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3/11/00. I bought the Kennebec seed potatoes about a week ago and stored them in darkness until I was ready to plant them. The eyes have started to sprout as planned, so I know which ones are the best to use.
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3/11/00. Here are some seed potatoes and a 14 gallon tub after the bottom was cut out. The potatoes are about the size of a large egg. The tubs are 19 3/4 inches in diameter and 13 1/2 inches high.
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3/11/00. I put the tubs down in the 2 foot wide raised beds and filled in around them with soil. I then placed the whole seed potatoes on the ground inside the tubs, about 5-6 inches apart, and covered them with about 3 inches of soil.
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4/1/00. Saw first potato sprouts. Each tub has several sprouts peeking through the soil.
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4/8/00. Lots of sprouts poking through in all four tubs in just one week.
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4/15/00. Growing quickly.
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4/18/00. WOW!! Time to add more growing material (shredded leaves/soil).
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4/19/00. Added about 3 inches of shredded leaves and topsoil to each tub.
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4/25/00. Growing so fast I can hardly keep up with them. I hope this is a good omen.
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4/25/00. Added about 3 more inches of shredded leaves and topsoil to each tub.
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5/3/00. Still growing well. I hope whatever is eating the onions is not eating my little potatoes under here.
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5/3/00. Added about 3 more inches of shredded leaves and topsoil to each tub.
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5/6/00. The entire bed looks good--green and getting fuller and fuller.
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5/12/00. The last tub in the bed has started to have wilted foliage. I make sure there's plenty of water, and there's good drainage, so unless the chipmunks are at work, I don't know what is causing this. Usually, early in the morning they look better, then wilt during the day.
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5/16/00. Now the second bed from the end is suffering from this problem. The last tub has improved a bit. I haven't fertilized in a couple of weeks, but the plants are very green, with no yellowing, so I don't really think this is the problem.
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5/16/00. Saw first blossom buds today. Soon I can dig for new potatoes, and perhaps find out what is causing the wilting.
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5/18/00. Bad words. Both end tubs are empty of potatoes, the stems having been left after the potatoes were eaten.
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5/24/00. Saw first fully open bloom today. Hopefully there'll be some potatoes in there. So far, no wilting in the two remaining tubs.
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5/25/00. Both tubs are still full of potato plants. Fingers are crossed. The varmits have probably figured out just how much of the roots to eat to keep the tops from wilting to trick me.
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6/16/00. Plants are beginning to die back.
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6/24/00. Couldn't wait any longer--had to beat the rodents to whatever was left, and this is it--7 1/2 pounds.
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