Growing Potatoes In A Bag....One Week Later

Well, my last post was about my choice to try to grow potatoes in a bag.  Last week, I had rolled the bag so that it was only 1/3 of it's normal height.

Within a few days, I had to unroll the bag and add more soil as the plants were growing by leaps and bounds!

As of yesterday, I had to unroll the entire bag to add more soil. As I stated before, these plants are growing very quickly!

Although it isn't lovely (the bag I mean), but I have loved how simple this process is.  I look forward to harvesting them at the right time.  I am curious about just how many potatoes we will have!

I'll keep you posted.....

It's A Matter of Growing Potatoes In A Bag...

So far, my gardening season is going pretty well. I have a tomato that will be ready before July 4th!  Please know that this will be the first time that has ever happened.  

I have watched the trend of growing foods in bags.  I also saw that some folks grow in reused bags.  I decided to try the latter.

Well, we no longer have a dog.  It's a long story, but let's just say the dog and I are both happier. Rooster Senior probably wouldn't agree.  

Anyway, I put a request out on a social media site that my neighborhood has.  I got a few funny comments, but several people who were happy to share with me.  Here is the bag I was given.

The purpose of growing potatoes in a bag is to grow vertically.  I rolled the edges to the inside until only about 1/3 of the bag was height was visible.

I had some potting soil that was not used in my original planting this year.  I put it into the bottom of the bag.  I did not cut holes to allow water to flow out.  As the Potatoes grow, I may do that in the future.

I took my seed potatoes (that I had cut a couple of days before) and placed them into the soil

I put another layer of soil to cover the potatoes.  Then, I watered them.  It has been rather rainy since I planted these, so I placed the bag just under the roof line to give them moisture.  Rooster Senior kept pulling the bag out of the rain....trying to be helpful.  I put it back hoping that we could still have a crop.  

As you can see, I had nothing to worry about.  Since I took this photo, several plants have emerged and I am adding a layer of mulch or soil on top to encourage the vertical growth. As the soil mixture gets higher and higher, I will be unrolling the bag to allow for the growth.  I can't wait to harvest these beautiful Red Potatoes!

Summary:

• This method does not have a large footprint.
• The Dog Food bag has a strong Plastic mesh interior bag.  It seems to be working very well and was free!
• Growing Potatoes is a great return on investment if you are going to grow them.  I plan to keep a few potatoes back to plant next season.
• If you have never tasted potatoes from your garden, consider yourself to be very unfortunate.

If this goes well, I may try this again next year....

It's a Matter of Food Safety/Food Recalls And The Need to Grow Your Own...

Hi everyone!  Yes, we are in the throws of gardening season and so far everything seems to be doing well in my garden.

The other day, I got a message on my phone from Costco followed up with the following letter:

Yes, that's right.  We actually had some of these products in our Freezer.

CRF Frozen Foods LLC recalled specific frozen vegetables due to a concern with possible Listeria moncytogenes exposure in individually quick frozen (IQF) organic peas and IQF organic white sweet corn.  Well that was such welcome news as you might expect.

I was less than happy to learn that I had some of the recalled food in my Freezer.

The bad news just keeps on coming.  The FDA released an updated list from CRF that included the following (May 4, 2016):

"This expanded recall of frozen vegetables includes all of the frozen organic and traditional fruit and vegetable products manufactured or processed in CRF Frozen Foods' Pasco facility since May 1, 2014. All affected products have the best by dates or sell by dates between April 26, 2016 and April 26, 2018. These include approximately 358 consumer products sold under 42 separate brands, the details of which are listed below. Products include organic and non-organic broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, corn, edamame, green beans, Italian beans, kale, leeks, lima beans, onions, peas, pepper strips, potatoes, potato medley, root medley, spinach, sweet potatoes, various vegetable medleys, blends, and stir fry packages, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, peaches, raspberries, and strawberries."

We were the lucky winners again!

We quickly disposed of our tainted vegetables.  But, here was the chilling fact, we already had some of them for dinner over a few meals. So far, everyone is fine....but the thought of what could be is a bit chilling for me. It was a good reminder that I need to flash freeze my own vegetables from my Garden.

So, as I planted extra beans yesterday, I plan to be more responsible for the foods that I do have in my home.  Yes, this was a problem at the manufacturing site, but I still am ultimately the one who is responsible for what my family eats. 

The other thing that was a bit concerning to me is that Costco remembered what I purchased.  While I am thankful to have been notified, I am not so sure I like the fact that they could not only send a letter to me, but call me as well.  

I hope this was as much of a wake up call for you as it was for me!  Check your freezer and see if you happen to have any of the recalled fruits or vegetables.  It is worth the time to look and protect those you love.

How Does Your Garden Grow.....In a Drought?

Yes, believe it or not, this is my first Tomato of the Season.  Isn't it a beautiful Roma?  We actually had two ripen yesterday and Rooster Senior and I sliced them on a cutting board, grabbed the Salt and Pepper, and ate them!  They were sooo good!  There is nothing like a freshly picked tomato from your garden!

Gardening in a Drought:

A few weeks ago, I began to write about Gardening in a Drought and how I planned to water my Raised Bed Garden. Some of the techniques that I am using come from a class I took taught by Caleb Warnock from Renaissance Seeds. 

I thought I would update you and also show you some of my thoughts on vertical gardening that I am using.

I bought these panels of wire mesh from my local big box hardware store.  They are used to reinforce concrete when it is poured.  

See the width of the openings? I can easily fit my hand/fist through the openings to harvest my garden.  The squares are 4 inches by 4 inches.  

Rooster Senior had these wire ties to attach the grid to the PVC Pipe.  Let me tell you about the PVC pipes.  Pieces of Rebar were pounded into the ground. Lengths of PVC pipes were placed over the Rebar for the vertical pieces.  T-fittings and elbow fittings were used to create the horizontal pieces to attach the wire mesh to.

I train my beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers to climb the mesh. This helps keep the vegetables off the ground, supports the vines/stalks, and makes harvesting so much easier.

We all have those rogue socks that we can never find the mate of...right?  These are nylon hose-type socks that I cannot find the mates to.

I used these socks to secure my Tomato stalks to the grid. These plants are heavy laden with Tomatoes already and need the support. I gently tied these to the grid which allows for them to continue growing without being constricted.

Here is another example of re-purposing these socks.  See the blue sock?

Keeping your Garden Watered during a Drought...

Here you can see a little visitor getting a bit of a shower.  You can also see how I water my garden with holes drilled in a PVC pipe.  I only water every 2-3 days and sometimes go longer.  Mr. Warnock says he goes as long as 7-10 days depending upon how deeply he has watered.  He taught me to look at the Panting Peonies. Essentially, I have planted squash and pumpkins (My Peonies). If they wilt during the day, but perk up at night, the soil still has enough moisture.  As my garden is watered per my lawn schedule, I rarely have gone more than 2-3 days.

I have also used my lawn clippings to cover the ground around my plantings. The Tomatoes have loved this.  The clippings hold in the moisture and keep my plants watered and cool.

Although difficult to see behind my beautiful Roma, the Tomato plants, peppers, and herbs are thriving with lawn clippings around their base.

I have also used Mr. Warnock's lettuce seeds that are hearty enough to not only grow in my area, but also they are reportedly more drought tolerant.  You can see that they are thriving with the mulching and periodic water schedule.

Take Home Points:

• The PVC pipe and wire mesh are reasonably priced.  It cost very little to make the Vertical piece of the garden. I was fortunate that Rooster Senior had pieces of Rebar that we used to hold the vertical frame in place.
• The grass clippings/mulch really hold the moisture in the soil.  When the top of the clippings look dry, I have looked under them at the soil level. Honestly, there is plenty of moisture at the bottom of the clippings and the soil.  This has been a real surprise for me. 
• The Peonies have been a pleasant surprise for me as well. It's like a secret code.  I actually have not always been able to water my lawn on the selected days allowed in my area due to the drought.  The Peonies have been a big source of relief for me to ensure that my soil was still moist enough.
• I love repurposing things when  I can.  Those errand socks, (although a little hillbilly looking), are working well.  
• The specific seeds that are for my area (heirloom type) really seem to be thriving even in dry conditions.  I have been pleased overall to be blessed enough to use them this year.

You can grow a garden in a drought....and it can thrive.  Please know that if I can do this, anyone can.  My kids can tell you that gardening has not always been my strong suit.  This year, I am feeling very pleased with "how my garden grows".

Try it!

Watering your garden during a drought....in the Desert.

We have had a mild winter.  It has been nice not having to wear a coat that often, but we also have not had much snowfall.  I live in a desert, so a winter without snow is a huge concern.  

Watering your garden during a drought....in the Desert.

I recently attended a class taught by Caleb Warnock from Renaissance Seeds. He made me think differently about what I had been doing. So, I made some changes.  Because I have very limited time, I had developed some of my own little methods for gardening.  For the past few years, I had put sheets of weedblock on top of the garden and cut holes for the plants.  This ensured that I did not have weeding to do.  However, the water would bead up and run across the tops of the weedblock and not always to the plants.

I am now going to face a harsh reality this summer along with many other people.  We may have water supply issues.  Mr. Warnock suggested putting a barrier at the bottom of my growboxes and not on top.  As he explained why, it was an 'ah-hah' moment....so that weeds cannot come up from the bottom.  

I hired some young teenagers in my neighborhood and they helped me make the change.  This only took about an hour.

I have a watering system for my garden. It is tied to my lawn sprinklers.  I can turn it on and off.  The water runs through these PVC pipes and waters the garden.  Every year, I get a skinny nail and press it into the holes in the pipes to clear any debris that may be present.  Normally the holes are facing down.  I turned them upright to clear the holes.

I then tested the pipes by turning on the water....everything looks good!  

Now, I am going to garden a bit differently this summer, so I am going to leave the holes at the top instead of the bottom.  

Yes, that those really are grass clippings around my pepper plants.  I put this mulch around all of my plants and as I get more I will cover the entire box.  This helps hold moisture and keeps the plant from drying out as quickly.

This is the first step in my Garden this year.  I look forward to see how this new method works and to see how my harvest looks.  

So How Does Your Garden Grow? 

Filling Aqua Globes.....

I essentially live in a Desert.  This year, our city is on water rationing, so I can only water my garden and lawn on certain days and times.  I also have containers in my yard as well.  I usually water them with my cute green watering can, and try to extend the 'watering' with these Aqua Globes.  I love the colors of them, don't you?

However, I have quite a few of these.  I don't like making multiple trips from the yard into my house to fill them.  I have learned how to collect and carry all of them, but once I was in my house, they would roll around and well it was a bit too exciting for me at times!

So, I developed this method to contain my filled Aqua Globes.  If you use these devices as well, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy they are to manage with my little method!

You will need a dishtowel that you place on your counter.  I gathered it lengthwise with my fingers and leave it on the counter with the long gathers.

Next, I use one of my metal Skewers that I use when we grill.

I don't know about you, but there always seems to be a little plug of dirt right at the end of the these globes.  This is where the skewer comes in.  I unplug it by pushing the dirt inside the globe. Now, don't worry about this dirt being inside. By the time the water has filled the globe, this dirt is either distributed in the water or floats in a suspended mixture at the top of the neck.  Once the neck of the globe is place into the planter, it is the first thing to be absorbed into the soil.

Next, fill the globes with water.

Now, this is the fun part. Stand you 'filled' globe up inside one of the folds in your towel. 

Continue this process until all the globes are filled.

Aren't they pretty?

Now, you can do that can't you?  

It is easy enough to do isn't it? 

Here comes the Sun.....and it's alright!

Sometimes I do realize how fortunate I am to live where I do. It is the hotbed of information, supplies, and ideas for Food Storage and Preparedness.  Having said that, there are folks all around me who often are unaware, don't express an interest, or just are oblivious to the good fortune surrounding them.  

Yesterday was woe of those "I am so grateful" moments. This is because I attended a Winter gardening/Greenhouse class taught by the infamous Cale Warnock.  

In all fairness to Caleb, he never stopped moving even though he agreed to allow me to take his picture.  I took several....this is one of the good ones.  Guess where we all are?  In his Greenhouse....see the foliage?

This is his Greenhouse that he let a lot of us tour and snack in.  It is a lean-to style Greenhouse that he had constructed on the back of his barn.  Want to take a little tour?

This is the floor.  Now, he (and I for that matter) live in an area that has lots of rocks under the soil, and many of them are huge. I remember driving up to the site of our current home while it was under construction.  The basement had just been dug and it looked like somewhere that Fred Flintstone and Barney would hang out.  Caleb informed us that he had heavy equipment come and dig down 8 feet, then back-filled 4 feet of just rock.  This is necessary for something called "Thermal Mass".

I think everyone knows that the soil is warm when you dig deep. Think of  Geo-Thermal heat.  He said he used the rocks to help transmit the heat through "Thermal Mass".

See the timbers and the rebar?

He has layered Timbers (and secured with rebar running through the timbers). These raised beds are about 4 feet tall. They are reportedly filled with that same rock to again take advantage of the Thermal Mass.  He reports that he has very little soil on top, about 1/2 to 1 inch for most foods.  The exception would be root vegetables.

Back to the floor, he has a couple of tubes that the rock was back filled around....to have a direct conduit for the warmth to travel into his Greenhouse.

The roof is made from "Twin-wall Polycarbonate" and not glass. 

As you might expect, the Greenhouse gets very hot.  It needs to be vented.  Here is the large vent.  Class members were surprised to feel the heat that was coming out if it on a bitterly cold winter day.

Here is another vent that can be opened when needed.

The window is another vent.  In the photo above, you saw a vent near the peak of the roof, here is another view from the outside.  See the hinges and clasp.

Sooooo, what is he growing?

Lots of delicious greens.  He allowed us to take pieces of the leaves and sample them.  Fresh and delicious.  

Here he is pointing out a sprouted potato.  He planted potatoes on New Years Eve, less than a month ago.

Lots of greens,,,,  Notice, no pots here.  He says in the bed is better because of the thermal mass.  

And continual crop rotation and planting.  I love the sticks dividing each item....simple and effective.

The Water barrel is in the corner allowing him to water "in 90 seconds" as he says. How in the world does he get water in his Greenhouse?

He uses rain water and melting snow that he captures from rain gutters.  Now, before some Utahns get going, it is now legal to capture and keep up to 200 gallons of your own rain water...and he does.  Can you imagine hauling water into this Greenhouse?  That alone would stop me from considering it!

Although difficult to see, there is a Thermometer in the corner.  

************************************

What is the take-home message?

• He raises his food year-round.  He makes a great point about being dependent on the food supply chain.  He is also correct about the modified seed, generous use of pesticides, and Irradiation (a slight exposure to radiation to manage pests etc, but takes away up to 10% of the nutrients of your produce).  
• You need to know what varieties will grow in the winter...and he does.  See his book "Backyard Winter Gardening" which lists varieties to use.  He does not use hybrid seeds, more like an Heirloom seed.
• He not only uses his Green house, but cold frames as well.  

HE IS SELF-SUFFICIENT......

He reports that it does not take a lot of time, and this Greenhouse does not require electricity to run.  This is huge point!

You can learn more about Winter Gardening from his book:

"Back yard Winter Gardening"

Here, you can hear and see him give you the personal tour....