What does your garden look like ... Today?

[Meadowlark]

Commercial growers claim larger harvest.

I do not believe that...which is why I am testing it for myself.

I also do not believe application of nitrogen at 60 days improves harvest. Nor 6 inch spacing...

Only way to find out is test it

 

[Owdboggy]

We have some colour
.

 

[dirty hands]

Now I need to figure out what to use to drain this water away. Putting a water barrel on the corner is one thought to help dry the area out but I have the spicket hooked up to a well that's dedicated to just that spicket and lack of rain isnt really a big issue here. That picket was close to the ground before i could hardly get a hose hooked up to it.
I might hook that downspout to its own underground drain.
Getting rid of the clay might be enough since its all sand underneath.
Last night's rain drained away pretty fast. It use to stay puddled for almost a day after a good rain.

Maybe I can get something to grow better there after this.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Canada milk vetch is coming back strong! I grew several from seed last year and this summer will be the first time I get to see it bloom, but I may want to cage at least one of them to make sure the rabbits dont eat them all.

 

[Meadowlark]

Very interesting to me as I grow a lot of Vetch here...mostly harry vetch for its nitrogen fixing properties.

 

[gary350]

I do not believe that...which is why I am testing it for myself.

I also do not believe application of nitrogen at 60 days improves harvest. Nor 6 inch spacing...

Only way to find out is test it

I am going to test this also. I have always heard too much nitrogen makes large plants with few new potatoes. I am going to give a 10' sections in 1 row nitrogen to see how that compares to the other 20' of the same row.

 

[Meadowlark]

I am going to test this also. I have always heard too much nitrogen makes large plants with few new potatoes. I am going to give a 10' sections in 1 row nitrogen to see how that compares to the other 20' of the same row.

I thought the claim was application of nitrogen at 60 days makes more production?

 

[gary350]

I thought the claim was application of nitrogen at 60 days makes more production?

There are 100s of YouTube videos. Commercial growers are the only 1s I trust. I found 2 commercial growers that claim nitrogen at 60 days produces larger crop of new potatoes.

Another grower showed video of them cutting potato plants off at 60 days. They claim if the plants have no tops new potatoes grow larger the last month.

It is easy for me to add nitrogen at 60 days. I don't like the idea of cutting plants off at 60 days.

 

[gary350]

It rained all night, rain gauge says 2". Potato plants appear to have grown 2" taller over night. I have no way to measure but plants look much larger and better today. Yesterday garden was desert and mud today. I am trying new things. Hardest work is yet to come, staking 6' tall plants, 3 rows, 34 plants, about 1 hr work once a week. Plants that got frost bit the worse are growing the slowest, is that bad or good?

 

[Meadowlark]

Rattlesnake master

I have three showing now slightly behind the progress of yours @JBtheExplorer and I'm anxiously awaiting their trip to maturity.

 

[gary350]

Row 1,2,3, were frost bit that is why row 4 is taller. Row 1 is Kennebec. Row 2 is a mix of red & white. Not sure what row 3 is probably mostly white. Row 4 is a mix of potatoes spilled on the floor and Kennebec.

 

[gary350]

Today i put up the tomato stakes and pepper stakes. Grand kids like the big chickens so I had to put them up also.

 

[Martin Mikulcik]

There are 100s of YouTube videos. Commercial growers are the only 1s I trust. I found 2 commercial growers that claim nitrogen at 60 days produces larger crop of new potatoes.

Another grower showed video of them cutting potato plants off at 60 days. They claim if the plants have no tops new potatoes grow larger the last month.

It is easy for me to add nitrogen at 60 days. I don't like the idea of cutting plants off at 60 days.

I would think cutting would reduce yield. They say it improves skin set and maybe reduces diseases if you're planning to save seeds

One thing to consider when comparing to commercial growers is you're not in a commercial growing zone so best for them does not necessarily mean best for you. For you potatoes probably won't make it past the start of July while they're still harvesting in October in idaho. You want fertility levels to be sufficient the whole way, so fertilize them half way or in thirds but it's a waste right before harvest

Are these days counted when they sprout above ground, because planting date is basically meaningless. Potatoes will survive in the soil overwinter

 

[Meadowlark]

I would think cutting would reduce yield. They say it improves skin set and maybe reduces diseases if you're planning to save seeds

See the thread...

Potato Growing Claims

@gary350 has mentioned a couple of claims on growing potatoes that he has seen on videos. To wit: There are 100s of YouTube videos. Commercial growers are the only 1s I trust. I found 2 commercial growers that claim nitrogen at 60 days produces larger crop of new potatoes. Another grower...

www.gardening-forums.com

 

[JBtheExplorer]

My eastern prickly pears have arrived!