Enjoying Microgreens/Planting Potatoes and Heirloom Tomatoes/Mystery Moth

Once again, thanks to all of my readers.  It's been some time since my last post as I find myself very busy trying to get the yard and garden in shape, not to mention working full time.

Microgreens:

In my post on May 19, 2016,  I wrote about microgreens and how they have become very popular recently.  With the extremely warm weather over the memorial Day weekend, I harvested the first of the greens a few days ago.  They are now about 2 to 4 inches tall which is the optimum height.  In less then 3 weeks from sowing, I was able to harvest them.

Microgreens Ready For Harvest

Enjoying Microgreens as a Salad  Topping

We used them as a salad topping and they are delicious.  The blend I planted is similar to a spicy mesculin, as it contains some lettuce plus a wide variety of other greens including beets, cabbage, kale, etc.  The advantage of growing these greens is you can experiment and customize your own mixture to your liking.


Planting Potatoes:


During the third week of May, I took advantage of the dry conditions and planted potatoes.  This year I am experimenting  with a different variety, the French fingerling La Ratte.  It is similar to the banana fingerling, with a tan sin and a deep yellow flesh.  This variety is very popular among chefs.  I look forward to tasting this variety.

La Ratte Fingerling Seed Potatoes

Planting La Ratte Fingerlings

Potatoes are fairly easy to grow.  As you can see,  the seed potatoes are first cut into pieces that each contain 2 to 3 eyes.  Eyes are simply sprouts, or actually the early beginning of sprouts.  The potatoes are then placed into trenches about 6 inches deep, about 12 inches apart.  I normally space the rows about 2 to 3 feet apart.

The potatoes are then covered with 2 to 3 inches of soil, which will allow them to sprout more quickly then if the trench was completely filled in.  In later posts, I will talk about "hilling", a process of mounding up dirt around the plants that allows adequate space for the new potatoes to grow.

In addition to the La Ratte fingerlings, I also planted Yukon Gold and Burbank Russett potatoes.


Yukon Gold potatoes have finely flaked yellowish-white skin with light yellow flesh. They're bright and slightly sweet, with a smooth, slightly waxy texture and moist flesh. They're best for boiling, baking and making French fries. They'll also stand up well to grilling, pan frying and roasting.

Yukon Gold

The russet Burbank potato is a large potato cultivar with dark brown skin and few eyes. Its flesh is white, dry, and mealy, and it is good for baking, mashing, and french fries. It is a common and popular potato.

Burbank Russett

Planting Heirloom Tomatoes:

Last week I transplanted the heirloom tomatoes I started from seed into the garden.  The plants ended up being very nice as the warm weather over the memorial Day weekend gave them a final boost.  In my post of April 11, 2016, I explained in detail how the plants were started from seed.

Tomatoes Ready to Transplant

Heirloom Tomato

Tomatoes Protected With Cages and Shingles

The tomatoes I am growing this year are the Heirloom Rainbow Blend from Park Seeds, San Marzano (heirloom paste), and a couple of Juliet tomatoes (saladette mini Roma) I purchased while in Vermont for the Memorial Day weekend.

I always use tomato cages on the plants for support and a few wood shingles to protect them from wind.  I will remove the shingles in a few weeks once the plants have adjusted to the transplant process.

Mystery Moth:

About a week ago, I spotted an ornate moth on our deck.  I believe it's a moth as opposed to a butterfly, but I may be wrong.  Below are two photos.  Who can identify this for me?

In my next post, planting peppers, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and more.  Also, another mystery bird.

Until next time.