Pot vs. Plot – Potato Edition

Posted on January 24, 2012 by FreeRangeChick - Shanti Posted in Grow | Leave a comment

It is a dreary, rainy, cold Winter day in Texas, and I am stir crazy. My beloved Camry, which I drove for 10 years, broke down on Friday the 13th as I was driving to trade her in for this new beauty. I knew the Camry was on her last leg, but I had high hopes that she would hold out for another 7-9 weeks until my new car arrived, but she just could not do it.

With no car to get me out of the house, and a current downpour that does not even allow for a bike ride or a late morning run, I am about to go bonkers. So I figured the best way to cure this current batch of crazy is to give you an update on the last round of crops that came from the pot vs plot series.

This Winter planting season I decided to give potatoes another try. In the past, while living in the Mid-West, I have always planted potatoes in the Spring, normally on Good Friday if the weather allows. After relocating to Austin, Texas I tried to plant Spring potatoes, but just ended up with no yield and a bad case of potato rot. Now I’m not saying you can’t plant potatoes in the Spring in Texas, I’m just saying last time I tried it failed miserably!

So in October of 2011 I decided to give Fall potatoes a try, and to further the experiment I planted some potatoes in a large pot, and some in my garden plot. With a mixture of the cooler weather and the less heavy compact soil of the pot, I was hoping for better luck this time around.

By mid-December the frost had gotten the best of the leafy green foliage that grows above ground, but since the frost had not gotten deep enough to affect the crop’s root, I left them in the ground for about 2 more weeks. When the day came for the potato dig I was pleasantly surprised. Although I was only blessed with 19 potatoes total, the pot took home the ribbon for a higher yield. With a final winning score of 11 to 8, Fall potatoes will definitely be on the menu for next Winter’s crops.

Newspaper PotMaker

Posted on January 19, 2012 by FreeRangeChick - Shanti Posted in Featured, Grow | Leave a comment

Yesterday marked the official first day of Spring Gardening for me. In the past few weeks, I have done quite a bit of spring gardening preparation. I’ve ordered my first round of seeds and have already spoken with friends about gardening on their land (which I will be doing as I work on accomplishing #8 of my 12 things I hope to accomplish in 2012, but more on that later). Yesterday, however, was the most exciting day of my 2012 gardening to date. It was the day the UPS man delivered my PotMaker.

In the past, I have started my seeds in a more traditional plastic seed starter tray, but am always frustrated in how flimsy the plastic gets after 2-3 uses. I love that this PotMaker allows me to recycle newspaper, while not having all those plastic trays to store in the growing off-season.

Here is how it works.

First you will cut your newspaper into 3″x12″ strips. I would advise using a newspaper with soy-based ink. You can check a newspaper’s website or call their office to get this info. Next, wrap the newspaper around the body of the PotMaker, and then fold under the edges of the newspaper. Finally, press the newspaper into the base of the PotMaker, then remove the newspaper from the body of the PotMaker. There you have it – a recycled and biodegradable seed starter pot!Pin It

Wheelbarrow Planter

Posted on January 17, 2012 by FreeRangeChick - Shanti Posted in Grow, Make | Leave a comment

With Spring planting just around the corner, I have been assessing all of my potentially plantable plots; debating if I can squeeze any more plants in my backyard. Since my garden plot is always planted to the max, I wanted to get creative with container planting this season, and thought this would be a perfect time to convert that old rusty wheelbarrow to an adorable and usable garden container.