[ALWIN]

I am chitting spuds! :hehe:

Has anybody tried laying their spuds on top of the soil then covering them with black plastic and simply lifting the plastic to harvest their new potatoes?

I'm told it works, but am sceptical.

Since it involves no weeding, digging trenches or earthing up I am very interested ...

Any experiences gratefully shared.:wink2:

 

[Lily]

Hi Alwin,

I think I've heard of it with straw but never plastic? :hehe: wouldnt the plastic make them sweaty and rotten :hehe:

love
Lily

 

[keebler]

Ok you had me curious growing potatoes in a plastic bag.:lol:
I have never done that before so I googled it. It was very intresting what I found. It actually works.

http://www.humeseeds.com/potato.htm

Please let me know how they turn out. That would be so much easier than having to weed and then dig them up.

I saw new vegetable seed in the store last week. I was so tempted to buy some cucumber seeds. Then I remember how I have never found my cucumber seeds from last year.:umm::blush2: So I quickly walked away from all the garden seeds.:hehe:

I miss my huge garden I use to have. Potatoes was a big part of my garden.

Happy gardening.
Lyn

 

[ALWIN]

Aparently not, Lily, but it doesn't seem quite right somehow. I wonder why, if it's that easy, everybody doesn't do it that way???

I am growing some in old compost bags Lyn. There's a bit of a method, but it's easy and I have no ground space this year due to reorganisation, so bags on the drive sound good.

The plastic sheet over the ground method is different.

Would love to hear from at least 1 person, other than the one who recommended it, that has had success. The eprson is only my TUTOR and he does live in the chilly north too, but I still can't get my head round why the slugs don't munch them up. I know it is supposed to get too hot under the plastic, but they seem most active in the evening. Not prepared to have another year with holed spuds.

Thanks for the link Lyn!

 

[LoopyLoo]

Alwin,

My spuds come from Sainsbury's in a plastic bag - does that count????? :lol:

From she who is not in the least green fingered........

Pam xxx :flower2:

 

[Lily]

:rotfl: Pam!

love
Lily

 

[BigSis]

:lol: Pam.

It's cold but bright and beautiful here in the south east.
Can't wait to get gardening again. Need to attack a Buddleia.

 

[ALWIN]

Hmmmmmm ... Sainsburys, eh?

How long have they been doing that then?

Does this mean I do not have to grow my own???

 

[Lily]

:lol:

 

[rojomi]

Potatoes

I had good luck a few years ago with straw or mulch red potatoes but it was in Florida during the cool season, and it wasn't exactly a crop, but they grew from the eyes of one's I'd bought. Here in Ohio, I have zero interest in gardening.
Plus, I gotta stay out of the sun. Seems like plastic would involve rot, but since it's black, would absorb heat so maybe not. I'm not knowledgeable about gardening except in the tropics, so probably not much help...Worth a try!

 

[ALWIN]

Hi rojomi

There is no smilie for 'wicked' that I can see ... but ...

I think I will mention this ingenious method to my friends and see what happens. :lol:

I'll stick to my plastic sacks this year! :rotfl:

 

[rojomi]

Wicked!

Hi Alwin!
Happy gardening, I miss it cause I started to learn gardening from my folks, now gone, but it's been a lifelong pursuit and I miss it A LOT. I may try some this spring if I can wrap myself in sun-proof gauze or something...It was also a profitable business for many years for me, during which I had many sleepless nights either trying to keep the plants from freezing or dying from drought.
Plants rock. But my time is spent now on other more immediate concerns. A neat movie which explores the relationship between gardens/people is Green Card. It's pretty subtle, but Andy McDowell's "jobs" involving gardens are juxtaposed with her "relationships" w/ people. fwiw Take care and good luck w/ the spuds! Rob
A wicked smilie needs to be added-all it would take would be a green face with a witch hat & wand :hehe:

 

[Lily]

Hi Rob,

I love my gardening too, it keeps me sane :hehe:

When I was really ill I still managed some pots and bulbs, the odd plant to look after on my verandah.

These days I am able to do more and do my gardening in the shade of the house and move around accordingly if it's not too hot outside. Or my favourite time is just before dark, I acheive a lot more then too because it's cooler in the evenings here (Australia).

We do get quite cold winters where I live so daytime is alright then as long as I'm in a shady spot. If you are well enough then a bit of creativeness can get around the UV exposure thing. Lots of sunscreen, broad brimmed hat etc. and working in the shade. I wasn't about to give it up, it's one of my few pleasures. Oh I also took up houseplants again with great success, my dining room looks like a jungle..........just the way I like it :lol:

Gardening is very therapeutic imho!

love
Lily

 

[rojomi]

Gardening

Lily,
Indeed-gardening is so therapeutic. Right now where I live we are having a winter storm but plants have basically been my life (aside from making a living, lupus, surviving etc.). The light in my house is no good for houseplants & I won't pay extra for plant lights, but they were a joy when energy costs were not a concern. Something about plants & pets is that they are SO helpful to make life meaningful & getting up every day for when one is ill. Not particularly religious, but I do believe that plants, pets and music are gifts from God or however one perceives a higher power. Take care Lily, Rob

 

[ALWIN]

Oh dear

I'm feeling far too comfortable on this subject.

Commiserations rojomi. I am fortunate in that my garden is in the North West of England and our temperatures do not fluctuate as wildly as parts of the USA. We freeze, but not to great minus degrees, and we get sun, but it's not common to be in the 80s, and if it gets that hot, it's not for long.

In spring I can grow just about any spring plant - any bulb, primrose type plant or spring flowering tree like Witch hazel, etc. In summer my garden is mainly in shade becasue it is surrounded by 100+ year old sycamore trees. I wearlong sleeves, gloves and combat pants and have a variety of hats, but my skin problems are minimal - hives, really. Look awful, but don't hurt.

I manage to try to grow a herbacious area despite the shade (the tall ones do tend to flop over a bit) and can crop plenty of fruits in one area, but I do not have a good spot for vegetables, so I only dabble. I love new spuds like Jerseys, so that is why I am trying to grow them in bags that I can sit in the sun on my drive.

I want to know why all the sun is always on your drive instead of in your garden.

I have not heard of Green Card. I will do an internet search to see if there is a video clip anywhere, because it sounds interesting.

When I am well I garden for others for money, but try to keep it light-weight. I also help other gardeners who are really landscapers and not too sure about choosing plants. I never would have believed people would pay for this kind of 'service', but they do.

I do not understand fwiw?

I happily kill house plants, Lily. I know not why. I can grow seedlings for the garden indoors (far too early) but my house plants just look ill all the time unil I shove them outside in summer for a bit of rain and fresh air. Bring them inside and they sulk again.

Garden is therapeutic and spiritual.

As far as religeon is concerned, I suppose I would come under the heading of 'tree hugger'.

There is time to be mindful of how miraculous nature / life is, and to be still and just 'be' without any outside pressures. Being materialistic, etc. is pointless because you never own a bit of land, you are simply the current guardian, and you never really own a plant - it will die or live beyond your years.

Take care all.



PS Can we have a green faced wicked witch, then Lily?

 

[rojomi]

Cool!

Hi ALWIN,
Your post reminded me of a few things. Btw-your garden is what I mean by the subject title. Sounds gorgeous-I'm jealous! I had forgotten WHY I was such an avid gardener-it was because it was something I had a passion for & completely lose myself in. I've not found a substitute. As for people paying $ for it-they do.

My role model when I started my landscaping business was a guy in Tampa, FL who started out with a rake & an old pick-up truck. He became a multi-millionaire not because he knew a heck of a lot, but eventually hired landscape architects & the right people who DID know a lot. Malls, new buildings & highways here have to meet certain planting & drainage criteria. It's big business really.

Mine was small, a cottage industry basically as I could not find good help. I chose a target market & location, advertised and off I went. The market was the wealthy, not because I'm a snob but because they have the $ to indulge themselves w/ diversions like fairly intricate gardening projects. I also did landscape lighting & irrigation systems. Initially, I drew my plans & estimates as a draftsman would do, but then software came along that was like autocad and designed for landscape lay-out. It was fun going to the wholesale nurseries & tradeshows to network and get ideas. I even had a portfolio of my work which I have discarded.

2 stories-the rich can be funny without meaning to or maybe eccentric is a better word. Story 1- a project involving a condo penthouse patio area of a divorced plumbing heiress. She had a little dog & wanted a raised area of lawn grass where he could go graze & take care of business. It was done-involved railway timbers, alot of dirt & makeshift crane and scaffolds but it was done. She also wanted clay flower boxes so I visited a factory in a nearby town that also imported HUGE clay pots from Italy to get the right ones. I've always wondered if it ever caved in on the parking garage, but that was not my concern:lol:

Story 2-The head of an executive search employment firm & his young wife bought a hs. on a small coastal island in Tampa Bay. It was made into a "smart house"-i.e. push a button on the keypad in any room and there's no telling WHAT could happen. I was friends with the owners of the co. who retro-fitted it. Turned out the guy wanted the landscape lighting to vary with his selection of music/media. I did it, and it worked but personally have no idea why he wanted this. Maybe it was part of the experience, or another toy to show off & entertain w/.
fwiw-another (old) movie about gardening is called "A New Leaf". I only found it on Amazon or e-bay i forget which but it's hysterical w/ Elaine May & Walter Mathau. Take care ALWIN-I like your posts about gardening.

 

[Joandublin]

Hi Alwin

'For What Its Worth' I figured out what FWIW means...

Hi Rob

Please check out our Forum Guidelines re textspeak. Heres the relevant quote]

* Please keep posts in standard English language, avoiding the use of shortened words and 'text speak' as many of our members have problems understanding such posts.

Happy Gardening everyone. Im afraid its a subject a bit alien to me. I have trouble even growing watercress...

Cheers
Joan:rose:

 

[someonesfriend]

Some possible smilies for "evil", if the mods/admins decide to add one...

http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/evil/evilgrin0027.gif
http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/evil/evilgrin0044.gif
http://smilies.vidahost.com/cwm/cwm/Up_to_something.gif

...and for the "Wicked" witch :hehe: ...

http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/character/character0136.gif



sf

 

[rojomi]

puter talk

Glad to avoid the abbreviations-I also often times don't know what they mean!
Sorry to have caused confusion & will observe the rules.

 

[Joandublin]

Thanks Rob

Joan