Tag: westcoast seeds

Garbage Can Potatoes

Using vague instructions from The New Self-Sufficient Gardener by John Seymour (see page 134), two old garbage bins [well-scrubbed] and seed potatoes from Westcoast Seeds we attempted to grow our own baked potatoes this year.

We were cautioned, via instructions that came with the seed potatoes, to limit irrigation BEFORE we had growth, and I think that ultimately made us overly cautious with watering at all [to the point that we covered the seed potatoes when it rained].  So while we had lots of greenery and we built the soil up every six inches until the plants were about eight inches over the top of the bins, this was our entire haul out of one garbage bin:

The book had prepared [and excited] us for a potentially “heavy crop”. Now, true enough, we had an odd season here – a cold/wet spring followed suddenly by a hot/dry summer, so perhaps that was the limiting factor. We also weren’t too pleased with the new soil we brought in and will probably be investing in more sea soil next year, but, seeing as potatoes can grow in straw, I believe, ultimately, we didn’t water enough early on and then it was too late to reverse the lack of tuber growth.

Mind you, these potatoes tossed in a little olive oil and sea salt, roasted for 30 minutes in a 425°F oven and served with generous application of butter and sour cream were DELICIOUS!

We will be planting more garbage cans next year!

Sunflowers…

This is my very first time attempting to grow sunflowers.  I wanted to collect the seeds so I planted two edible types.

Last week, just as the tallest of the bunch was almost ready to bloom, some critter (who I hazard to guess is black, furry with a long tail and has a propensity for climbing and stealing strawberries) who I cannot firmly identify — as I did not see the actual incident– RIPPED the entire head off the sunflower and shredded it all over the back yard.  I was inconsolable… the seeds wouldn’t have even been really formed at that point!

Anyway, the second tallest sunflower actually made it to blooming without being decapitated 2 days ago, Michael climbed a ladder to get great photos, and I have high hopes on harvesting seeds.

– Seeds purchased at WestCoast Seeds and planted (indoors in Jiffy Pellets) early-June 2010.  Seedlings were transplanted into the garden about 2 weeks later.  This is either a Grey Stripe Confectionary or a Titan.  I planted both and now cannot tell them apart.

– Interestingly, I planted the first round of seeds directly in the garden in mid-May and only one grew… which was promptly eaten by whatever is eating ALL my seedlings out there this year.

Note: the taller, flower-less stem on the right... so sad!

Sunflower photos by Michael James Horrocks 2010. Used with permission.