Digging Up Garden Potatoes: Why they won’t make the list for next year’s planting

Downsizing the Garden: A New Chapter

Gardening has always been a labor of love, but sometimes life demands a bit of change. After experiencing a couple of frosty nights, I decided it was high time to dig up my potatoes, with a little unexpected help from my chickens. They started scratching them up from the soil, a sure sign that it was time to harvest.

Reflecting on a Challenging Season

This year, I found myself procrastinating more than usual. We had one of the hottest, most humid summers on record, and it was challenging to find the motivation to tend to the garden. The lack of rain didn’t help either, leaving the soil parched and unyielding of everything but the weeds.

As my husband and I are in the process of downsizing our garden, I allowed myself to let things go a bit, knowing that we no longer need the expansive garden we maintained when our kids were living at home. This spring, we’ll be starting fresh with a much smaller plot.

Planning for the Future

I still have tasks ahead, like taking down the garden fence and removing all the raised beds. My husband will help by pushing the soil, with our bobcat, into a centralized, smaller plot where I plan to plant directly into the ground next year. This new garden will be about a quarter of its previous size, which means some crops won’t make the cut.

Saying Goodbye to Some Crops

After assessing the canned goods in our pantry, I have a clear idea of what we use annually. For the 2026 year, potatoes are on the “no” list because they’re cheap to buy and we don’t consume a lot. Winter squash takes up too much room, and onions and garlic are also inexpensive and not used frequently enough to justify their space.

Popcorn was a fun experiment this year, but it won’t make it into the 2026 planting. While it was enjoyable to grow, it’s not essential to our diet.

Welcoming the Favorite Crops

However, some favorites will always have a place in our garden. Tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapeños, bell peppers, sunflowers, and strawberries have made the “yes” list. I might add more once I have a better understanding of the available space. I prefer to see the layout to plan effectively, and I know I can plant densely to achieve the yields we need.

Embracing Simplicity

The goal is to simplify the gardening process and reduce the workload. We travel frequently during the summer, and this year, the weeds took over during our two-week absence. With a smaller garden, I hope to manage it better and avoid returning to a daunting task.

By focusing on a more manageable garden, I aim to enjoy the process more and ensure that it complements our lifestyle. Here’s to a new chapter in our gardening journey!