I pulled some grass-type weeds and a few clover patches around the roses and strawberries to keep them from crowding the plants I care most about. I’m still pretty relaxed about weeds overall. They’re just plants we happen not to want. A little plant life is better than bare soil. I only remove patches that start competing too much.
I cut up a large pumpkin from Trader Joe’s, saved some seeds to try next spring, and chopped the rind into small chunks for the compost. The pile is pretty big now with all the fall leaves, and the temperature bumped from 60°F to 68°F overnight, which is a good sign. I’m hoping the warmer weather next week heats it even more.
One potato plant on the hill looks excellent. The others look a bit stunted. The potatoes in grow bags are the roughest: rust spots, droopy stems, unhappy leaves. Watering has been consistent. They were planted around September 15, and now it’s December 5, so the 90-120 day harvest window is coming up. But this isn’t the kind of die-back I’ve seen in photos or videos of people harvesting.
Looking back, I mixed some Trifecta+ into the grow bags and in-ground planting holes when first planted, and this week I hit them all lightly with Alaska Fish Fertilizer and sprinkled a bit more Trifecta+. All the potatoes are mulched with straw, after a layer of Black Kow when planted.
After reading up on symptoms, they might be short on potassium and magnesium. I ordered Langbeinite (Potassium-Magnesium Sulfate) and will see if that helps.
Last thought for the day: I’m keeping the lemon tree in its current pot for now. Most advice says to wait until temps are consistently back in the 70s before moving up to the 20-gallon container.