CATCHING UP WITH THE POTATOES

Last weekend my focus was on covering the in-ground garden where the weeds outpaced the corn to the point of no return.

While watering everything though, I noticed that it was time to add dirt to the potatoes.

Following the process for planting potatoes in pots, I put 3 inches of soil in the bottom of each pot, added the seed potatoes, and covered them with dirt. After the leaves sprout and grow to about 3-4 inches high, the foliage gets covered with more dirt, leaving about an inch of greenery. Let it grow again until the exposed plant is 3-4 inches high and add more dirt. Repeat, repeat, until the pot is full. Each addition of soil encourages more root growth, resulting at the end with more potatoes.

Well, Saturday, they had grown almost high enough, so I figured Tuesday would be about right for the next installment of dirt.

On Tuesday, it was stormy so that didn’t happen.

It didn’t get done Wednesday either.

I was determined to take care of it tonight (Thursday). I walked around the house to see:

They have grown above the rim of the pots! So much for step-by-step: I ended up adding about 10 inches of dirt to each pot.

Somehow I continue to be surprised by how plants just “take off” growing here.