Garden Potatoes and Cold Frame Transplants

Garden Potatoes and Cold Frame Transplants

A. Potatoes
In April, I rototill the garden and then rake out all the dead weeds and rocks. I then add some garden fertilizer (10-10-10) and/or some compost that I turned last year from lawn grass clippings. I help the compost pile with some lime and try to turn it every week.

In May I rototill the area on the outside of the garden fence and then hoe a trench to plant some potatoes, onions and dalais. You can buy bags of seed potatoes, small onions bulbs and dalai tubers in a garden shop for a few dollars a bag.

You can also grow your own seed potatoes. Just pick some potatoes at the grocers with developing eyes and then set them on top of the refrigerator for a couple weeks. You should then have several potatoes with a lot of eyes.

Cut up these seed potatoes into small two inch pieces, each with an eye. Plant the potato pieces in a garden trench about one foot apart and cover with a couple inches of soil. Water well. In about two weeks you will see green plant shoots sprout out through the soil.

You can see some photos at the link……..
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/GardenPotatoes51310#

B. Transplants
After growing some vegetables from seeds, starting in March or April I move the seedlings to a cold frame. As the seedlings got bigger, I transplanted them to individual pots and leave them in the cold frame for a few more weeks.

I built my cold frame from (1x2 inch) wood strapping and then covered it with clear plastic all around (bottom, top, sides). I stapled the plastic to the wood frame so that it was air tight. I then put the plants in individual cups with holes in bottom in a large tray.

When watering, soak the soil in pots and then fill the outside tray with water about half full. The plants will absorb extra water from the outside tray as needed. The water will last about 4-5 days and then you will have to water again. The temperature inside the cold frame will be much higher than outside and you will see the water condensing on the inside of the plastic. In extreme heat, you will need to vent the cold frame for a few hours per day.

At the end of May or first week in June you can move the transplants from the cold frame to the garden and water at least once per week. Water more often if there are several continuous hot days. Most plants will thrive on one cup of water a week.

You can see some photos at the link ….
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/GardenUpdate6610#

During the rest of the summer, just weed and water as needed (at least once per week). Also, I need to stake and cage tomato plants in a week. I will harvest most vegetables in August.

Let me know if you would like to try some fresh garden vegetables. I’ll save you some.

Comments always welcome: markryan82@comcast.net