Potato Seeds are here!
Jul. 2nd, 2011 10:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pinepigs_gardenKoanga had a bad year for potatoes. Their seed farmers were hit by potato psyllid. They were able to get some seeds but a much-reduced amount. To be able to spread their seed around a bit more they cut the bag size from about 1 kilo to about 750 grams & have given us a credit note for what they couldn't fill. In my case, they didn't have one of the potato varieties (Arran Banner, which my friend T had asked me to order for her) so also substituted it for another.
After splitting my seed potatoes with T, I've got
-about 600 grams of Urenika (2 pieces of this is from my own last year crop)
-about 400 grams of Paraketia (which is one I really wanted to try this year)
-about 500 grams of Kowiniwini which is one that I think was the replacement for Arran Banner.
I've got some chiting in the egg cartons on top of the fridge, along with 4 of the Purple Heart ones we bought for eating at the supermarket. I honestly don't know how these will do but it's worth a try. I've got enough for one potato bag per variety to start, the rest are sitting double-paper bagged & ready to go into the shed for storage. I'll chite and plant them in a 2nd season. There's quite a lot so I might look at pulling a few more out to chite for another bag or 2 in the early part of the season with these. The Urenika take the longest to mature so I am debating on 2 bags of them to chite now, enough to chite one bag later.
I've also decided that I'll put 4 seeds per potato bag this year, that did fine last year.
I don't have the huge grow bag, I did decide to get rid of it. The lawn is in sad shape, the seeds haven't grown and it's a bog back there now. I'll replant it as soon as the ground dries and we're through the frosts. I hope the landlord doesn't decide to do an inspection before then.
I had some tiny chard sprouts but either snails or the cold have claimed them as victims. Oh well, wait and see what pops up in the spring!
I'll definitely be putting in a few tomato plants this year. Tomatoes are currently between $12 and $14NZ a kilo. The price usually comes down in the summer but I'd like to have my own instead.
After splitting my seed potatoes with T, I've got
-about 600 grams of Urenika (2 pieces of this is from my own last year crop)
-about 400 grams of Paraketia (which is one I really wanted to try this year)
-about 500 grams of Kowiniwini which is one that I think was the replacement for Arran Banner.
I've got some chiting in the egg cartons on top of the fridge, along with 4 of the Purple Heart ones we bought for eating at the supermarket. I honestly don't know how these will do but it's worth a try. I've got enough for one potato bag per variety to start, the rest are sitting double-paper bagged & ready to go into the shed for storage. I'll chite and plant them in a 2nd season. There's quite a lot so I might look at pulling a few more out to chite for another bag or 2 in the early part of the season with these. The Urenika take the longest to mature so I am debating on 2 bags of them to chite now, enough to chite one bag later.
I've also decided that I'll put 4 seeds per potato bag this year, that did fine last year.
I don't have the huge grow bag, I did decide to get rid of it. The lawn is in sad shape, the seeds haven't grown and it's a bog back there now. I'll replant it as soon as the ground dries and we're through the frosts. I hope the landlord doesn't decide to do an inspection before then.
I had some tiny chard sprouts but either snails or the cold have claimed them as victims. Oh well, wait and see what pops up in the spring!
I'll definitely be putting in a few tomato plants this year. Tomatoes are currently between $12 and $14NZ a kilo. The price usually comes down in the summer but I'd like to have my own instead.