A couple of weeks ago, we finished our potato experiment  and I am pleased with the results. I envision Winter: wood cooktop warming the house and opening a jar of potatoes to put in a hearty stew or curry. We have a few adjustments to make for next year, but all in all, this year was a success. It was difficult for me not to squeal every time a potato fell out of the soil…what is this magic that is gardening? I must know more!

Didn’t know what to expect, but look! Potatoes!

From the straw only patch – we definitely needed more straw during the growing time

From the patch with soil…

Also potatoes! There were more and larger in the dirt patch.

Celebratory Curry – made with potatoes and peas from the garden 🙂

17 jars put away for Winter stews and curries and enough saved out for a delicious red potato salad.

Lessons from this experiment? More straw, or more dirt – we needed both. There were many, many very small potatoes that just didn’t have the time/space/nutrients to grow.

Next Spring we will be doing a 4×4 bed that can be raised with each level of growth and filled in with soil to get the most from our small space without a huge amount of work. After all, the whole point is to enjoy the garden and learn from it so each year is better.

I am happy with what I learned and also with the canning we were able to do. Each step we take in our urban garden, is a step toward sustainability. I find myself surprised quite often by how big a 900 sq. ft house and little piece of land feels.

It is quite magical…