Crooked Creek Farm

Potatoes and Peas

We are trying a few new things this year for growing potatoes. We haven't had much luck growing potatoes in this Kentucky clay.  The first change, was to plant them today, like my Grandmother used to do.   My DH has talked to several people around here, that grow their potatoes in straw.  So that's the other change.

Yesterday, the kids and I worked in the garden. First, I raked back all the hay that we had put in the garden when we cleaned out the barn (last year) the soil underneath looked AWESOME! So we smoothed out the old hay, and layed down a new layer of straw. Then we got SEVERAL wheelbarrow loads of some great looking soil that had been part of an old compost pile in an old cow pasture (on the property when we moved here) We spread that out over the straw, until we couldn't see the straw.

After we finished that, we decided that we'd gone soft over the winter! We're out of practice doing farm chores! We're acutally not sore today! But my hands do hurt. No raised blisters, just sore red spots. So anyway....

Today, the kids (Calen 11, Hannah 10, Abigail 7, and Zachary 5) spread out 50 pounds of seed potatoes on top of the dirt/straw bed. Then covered it with more straw. Hopefully, we'll have an AWESOME crop of potatoes this year!  Melissa 18, helped yesterday, but had to work today, she just started this week working at a store.  

After the potatoes, we planted 2 rows of snow peas. Yum! Can't wait for those!

Calen decided to take a nap in the wagon!

Hi! Just today found you!

12:44 PM, Tuesday, April 25, 2006 .. Posted by VTLinda

Been reading and loving every bit of it! But, I have a question ... on your potato planting day .. did you plant the potatoes whole? At our house, we always cut them in pieces, just making sure each piece has at least two eyes. ? Just curious ... :D
Cheers!
~Linda in Virginia