The potatoes took a long, long time to poke up any plant above their developing roots, but now that it has warmed up a little they are shooting up and looking great. I was worried about my container plantings, what with all the rain we've been having, but while they took as long as the ones in the bed to grow any green leaves, they are certainly happy now. In fact, they are nearly tall enough to need to be mulched with some additional compost and straw!
As for the potato bed, they are also growing well, now that they got started. Unfortunately, the flea beetles have found them and are busy making little tiny holes in the leaves. A Colorado potato beetle was spotted yesterday, but I can't find any larvae or other adult beetles...yet. I have my coffee can with gas in it, already to frizzle their nasty selves on the daily scraping of the leaves, and I have a stash of BT powder and Pyola spray to duo-treat with. There usually is a low level infestation in my potato beds all summer, but the trick is to keep it managed so the plant doesn't get completely denuded and stop growing.
It's a bit of work, and there is always the fear of blight wiping out the whole crop, but I do love growing potatoes in the garden anyway. In a few weeks, they will flower and it will be time to harvest the new potatoes--which are excellent grilled and served with chive-spiked sour cream. I can hardly wait!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for taking the time to read and leave a comment! All comments will be reviewed before posting. So, comment away--I look forward to reading your thoughts!