This is what we hope to do. We have NO idea what we are doing other than what I've read on the internet about this and even then I don't follow directions very well if you haven't noticed. So we decided to try and grow potatoes in a 32 gallon black trash can. We bought the above "edible collection" in the hopes that we'd be able to grow something and eat it at some point. Since we are moving, I really didn't want to grow anything in the ground here but I also didn't want to wait...I have patience issues too. So I started reading on the net about how you can grow potatoes in a trash can--some people were even just using a trash bag. But I wanted to be able to move this garden with us so I thought this might be our best choice. And I really hate posting about stuff before I know it's going to work but decided just to go ahead. Maybe I'll have to relabel it dumdum # whatever later. So I had Jer drill a bunch of holes in the bottom of the trash can so it would drain ok.
Then I finally found some soil at Lowe's that actually said it was for vegetable gardens. I am just afraid of poisoning my family with some kind of freaky flower fertilizer but I don't care about organic stuff yet.
Our "seed" potatoes had started sprouting so I checked on the internet to see if it was okay to plant and it said you are supposed to do that first anyway, and something about "chitting", and....anyway, they lost my attention there, good enough--in they go!
We covered them with a bit more soil at this point, watered them, hopefully we'll keep watering them...and you're supposed to keep putting more soil in once the plant grows to about 7 in. Apparently if you keep doing that and watering it, and letting it have sun, at the end you'll be able to dump the can out and dig out your potatoes. And last night I made the best potatoes!! My husband almost fainted because I did NOT use potato pearls. I used half of a 5 lb. bag of red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered them then threw them in a pot. Boiled them for 20 minutes, then drained it and threw it in a bowl with a half stick of butter and a tsp or so of salt. After mushing that around with that mashy-looking utensil I've never used, I poured some whole milk over it and mashed it up some more and hello--Fabulous mashed potatoes!! I know everyone that's reading this already knows how to do this but I've never done it before. It was like a miracle or something. Who knew it was that easy? Little side note about the milk I used--I was determined to try and find some raw milk after reading a lot of good things about it and a lot of bad things about it. It is so healthy but it also might kill us. I went to the Amish (maybe Mennonite--I don't really know) store in Guthrie on Saturday and they had some milk that looked like it might be raw so I bought it. After fretting about drinking it, and convincing Jeremy to take one for the team and see if it would kill him (I mean seriously,
I am still nursing a baby), I decided to just go ahead and use it in a baked recipe. That didn't make anyone sick. I finally read the printing on the jar and realized it was low-temp pasteurized so not real raw milk at all. Then I got brave since it was going so well and decided to drink just a swallow. Uck. Felt like I was nursing from a cow. Far too real tasting to me. I need my food to more removed than that at this point. I'm sure it is just a mental thing but icky, yicky. Okay, back to my original post. Anyway, we hope to be eating out of the trash can at some point this year and NOT due to the goverment taking away our pay-- thank goodness! That was a close one, huh?
This is what we hope to do. We have NO idea what we are doing other than what I've read on the internet about this and even then I don't follow directions very well if you haven't noticed. So we decided to try and grow potatoes in a 32 gallon black trash can. We bought the above "edible collection" in the hopes that we'd be able to grow something and eat it at some point. Since we are moving, I really didn't want to grow anything in the ground here but I also didn't want to wait...I have patience issues too. So I started reading on the net about how you can grow potatoes in a trash can--some people were even just using a trash bag. But I wanted to be able to move this garden with us so I thought this might be our best choice. And I really hate posting about stuff before I know it's going to work but decided just to go ahead. Maybe I'll have to relabel it dumdum # whatever later. So I had Jer drill a bunch of holes in the bottom of the trash can so it would drain ok. 
Then I finally found some soil at Lowe's that actually said it was for vegetable gardens. I am just afraid of poisoning my family with some kind of freaky flower fertilizer but I don't care about organic stuff yet. 
Our "seed" potatoes had started sprouting so I checked on the internet to see if it was okay to plant and it said you are supposed to do that first anyway, and something about "chitting", and....anyway, they lost my attention there, good enough--in they go! 
We covered them with a bit more soil at this point, watered them, hopefully we'll keep watering them...and you're supposed to keep putting more soil in once the plant grows to about 7 in. Apparently if you keep doing that and watering it, and letting it have sun, at the end you'll be able to dump the can out and dig out your potatoes. And last night I made the best potatoes!! My husband almost fainted because I did NOT use potato pearls. I used half of a 5 lb. bag of red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered them then threw them in a pot. Boiled them for 20 minutes, then drained it and threw it in a bowl with a half stick of butter and a tsp or so of salt. After mushing that around with that mashy-looking utensil I've never used, I poured some whole milk over it and mashed it up some more and hello--Fabulous mashed potatoes!! I know everyone that's reading this already knows how to do this but I've never done it before. It was like a miracle or something. Who knew it was that easy? Little side note about the milk I used--I was determined to try and find some raw milk after reading a lot of good things about it and a lot of bad things about it. It is so healthy but it also might kill us. I went to the Amish (maybe Mennonite--I don't really know) store in Guthrie on Saturday and they had some milk that looked like it might be raw so I bought it. After fretting about drinking it, and convincing Jeremy to take one for the team and see if it would kill him (I mean seriously, I am still nursing a baby), I decided to just go ahead and use it in a baked recipe. That didn't make anyone sick. I finally read the printing on the jar and realized it was low-temp pasteurized so not real raw milk at all. Then I got brave since it was going so well and decided to drink just a swallow. Uck. Felt like I was nursing from a cow. Far too real tasting to me. I need my food to more removed than that at this point. I'm sure it is just a mental thing but icky, yicky. Okay, back to my original post. Anyway, we hope to be eating out of the trash can at some point this year and NOT due to the goverment taking away our pay-- thank goodness! That was a close one, huh?
8 comments:
Love the title of the post- you sucked me in :) I hope it works then I will copy, I love potatoes.
I love mashed potatoes made with red potatoes. So yummy next time try adding cream cheese yummy!
I don't know what chitting is but back in the potato capitol of the world, we'd just cut up a good looking spud and plant the chunks. We just had to make sure each piece had at least one eye in it,
Worked like a charm.
We planted potatoes like Grandpa Howe. Is he an Idahoan? :) I love that you made mashed potatoes. We used to drink raw milk when I was a kid. I somehow survived. :) I liked it too.
My dad is an Idahoan. From Atomic City. It's a real blast!
Oops that was Junior's profile, so he should say "My Grandfather is..."
Awesome idea! We LOVE potatoes!!!
I can't wait to see how they turn out! Thanks for coming today!
Post a Comment