I took Saturday and Sunday off. The weather was cooperating with rain so I had the chance to enjoy family time. But Monday was consumed with weeding all day long. I even convinced my teenage daughter to weed three of the beds. Weeding is much easier when the soil is wet. Destroying garden vampires (weeds) is rewarding, but left war scars on my blue jeans. Muddy knees and bottom are the cost of being able to pull the garden vampires' roots. I got about two thirds of the weeding done in about eight hours. I'm sure some would be faster, but, well, I "had" to talk to my son in the Marines....for about an hour. What can I say? I miss him.
Back to gardening. Earlier this season I started my potato experiment. I had gotten food quality plastic buckets from a box store bakery. My hubby drilled holes in the sides close to the bottom for drainage. I filled the bottom three inches with pebbles and then put in another three to four inches of garden soil. I also prepared a garden bed for potatoes, as well. The buckets are suppose to be very easy to harvest and none of the potatoes get sliced from the shovel. Well both were planted with the two types of potatoes: all blue and Yukon gold.
I don't think I realized how often I would have to water the buckets just to make the taters happy. Both tater styles need to be hilled some time this week. Hilling is piling soil, straw, etc. on top of the taters keeping about two inches above ground, but you can cover the whole tater and it will recover. The hilling protects the actual tubers from sun damage and allows for proper water drainage.
The garden one seems healthier, but we'll see if the extra watering is worth it by the end of the season.
While weeding I saw the first color on my strawberries. Yeah!!! They're not ready to pick yet and I have noticed that my garden is popular with the birds. I hope they won't get my ripening fruit first! Birds like the fruit "greener" that people do.
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