Potatoes and Lettuce Instead of a Lawn?

lyndsaybowes (71) in growfoodnotlawns • 6 years ago

These are the first veggies I planted for #growfoodnotlawns Canada, 2019

Potatoes. Possibly the easiest thing there is to grow, and to get the seed from. Starting in the fall, whenever I have potatoes getting the little eyes, I move them into their own bags in a dark cupboard. By spring this is what I have: Free Potato seeds.

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They grow pretty well in their dark little corner of the house for the winter, don't they?

Fucking thing is trying to grow leaves LOL!

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Once you get rid of that grass you'll be happy. Dig hole, put in potato seed, cover and mound with dirt. No matter how deep I've dug, how shallow, how much or how little water, where I dug...I have always gotten a potato harvest. Sure, some were pretty small, yet these things are totally indestructible, even if you have a black thumb.

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If you want to get really fancy, once the leaves start growing out of your mound, you can pile more dirt onto them to encourage the plant to grow more potatoes.

Before Potatoes

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And After

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Lettuce Time!

Here is the bed Before I did Spring Cleanup.

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And Now

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In amongst the oregano, lily and lupin are lettuce seeds of many varieties. I also have lettuce growing wild on the west part of the lawn, just seeded itself from last year...

#foodisfree ~ It just needs a little help to get going.

growfoodnotlawns homesteading foodisfree gardening food

6 years ago by lyndsaybowes (71)

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old-guy-photos (73) · 6 years ago

I always thought the eyes were kind of pretty...

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lyndsaybowes (71) · 6 years ago

That's a wicked close-up you got there....wow! I never have noticed those tiny little bumps everywhere before...

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iflagtrash (63) · 6 years ago

You have received a negative vote.

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meanbees (56) · 6 years ago

I have potatoes growing in my compost pile!
I've considered "gorilla farming" (random planting on the side of the road or other places, not on your property) as an act of food security because they are a "plant anywhere and they will grow" kind of plant. And it would be fun to just pull over somewhere and harvest some potatoes. A "WTF" moment for your passengers. :-) "You said you wanted a baked potato for dinner, right?"

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lyndsaybowes (71) · 6 years ago

That's such a great idea, especially the part about pulling over with friends and surprising them like that hahaha!! You've quite the imagination @meanbees! Thank you so much for this great comment and idea.

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iflagtrash (63) · 6 years ago

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anthonyadavisii (70) · 6 years ago

Started some potatoes in a container and they have really taken off. Good thing is, where the rest of my garden that bears fruit above ground is getting savaged by a unwelcome skunk or other critter, the potatoes are unharmed.

Noticed my tomatoes have claw marks so that harvest is hosed. Other strawberries are getting munched on. Lastly, I checked it one day and my entire Poblano plant was uprooted (but root ball seemed ok). Also, cilantro was a goner but I have since replaced.

Thankfully, it only seems to like the leaves on my pepper plants and hasn't messed with my Carolina reapers or jalapenos. I just ordered a trap. THIS skunk's vegetable buffet is CANCELLED!

Glad to see you got garden going. Less reliance on the grid, the better.

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lyndsaybowes (71) · 6 years ago

I hope that trap works immediately, what a rotten guy eating up your sustainability like that! :D Glad the taters are unmolested! I'll be sending good vibes to you Anthony!

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iflagtrash (63) · 6 years ago

I flag trash. You have received a flag.

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davedickeyyall (73) · 6 years ago

I can't wait to be able to plant a garden

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lyndsaybowes (71) · 6 years ago

Me either, I bet you'd be a real natural, especially in the herb department!

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phoenixwren (65) · 6 years ago

Have you ever grown sweet potatoes? And good job on the gardening! 😄

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lyndsaybowes (71) · 6 years ago

I tried one year, just throwing some in the ground, it was a fail. LOL! There is a method...I will perhaps learn it one day :) How bout you, done any container sweet potatoes? Do you know the method? hheeeee

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iflagtrash (63) · 6 years ago

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phoenixwren (65) · 6 years ago (edited)

I don't know the method, I was hoping to pick up on some wisdom, lol. I'll have to try it at some point. I did try a russet in a bucket one year (I rhyme! Kinda) before I was allergic, and the GREENS GREW LIKE CRAZY. I left a little headspace in the bucket because I had read that I would need to build up the soil later, so I did that, and then it kept going crazy. So I literally wove grapevine around the top of the bucket to extend it by like eight inches and filled that. And then it still went crazy. And then it died. I didn't get any taters - but a lot of leaves, lol. Learning experience!