or with any ratio of "00" flour if you like)
* 2 Tbsp melted butter
* 2 Tbsp sugar
* 2 Tsp salt
* 1 packet of yeast
* 1 cup of warmed, flattened beer (shake up in a tupperware)

-Throw that in the breadmaker on the dough setting. Wait ~3hrs after you press start.

Prep 2 pizza pans with a sprinkle of cornmeal and a little flour (to prevent dough sticking)

Put the dough on a plate of flour, coat it, then cut it in half and coat the parts exposed with flour, too.

Roll out the dough from the center-outwards with your palms until thin (varies by taste, add a little flour if it starts sticking)

Spread your favorite pasta sauce thinly with the back end of a spoon around all but the last 1/2" of the edges. Prego's Tomato/Onion/Garlic is may fav so far until I create my own recipe).

The edges now gets coated with olive oil, light amount of garlic sauce and maybe some italian spices from a grinder or such.

Add your toppings. Peppers (hence my name), dices onions work well, pepperoni or sausage, etc...

The cheese combo I love involves a cheddar you like, sharp or not, goat cheese, a creamy cheese like a jalapeno havarti or pepper jack, permesan, whatever cheeses you like (go easy on blue cheese.

Cheese goes on first, so the pepperoni, peppers and sausage don't get buried by the cheese.

Bake until the crust looks golden in a 400 degree oven.

Everyone loves you now, and will ask you to make pizza again.

 

[Pepperhead]

Also, Meadowlark, I though potatoes had to be slowly covered with dirt as they grow. Can I grow them in the ground like that? I will totally start some tomorrow if that's the case!

 

[Meadowlark]

You're too late for this spring. Yes, I plant "seed potatoes" which are just potatoes which have NOT been treated to prevent budding. Actually, I cut the seed potatoes into small pieces and plant those about 5-6 inches deep after treating the cuts.

As the cut seed potato pushes up sprouts, I will hill them up with dirt a few different times along the way to harvest. Hilling up is simply dragging a little dirt up around the sprout to keep the growing tubers well protected from sunlight. This is necessary to protect the growing tubers from direct sunlight and turning their skin to a substance that is harmful to us humans. ( Green skin which is Chlorophyll)

Plus, I think they just produce more with that TLC of dirt periodically.

Hear is what the cut pieces look like before planting...treated with wood ash and/or Sulphur to prevent rot.

 

[Pepperhead]

Oh, I think I get it now. I see how to cut the sprouting potatoes, plant them deeper than the normal seed sowing recommendation (2x the lenght), give them preventative treatment and what to cover with soil as they grow. I have just started a notepad of this info for next year.

Sorry to go off-topic in this thread, but thanks a lot for your help! I'm in my 5th year of gardening so far, and keep expanding every year, despite my incredible screw-ups (i'll post on my greenhouse mistakes later on).

Also, I like the post-hole digger there. Very smart.

 

[Meadowlark]

No problem Pepperhead.

I really would encourage you to try it...very fun and highly rewarding. They will quickly become your favorite veggie to grow in your garden.