California - What are you doing this month?

This picture was very informative for me (the previous version w/o circled people didn't have enough 'scale' for me): https://twitter.com/PeterGleick/status/831260288959721473/photo/1

My understanding is that if the flow over what Sanderson is calling the "super emergency spillway" had kept going, that erosion shown in the photo would have gotten closer and closer to the concrete and possibly have eaten a hole at its base/underneath it = hole in the side of the bathtub. Even if the side of the bathtub that is the dam stays intact, and the rim of the bathtub stays intact, you still have a problem if there is a hole below the rim of the bathtub...

What is going on at the Oroville Dam is scary. Prayers for all those involved and affected.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/californias-oroville-dam-threatens-floods-forcing-188000-to-evacuate-under-emergency-order

Good photos.

A broccoli was flowering, so I sneaked it out of the bridal tulle so a pollinator could dine.  This morning!

We will go to the International Farm Show tomorrow, Wednesday. It's sunny outside and I need to turn that compost pile, 140*F. It should really take off after I turn it and introduce some oxygen.

Found this in my email this morning from Farmer's Alamanc:

[16th-17th] Start seedbeds. Good days for transplanting. Plant carrots, turnips, onions, beets, Irish potatoes, and other root crops in the South. Lettuce and other leafy vegetables will do well.


Guess what I will be doing all day tomorrow?

countrynaturals wrote:WOW, Sanderdon! Your winter garden puts my winter garden to shame.

sanderson, your winter garden puts my summer garden to shame.

Kelejan wrote:

countrynaturals wrote:WOW, Sanderdon! Your winter garden puts my winter garden to shame.

sanderson, your winter garden puts my summer garden to shame.

+1

OK my "expert" , lol!  I bought 3 types of potato seed at Lowe's today:

1.  Yukon gold
2.  Adirondak Blue (purple meat)
3.  Red Norland

I know there are some kinds of potatoes you can keep hilling and they produce more crop off of the stem.  How do you determine that?  What is the name/type of potato that has that characteristic?

Thanks for any help!  I'm going to grow them in 55 gallon food grade barrels cut in half since I didn't get many potatoes or sweet potatoes due to the gophers and vols.

From my experience Yukon Gold grows only one layer. I tried hilling them up in a bucket but they only produced a bottom layer.

I've been studying up - seems that most potatoes are "determinate" i.e. only make potatoes below the first green set of leaves.  

Russets are indeterminate - I'm having a hard time finding out what other kinds of potatoes are as well.  They will continue to produce all the way up the stem so you can even plant them in a trash can.  

So much to learn, so few brain cells working at it, lol!

Try looking at irisheyes website.  This is what they say about the potato tower type planting.

http://irisheyesgardenseeds.com/media/wysiwyg/PDF/growing_potatoes.pdf


THE CAGE METHOD Grow a few potato plants, each or in their own wooden box, crib, barrel or wire cage. The container should be about 18x18 inches at the base, about 24-30 inches tall, and able to be gradually filled with soft soil or mulch as the vines grow. Set each container atop a well-prepared fertile soil. Plant one strong seed piece and cover lightly with 4 inches of soil. As the vines grow, gradually fill the container with mellow compost, mulch or soil, but always make sure you don't cover more than one-third of the vine's new growth. With some varieties, the underground stolons which produce potato tubers keep on forming new ones for some time. In containers the yield may be increased 200-3000 percent compared with open-field culture. This is a great way to grow a lot of potatoes in a very limited space. We recommend doing this with Yellow Finn, Indian Pit, Red Pontiac, or the fingerling types. Watering requirements will be greater however, so check the cages or containers frequently in warm weather. 

Here it is, February 21, and I am just now starting my seeds.  Well, rather I have four 10" x 20" trays with MM filled seed pots.    I have finally decided what to seed (almost everything), and what to direct sow (beans, Little Gem corn, Sorghum).  I bought some spouting seed potatoes at Home Depot and some grocery store sprouting reds.  Those will go in 5-gallon buckets and a circular cage I made at least 2 years ago.  I need to rebuild it.  Ken made the rolling platform for me.  The cage didn't work that well. Water poured right out the bottom.  I did wrap with cardboard to keep the roots dark but eventually it curled, what with watering and rain.




Ken and I made the World Ag Expo in Tulare on Feb 15.  It takes hours of walking to see everything.  Some fantastic "tractor" stuff, irrigation stuff, spraying equipment.  My college friend had a booth (BioFlora) and he said 5 years ago there were only a handful of "organic" fertilizer and amendment companies.  I saw about 15 at least and we didn't even get to finish looking at all the indoor booths.  Recognize this photo? USDA-NRCS, page 20, "Teaming with Microbes"?

Great post, Sanderson. Let me know when you plant your sorghum. I have seeds from last year and a perfect spot for mine if winter ever ends. If we planted at the same time it might be an interesting experiment. Mine will be going directly in the dirt in the yard. What are you thinking for yours and how much will you plant?

I will be direct sowing the sorghum in a section of the BTE strip, around March 15-April 1. I will let you know.

countrynaturals wrote:Great post, Sanderson. ...

+1

I deleted this post 2x because my question is really ignorant, but if I don't ask, I will remain ignorant, so.....what do you DO with the sorghum?

Mellen wrote:I deleted this post 2x because my question is really ignorant, but if I don't ask, I will remain ignorant, so.....what do you DO with the sorghum?

I will feed it to the chickens & feed it to the goats. I have no idea what Sanderson will do with hers, but I'm looking forward to her response.  Not an ignorant question. Last year at this time, I wouldn't have known the answer and I still don't know what humans do with it.

Mellen wrote:Found this in my email this morning from Farmer's Alamanc:

[16th-17th] Start seedbeds. Good days for transplanting. Plant carrots, turnips, onions, beets, Irish potatoes, and other root crops in the South. Lettuce and other leafy vegetables will do well.


Guess what I will be doing all day tomorrow?

OK....so tomorrow never came...until TODAY!  I started okra, peppers, eggplant, kohlrabi, banana peppers, lemon cukes, roma & beefsteak & snow fairy tomatoes, and a couple of flowers (lambs ears, marigolds, & nasturtiums).  I have some bean & pea seeds soaking.  I'll spend the evening making newspaper pots & plant those tomorrow.  

While I was doing that I was making broth from the turkey carcass left from Christmas.     (Can't rush into these things, you know).  

Since Sanderson said she just started hers yesterday I don't feel so bad.  

Last summer I grew sunflowers to peek over the sidewalk fence.  For this year I decided to plant tall sorghum.  As a grain, it is gluten-free, healthy, and can be cooked for pilaf-type dishes.  The canes can be juiced for sorghum syrup.  It can be popped like popcorn.  In other words, I'm playing in the garden.  The birds may end up eating it before harvest.  Last summer :

I finally got 3 trays (93) seed cups under the lights.  I usually have 6.    Tomato, tomatillo, eggplant, pepper, herbs, winter squash, cucumber and cantaloupe.  Never got the light frames changed to Mr. Booker's style. Maybe next week. We will be out of town Sat-Sun but hope to get the red potatoes planted next week.  The weather may actually be above 60*F.     According to the weather report, CN is the only one getting rain in the next few days.    

Sanderson wrote:According to the weather report, CN is the only one getting rain in the next few days. 

Very little, so we can handle it, but enough to keep things messy.  It's also cold. Wish we could save some of this for July.

Mellen wrote:I deleted this post 2x because my question is really ignorant, but if I don't ask, I will remain ignorant, so.....what do you DO with the sorghum?

I had to smile, Mellen, about not asking the question because you were ignorant.

Anyone, especially, Newbies, never be afraid to admit that you do not know the answer to any question: at least on this Forum.  I well remember the thrill I had as a newcomer when I was able to answer a question, knowing that was right, because the question asked was one that I had asked myself a few days before and got such nice replies.

Kelejan wrote:

Mellen wrote:I deleted this post 2x because my question is really ignorant, but if I don't ask, I will remain ignorant, so.....what do you DO with the sorghum?

I had to smile, Mellen, about not asking the question because you were ignorant.

Anyone, especially, Newbies, never be afraid to admit that you do not know the answer to any question: at least on this Forum.  I well remember the thrill I had as a newcomer when I was able to answer a question, knowing that was right, because the question asked was one that I had asked myself a few days before and got such nice replies.

+1

Last year, other than direct seeding my salad box, I planted no seeds.  The other stuff I had (tomato, squash, basil, etc) I purchased as plants.

Here we go...my first attempt.  I planted so much I figure SOMETHING has to germinate!  I also included a photo of the REMAINDER of my seeds after the big planting.

OK...WHY IS MY PICTURE UPSIDE DOWN!!  It was right side up before I pressed the button to put them on here.  (Sighhhhhh)

Husband and 2 sons helped move one of the sons into an apt.  The sofa was a piece of cake compared to the 2' x 4' beds on wheels.     They had to physically lift the full beds up into 2 pickup truck beds.  Wouldn't you know it that the 2 beds destined to come home were put in the wrong pickup!  He was only able to fit 2 beds and 2 buckets on the enclosed patio.  Mom brought 2 beds home to baby sit.  Talk about dedication to SFG; no beds left behind!  

The poor "hot" compost pile has only been turned once in 27 days.  Starting Wednesday, the temps are supposed to be in the 60s so I hope I crawl out of my warm nest and get to work.  No seeds have sprouted under the lights to date.  Planted on Feb 22-24.