Gardening Thread 2021

[Baymule]

I can't remember if mine are Pontiac or red Norland.
Yours look better than mine. I've got to do some reading. The ones from the garden are scabby, really rough skin. Out of the compost pile they're nice and red like yours. I think they were from sprouted peelings from grocery store spuds.
I like growing them it's always a surprise and reds are more versatile, good for everything.

Try mixing lime in the soil for scabby potatoes. Compost is wonderful but fresh horse manure will make scabby potatoes. One year I got a huge pile of leaves, mixed with fresh horse manure and lime. I had read that the lime would prevent scab. It must have worked, the potatoes were big, beautiful and not a blemish on them.

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah, the scabby ones from the garden need some lime... and don't grow potatoes there for a year or 2 at least... it stays in the soil.

 

[farmerjan]

Copied the 2 recipes you referenced... I like recipes that do not require all the water bath and processing....

 

[R2elk]

I can't remember if mine are Pontiac or red Norland.
Yours look better than mine. I've got to do some reading. The ones from the garden are scabby, really rough skin. Out of the compost pile they're nice and red like yours. I think they were from sprouted peelings from grocery store spuds.
I like growing them it's always a surprise and reds are more versatile, good for everything.

Norland are a waxy red skinned potato that are not good in mashed potatoes. Many of the store bought reds are either Norland or Red La Soda. Red La Soda are even waxier and really make disgusting mashed potatoes.

Before I got enough organic material into my sand based garden the skins of all the potatoes were rough and scabby. With enough organic material (bales of peat moss ground into the sand) mine are finally becoming smooth skinned.

 

[R2elk]

Be sure to test the pH of your soil before adding lime to it. If your soil is basic to start, adding lime will make it worse. Adding lime to my soil would be a bad thing.

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah, potatoes like a slightly acidic soil. But for some reason, I have found that lime will help to stop the scabbiness... maybe because it attacks the pathogens that cause the scab???? Maybe it was just that the soil I had at the time was rather too acidic??? I do know that fresh manure seems to make it worse.
I have been told that the best potatoes always come from fresh tilled ground that had not been used for a garden previously. And potatoes do not do as well if grown where tomatoes were because they are both in the nightshade family. That is why both seem to aggravate people with arthritis too....

 

[Grizzlyhackle]

I can't remember the last time I added lime, it's been awhile though.
I started adding compost regular and either grow vetch or crimson clover. Before that I got mostly smaller ones but last 2 years they really started in with the scab.
All these years I never tested the soil, guess it's time.
I recently had read about tomatoes and arthritis and I wonder why my hip starts hurting in late July, coincides with when I quit eating store bought. Now potatoes too....Dr said "if it tastes good spit it out".

Thank you both, all you say matches what I've been reading.

 

[R2elk]

Yeah, potatoes like a slightly acidic soil. But for some reason, I have found that lime will help to stop the scabbiness... maybe because it attacks the pathogens that cause the scab???? Maybe it was just that the soil I had at the time was rather too acidic??? I do know that fresh manure seems to make it worse.
I have been told that the best potatoes always come from fresh tilled ground that had not been used for a garden previously. And potatoes do not do as well if grown where tomatoes were because they are both in the nightshade family. That is why both seem to aggravate people with arthritis too....

The absolute best crop of potatoes that I ever grew were planted in a long decomposed sawdust dump. It was extremely soft and would turn to powder if it got dry. I planted 8 lbs. of Red Pontiac potatoes and dug up in excess of 200 lbs. of potatoes. Many were in the 3 to 4 lb. per potato range. The biggest was 7 1'2 lbs.

Instead of having a steak and potatoes, I had steaks and a potato.

 

[Baymule]

My Mother couldn't eat from the nightshade family. Eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes-were off the menu for her.

 

[Grizzlyhackle]

My Mother couldn't eat from the nightshade family. Eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes-were off the menu for her.

I was tested for allergies years ago. Not supposed to eat tomatoes, potatoes, dairy. How you gonna have a cheese burger without tomato,cheese, ketchup and french fries and not follow it with a milkshake. Sneeze like crazy. Yep I'm hardheaded.
Heart Dr said it too...