One of the things that I love about gardening, is the lessons that I am constantly learning.  Although I do have a degree in horticulture, all the books, labs and tests don’t hold a candle to what I have learned by getting my hands dirty in the garden.

For example, every year, as I harvest my vegetables, I always learn something new about what grew well and what didn’t and the reasons why.

Here are a few things I learned this spring:

Last fall, I planted garlic in containers as well as in the ground.

A few days ago, I harvested my garlic.

The garlic that I had planted in the ground was a lot larger then in previous years.  Some of the heads were 4 inches across.  I had planted them in a different vegetable garden that received a little more water, which would probably explain their large size.

The garlic that I grew in containers was quite a bit smaller then those planted in the ground, which is exactly what I expected.  The size of the garlic planted in containers is large enough to use in cooking and I will grow it again in pots this fall because it is so easy to do and I like how their tall foliage looks with container plantings.

Throughout the winter and spring, we have been enjoying carrots from the garden.  We pull a few carrots out at a time depending on how many we need.  However, last week I had to pull my remaining carrots because some were beginning to flower, which makes the carrot, woody.

One thing that I can’t quite figure out is how I get both small and large carrots.  They both get the same amount of water and they aren’t crowded.  Both carrots pictured above, were a foot away from each other.  Maybe the soil underneath the smaller one wasn’t as loose as the soil underneath the large one?  I am determined to figure this one out.

The third lesson that I learned this spring, is that some onion varieties do much better in my zone 9a garden then others do.

Not too impressive, are they?  My onions look more like giant scallions.

I have since learned from my fellow area vegetable gardeners that they have tried quite a few different varieties of onion and that there is only one variety of white onion that has done well for them in our area (the Southwest).  As you can tell, I didn’t have the right variety.  I can use the green parts of my onions when I cook.  They add a mild onion flavor to my dishes, much like scallions do.

In the meantime, I won’t pull out all my onions just yet, because they really have quite beautiful flowers…

One of the main reasons that I am so passionate about gardening and helping others learn how to garden, is that you always learning something new – no matter how long you have been working in the garden.  There isn’t a single gardener who knows everything about how to garden (although there are probably a few who like to ‘think’ that they know it all).

My garden is always changing and a work in progress.  The container potatoes are still growing as is my container corn.  I’ll update you on how they are doing along with what else I will be planting this year.

How about you?  What lessons have you learned from your vegetable or flower garden this past year?

{ 4 comments }

Do you like to grow vegetables?  I do.

I have three raised beds where I grow different types of vegetables.

Lately, I have started expanding where I grow my vegetables.  Many kinds of vegetables do great in containers.  I have grown, lettuce, spinach, sugar snap peas and herbs in pots.

This year, I wanted to grow potatoes in a pot.

The last time I grew potatoes, I was a horticulture student in college where we were given a plot on the college farm to plant our vegetables.  I remembered that my potatoes did quite well.  I’m not sure why I haven’t grown them since then?

There are advantages to growing potatoes in a container:

- Protection from pests and fungal disease.

- No weeds.

- You can dig them out using your fingers instead of a shovel.

This spring, I was determined to grow potatoes in my own container.

I got started with a big pot.

You need approximately 2.5 gallons of space per seed potato you plant.  I can grow three potatoes in my pot.  Make sure your container has plenty of holes for drainage.

Potatoes grow from ‘seed potatoes’.  They can be purchased from your local nursery in spring.  Unlike potatoes you buy to eat – you want your seed potatoes to have green sprouts growing before you plant them.  Place them on a wire rack or on an open egg carton in a cool place with indirect light until they begin to sprout.

 Once my seed potatoes were ready to plant, I added approximately 6 inches of planting mix to the bottom of my container.  You can also use compost if you prefer.

Add fertilizer to your soil at this point – aged manure or slow-release fertilizer will work.

I then placed my seed potatoes on top of this layer and then covered them with 4 – 6 inches of planting mix.

Now, all I had to do was to keep them evenly moist – not dry and not soggy.  I put an adjustable drip-emitter in my container to water my potatoes.

I kept checking them for new green growth every few days.

It took a few weeks, but soon I saw…

 green leaves!

Once the leaves had reached about 6 inches high, I covered them with more planting mix, until just the green tips of the leaves were still showing.

I have to do this every few days until the soil reaches the top of my pot.  At this point, I haven’t reached the top of my container yet.

******************************

I promise to keep you updated as to how my container potatoes are doing.

How about you?

Would you like to join me in growing potatoes in your own container?

For information on when to plant potatoes in your zone, check out The Vegetable Garden: Planting Schedules

{ 5 comments }