Sweet Potatoes Planted in a Cardboard Box: Harvest Update
Inside: Remember those sweet potato slips I planted in cardboard boxes? Curious how they did? Well, wonder no more! I tell all in this post about sweet potatoes planted in a cardboard box, harvest update.
We’re wrapping up the garden this week at A Rural Girl Writes, and with our first hard frost due Thursday, we’re just in the nick of time. The big mystery of Garden Season 2019 was the burning question: How will the sweet potatoes grow in a cardboard box?
Onward. . .
How Did They Grow?
In a word–okay. . .
These sweet potatoes aren’t as big as they look. All those planted in a cardboard box could fit in my hand easily. Part of the reason for that is the slips were planted late. As in a month past when it would have been best to plant them in our area. As in Fourth of July late. Ideally sweet potatoes should get 120 days. And, really, more than that. My cardboard box-grown sweet potatoes clocked in at 114.
In addition to that problem, I had to be extra cautious where I placed the boxes because I had coons coming into the yard nightly, digging up my containers. Some spots were better than others. Near the steps was safer, as the critters kept away from the front door, but as the season goes, so does the sunlight to that area. Sometime around August I have to do a rearranging of my plants to accommodate the light. As you can imagine, moving the boxes was not an option. Which leads me to my next segment.
Growing Plants in a Cardboard Box?
So I was pretty certain the bottom of the cardboard boxes wouldn’t last the season, and three of them didn’t. We had a lot of rain, which added to the problem. In the article I had linked to which introduced the idea of growing things in a cardboard box, they had said it worked, but upon thinking about it , some of the boxes had twine and sticks glued onto them, which I would guess could extend the life of the box. They also lined some of their boxes with plastic, which would also hold the boxes together longer.
Growing Sweet Potatoes the Conventional Way
One of the reasons I was attracted to the idea of planting in the boxes in the first place was that I thought it would be easy to uncover the potatoes without digging into the ground. . . Well, yeah, that part worked.
At the same time, though, I had extra slips, so I planted those directly into the ground about a week later than those in the boxes. When I harvested them Friday (along with the ones in the boxes), those grown conventionally were actually a little bit bigger than those in the boxes. Not by much, but they had seven fewer days to take advantage of the sun.
Try, Try Again?
Will I do it again? I might try the sweet potato experiment once more, this time with a bigger, sturdier box–or maybe double boxing. And, of course, earlier in the season. Or, I might think outside the box (ha–couldn’t resist) and grow something entirely different in them. Flowers or herbs would likely be ideal.
If I do try, I’ll be sure and let you know!
Stay tuned the rest of this week as we highlight what worked and didn’t work this gardening season.
Resources and related posts:
Planting Sweet Potatoes in a Cardboard Box
Turn Sprouted Sweet Potatoes into Plants
Planting the Late Summer Garden
Posts from a year ago:
Road Trippin’, Fallingwater Inspired, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
How to Turn an Old Shirt into a Pumpkin
From two years ago:
Coffee Love: How to Make Pour-over Coffee
Sugared Plum Visions, Maryland Bound, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
Acting Debut, Attitudinal Issues, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
Inside: My Maryland acting debut, a little problem with attitude, and my new favorite thing. Check out all the latest fresh from the farm.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
My Maryland Acting Debut
We’re back from our annual pilgrimage to Deep Creek, Maryland, for the Dreamweavers Writer’s Retreat which I help my friend Patty host every year. We always have a lot fun, eat a selection of delicious potluck dishes attendees bring, hold great conversations, and maybe learn a thing or two about writing–all in the vicinity of lovely rolling hills, forests, and an enormous man-made lake.
But there is one tradition we began quite by accident–the retreat opener. It started as a simple writing exercise with different scenarios from locations around the Memory Maker lodge and pool house which attendees then had to work into a story, but it has morphed into something more. Last year we did elevator pitches in a closet Patty decorated to look like an actual elevator.
This year we were stumped, until we came across “the Gump”–Forrest, that is. Patty had the idea to use the movie as a study in the use of symbolism and “the hero’s journey.” Then as we were doing our long distance planning by phone, I said we ought to act out the opening scene. Which might explain the photo. Curious? Here’s a link to our raw, unedited performance and outtakes.
And the Oscar goes to. . .
A Little Problem With Attitude
So I mentioned we had a wonderful time, like we always do, but there are years when the details of our travel seem to fall into place.
And then there are other years. . .
Our rental car wasn’t the smooth ride we’d anticipated. Not in a Jeep Wrangler. And we ran into a little (lot!) road construction in Illinois, two accidents in Indianapolis–one of which rerouted us, taking us miles away from the highway–and more road construction in Ohio and West Virginia.
Can you say delays?
Mike’s plans for riding the C & O Towpath were changed as well. Instead of riding earlier in the week, he had to do the long ride (67 miles) on Saturday, take the train back, and get a good night’s sleep before driving home the following day.
But probably the most annoying part for me was dealing with a sore hip, which was particularly irritating when taking stairs. (The Memory Maker and pool house have you constantly doing stairs. . . Think step, ouch, step.) So I kept a bottle of pain reliever with me to make it through.
I know it sounds immature, but I tend to have this belief that my vacations should go smoothly, with the clouds parting and the faint sound of the Hallelujah Chorus playing in the background. I’ve had vacays like that when things ran like a well-oiled machine. (Not a Jeep Wrangler. . . Sorry, couldn’t resist.) Sometimes, despite the prayer time and preparation that go into such endeavors, we just have to trust that God will get us through the not-so-pleasant details of travel. As a million mothers have already said, you can’t change your circumstances, but you can change your attitude.
Never easy, but I’m working on it.
My New Favorite Thing
Within the last couple of months, the fleas have been showing up more than usual around here. My boys (cats Winston and Clarence) have been scratching, and so I put out my homemade light-shining-on-container-of-water trap and started combing them with a flea comb. Mom had the same problem with her dog Honey, and I told her about the Flea Doctor Comb that I’d seen on TV, which she ended up buying. It’s an electrically-charged flea comb which kills fleas rather than resorting to using chemicals to control the pesky pests.
To make a long story short, I asked her to bring the Flea Doctor Comb to my house so I could try it out on my cats, and to my surprise, neither of my pets protested. The comb makes a beeping sound which speeds up when it comes in contact with fleas, and I thought that would be a deal breaker with my guys. But they don’t mind. In fact, Winston especially seems to like it.
I purchased mine from Walmart, but you can buy them at Amazon, too.
Resources and related posts:
Sunflower Disposition, Peachy Harvest, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
Brighter Sides, New Leaves, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
Sugared Plum Visions, Maryland Bound, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
My Top Ten Must-do Fall Activities
Posts from a year ago:
Road Trippin’, Fallingwater Inspired, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
From two years ago:
Third Quarter Goals Update 2019
Inside: It’s been my a learning curve for me, this planning goals anew for every quarter. What’s going on with my current projects? I’ll explain in my third quarter goals update.
*This post contains affiliate links.
September. Where’d you go?
Sigh.
At the start of the third quarter, I, again, set out to either make new goals or continue with the previous ones, all after prayerfully considering what Jesus would have me do, as in keeping with the Jesus-centered Planner I set out to follow at the beginning of 2019.
Let’s recap so far:
First quarter goals:
- Learn to manage my time well.
- Be more social.
- Make a budget.
Second quarter goals:
- Focus longer term. Decide what is and isn’t important to me going forward and build my days around this.
Then came the end of June with a milestone birthday party for Mom, family visits, editing projects, and a surprise trip to the ER. July crawled by and August didn’t hurry much, either, as I felt life slowing down for a reason. (When Seasons Linger explains it.)
Nevertheless, I entered the start of the third quarter with a goal, though my focus, this time, was more health related. Simply this: Lose weight.
But with this goal, I’ve been researching other health topics like thyroid and inflammation. My motivation, of course, has been the yearly writer’s retreat in western Maryland, and I’ve taken off at least ten pounds. . . And still working on it!
Progress on all of these goals has not been tremendous by any means. Rather, it’s been baby steps for me. Little by little as I wrap my head around new ideas and ways of doing things.
October is just around the bend. I don’t know what my goals for the last quarter will be. I leave for my annual trip to Maryland on the first, gone for a week. For now that’s my priority.
Then I’ll be ready for Q4.
Resources and related posts:
The Jesus-centered Planner 2020
Finding my Pace: Slowing Down to Enjoy Life
Posts from a year ago:
Announcing Our 2018 Decluttering Challenge!
2018 Decluttering Challenge, Day 7: Clothes and Shoes
From two years ago:
7 Day Decluttering Challenge: Day 4 – Paper
Mum’s the Word, Hundred-mile Man, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
My Experience With Ibotta After One Year
Inside: A year ago I downloaded a shopper’s app on my phone and have been using it ever since. What follows is my experience with Ibotta.
My Experience With Ibotta
Mondays you’ll likely find me at Walmart and Kroger, head down, scanning the Ibotta app on my phone for deals. It’s been a year since I downloaded the Ibotta shopper’s app, and I’ve been using it ever since. Here’s why:
- It saves me money, particularly if it’s an item I regularly buy.
- I like to try new products (though there are usually products on the list that I already buy) and earn cash for it.
- The money adds up, and I can either get the cash, use it to pay for items in a growing list of stores, or I can let it ride. (I like to let it ride.)
- It’s like a game to me. Can I find this item in the store? And how many deals can I get today? One particular week I bought Halo ice cream and got cash back through Ibotta, used a coupon to get $2 off (not related to Ibotta), and took advantage of an in-store sale! Cool! (This doesn’t happen often, to be honest, but it’s fun when it does!)
- Ibotta has an “earn extra cash” category that sponsors challenges, such as “weekend warrior” or “tailgating party” where you’re challenged to buy so many items on the list before the deadline expires. That means you get extra cash from completing the challenge along with the cash back from the individual offers. Some products fall under the “earn more” category in the form of “streaks”–example, buy Dean’s dip on three separate trips and earn 50 cents.
- Ibotta offers an “any item” generic category. For example, they’ve recently featured a yogurt cup, protein bar, diapers, salsa, pancake mix, and almond butter. They also offer simply “any grocery item” on the receipt. Admittedly, these are only 25 cents, but because they are not brand specific, most anyone can take advantage of them.
- It’s not just about groceries. This is an area I need to start exploring more, (particularly since I’m about to go on vacation), but Ibotta has earning opportunities in the areas of restaurants, apparel, travel, crafts and gifts, home and electronics, pharmacy, and online shopping with a growing list of participating retailers nationwide.
How Does It Work?
The first thing you want to do is download the app to your smartphone, which is free. Click here to sign up. Next, follow these directions from Ibotta.
Find Offers: Before you shop, add offers on great products by completing simple tasks.
Go shopping: Buy the products you selected at any supported retailer. Don’t forget your receipt!
Redeem: Redeem your offers by taking a photo of your receipt. We’ll match the items you bought to the offers you selected and give you the cash!
The Biggest Reason I’m Still Using Ibotta After One Year
It’s easy to do, and you can start earning right away. But the biggest reason I’m still using Ibotta after one year?
My earnings. After one year, with not a lot of effort on my part, I’ve earned $197.30!
Hello, Christmas money!
Sign up with Ibotta here!
*This post contains affiliate links.
Resources and related posts:
How to Waste Time on a Budget (Ibotta post)
How I’m Finding Time to Read and Other Worthy Pursuits
All Winding Roads Lead to Nausea (humor)
Posts from a year ago:
Announcing Our 2018 Decluttering Challenge
Early Harvest, Seasonal Signs, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
From two years ago:
Simple Suppers: Roasted Chicken Thighs
Golden Beans, Whacked-out Weather, and Other News Fresh From the Farm