how potatoes grow

These have been popping up in the paddocks this week. I have two areas of spuds planted - one small paddock next to the house and a long row in the new organic market garden (where I put in purple congos after getting great potato feedback after this post!)

It's been warm here, very warm for early September, and now we've got some rain. Perfect. 

But these green leaves are also popping up in my house garlic patch! It's the raised bed I grew spuds in last year. They grew so well in there, and obviously I've left some behind. I've been pulling them out of the garlic for weeks. 

 

I pulled this one out today and I thought it was such a beautiful example of how a potato grows! You can see the new potato at the end of one long white root, and you can see the other potatoes beginning to form at the end of the other roots. It's like magic! One potato plant can produce around ten potatoes!

I'm such a terrible garden geek. Best part of my day so far today was planting some herbs in pots close to the house, while it rained softly. The girls jumped in puddles with umbrellas and followed me around with the wheelbarrow.

You? Garden geek? Do you ever look at your hands at the bakery or the bank and realise you have dirt all through your fingernails?

xxx

Comments

[Cassandra Allen]

Total garden geek here. Are sweet potatoes a similar principle?

[Hazel]

I often go to point or hand something over and realise how my hands look :-)

[Kali]

Sweet potatoes are a spreading vine, while you can sprout cuttings off a tuber you buy at the shops like potatoes. Sweet potatoes need a lot more moisture than potatoes and you don't hill up sweet potatoes like potatoes. Although initially planting them in a mound is a good idea.

Me? Garden geek? Very much so... :)

[Angela]

I love a gardener's hands, particularly on the elderly...useful, productive, busy, story telling hands.

[Julie]

Garden geek . . . Absolutely! My problem is garden dirt under my toenails!

[Just Joyful]

I am quickly turning into a garden geek. This doesn't mean that I am good at it though!

But I got so excited yesterday when I saw a little carrot leaf poking out of the vegie patch!

And I think I bore everyone I meet, asking them questions about their vegie gardens. I'm new to this area, and I want to learn all I can about growing a productive garden here. So when I meet people, it's "Good to meet you! Do you grown vegies? When can I plant my tomatoes?"

PS - you've been busy with the change to the website! I'll have to go browsing around it. Is the banner photo of your place?

[Tracey]

Yeah, I'm a garden geek too. And like Julie, my hands and toes tell the story. I have gardening gloves ;and gumboots), but fail to put them on most times.

[Louise]

Yep, I'm a garden geek! Hands are permanently cracked and dirty despite using the scrubbing brush and lashings of hand cream... sigh...

[Ivy]

Geek! Yep right here. We just bought a house, there's boxes everywhere inside but there's all kinds of planting, planning and pruning going on outside. Dishes in the sink, wet washing in the machine but the kids are asleep and I have a scrap of time so I head outside whenever I can :)