Growing Potatoes: Spring 2011

If you've never grown potatoes, you should.  Especially if you're new to gardening.  They are one of the easiest root crops to grow.  There are many different varieties and they are all delicious.

In order to grow a potato, you basically just put a potato in the ground and bury it.  Then it turns into lots of other potatoes.

Potatoes can be grown in many different ways.  At our old house, we grew them in containers.  When we moved into our new place, we created a specific plot for potatoes.  

Most websites and nurseries suggest that you only use certified seed potatoes, but we've used both seed potatoes as well as just regular ol' potatoes from the store.  You can either cut the potato or just plant it whole.  We've done both.  With smaller potatoes, just plant them whole.  Larger ones, you can cut them in half or quarters, let the cuts callus-over and then plant.

After you bury the potatoes either in the ground or in a container, you wait for them to start growing.  As they develop to about 4-6 inches, add more soil around the plants, this adds more soil for the tubers to continue to develop.

It is also suggested that crops are rotated every year.  So, this year Willis built another raised bed for our new potato crops.   We didn't have enough wood for a whole bed, but we'll build it up when  the potatoes start growing and we need to add more soil.  We plan on replacing the bed to the left of it as well as building a 5th bed, so we'll pick up some more wood for those as well.

Potatoes can be harvested at a variety of stages.  In order to harvest an entire crop, stop adding soil and wait for the tops of the plants to die off.  You'll have to dig around for the potatoes and you'll think that you've found them all.  But you're probably wrong.  We thought we got all the potatoes out of the last bed, but they're popping up all over the place!

After the potatoes are harvested, it is also a good idea to plant a cover crop to re-establish the soil.  We planted fava beans.

How do your potatoes grow?

For more gardening tips, check out this blog carnival:





Currently listening to:
The Babies - Wild I

this week's menu: #5

Monday:
Portobello Burger & Parmesan Potatoes - Last week, I got two portobellos from work via the food bank (thanks Marijke!).  I destemmed them and soaked them in a bowl with some olive oil, tamari, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, paprika, basil, salt pepper, and red chili flakes.  I cooked them in the cast iron until tender and added some cheddar cheese near the end.  I topped my burger off with some ketchup and Nayonaise, that I bought from the new Grocery Outlet near our house, for 49 cents!!
Willis made his famous Parmesan Potatoes and as always, the meal was delicious.

Tuesday:
Baked Potato Soup - my favorite recipe.  I love this soup.  It is so easy and so delicious.  I skip the bacon and just use olive oil and bacon salt.  I used leeks from the garden, instead of onion; veggie stock instead of chicken broth; and hot pepper flakes instead of hot sauce.

Wednesday:
I was at work all night and just ate leftover soup.  I am not sure what Willis made.


Thursday:
Proper Eats -  I had the kid's burrito and a side of chips and salsa.  Willis had the Proper Plate.  I love this place.  It's an organic vegan cafe (but you can cheat and get dairy cheese added to things) and market.  They have an amazing bulk section in the market and the food in the cafe is always amazing. 


Friday:
Sushi Mazi - I went out to dinner with my family and we attempted to go to Papa G's.  Unfortunately, it was kind of crowded, so we went to a sushi restaurant a couple of block away.


Saturday: 
Horse Brass Pub - We went out for the third night in a row. Gasp!  But, it was for a good cause:  Courtney's 30th birthday!!!!!

this week's menu #4

I took a break from the weekly menu posts due to us being on vacation.  But rest assured, we ate plenty of deliciousness overseas: chips, jam donuts (berliners), maultaschen, chicken man, etc.

This week's menu has included:

Saturday:
Winter Squash Nachos  - Willis made a delicious mix of winter squash, beans, and cheese to eat with nachos.

Sunday:
Focaccia & Seitan - Willis loves making focaccia.

Monday:
Seitan, Kale, and Baked Parmesan Potatoes

Tuesday:
Leftovers

Wednesday:
Pinto Beans & Rice w/ Kale & Hushpuppies w/ Almond Honey Butter

Thursday:
Frozen Pizza

Friday:
Pasta Dinner @ a friend's house.