For Your Eyes Only

Last week we talked about purchasing and prepping seed potatoes for this year's crop.  We cut them up and set them aside to let them 'scab' over.  By Saturday morning, they were ready to be put in the ground.  First, however, I had to get the soil ready.  I want to show you a little something new I'm trying this year with the rows.

I staked out a 30 inch row with an 18 inch walkway between rows.  I dug out the 18 inch walkway.  18 inches is the width of two shovels side-by-side, so one shovel-ful goes to the row on the right and the other goes to the row on the left.  When you get to the end of the row, you have enough dirt on the row to hoe up and plant.  The photo below shows the staked out rows and walkways, along with a bucket of seed potatoes.

A long row to hoe

I told my uncle that I was planting potatoes and he reminded me of some advice that my old Science Teacher, Stuart Buck, would give us about planting potatoes. He'd say, "Be sure to plant your seed potatoes with newspaper and green onions." When we'd ask why, he'd say, "So they can read the newspaper when they get bored and onions for drought as the onions would make their eyes water." Mr. Stuart passed away in March 2016.  Mr. Stuart, I took your advice.  This photo is for you!:

Planting potatoes is easy.  Simply dig a four inch hole, drop a potato in with the eye facing up and cover.  Potatoes should be planted 12 inches apart.

While potato planting is indeed easy, it is back-breaking labor.  I am finding that, even though I don't consider myself old, I just don't have the stamina or energy level that I had previously.  But you've got to keep going.  Those potatoes aren't going to plant themselves.  No sir.  On the last row, the sun was quickly sinking in the sky... and I was tired.

I called out to my bride and she came to the garden and helped me get the rest of the crop in the ground. As we finished the job, the sun ducked under the horizon. The potato crop is in.  Hallelujah!