A relatively easy way of growing potatoes in containers not only allows you to do it in small places such as a balcony but also allows you to get up to 4 times the yield had you grown them in the ground.

I was reading the following great article today and thought i would share it with you all today…

Happy reading and happy New Year!

http://greenupgrader.com/11708/4-simple-steps-to-grow-a-hundred-pounds-of-potatoes-in-a-barrel

If you have backyard chooks or rabbits you can build a fence around your vegie patch and let the chooks or rabbits roam freely. They will keep the garden weed free and leave a good source of fertilizer for the spring season.

You could also add old hay, kitchen scraps, seaweed etc if you have chickens or just hay if you have rabbits. This will be consumed and/or scratched into the soil improving soil structure.

Approximately 4 weeks before spring planting stop adding any additions to allow weed seeds from hay or unwanted seeds from vegetable scraps (like tomato seeds) from remaining in the soil and sprouting in an unwanted area.

In his book The Green Gardener : Sustainable Gardening in Your Own Backyard Josh Byrne explains… “Green Manures are annual plant crops that are grown specifically to improve the soil. Leguminous species such as vetch, peas and beans are commonly used because they naturally take nitrogen from the air and fix it to their roots in tiny nodules with the help of beneficial bacteria. Green manure crops are usually sown in vegetable beds during winter, and they should be dug into soil just before they go to flower in early spring, when they contain the maximum amount of nitrogen. The crop will break down very quickly and the bed can be planted after two or 3 weeks.”

Check back for new articles seasonal gardening advice and resources.