Friday, May 10, 2013

tuber or not tuber...

there are eleven red nordland potato plants up and running at the community garden and there are sixteen in my back yard (first and third photos)...pretty reliable spud and i am looking forward (hopefully) to a better season this year...i like a good potato most days and i like ones that i grow even more...the early blue in the second photo is coming along even though its barrel-mate hasn't put in an appearance yet...they were small tubers when i planted them and i am curious to see if that's a genetic trait or if the potato introduction station was just conserving on shipping costs...the bottom two photos are of the flourishing yema de huevos ( translates to egg yolk because of the yellow color of the tuber's flesh ) that arrived sprouting, survived a bout of frost bite, and are now filling the half barrel they call home...these particular spuds originated in columbia which is a bit closer ti the equator than northwest indiana and may leave me with some day length issues as i try to establish a population for a storage experiment...the foliage is certainly doing well and the entire production from the government potatoes ( with two of five varieties up and running ) will head for the basement in an effort to produce another crop from them next spring...oddly enough the yema de huevos are an ancestor of the yukon golds i will be planting later this month...not the teosinte/maize relationship since the yema de huevo is a domesticate ( and a delicacy in peruvian perceptions )...but it is coincidental hat the two are related since i had no idea of the connection when i requested the tubers from the government or bought seed from a local producer...gardening as an educational experience.

2 comments:

  1. I got a later start and have yet to see my 'taters but am looking forward to them!

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  2. i started planting on the 14th of last month ans was anxious until they started showing up last week...13 of 16 up in the community garden and 21 up in the back yard...yours will probably be along a bit sooner as the weather is due to warm...they will be good with a bit of butter and garlic...and perhaps some cheese

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