Anyhow on to more positive things and my potato tyre is doing very well.
I have given them a feed of blood and bone and mulched them and when they get about 200mm aboue the ground I'll slip a second tyre over them and fill it up with compost. So far so well.
I can report that my 'tatties are go' stuck their shoots through the ground and are looking very strong and healthy. I'll post photos when they get a bit bigger.
Also Beetroot I planted on the 11/9/08 sprouted within six days. I don't think I've ever seen them grow that quick. Must be the songs I'm singing them. But then again maybe not.
I've included this photo of my broad beans progress because this is the first time I've grown these little (nearly 1.5mts tall) buggers before and I'm finding it quite exciting.
I've got more to tell but I need to get out into the garden so I'll post again this arvo with more news.
FWIW I drive a taxi in Toowoomba and one of my favorite customers is and old scottish lady and her farwell saying is cheery bye which sounds so cheerful when she says it so I'll try it as well.
So cheery bye
6 comments:
What is the bennifits of growing potatoes in the tire....Plenty of them around my place so I'll give it go.
Hope you are feeling a bit this arvo after a bit of gardening.
Mandy
That's ment to be a bit better this arvo, I'm rushing to get into the garden as well......
Hi Mandy, there are several benefits.
First it gives you something to do with old tyres and I don't like paying $5.00 a tyre at the dump so I have a few spare.
Second there is no soil preperation, you just place the tatties on top of the ground inside of the tyre and cover with compost/soil/potting mix/straw anything you can find that they will grow in. A bit like no dig tatties.
It allows you to plant them anywhere.I've got mine in between some Camellia shrubs which allows me to keep the soil around them (Camellia) moist by watering the tatties.
I try to kill two birds with one stone as often as i can when it comes to water.
Third it allows you to hill much higher and therefore get a larger crop, you can also plant a bit closer together (3 per tyre)for a more intensive crop.
Fourth, It's fun.
There maybe more but that's enough for me to give it a go.
Cheers
Hi Stewart
I too was growing my taties in tyres, until someone posted a reply saying that this is not a good idea. The reason is that tyres apparently leach cadmium into the soil (and the taties!) when they get wet. And too much cadmium is not good for us (it is a heavy metal). Soo, for what it's worth, no more taties in tyres for me.
I did write a post on my blog, however, about growing taties above ground, Peter Cundall style..
http://naturewitch.blogspot.com/2008/07/tatie-planting-time.html
love and light
Hi Stewart, Your garden is looking great! I never have luck with broad beans, brown spot knocks them down before they can produce beans. I believe wood ash is a good treatment for this.
The tyre debate is a difficult one. I have grown them this was before and it works wonderfully! Especially if your garden is short of space.
I guess in the grand scheme of things, food grown in your own garden is better than food trucked from Cairns, like the spuds in one of the local big name fruit stores!
Emily
Emily,
I'm going to have more broad beans than I can shake a stick at and I'm more than happy to share. If you can use some let me know.
naturewitch,
Thanks for the tip. I didn't know about cadmium in tyres but will take my chances for now and keep on researching until I have a definitive answer.
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