My COVID-19 garden

[Meadowlark]

Richandtd,

I would expect to get a minimum of 500 pounds of new potatoes from a 50 pound bag of seed potatoes...and in a really good year 750 pounds.

When I did 100 pounds of seed potatoes, we harvested over 1000 pounds of new potatoes...and my young at the time daughter went door to door selling them for spending money. LOL, She still remembers that and laughs about it.

 

[Meadowlark]

...
Sometimes I chit (Chitting) the potatoes before planting. Gives them a head start.

Here chitting is a complete waste of time. I know when to plant my cut pieces to avoid a killing frost. Experience is a great teacher.

 

[Durgan]

Weather has a large influence on production. I grow superb potatoes. Nothing like a oven baked potato with butter, cooked in a Dutch oven.

 

[Meadowlark]

Well to each his own. My lunch today was
1) crème peas and new potatoes from the garden
2) _late broccoli from the garden
3) broiled chicken

I'll take that any day over baked. Another favorite around here is green beans and new potatoes...fabulous!!!

This is the ultimate lunch we will be able to have soon...all from the garden

 

[headfullofbees]

All are delicious, why compete when we can have them all?
My first earlies (we have 4 potato crops in the UK: 1st early, June-July, 2nd early, late July-Aug, Main crop Late Aug until Oct & 2nd crop, sometimes called Christmas potatoes.) are through; add home grown peas & lamb chops for a scrumptious meal.

 

[Richandtd]

There getting bigger and need to get much larger to be planted in the garden

 

[Richandtd]

Bringing the last of the 105 tomato plants in for the night they sleep inside and will be back out in the AM.

 

[Richandtd]

Rainy day here so plants staying inside

 

[Arden Sage]

Rainy day here so plants staying inside

Why keep them inside because of a rainy day? I'm noticing that my plants are perked up by natural rain as opposed to hose watering. There is a definite difference between natural rain water and tap water and the plants seem to welcome rain water above all else.
Perhaps I am imagining a difference? But I do know that the past few days of rain water seems to have had a magical affect on my plants growth (fruit, veg and flowering plants).
You are doing a great job of your Covid Garden and I am enjoying seeing your progress: keep up the great work!

 

[Meadowlark]

...Perhaps I am imagining a difference? But I do know that the past few days of rain water seems to have had a magical affect on my plants growth (fruit, veg and flowering plants).
...

Not your imagination. I see the very same thing. It is magical and far superior to city water or even my well water which is lacking in O2.

 

[Richandtd]

Due to the wind driven rain and colder temperatures

 

[Richandtd]

While waiting for the tomato plants to get big to go to the garden of course we had a lot or rain and 1/2 of my tilled up area got flooded. So now tilled up another area now I’ll have 3 different gardens 50 tomatoes in two of them each. The 3rd is for bush yellow and green beans. Good thing I’m retired cause these are going to take some attention.

with about 3 rows of corn.

 

[Meadowlark]

.... Good thing I’m retired cause these are going to take some attention.

Comments:

I've done it both ways...that is with and without equipment. With equipment is far, far superior. I can work what people call a "big garden" in much shorter time and effort than a small raised bed garden. It isn't even close. We raise 90% of our vegetable food that we eat in one 40ft x 100ft garden. Far superior to supermarket food.

I run a 23 hp Kubota in my garden that is very comparable to your 17 hp. I paid $5000 for it in 1980 ( tractor, disc, plows) and it is worth at least that much today, LOL. I use a turning plow like you, but only on "virgin" ground. Instead of the tiller attachment behind the tractor you use, I use an old disc which does the same thing but produces not as fine of a soil as your tiller produces....hence I use a small gas powered walk behind tiller for final seed bed preps sometimes. I also use that walk behind tiller for some cultivation but prefer a larger tractor pulled cultivator that just does an outstanding job. I make rows with middle busters and also dig potatoes with a single buster. I'd be happy to post pictures if anyone is interested.

No question in my mind that bigger gardens worked with equipment are far more efficient than smaller gardens worked by hand or with gas powered tillers. Harvesting, storing, and processing the food is an entirely different matter, lol.

One other comment regarding your bean planting which was interesting to me. Here in East Texas I don't plant my beans nearly as deep as you show, although yours is more like the recommended depth than mine. I find much faster germination with shallow depths. Just interesting.

Thank you for posting your vids of your garden. I find it very interesting to compare techniques.

 

[Richandtd]

Years ago I got a rear tine tiller and put my rows wide enough apart to run the tiller between but that was a lot more work than keeping the rows 4 foot apart and tilling between rows with the lil tractor. Found on my property was a single row potato digger and and old non 3 point hitch disk to pull with the tractor but just using the turn over plow and the tiller work better for me. I’d be happy to see any pictures you want to share. I have no claim to be an expert at anything dealing with a garden and so I planted the beans IAW the instructions on the package. When my tomatoes do get to the garden they will be 4 foot apart in the rows with a lil dill between each at the 2 foot mark and I’ve got 22 1/2 feet of carrots to put maybe 4 inches at the 2 foot mark between some. My area between my rows will be wide enough for the lil tractor to till it.

 

[Meadowlark]

... Found on my property was a single row potato digger

I'd love to see a picture of that potato digger..if you don't mind. I've been using a single middle buster and/or shovel but too many cut potatoes for me. Thanks.