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What's Growing in the Garden

I BBQed tonight and had one of my fresh Kennebecks done over the coals. Is it me or is there a difference between store bought potatoes and home grown? Am I biased or it it just the difference between fresh and old stock; kind of like green beans? These tasted more moist and almost buttery. Might be all in my head.

Which brings me to next year. Someone mentioned crop rotation. I don't move my potatoes. I've mentioned my poor soil quality and I when to a lot of trouble to get this tiller-wide row in the loamy shape it's in. What nutrients do potatoes use up in the soil? Cna it be replenished by adding something?

Next year, I'll put in a full 30' row of Kennebecks, maybe more if I amend a longer row.
 
djg said:
I BBQed tonight and had one of my fresh Kennebecks done over the coals. Is it me or is there a difference between store bought potatoes and home grown? Am I biased or it it just the difference between fresh and old stock; kind of like green beans? These tasted more moist and almost buttery. Might be all in my head.

Which brings me to next year. Someone mentioned crop rotation. I don't move my potatoes. I've mentioned my poor soil quality and I when to a lot of trouble to get this tiller-wide row in the loamy shape it's in. What nutrients do potatoes use up in the soil? Cna it be replenished by adding something?

Next year, I'll put in a full 30' row of Kennebecks, maybe more if I amend a longer row.
Click to expand...
Fresh is always better. Tubers are living tissue and undergo constant change unless they have perfect storage conditions. Most changes occur with the starches and water content.

To your question though. Other than nitrogen, potatoes need a lot of potassium (K). If you keep using the 12-12-12 fertilizer, that will provide what you need. I also add pelletized gypsum every year. That helps with calcium nutrition, and also helps with soil structure. I use about a quart volume of gypsum per 20 ft row.
 
trc65 said:
Fresh is always better. Tubers are living tissue and undergo constant change unless they have perfect storage conditions. Most changes occur with the starches and water content.

To your question though. Other than nitrogen, potatoes need a lot of potassium (K). If you keep using the 12-12-12 fertilizer, that will provide what you need. I also add pelletized gypsum every year. That helps with calcium nutrition, and also helps with soil structure. I use about a quart volume of gypsum per 20 ft row.
Click to expand...
So I can just toss my drywall scraps in the row and till it in? No I'm just kidding, couldn't resist. Thanks.
 
djg said:
So I can just toss my drywall scraps in the row and till it in? No I'm just kidding, couldn't resist. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Done that in several gardens. However, I did it with American made drywall. Some of the stuff we have been getting from over seas has been found containing some bad stuff. Since then, I often mix the drywall scraps in with my firewood and burn it. Hoping that kills any of the bad stuff if there is any. Then the ash goes in the lawn were needed.
 
djg said:
So I can just toss my drywall scraps in the row and till it in? No I'm just kidding, couldn't resist. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Mr. Peet said:
Done that in several gardens. However, I did it with American made drywall. Some of the stuff we have been getting from over seas has been found containing some bad stuff. Since then, I often mix the drywall scraps in with my firewood and burn it. Hoping that kills any of the bad stuff if there is any. Then the ash goes in the lawn were needed.
Click to expand...

100% yes you can add drywall to the soil. I'd stick with Mark's recommendation though to stick with domestic.

Many years ago I was peripherally involved with research at Univ of Wisconsin that looked at that specific question. Drywall performed the same as "Fertilizer" gypsum, with one big caveat. Particle size matters and is critical. Crop response was directly related to particle size. Put it through a hammermill and crop response was same as commercial fertilizer grade gypsum. Anything larger and little significant response by the crop. However, over time, with larger particles a soil response with higher available Ca was noted.
 
djg said:
I BBQed tonight and had one of my fresh Kennebecks done over the coals. Is it me or is there a difference between store bought potatoes and home grown? Am I biased or it it just the difference between fresh and old stock; kind of like green beans? These tasted more moist and almost buttery. Might be all in my head.

Which brings me to next year. Someone mentioned crop rotation. I don't move my potatoes. I've mentioned my poor soil quality and I when to a lot of trouble to get this tiller-wide row in the loamy shape it's in. What nutrients do potatoes use up in the soil? Cna it be replenished by adding something?

Next year, I'll put in a full 30' row of Kennebecks, maybe more if I amend a longer row.
Click to expand...
Kennebec is a great potato for baking or roasting. They keep good if you have a good place to store them, mine usually keep all winter and into the spring. Some store bought potatoes are just plain gross, probably due to poor storage and handling after they leave the growers.
 
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djg said:
I BBQed tonight and had one of my fresh Kennebecks done over the coals. Is it me or is there a difference between store bought potatoes and home grown? Am I biased or it it just the difference between fresh and old stock; kind of like green beans? These tasted more moist and almost buttery. Might be all in my head.

Which brings me to next year. Someone mentioned crop rotation. I don't move my potatoes. I've mentioned my poor soil quality and I when to a lot of trouble to get this tiller-wide row in the loamy shape it's in. What nutrients do potatoes use up in the soil? Cna it be replenished by adding something?

Next year, I'll put in a full 30' row of Kennebecks, maybe more if I amend a longer row.
Click to expand...
probably better, but interesting to consider the placebo effect
 
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