I am thinking of running a series of articles trying out gardening ideas that float around the internet.

For example- growing 100lbs of potatoes in a 4x4 square, and regrowing celery from the stalk. Things you might come across on Pinterest and Facebook and wonder "Does that really work?!?!"

If you see anything that you wonder if it really would work, feel free to send the idea and/or the link where you saw the idea to me!

Sort of like "Mythbusters" go gardening. Should be interesting.

Yes, it should.

cool idea!!

Very cool! I like it!

Great idea!

It sounds like an interesting topic, though offhand I can't think of any examples.

Karen

Good idea! See if coating infected ash trees (ash borer) with a sealant will save it! (we know someone trying that)

That one sounds doubtful. Since borers can drill through wood like an electric drill, and make Swiss cheese of it, hard to imagine simple paint stopping them.

Karen

Great idea Trish!



Ooo, Ooo, I just thought of one. Tree mail coming your way Trish.

drewtoby said:Good idea! See if coating infected ash trees (ash borer) with a sealant will save it! (we know someone trying that)

Someone else will have to try that one...I don't have borers

I've regrown celery from the base with mixed success. My first attempt rotted from the middle, even though it had put on some new growth initially. The second one is still in the ground (at least six months later), looking healthy, but growing slowly.

I've grown celery too. I brought it to a garden club mtg. and now another member is growing it too. Mine finally was eaten by my newest pest, a rabbit, I think. But, bottom line, it does work! I grew it on the window sill in a small bowl of water. After it got larger, I moved it to the garden. I think it's just something fun to do....once.

I`m growing some potatoes in large tubs to see what happens. I saw this lady name Dianne Mum on youtube growing potatoes in pots so I decided to try it. I made holes in the bottom of three old storage tubs. I went to the store and bought some baby potatoes and planted them at the bottom. Then after the potatoes begin to sprout and grow I`ll add dirt to the tubs gradually up to about 18" or so...and see what happens...just for fun. Our soil has so much hard clay that it seems impossible to grow potatoes so I`m trying the tubs. I might even make a movie about it if it works.

Karen

Edited to add this movie where I got my idea. She planted sweet potatoes but I`m trying it with the other kind honey gold,red potatoes and purple potatoes...from the grocery store too.

Hi Karen, I've always thought that potatoes in the grocery store were chemically treated to prevent root growth! Am I wrong?

I'm pretty sure at least some of them are. Although the russets always sprout before I use them all up! But I tried growing some really tasty little new potatoes from the store, and they just sat there staring at me, no matter what I did.

These are supposed to be organic. Do they treat those? They are sprouting very well so maybe they will be ok.(Maybe, I`m fortunate and these were cold stored and not treated.)

Edited to add: If you start by just planting them 1/2 way in the dirt and do not cut them up they should sprout. I think cutting them up makes them prone to rot.

Potatoes that you purchased in the store that were from this year's crop that were not stored properly to break the rest period will sit there and do nothing until maybe you put them somewhere cold in the 50`s for about a month then take them out and plant them outside in the warm weather. Potatoes have a rest period which must be broken before the seed will sprout. Cool temperatures or extremely warm temperatures can break the rest period and allow potatoes to sprout.

It is better to plant certified seed potatoes that have been properly stored to induce sprouting. That way you know they will definitely sprout...but don`t eat them because seed potatoes are frequently chemically treated as well.