Although the morning started a little cloudy … the sun later came out in the late morning and the temperature went up … so that I was able to work on re-potting some of the tomato and pepper plants into buckets and dustbins today.
And if the weather forecast of ‘mostly sunny but with some cloudy moments’ for this week holds true… then, it is highly likely that I shall be able to plant out all the seedlings that are waiting in line on the windowsills! Nice. 😀
The only problem?
I am running out of space to put all these seedlings on the balcony!
Today, I had to spend time rearranging the various containers and pots on the balcony … so that I could try to fit the additional dustbins of tomato seedlings into the current layout. I foresee more rearranging of pots and containers over the next few days … as I continue to re-pot more seedlings, including those that are currently in the greenhouse shelves outside. But I am having serious doubt on whether I will be able to fit all of them on the balcony!
And to add to my frustration, I also had to spend quite some time, today … trying to get rid of aphids from my potato plants! I knew something must be amiss when I keep spotting ants crawling on the leaves of the potato plants. And true enough … upon closer inspection, I could see aphids about to start their colony on the plants!
It was just yesterday that I had to spend almost an hour trying to rid one of the pots of Tom Thumb peas of aphids … and today, I had to spend just as long doing the same with the potato plants. These drat aphids … you can never let down your guard. And these drat ants that farm the aphids … I actually saw an ant carrying a baby aphid among the potato leaves … I will have to find some way to get rid of them, too!
It would seem that the ants after failing to farm black aphids on the broad bean plants … since I check the plants regularly for ants and aphids …. have decided to try to do so on my potato plants! Naughty, naughty!
So from now on … I will have to do regular checks on my potato plants too!
The three bags of potato plants as they are right now … in order of height! 🙂
As the new potato bags are higher … the plants, therefore, are able to grow taller. And this would in turn mean … hopefully … more potatoes for harvesting! At least, I hope so!
On the far left … plants grown from the potatoes that I had harvested from last year. I used those potatoes that are too small for eating so as not to waste them.
In the middle … a blue variety known as Bleue de St Gall. I am soooo looking forward to be able to harvest some blue potatoes … so I am keeping my fingers crossed that these plants will continue to grow well!
And on the right … a pinkish-red skin variety. Although the three plants might look similar … the texture of the leaves are quite different … something I realised from having to pinch off the aphids from the leaves!!
Interestingly, during my visit to the nearby garden centre in Croisettes last month … I saw that not only did they sell seed potatoes …
… but that they also offered pots of potato plants this year … including the variety Bleue de St Gall (far right in purple pot). If I had not already planted my own blue potato plants … I would definitely be tempted to buy a pot to bring home! 🙂
And also … when we went to the parent’s place to celebrate the hubby’s birthday about three weeks ago …
… I was pleasantly surprise when the daddy-man informed me that he had planted rows of potato plants down in the copse!
Hmmm … it would seem that my interest and enthusiasm in growing vegetables had rubbed off on the daddy-man lah! How nice!! 🙂
Related entries on balcony garden in June:
Related entries on potatoes:
Just Sharing 
Those are just the velco straps. These grow bags have a little window or flap that I can open if I just want to pull out a few potatoes instead of harvesting the whole bag. Maybe with the taller bags I can do so, since I can continue to pile more soils on top for the plants to continue to grow.
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Yup, the only holes are at the bottom, Kak Maz … .only to make sure that excess water can flow out.
PS: Someone who visited my previous entry ada mentioned yang kat Sg/M’sia cuma boleh grow potatoes yang dari sana. Yang dari sini tak boleh tumbuh. Do not know how true it is but he might have tried and failed. So, maybe you nak kena try grow local potatoes baru boleh menjadi.
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Those black marking on the bags? Paras apa
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CT, geram tengok lah. I dah cuba 2 kali with potato tak berjaya, give up buat masa ni. Datang mood nanti cuba lagi. Just curious, you do not need lubang at the sides of the bag…..you only have it at the bottom of the bag?
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