So,,,,,,,, the Beepin potatoe bugs have started.

So not much of a story time on the bugs this year, sadly for you guys that like to read my foolish goings on about the bugs, but it’s good for me. Bugs are slowing down a bit.
Dug a couple of red potatoe plants yesterday. So that’s tonite’s supper. Along with some fish.

Noel
Not foolish about the bugs. I belong to a few FB groups on gardening. Tons of complaints about various bugs on them. Seems to me the bugs that eat plants are a lot worse the further south you go.
 
So gunna check the bugs tomorrow or Friday at sons place.
But today I needed a few potatoes for supper. So the ones I planted at my house, that never had any bugs, I figured should be ready. Small I figured, but ready.
So I dug one, and got a nice patch of potatoes. Just a good size. Should not be any hollow heart in these.
Russet is the type.
And we’ve been getting some beets, yum, carrots and a few green and yellow beans in the last few days. Lettuce is done, I’d say. Lots of good snacks from the lettuce. Great having it right by the door.

Noel
 

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So checked the potatoe bugs today. There still around. But burned what I saw. Did some weeding and cutting the plants back. Had trouble last year
with moles. The reason was, I think, I let the potatoe plants get to big and they covered in between the rows, which gave cover for the moles to get in with out been seen by predators. Any way, will see what happens. Don’t see any moles yet.
The other trouble is a bug that’s the same size as the potatoe bug. But is very colourful. They are very frisky just like the potatoe bug. But they are not on the potatoe plants, they are on the raspberry plants. And lots of them.
Dug some red potatoes for supper while there.

Noel
 
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So. Still a few potatoe bugs around. So killed them today. All the row of red potatoes are dug out over the last while. Hoping for some potatoe salad from my sister in law. Had some carrots, tomatoes, yellow beans and snow peas from her garden the other day. Some tasty right out of the garden to snack on while your doing work. And she gave me beets to take home.
Dug up 20’ row, with a shovel, of blue potatoes to day. Got 12 lbs. A lot of them bug into them and chewin on them. In the same garden I had superiors there last year. So a few of those left in the ground grew. And some mixed right in with the blues. So as you can see. The blues bug ridden, and the superiors not. And superiors come out nice and clean when dug. So,,,,, no more blue potatoes ever again. And I’ve said that for a number of years now. But keep trying them. Well that’s it. No more planting those. Oh, and got 4 lbs of superiors. Some people don’t like superiors , but I do like them. There downfall. Is, they don’t store well.
To hot to store potatoes yet. But I’d like to get the rest out soon. 6 thirty foot rows to go. Not sure how that will go. Had trouble last year digging them. Not young anymore.
So the blue potatoes I got, I will give away. They just need to be peeled if needed and bad parts cut off. Rest of the potatoe would be good.
Got to start on the wood too. So lots to do yet. And because tomorrow is sept first, That means only two months of reasonable weather left before hibrrrrnation !!!!!

Noel
 

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Those blues look kinda rough, Noel. The superiors look like nice bakers! That should really "Beep" those "Beepin'" bugs up with what looks like their favorite food gone! I will have to go to Sam's Club and "harvest" some more potatoes soon.

I thought you built a potato digger for one of your tractors once?

DAC
 
Those blues look kinda rough, Noel. The superiors look like nice bakers! That should really "Beep" those "Beepin'" bugs up with what looks like their favorite food gone! I will have to go to Sam's Club and "harvest" some more potatoes soon.

I thought you built a potato digger for one of your tractors once?

DAC

I’ve tried a few things over the years Doug. Nothing really worked that great. The Case 446 would be a good tractor to use because it has 11” of ground clearance and it’s a bit wider. All the other one are about 7”. So the tractor sorta tears off the top of the hill and makes it harder to move. The Case wouldn’t do that that. But !!!! No sleeve hitch for the Case to put any of my tools on. And the tools sorta worked but not great. Hard to keep the tractor straight. The tool wants to wander out of the hill to either side and pushes the tractor right or left. Hard to keep centred.
The Ferguson tractor doesn’t move, but so much side to side play in the 3 point hitch that the tool won’t stay centred in the row either. Always going out of the row to the right or left.
My super genius mind (Wyle E Coyote) hehe, can’t seem to come up with a way to catch the potatoes ( Roadrunner) hehe.

Noel
 
Those blues look kinda rough, Noel. The superiors look like nice bakers! That should really "Beep" those "Beepin'" bugs up with what looks like their favorite food gone! I will have to go to Sam's Club and "harvest" some more potatoes soon.

I thought you built a potato digger for one of your tractors once?

DAC
I think next year I’m going to harvest my potatoes at the grocery store too Doug.
 
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Triple 17 is what a commercial potatoe grower here told me to use. And if they get to big, you run the risk of hollow heart. Especially with russets.
And store bought potatoes are not that great at times either. If you have a commercial grower or market garden seller those would be better potatoes, than store bought.


Noel
 
Have any of you tried the Ruth Stout potato growing method? You just throw the seed potatoes on the ground and cover them with about 6" of hay/straw. When it's time to harvest, you just pull back the straw and pick up the crop.

I suggested this to a guy at work. He said it was great!
 
The straw really keeps the weeds down and the moisture from evaporating. Covered our strawberries the last two winters with straw and only removed the part above the plants in the spring. Worked good and no weeds. Use straw though and not hay or you will get weeds.
 
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