Time to pick..

The potato plants are beginning to wilt. The flowers have been dead about 4 weeks , and now the plant stalks are falling over and separating ..Im assuming this is an indicator of time to pick them.
I have several larger brown paper bags that I have saved up , and am now, putting my new crop white potatoes into them . I have not washed them, and I am hoping to find them a place cool and out of the way.

Someplace in my font of useless knowledge I have seen where Im supposed to put one apple into the bag to keep them from becoming seed potatoes, but further research is showing that to have mixed results. commonly the answer seems to be cool and dark. At this time, my house is much cooler than it is outside .

I am selecting to pick half my potato crop now, and giving the other half a week or so before I pick it. perhaps leaving it in the ground will work, but I have lost potatoes to rot this way as well.
I will let everyone know which gives me the greatest success.

Other news on the homefront :

I have completed a puppet, That I will be sending off to the Oprah Winfrey show on Monday. to see this puppet, go to my tomato-patch blog where I have posted new pictures of my latest fiber art sculpture.

Tip for the day:

the old Parmesan cheese containers can be used as a duster for your garden if you use a pyrethrum dust.
some people feel that pyrmetherin dust is NOT organic I beg to differ. Pyrethrum grows from a plant. Pyrethrum
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Pyrethrum refers to several Old World plants of the genus Chrysanthemum (e.g., C. coccineum) which are cultivated as ornamentals for their showy flower heads. It is also the name of a natural insecticide made from the dried flower heads of C. cinerariifolium and C. coccineum. Some members of Chrysanthemum, including these two, are placed in another genus, Tanacetum, by some authorities. Both genera are members of the daisy (or aster) family, Asteraceae. They are perennial plants with a daisy-like appearance and white petals.
C. cinerariifolium is called the Dalmatian chrysanthemum, denoting its origin in that region of the Balkans (Dalmatia). It looks more like the common daisy than other pyrethrums. Its flowers, typically white with a yellow center, grow from numerous fairly rigid stems. Plants have blue-green leaves and grow to between 45 to 60 cm in height. The plant is economically important as a natural source of insecticide. The flowers are pulverized and the active components called pyrethrins, contained in the seed cases, are extracted and sold in the form of an oleoresin. This is applied as a suspension in water or oil, or as a powder. Pyrethrins attack the nervous systems of all insects, and inhibit female mosquitoes from biting. When not present in amounts fatal to insects, they still appear to have an insect repellent effect. They are harmful to fish, but are far less toxic to mammals and birds than many synthetic insecticides and are non-persistent, being biodegradable and also breaking down easily on exposure to light. They are considered to be amongst the safest insecticides for use around food. Kenya produced 90% (over 6,000 tonnes) of the world's pyrethrum in 1998, called py for short. Production in Tanzania and Ecuador is also significant.
C. coccineum, the Persian chrysanthemum, is native the Caucasus and looks somewhat like a daisy. It produces large white, pink or red flowers. The leaves resemble those of ferns, and the plant grows to between 30 and 60 cm in height. The flowering period is June to July in temperate climates (Northern hemisphere). C. coccineum also contains insecticidal pyrethrum substances used for centuries as a lice remedy ("Persian Insect Powder", "Persian Pellitory") in the Middle East, but it is a relatively poor source compared to C. cinerariifolium.
Other species such as C. balsamita and C. marshalli also contain insecticidal substances, but are less effective than the two species mentioned above.
Pyrethroids are synthetic insecticides based on natural pyrethrum (pyrethrins); one common example is permethrin. A common formulation of pyrethrin is in preparations containing the synthetic chemical piperonyl butoxide: this has the effect of enhancing the toxicity to insects and speeding the effects when compared with pyrethrins used alone. These formulations are known as synergized pyrethrins.


so, IMHO if you get a pyrethrum dust and use it sparingly in your yard or garden , it is not being non organic. I DO avoid dusting in the early morning though because the bees are visiting. I also avoid any kind of dusting when the blossoms are really heavy , and if the plant looks healthy.
You can also use the canister for a mix of ,
20 mule team borax, baking soda and if necessary a few tbsp of pyrethrum dust. I take the wick from a scent oil product that are usually used in room deodorizers. I use mine for so many other things. I remove the wick and soak 2 cotton balls with the oil. I then re-insert the wick and save it for the last time I would make a batch of "carpet deodorizer, flea killer" I allow it to stay on my carpet for several hours and then yes, vacuum it up well.
the canister can be used over and over...