Spuds

Pretty groggy and forgetful today.  I bounced back into a very mild mania, and I was happy to get it, when I was forgetting things and having trouble talking. 

Yesterday, I bought some fingerling potatoes at the grocery store.  I had hoped maybe they'd sprout, as a few of the lighter skinned ones sported an obvious green tinge.  Green is actually good for growing, but completely toxic for eating.  Two of them are sprouting.  Good. 

I plan to take them, and the Yukon Golds I got from my spring harvest, and plant a 4 foot square in my garden.  I'll need to till up the soil, add some peat moss, and acifify the soil a bit.  That helps prevent disease.  The peat moss will break down quickly in my climate and I already have a partial bale.  I'll also add some compost, etc. 

I should be fine, because I haven't used that garden bed for potatoes, or other tomato family plants (did you know they were related?  So are peppers and eggplants) for a couple of years.  The soil is in good shape, too. 

Will it work at this time of year?  The authorities are divided, but the seed potato retailer (a company I used many years ago - for regular seed) made it sound very feasible.  If I get hammered with a lot of frosts, I'll have a reduced crop, assuming I did not cover the potatoes - which I would, because I have a small garden.  The garden bed gets a tremendous amount of sun, especially in the winter. 

It's about a month before my first frost date.  I'll keep you posted.  I plan to plant my fava beans (some at least) and sugar snap peas (also, some), too, but not near the potatoes.  They don't "like" each other per the companion planting guides.

It keeps me busy and occupied with minimal money spent.  I'll be getting my soil amendments delivered next week or the week after. 

In Houston, I basically have a year-round garden.  Winter is more potatoes, green things, broccoli, peas, fava beans, and onions.    Carrots, too, if I were interested.  Spring, pretty much anything: tomatoes, squash, beans, and all the winter stuff except fava beans.  Summer, pretty limited, just the hot weather stuff like sweet potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and okra.  I grew amaranth as a salad green this summer, during a horrible heat wave, and it performed well.  Fall is pretty much the same as spring, but tomatoes are iffier. 

That's it for my garden plans, tonight.