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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

One Potato, two potato...

Its potato planting time here in the Mountain West.  Here's how we do it.
About 3 weeks ago, I cut my seed potatoes up into 2-3 pieces each.  I've been taught to aim for 2 eyes per piece.
After a few weeks, the potatoes will seal up as to prevent rotting in the ground and they look like this
Next, you need to prepare your garden bed.  We like to grow a cover crop in ours during fall and winter which we cut in the spring, then turn the soil over.  Then we dig holes about 1 foot deep for each seed potato.
Next you place your seed potatoes 1 to each hole, I like to pick the best looking specimens and discard any that look like they might be a little rotten.  It turns out that 2.5 year olds are excellent potato planting assistants.
We cover our seed potatoes with a light layer of soil then keep adding, eventually mounding up as our plants grow.
After a few months, out potato plants will look like this
Happy spring garden season friends.
-J, T, &C

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Winter, finally (and seriously)

I planned to start this blog last spring as my garden flew into action, but then got into the actual work of gardening and abandoned the task. However, today its winter, really winter. I'm wearing long underwear and sitting under a blanket and I'm still cold.
Today is the shortest day of the year so from here on in it gets better. I look forward to longer days, that's for sure. But I'll also tuck in and enjoy winter's freeze and snow, it does mean skiing after all. Maybe more importantly is the snow pack - without snow there isn't water for the West.
The end of the year and the solstice are a good time to think back on the last 365. I have no reason to complain and feel really lucky about the last year and really hopeful about the year to come.