Potatoes and Onion Sets

Potatoes 

Yesterday I cut up the larger potatoes into two pieces.  I pinched off smaller sprouts to leave one dominant sprout on each potato seed. Today I planted the red, gold and russet potatoes in a raised bed. The white potatoes and the remaining red, gold and russet potatoes will go in buckets this weekend.

Onion Sets 

I planted red and yellow onion sets in a raised bed. Both the Walla Walla and Sweet Spanish onion starts looked very poor so I chose to put the white onion sets in their place.

Weekend Odds 'n Ends #2

The "chitting" is coming along!

Five sweet potato slips growing good roots.

Following is a list of the chores completed this morning:

1. Watered as needed. 
2. Fertilized as needed. 
3. Thinned Independence Day tomatoes and added soil to top of containers. 
4. Thinned broccoli, kale, arugula and all six varieties of lettuce to one each container or cell. 
5. Transplanted three celery. 

Postscript #1 - Germination from the portulaca (sowed March 16, 6 days) and alyssum, Carpet of Snow and Royal Carpet (sowed March 20, 2 days).  The purple alyssum was about a half day behind on germination. 

Time to Chit the Potatoes

It's time to chit the potatoes!!  Eighteen red and gold potatoes purchased from Stop & Shop were set upright in an egg carton and placed in the laundry room (moderate light, 60 to 70 degree range). Once sprouting begins, the potatoes will be moved to the bay window (greater warmth and light) to encourage short, strong, green sprouts.  Once the chitting process is complete in 4-6 weeks, the tubers will then be placed in buckets in the greenhouse for an early harvest. Although it is recommended to use only seed potatoes, I have had equal success with both seed potatoes and potatoes purchased from the grocery store. I will be chitting potatoes for my main harvest later this month.