Today I planted our organic potatoes seeds.
Organic seed potatoes going into the ground.
I had ordered a sampler set of seed potatoes from Wood Prairie Farm www.woodprairie.com this past February to test what variety does best in our soil and conditions. Then I’ll know exactly what to order next season.
This seasons garden layout plan.
I have been sprouting them in the dark warm closet in our laundry room the past two weeks and they have finally sprouted. You can order toll-free at 1-800-829-9765. They also have a help line at (207) 429-9765.
Sassy the garden helper.
Wood Prairie farms is a family owned farm in Maine that grows and sells USDA certified organic potatoes and cover crops and other roots crops as well. Everything they sell is organic and GMO free. I wrote about them last winter on my blog and that detailed piece can be seen here https://smallhousebigskyhomestead.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1497&action=edit
While I was planting our potatoes Gene was putting up the stakes and strings that will be our trellis for our climbing beans and peas this season. He also sucked up leaves and put them down as mulch around our shallow raised bed to hold the weeds down.
Up goes the stakes and string that will hold the climbing beans.
I decided to try the “Experimenters Special” sampler box that holds four different kinds of potatoes; All Blue, Elba, Dark Red Norland and Yukon Gem to test to see what does the best here in our soil and our USDA Zone 5b growing conditions.
10 Tips for The Organic Potato Patch
- Faithfully rotate garden crops. Never plant potatoes after another nightshade like tomatoes.
- Treat your garden to generous amounts of organic matter; cover crops , leaves, straw.
- Potatoes love fertility; barnyard manure is wonderful when composted or fully aged.
- Promote plant health with regular sprays of liquid seaweed and liquid fish.
- Plant the best certified seed available.
- Warm seed for a day or two or greensprout prior to planting.
- Cut seed tubers into blocky pieces containing at least two eyes.
- Plant shallow for fast emergence;1” deep in the north and 4” deep in the south.
- Hill soil around plants, 2-3 times beginning when they are 4 to 6” inches high.
- Keep well watered
- Handpick and control insects.
- Harvest anytime you desire after tubers reach marble size.
While digging I found some lovely beets and carrots from last years garden. They made a tasty side dish for lunch today.
More photographs to come when the leaves and stems come out of the ground!
Small House Homesteader, Donna
Small House Big Sky Homestead 