It’s time for the very first Free Range Chick Pot vs. Plot showdown!  This idea for this series came from experimenting with how I planted my pepper plants over the last few seasons.

The first year I planted peppers in my garden plot, I had absolutely no yield.  When year two rolled around, I opted to give the peppers a try in a large pot, and based on the nonstop supply of peppers they were producing, I thought I might be on to something.  In the Spring of 2011, I decided to further my experiment by planting peppers back in the garden plot, but this time in a tight circle similar to how they were planted in the pot.This arrangement provided shelter from the gusty winds and hot Texas sun, and led to my highest yielding pepper harvest to date.

All this experimenting got me thinking about other veggies that might thrive in a pot versus a plot in the garden. So this winter I decided to put another veggie to the test, potatoes.  With 5 spuds placed in a pot and 5 placed in my plot, we will see which one is healthier and heartier when it comes time for the dig.

Although I won’t be posting often in this series, each season I will take an in depth look at which environment a plant prefers and why.  For the peppers, it seemed to have more to do with the protection and proximity of other plants; but for the potatoes, I am guessing it may be linked to how loose or compact the soil may be.

Not only will the knowledge I discover each season hopefully lead to a higher harvest in future years; this series also offers folks an alternative way to grow their own grub without the maintenance or the necessity of a large plot.