June 2, 2016

Good morning, The garden successes that I have had with peas and onions have been very heart warming. With my present culture, I can expect to pull off these crops with a reasonable amount of certainty. It will be interesting to see if this success continues as we deal with West Texas variability. No two years have been the same since starting my garden in 2003. Although I have noticed a greater propensity for variability since 2011. Whereas the years prior to 2011 seemed more similar and mellower.

For me the biggest change is the huge temperature swings. This has been moderated with fabric. It does a wonderful job of moderation.

I really thought that I had a working culture for Irish potatoes, but this years crop is failing. I continue to study this crop. What has worked best for the last two years is to plant small (1 inch or smaller) seed potatoes at the beginning of winter and then let the spuds come up as they will. This has yielded a varying aged potato stand that would provide Deb and I with a steady supply of spuds for most of the year. This year the plants seem to be prematurely dieing before the potatoes have gotten any size.

My thought process leads me to believe that it could be the saved seed is the problem or it could be that I might be keeping the bed too moist. In any case the roots do not look healthy.

What I like about the winter sowing is that because of the seed size, there is no need to cut them. Planting cut seed potatoes at this time would be a recipe for the seeds to rot. Then the potatoes emerge when things are warm enough. No need for back filling holes as the spuds grow.

The early planting has brought the greatest success with this crop. I have found that Purple Vikings to be my best producer. The problem with planting the first of November is that there is no seed potatoes available on the market. Seed companies are very reluctant to ship during potential freezing weather.

Ah yes, with enough pondering I will eventually have predictable success with this crop too. Potatoes by genetics is a cool season crop, and some how with an early variety of spuds this will fly.

This week I anticipate to harvest chard, kale, green onions, carrots, squash, and tomatoes. Please email as to quantities and availability.

I have transplanted the next crop of lettuce. It should be ready in a few weeks. The cucumber and okra harvest will be starting very soon. I have harvested singles of each. The butternuts are setting fruit. There will also be chili's very soon, the plants are loaded. Eggplants are starting to size up. Last year for some reason I could not get the eggplants to get up to the pound to two pound size. I suspect this had to do with how hot and dry the summer was compared how damp the spring was. We can always hope for nice sized ones. Mother Nature rules!! The sweets are starting to send out runners so the last couple of sweet beds will soon be stocked with cuttings. Yes Spring is fine and with the recent rain it is double fine!!