tilled, hilled, and planted

Our last frost date is definitely past, so I went in hunt of sweet potato starts today.  Hit two greenhouses without, and then bingo on the third.  If you have never planted sweet potatoes, it's not quite like plain ole taters.  Here we buy "slips" or small plants that started on a sweet potato and then were pulled off and planted in soil.   You can grow your own slips, if you think about it in time.  Here is someone else showing you how, I picked this site because he shows planting them in raised box bed. 
http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-plant-and-grow-sweet-potatoes/index.html
Sweet potatoes can be grown in all 50 states, they like sandy soil, but I figure if I plant "Georgia Jets," they may not mind my Indiana clay too much.  They don't like to be stored long, so after harvest, if you have a ton of them, cook them, and freeze.

In order to plant them properly, I   tilled deeply, cursed loudly when I hit a brick (from old foundation), and hoed up two long row hills.  I tossed down some muriate of potash, a very necessary nutrient for root food like potatoes and carrots.   I also tossed out ammonium sulfate, or nitrogen, because my soil test showed that I had none in my garden.  It will be used by the plants for green, leafy growth.   Then I poked my flat hand down into the hill to make a hole to insert the potato slip into so I wouldn't bend or break the plant when sticking it into the hilled soil. I had enough room at the end of the rows to stick in some Kennebec white potatoes, they seem to do the best for me, those and some red potatoes.   I bought potato starts for .65/lb. today,  at a greenhouse, that was much cheaper than I saw anywhere else today.   If you paid $1/lb.  that seems to be a going rate, but I think it is too high, considering what you pay in the grocery for them.   Many in the food store have been treated to NOT sprout, so don't bother trying to grow those. 

I also moved broccoli out of a big pot into the garden, they are past size for being rabbit snack, so time to put in a bed.   I  broke down a big compost heap,, thinking I would plant potatoes in it, but decided that I'm going to use it as mulch around my broccoli, eggplant, pepper bed.  Did you know that if you plant different things together in a bed it confuses the bugs?  You shouldn't have as much pest infestation if you alternate plants.  I also don't plant in long single plant rows, but in a cross hatch pattern, more plants in less space, and less area to weed, since they grow closer together, and shade out the weeds.

It was 86 here today, so I made sure I went back and watered everything I have planted in the last week. 

I may have to post a picture of my filthy, dirty, nasty, wonderfully soft, faithful friend cut-off jean gardening shorts.  If yours are grosser,  you win.  I dare you to post a picture of your filthy gardening pants!!
If I weren't so danged tired right now, I'd run right out and do it.
Must. Take. Ibuprofen.

ALSO,,, I made the water in the shower run brown tonight, I was that dirty!

I'm glad the topic of contaminated soil has come up among some of us on facebook.  I'm wondering though, Maria, if you have raised beds, what soil did you use?  Did you buy topsoil?  composted manure?  just curious.  has anyone else purchased soil for their raised beds??  I have enough yard for gardens, but it has a mixture of clay in it from digging up and spreading foundation soil.  Hence, lots of composting and mulching. 
Also, M., would you give us an update on your pallet garden?

AND another thing, I have always been resistant to using weed and feed chemicals  on my lawn to kill grubs so the stuuuuppid moles will quit tearing up the lawn. My mom found a weed and feed withOUT phosphorus, at Big R, so she has applied it this week. I'll let you know how it works.  Phosphorus was taken out of laundry detergent in the 70's, I believe, to cut back on water contamination, but yet it remains in lawn treatments,,,that's one of those  "things that make you go ,,hmmm!"

Sorry, this appears to be the ADD post, but I guess I had a lot of garden stuff to chat about.

Dianne, dirt-free, and worn out