For hardneck garlic, planted in the fall (ordered in June? I’m never sure exactly when ordering opens): Territorial, Fedco, and Seed Savers Exchange have a good selection of hardnecks. Music seems to be the most consistent of my garlics.
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On potatoes, yeah you’re never going to be able to compete on price for common things like Yukon Gold, Russets, and standard issue red skins. But, if you want to grow the more interesting, tastier varieties, they will often give you a good ROI. Most of them are just as productive and easy to grow as regular potatoes, but they’re expensive to buy because they’re not produced at the same scale. Also, at least with some varieties, a fresh (less than a month out of the ground) homegrown potato is noticeably better than the store bought counterpart.
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And if you want a few baby potatoes growing your own can be worth it if you have the space.
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What are you using for medium? Originally I was going to use those storage tubs, but I think I can get more using the hay tower method. Worked well on youtube anyway.
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Yeah whatever works. Sounds like a fine way to do it. What I like is no strays. Doing it in raised beds I put in other plants the following year and missed potatoes grew messing up the current crop in that spot.
Both your method and mine eliminate the problem. I can dump all the soil out. You can look through the hay. I have grown tomatoes and peppers in straw bales.
I make my own mix of 3 parts pine fines, 1 part potting soil (for peat content usually use pro mix but any peat or coir based soil is fine). 1 part compost or garden soil, 1/2 part coarse DE (diatomaceous earth) the size of perlite. Holds water yet drains excess as well as perlite, also adds silicon (as studies indicate is very useful, DE has available to plant silicon, also studies show is available to plants from DE)).
I often though just top (as plant grows) with compost, or garden soil or my mix, whatever I have available. I buy 45 pound bags of slow release fertilizer and use on everything now except blueberries. Currently using HYR Brix Fruit & Berry Fertilizer
I never tasted Yukon Golds until I grew them and when I bought some I was really disappointed how they were not even close to home grown.
One year I tried Yukon Gem and thought they were better than Golds. They sell out quick! I missed a couple years, I got them again this year! Yes! So we will see if these are still as good as I remember. I thought they had even more flavor, check them out! I’ll report on them too.
#2 - Try Filagree Garlic. Ordering opens early, but the earlier you order, the more likely you are to get bigger bulbs. I’ve been pleased with the garlic I have gotten from this company.
You will be planting in the fall though.
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