My firstfruits are in! I gave these to my church as a tithe. Look at how beautiful they are!
The potatoes are Adirondack Reds. It is my first year with them; it’s my first year with seed potatoes, actually. I bought these from Johnny’s Selected Seeds online. In years past, I just used store-bought eating potatoes, let them develop eyes, and plugged them in the ground. This year I just wanted to try seed potatoes. They are coming up beautifully.
The skins are very thin– even a moderate scrubbing will peel them off. I like eating potato skins, so I am careful when I scrub. These potatoes are also a little heavier– more dense– than the regular white potatoes I buy at the grocery store. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into them!
About potato growing– this year I was smart and made distinctive rows. I planted the potatoes closer together than recommended. After plugging in the potato quarters, I poured a layer of peat moss over the bed. I used peat as a mulch (it is very effective) for the growing season. Next year I will roto-till it in the soil, added with my compost. The plants just love this method.
I also heaped up mounds of soil around the potato plants when they grew to 8 inches. This encourages horizontal root growth and makes it much easier to dig for the potatoes. In times past, I had to basically uproot the plant and dig down into the hard ground to get my potatoes. Now, I just plunge my fingers into the peat and pluck what I need.
P.S. Is it true that rubbing a raw potato on one’s skin is as effective as a modern-day acne treatment?
July 29, 2008
8 Comments