Author: Kathy
Eggplant
I practice what’s called intensive gardening, combined with my version of square foot gardening. After digging down and removing 8-10 inches of dirt from the ground beneath my raised beds, I filled the beds with compost and soil, so I ended up with a rich soil depth of 18-20 inches to plant vegetables.
All of these onions came from one 4 x 8 raised bed. In mid-January, I planted 1015 (the brown ones), Texas Sweet ( the white ones), and Reds. I planted them about four inches apart, in rows that were six inches apart, fertilized with blood meal (three times), and kept them well watered.
The potatoes also all came from one 4 x 8 raised bed. I planted Yukon Gold and some fingerling potatoes that I bought at the grocery store. Usually, you’d want to use “seed” potatoes, because they sprout easily, and sometimes grocery store potatoes are treated so they won’t sprout. I got really lucky. I also wanted purple potatoes, and planted the ones I got at the store, so I can’t tell you what variety they are. Purple potatoes are delicious, and are rich in the antioxidants also found in berries and pomegranates, that may help fight diseases like cancer. I planted them all on March 5th and added organic fertilizer and ammonium sulfate to make the soil more acidic. Then, I kept them well watered. Digging potatoes and onions are this old girl’s idea of fun!!