What would you put in your garden for poultry?

[dirkandlorie]

Last year was our first year with potatoes and it was a successful crop in the garden. I would like more root crops and sweet potatoes ar high in the list, as well as celery root and carrots. I do grow radishes already, although they failed last year. I may try to incorporate sweet potato this year of there's room and if I can find them without having to pay expensive shipping fees. I may need to check local nurseries in March to see if they stock them.

You don't need to buy from a nursery. Buy an organic sweet potato from the supermarket, submerge it halfway in a glass of water, in a few short weeks you break off the slips/sprouts and plant them. You'll have enough sweet potatoes to feed your family for months from just one sweet potato. Just make sure the one you buy is organic. You can grow them in large pots if your ground has too much clay. I've also grown them in straw bales and they've done well.

 

[igorsMistress]

Curious why the tomatoes are marked not for chickens? Mine go nuts for tomatoes. If they have access, they will mow down the plants too. The plants are supposedly a nightshade and poisonous but nobody told my chickens because they eat them anyway.

The green part of the plant is toxic to them. They can have the fruit though.

 

[igorsMistress]

You don't need to buy from a nursery. Buy an organic sweet potato from the supermarket, submerge it halfway in a glass of water, in a few short weeks you break off the slips/sprouts and plant them. You'll have enough sweet potatoes to feed your family for months from just one sweet potato. Just make sure the one you buy is organic. You can grow them in large pots if your ground has too much clay. I've also grown them in straw bales and they've done well.

Just put in the whole potato submerged half way?

 

[Boonie Stomper]

You don't need to buy from a nursery. Buy an organic sweet potato from the supermarket, submerge it halfway in a glass of water, in a few short weeks you break off the slips/sprouts and plant them. You'll have enough sweet potatoes to feed your family for months from just one sweet potato. Just make sure the one you buy is organic. You can grow them in large pots if your ground has too much clay. I've also grown them in straw bales and they've done well.

Agree - very often small crops of this and that are produced in my garden simply by planting some of my produce leftovers instead of eating, giving to chickens or composting. The scraps don't always thrive, but they are essentially free.

Free is good! And whether it started from organic is not so important as how it is grown in my opinion. If you grow an apple tree organically from a seed in a non-organically grown apple, you produce will be organic is what I'm saying.

Onions leeks garlic chives potatoes yams turmeric ginger horseradish sunchokes...
...can be grown from the root bearing parts generously cut off before you eat them.
Hot and sweet peppers tomatoes fruits of all sorts beans and peas corn etcetera...
...save a few of the seeds and plant.
And crops normally harvested when immature can have designated few left unharvested in order they may be perpetuated naturally.
Less work is good too!
If you have perpetual free garden areas you have more time for other projects.
I currently have virtually maintenance free perpetual ginkgo biloba chives onion greens sunchokes asian pears mulberries and patches of raspberries purslane pepperweed horseradish rosemary peppermint chickweed pokeweed and more.

 

[BReeder!]

You don't need to buy from a nursery. Buy an organic sweet potato from the supermarket, submerge it halfway in a glass of water, in a few short weeks you break off the slips/sprouts and plant them. You'll have enough sweet potatoes to feed your family for months from just one sweet potato. Just make sure the one you buy is organic. You can grow them in large pots if your ground has too much clay. I've also grown them in straw bales and they've done well.

Submerge half way in water. Got it. I'm going to try this. Should I use a shallow dish and let the sweet potato sit on the bottom and fill to half the height of the potato or should I use a deeper container and support the sweet potato at the rim with toothpicks?

Also, would this work for potatoes? I read to just rinse potatoes and let them air dry and then set a closet or pantry until they sprout.

 

[dirkandlorie]

Just put in the whole potato submerged half way?

Yes, you'll be surprised by how many slips will grow from that one sweet potato.

 

[dirkandlorie]

Submerge half way in water. Got it. I'm going to try this. Should I use a shallow dish and let the sweet potato sit on the bottom and fill to half the height of the potato or should I use a deeper container and support the sweet potato at the rim with toothpicks?

Also, would this work for potatoes? I read to just rinse potatoes and let them air dry and then set a closet or pantry until they sprout.

I've just put mine in a shallow glass, but either way will work. Organic can be important because some growers spray their produce and it won't sprout. And I'm not sure about regular potatoes. I've always set them in a dark place to sprout. Have fun experimenting!

 

[igorsMistress]

Yes, you'll be surprised by how many slips will grow from that one sweet potato.

Thank you! I'm going to buy a sweet potato this weekend and give it a try.

 

[BReeder!]

Thank you! I'm going to buy a sweet potato this weekend and give it a try.

I'm getting some too, but probably next weekend since we just did the grocery shopping this past Sunday. Keep me updated on your sweet potato progress @igorsMistress

 

[igorsMistress]

I'm getting some too, but probably next weekend since we just did the grocery shopping this past Sunday. Keep me updated on your sweet potato progress @igorsMistress

I sure will. I've got potatoes going from store bought we like and I managed to get some celery going from the leftover bottom. I'm thinking about trying to replant some green onions I have as I've read you do the same with those.