I planted lotsa potatoes this year, with the intention of finally finishing the root celler in my basement. I've canned potatoes before, but stored ones are much better. The potato patch is pretty wide, and part of it covers the area where we spread chicken litter from last fall's coop clean-out. The photo above shows the non-litter part, and the photo below shows potatoes growing in the litter.
The potatoes growing in the litter are twice as big as the others. Gotta love poop for growin' big healthy veges. Although I've been told too much nitrogen will make a plants tops grow, but not a plants roots. We'll see how the potato harvest turns out this fall.
I let a few of my rutabagas over-winter in my garden, for seed-collecting this summer. Rutabagas are biennial, which means they flower and set seed their second year. It's easy to do with root crops like rutabagas and carrots. Harder to do with non-root biennials like Brussels Sprouts, especially in Minnesota where the winters are so long and cold.
And speaking of Brussels Sprouts, look here at mine! You can't see them, because they are safely tucked away under a floating row cover. I decided to try the covers out this year, since my brassicas (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, etc.) always get eaten up by cabbage worms. Floating row covers (supposedly) protect the plant from these critters. And I must say, so far the covers are working like a charm. My sprouts have never looked so good. Too bad you can't see them underneath their gauzy blanket -- I'm sure you would be dutifully impressed.
4 comments:
Wow! Chicken poop is potent! Aren't you just dying to peek under the dirt to see how they compare underneath??? Of course, the potatoes are gunna taste like crap...!! Did you spread the poop anywhere else?? How are your kittens doing? You need to post an updated picture of them too! And your goats!!
The poop is also in the bean patch. So we'll have crappy beans later this summer too.
Read on for kitten and goat info...
So true Jo. I have fallen in love with the compost I make with the chicken litter. I almost have more than I can use. Almost. I age mine a year before I use it. I also mix it with some grass clippings and shredded leaves. But last year I gathered the dried leaves in the fall and put them in the coop over the winter as litter and let the chickens do the rest.
"Crappy beans"? Sounds wonderful!! No doubt you will amaze us with your mongo sized beans this summer!! I"ll try to ignore any lingering odor...
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