I think this qualifies as interesting to this gardening thread….on my walk today in our older, residential neighborhood I spied at least 6 maple trees tapped for syrup! We have a couple HUGE maples - I’d love to try this!!
7 Likes
Has anybody tried Gro-Bags? If so, what did you plant, and how successful was the crop?
I used one last year. I grew potatoes and they did great. I want more bags this year as ground crops are hard to dig up here.
Are you talking about the ones that hang and have many “holes” for things to grow out of (often you see impatiens this way) or the felt bags you fill with dirt for extra growth space?
I have used the felt bags - most years for potatoes/sweet potatoes. Layer and add dirt as the potatoes sprout until the bag is mostly filled with dirt - then you can just dump to retrieve your potatoes!
Not the hanging bags. I just ordered these; I hope they work!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09PDBDBSH/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ohhh those are fancy! Very cool! Is the outside fabric breathable?
I got something similar at the beginning of the pandemic. They work fine; they’re still in one piece, but I don’t think I got any better harvest out of them than a regular big pot. The window thing seemed like a cool idea, but you end up dumping all the soil out anyway, so not something I really used.
These are the ones I got; not available anymore:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083QZLMFM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The thing I didn’t know for several years is that, like tomatoes, there are determinate and indeterminate potato varieties. And if you buy determinate potatoes, hilling up a bunch of soil doesn’t make any difference. Of course, all the potatoes I have bought are determinate; I need to change this but keep forgetting!
Here’s a list:
2 Likes
Wow, never knew about potatoes being determinate or not. Thanks for the article and information.
3 Likes
My community garden staff usually secures seed potatoes for those of us who want to grow. And as the article states, this is exactly what I do in my grow bag:
" To best grow indeterminate potatoes, it’s important to understand the bag-growing process. Here, the starting tubers are covered with 4 in. of loose soil and allowed to grow up to 6 in. tall. They are then covered in several inches of soil, straw, or dead leaves so only 2 in. of the plant is exposed at the top of the mound. This process repeats each time the tubers start to emerge on the surface, so more and more layers of potatoes are grown."
Thank you!
I have my seed potatoes ready to go - they were in a bag at the bottom of my cabinet; I decided to plant them instead of cook them. They are some type of russets; I don’t know if there are
determinate or not, we’ll soon find out!
Do you know about how to cut the potatoes before planting and the idea of letting them “cure” before planting to ward off disease??
1 Like
Right, totally the best way to do it. I’ve just been doing it with determinate varieties and wondering why I didn’t end up with a tower of potatoes.
Doh!!
No, but now that you have mentioned it, I will research and make sure I do this. Thanks!
Not much to do in the garden here yet. Pruned my giant rose bush last weekend. When we bought this house, it looked quite pitiful: a couple of semi-dried sticks with a few green leaves… then a pretty, very fragrant flower emerged later in the spring. I nursed the bush back to life by feeding it and making sure the pests are staying away from it. Hope to see more beautiful 
later this year!
2 Likes
I have “raised beds” to keep lettuce out of reach of rabbits. Due to declutter success, we have excess rubbermaid totes. My husband drilled drainage holes. In the bottom I used rocks and/or bark… then soil from yard (not great) then top half with bagged soil. Special bonus is having the lid to keep out frost if needed in early or late season.
4 Likes
Last year, we redid our front walkway and steps. Ended up pulling out some very badly overgrown foundation plantings near the house. On one side, I have a magnolia tree. On the longer side, I have a couple of really big rhododendrons. But I still have place right next to the steps on both sides.
What would you suggest planting there? Am looking more for perennials - although I would consider adding some annuals for color. Would lavender be a good choice? Or hydrangeas? We are in zone 6 and get a fair amount of sun in the front.
How tall/wide do you want the plant to be?
I love hydrangeas! That is my vote. 
1 Like
Do you want something taller next to the steps? What about shrubs? Boxwoods or Oak Leaf Hydrangas, which work in Zone 6, might be nice.
1 Like
I love hydrangeas too. But… a lot depends on soil pH level.
From google search - For true blue flowers, the hydrangeas need to be grown in acidic soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower . For pink flowers, the plants need neutral to alkaline soils (pH 6.5 and higher). For purple blooms (or a mix of blue and pink flowers on the same plant), the pH of the soil must be between pH 5.5 and 6.5”
Neutral pH is about 7. Most of my soil (except pots / containers) is 8 or higher. No hydrangeas in our yard.