Potato Towers Harvested

2012 was the first time I planted potatoes in towers. I used shredded leaves from last autumn as the medium and planted patio style tomatoes on top of each tower.



Several kinds of potatoes were planted. Three kinds produced spuds - Yukon Gold, Russet and Red Norland.

The tomatoes produced massive amounts of both Husky Cherry and Super Sweet 100 tomatoes. The day I cut down all the plants in the garden, both of these patio tomatoes were still producing fruit. However, the potatoes that were growing under the tomatoes should probably have been harvested earlier. As a matter of fact the potatoes really didn't produce as much leafy greens as they should. There were only a few greens growing out of the tower and those that grew were sparse and short lived. The potato plants were long dead before I cleared the tomatoes and opened the towers.

The towers were opened by straightening the short ends of wire left on each end of the wire fencing the formed each tower. One by one the wires were opened until the fencing could be pulled back. The fabric was opened and the digging for spuds began.

While digging through the shredded leaves, I came in contact with three kinds insects. The first and most aggressive was ants. Ant nests were distributed throughout the medium. In those ant nests were angry ants! They climbed from my hands to my forearms, biting along the way. They entered my shoes, climbed my ankles biting on their way up my pant legs. I had to step back and wipe the ants from my limbs. This took some time, for no sooner did they appear to be off my limbs more appeared, still biting.

Another lovely find in the media were sow bugs. The presence of sow bugs is what makes me think I should have harvested the potatoes earlier. The sow bugs were eating the spuds. Not a great deal of damage but damage none the less.

The last insect I encountered were cicada larvae. Big ugly cicada larvae. Down at the very bottom of each tower between all the weight of the media, potatoes and tomatoes in each tower were some 20 larvae. I placed them on the patio surface for the birds to feast upon. They dried in the sun without any interest from the birds.

Lets get down to the important facts about the potato towers.

The potatoes were small,

the potatoes were few. 

The total weight of all potatoes grown was 1031g/ 2.27lbs.

If I grow potatoes in towers next year there will be changes. Changes such as no tomatoes planted on top of the tower, a way to ensure water is delivered to the whole tower, possibly a different planting media and definitely space between the towers to allow the plant leaves to get more sun which I hope will produce larger spuds.

To the drawing board.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Snow Peas Blooming

The snow peas began blooming on 19May. The plants have reached the top of the wire supports, which is 12"/30cm from the soil surface.

Images captured 20May2012

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Monochrome Garden Textures

Here are a few monochrome textures I collected in my garden mid-May.

Hosta

Hosta

Hosta

Hosta

Hosta

Oregano - Origanum vulgare

Hosta

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Built Another Potato Tower

Quite a bit of leaves remained after adding them to my square foot plot and filling up my potato tower.  I decided I like potatoes and another tower was in order.  I purchased a 50'/15m roll of 3'/.9m wide fencing. The fencing has 3"/76mm x 2"/50mm rectangular openings, as did the previous fencing used to build the first tower. This fencing differs in a few ways. The wire is a smaller gauge. It almosts feels soft, much easier to bend. The long side of the 2" x 3" openings changed orientation 90º so that the 3"/76mm dimension went from horizontal to vertical. 


I am guessing the gauge of the wire decreased to keep the price of the fencing low. I have no idea why the orientation rotated 90º. In any event, I constructed another tower using the same 64"/1.6m length of fencing. I cut the extra rectangle in order to attach both ends of the fencing to each other. I cut another wire coat hanger and made 5"/127mm staples to pin down the towers to the soil.


I changed the cloth used to surround the tower. I used all the remaining landscaping fabric on the first tower. I scrounged in my garage for something to use. I found a black single bed sheet in my rag pile. Bed sheets are saved to be reused before selling to the rag shop or entering the trash stream. (I am the son of parents that lived through the Great Depression. We save rags, aluminum, copper, screws, nails and lumber of sizable usable lengths. Our family has been recycling our whole lives. We are no strangers to the rag/scrap shop.)


I draped the sheet around the tower and overlapped where the ends of the fencing were joined. One edge of the sheet touched the ground and the remaining cloth flows over the top of the tower. I then placed 6"/15cm of leaves in the bottom of the tower. I didn't have any store bought potato seeds, so I opened my pantry to  scrounge for a suitable replacement.


I found a few sprouted Russet potatoes that were living under a large sweet white onion. They was easy to spot. The sprouts were a sickly white 6"/15cm and reaching around the Oso Sweet onion from both sides as though hugging the Oso in a lyonnaised sort of way, straining towards what little light entered the pantry.

I took the sprouting potatoes to the tower. This time instead of cutting the wire at the 6" level, I cut the sheet and bent the wire of one rectangle and squeezed in on potato leaving the 6" sprouts out in the sunlight. I did this again for the other potatoes. I expected to return to Lowe's to purchase more All Blue and Yukon Gold potato seeds to fill the rest of the tower. (I later discovered at Lowe's that the blue were dried and smelled bad and no gold remained. I purchased a bag of Russets.) The potatoes were planted Mon., May14.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Planting My Potato Tower

Once the tower was assembled, it was time to plant the potatoes.

I shoveled enough shredded and composted leaves into the tower to bring the amount of leaves to 6" above ground level.

I then cut three wires in the fencing to create a 4" x 6" port in the tower. I also cut the fabric to allow access to place the potatoes inside the tower.  

I purchased three kinds of seed potatoes - All Blue Potato, Red Northland and Yukon Gold.

There were only five All Blue Potatoes in the bag. I don't know how it happened but somehow, they got wet. They looked terrible.

      

                                  

                  view from the top opening of the potato tower

I cut off the seemingly rotten and or moldy parts and placed five sections from the five potatoes, each with at least one eye, into the tower through the cut wire ports.

I added 6" more of leaves to the tower. I was ready for more potatoes.

There were more Red Northlands in the bag than there were All Blue. The Red Northlands were dry and looked good. I cut those potatoes with more than one eye into smaller sections, each with an eye. This time I didn't cut the wires of the tower to place the potatoes.

I was able to reach into the tower from the top opening of the tower to place the potatoes.

I cut the fabric where each Red Northland was placed.  I cut quite a few openings to allow access for the sprouting potatoes to send out green foliage.

The last type of potato to plant was the Yukon Gold.  These were good and dry, also.  I cut them into smaller sections, again making sure there were eyes in each piece.  I placed 6" more of leaves into the tower and then the potatoes.  Cut some openings in the fabric and covered them with more leaves.

I expect to plant a patio type tomato in the top of the tower above all the potato plants. For this reason the top layer is at least 1' deep.

Once the potato planting was finished, the tower had a lean to it. That was because I was reusing old fencing. I became concerned a good breeze just might topple it over. So I set about to add some reinforcing.

I found two of the concrete reinforcing rods I used in the plot last year. I placed them very close to the tower and drove them into the soil about 2'(61c) with my heavy hammer. I then cut four 10" lengths of tie wire to tie the tower to the concrete reinforcing bars. I was confident this arrangement could stand a good breeze.

My first potato tower was complete. There remained more leaves and fencing. I building another tower was a possibility.
If I do, I need to purchase more seed potatoes.  I think I will get more All Blues.




©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Garden Seeds

I planned to have three plantings for this growing season.  With my square foot garden plot plan finished, I purchased some seed packets at Lowe's.  I based my decisions on several criteria.

• Type of vegetable

• Planting time

• Days to harvest

• Height of foliage

• Easy to grow

Above is my early planting grid.  At Lowe's, I purchased bunching onions, carrots and snow peas along with their inoculant.  I liked the varieties of lettuce and radishes I saw in the Johnny's seed catalog.  So I will be online to purchase the other seeds at Johnny's Select Seeds.  I looked online at seeds from Totally Tomatoes and like what I saw there, also.  Here is the problem with mail order, shipping and the price of the seeds themselves.  The difference in the price of seeds isn't that great especially if I can only get those seeds online.  However, the cost of shipping must also be considered.  I think it is better to order all your seeds from one place to keep the ratio of shipping costs to seed packet as low as possible.  At a Lowe's store the prices are lower and there is no shipping (there is the cost of gasoline, though).  Plus if I made an error in choosing seeds, I can return them without spending money for return postage.  But, Lowe's doesn't have all the varieties I desire.  So, I will order some seeds from Johnny's.

The second planting will follow the above grid.  I purchased the melon, cucumber and zucchini seeds at Lowe's.  I still need lettuce, beans, peppers, and tomatoes.

The final planting will follow the above grid.  I will have enough seeds remaining from the early planting of carrots, lettuce and radishes.  I need to add broccoli and cabbage to my order.


Lowe's also sells vegetable plants when the weather warms a bit.  I like the plants sold under the Bonnie Plants label.  I perused their website and chose tomato and pepper plants that I wish to purchase.  I talked to the Assistant Store Manager in charge of the seasonal area at Lowe's to see if they can request the kinds of plants to put into their store.  I was informed that Bonnie Plants places their plants in Lowe's on a consignment agreement.  Which means that Bonnie Plants decides which plants to deliver to Lowe's.  I guess I need to contact Bonnie Plants.


Here are the Bonnie Plants I would like to purchase for my garden.


Tomato
• Mortgage Lifter 
• Black Krim 
• Black Cherry 
• Super Sweet 100 
• Sweet Cherry

Pepper
• Cajun Belle 
• Cubanelle

That is my plan.  I have about one month before my early planting.  I will order the seeds from Johnny's and they should arrive in time. If not, I will look for seeds at other local stores.  I am sure I can find seeds there that are close to my criteria.


I will email Bonnie Plants and see if I can request the above plants delivered to my nearest Lowe's.  I have one month to ready the soil and prepare my supports and stretch string to delineate the grid.


Are you planning your garden?  Leave a comment and tell us about your 2012 garden.


PS - At the last minute I found a free shipping code 12-1005 that saved me $10.00 at Johnny's.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved