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Re: Calling Experienced Growers of Potatoes, Carrots, etc.

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 1:10 pm
by RecoveringDreamer
Potatoes did terrible at the farm, and I've never grown them at home before, so I have no tips there.

For carrots, dig deep, make sure there aren't rocks or hard lumps in the soil. Weed and thin carrots ruthlessly. My farmer friend used to joke that farming is 90% weeding carrots. It's true. You need to get all of the weeds out and then out the seedlings to give a decent amount of space in between. We just used the scottslawn organic fertilizer and got a decent yield on okay-ish land. When harvesting, sort them out. Really good big ones can go in cold storage (frig or root cellar), small or damaged ones should be used soon or preserved. Don't worry if you puncture a carrot with your fork, just don't store it long term. I lived on damaged and too-small carrots for awhile. haha

Easy preservation ideas that worked for me: slice, blanch and freeze on a cookie sheet, then bag. These are great to toss in at the end of cooking soup, added to casserole, mashed and eaten with butter, candied, or added to smoothies. Slice large carrots or use tiny ones, pack into a canning jar, pour pickling solution over the carrots to fill the jar (vinegar, salt and sugar is what I use). Cap and put in the frig. These will keep a few months (this is my go-to for making a lot of different pickles; radishes are my favorite). Dehydrate slices or julienned carrots to add to soups.

Re: Calling Experienced Growers of Potatoes, Carrots, etc.

Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 1:50 am
by NancyCrary
That is a very nice suggestion. Thanks.

Re: Calling Experienced Growers of Potatoes, Carrots, etc.

Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 6:05 am
by Leslie
I try to grow what is more expensive. Growing potatoes on your site is not profitable - it turns out to be more expensive than in a store. And from chilli, paprika, tomatoes, thyme, basil, oregano - with pleasure. Herbs for sauces and just to add to food are worth spending your time and energy on. And you can buy onions, carrots, potatoes, they do not cost much and lie perfectly in the basement all winter. Once you go to the market, you buy the right amount, while it's cheaper in the fall, you put it in the basement - and you're done.

Re: Calling Experienced Growers of Potatoes, Carrots, etc.

Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 8:32 am
by Jackielou
Leslie wrote: Wed Oct 07, 2020 6:05 am I try to grow what is more expensive. Growing potatoes on your site is not profitable - it turns out to be more expensive than in a store. And from chilli, paprika, tomatoes, thyme, basil, oregano - with pleasure. Herbs for sauces and just to add to food are worth spending your time and energy on. And you can buy onions, carrots, potatoes, they do not cost much and lie perfectly in the basement all winter. Once you go to the market, you buy the right amount, while it's cheaper in the fall, you put it in the basement - and you're done.
Actually here in Canada potatoes are not cheap and growing them in our garden is "profitable". We usually grow enough to keep us in potatoes for all the fall and into February. The cost to grow them is minimal and we save conservatively as it costs over $10.00 a bag of potatoes here $100.00. That is the cost in a grocery store. Here at the Farmers market the cost of a bag of potatoes is almost double that $10.00 a bag the stores charge.

Also many people on the forum do not have cool basements in which to store potatoes for the winter.

Re: Calling Experienced Growers of Potatoes, Carrots, etc.

Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2020 7:20 am
by Leslie
Jackielou wrote: Wed Oct 07, 2020 8:32 am Actually here in Canada potatoes are not cheap and growing them in our garden is "profitable". We usually grow enough to keep us in potatoes for all the fall and into February. The cost to grow them is minimal and we save conservatively as it costs over $10.00 a bag of potatoes here $100.00. That is the cost in a grocery store. Here at the Farmers market the cost of a bag of potatoes is almost double that $10.00 a bag the stores charge.

Also many people on the forum do not have cool basements in which to store potatoes for the winter.
I agree. Everywhere prices are different and the approach to pricing is also different. I'm talking about how in my case it is more profitable. And of course, everyone's dwelling is different, the conditions are different. All the moments, expressing your opinion, do not take into account. Therefore, I am writing about my experience.

Re: Calling Experienced Growers of Potatoes, Carrots, etc.

Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:12 am
by Jackielou
Sorry it must be the fact that your words do not match what you are trying to say. Instead of using "Your" which means someone else's, use the word my.

In reading your first response you used the word Your a great deal, which made me think this was not about the particular situation you are in, giving me the idea rather that you were speaking more about others.