Organic Gardening Info from Peaceful Valley

If you haven’t gotten your potatoes in the ground you’re late. I always have the last of them in by Passover. Here’s the quick fix. Lightly till a patch of ground, spread out some bone meal or soft rock phosphate in spots about 1.5 ft. apart, sprinkle some Biozome to decompose things quickly, set potatoes on those spots, cover with compost and soil and sprinkle with Nutri-Rich.

I bury mine 8-10 inches but this time of year you may want to do that in stages so the soil warms more quickly at the seed point, then run a line of soaker hose. As plants emerge begin covering them with straw until you have a good six inches of straw mulch. The little spuds will grow in the straw with just the right amount of moisture (not too soggy) at the seed potato. Never let the new spuds see the sun. They turn green and un-eatable.

And if you want your long season heirloom tomatoes to come in early get them in the ground now with Walls O’ Water. You’ll be amazed.

Stay tuned for the 2009 Chicken Watch updates.

Read our “How to grow potatoes” page here.

Life is too short to hesitate. My 14 year old Grandson, Bronson, raced BMX bicycle competitions from age 8 to age 11. He is a natural born athlete as are many in our family. But he has an unusual ability in this particular sport. He decide to start racing again this summer half way through the season and immediately started winning so he went to the Nationals after 8 races and took 1st in races 1 & 2 and finished 2nd in the finals.

Because he did so well he caught the eye of a pro (Bubba was slated for the Olympics until he shattered his ankle) that invited him to go to his training camp. Well by the time they were done with Brons they told his parents he was good enough to go to the Grand Nationals. So today I sat with my daughter (Bronson’s mom), my mother, husband, oldest son, and several grandchildren and watch this sweet hearted young man beat the pants off of his most dreaded competitor who had the best gate and all the advantage while Bronson had the worst gate and no advantage. HE DUSTED HIM! I could brag for hours but I’ll spare you. The point is he could have let a thousand things stop him and had every reason to be discouraged when he got to Oklahoma but he pushed through every discouragement and won the race.

So how does that carry over to your garden you ask? Let me tell you. Don’t be afraid, press on, just try things. The worst thing that can happen is it won’t work! I get so many questions from gardeners all over the US that want to know if this or that will work in their area. I try to do the best research I can and give the best advice available but I always say in the end, you really don’t know what will work unless you try it. (more…)