Experimenting with Potatoes and Shade Gardens

After the first planting phase, we kept the momentum going. Over the next few days, we tackled two different garden challenges: a shaded corner plot and a new potato-growing experiment.

The Shade Plot: Spinach and Green Onions

Next to our large back plot, there’s a smaller corner space with hostas already established in the front row. The back of that space was empty, so we decided to use it. We planted three rows behind the hostas—spinach and green onion seeds.

The work itself was nice. We’d go out each evening, clean up the space, prepare it, and plant. There’s something about catching the garden at the right moment—when the light is good, the soil is workable, and you’ve got the time to do it properly. Timing matters.

Once we finished planting and covered it up, we moved on to the next experiment.

The Potato Pot Experiment

I’d been thinking about trying container potatoes, so we decided to test it. Here’s the setup:

We started with a pot and layered the bottom for drainage: rocks, sticks, and a bit of compost/manure. This gives the potatoes room to grow without sitting in water. Then we planted a couple of small fingerling potatoes and covered them with soil.

The key to container potatoes is that as they grow, you keep adding soil to the pot. This gives the plants more space to develop more potatoes underground. It’s a different approach than traditional planting, but it’s supposed to maximize yield in a small space.

To discourage animals from digging through, we added a few small sticks on top. It’s not foolproof—determined critters will still get in—but it’s a deterrent.

We found some rocks in the yard and I’d picked up more that day, so we had what we needed to get started. It felt like a good experiment to run alongside the traditional plots.

Things are progressing nice and slowly. Many phases, many days.