....In the garden.
Actually I've got two veggie gardens going on. One traditionally planted in rows at my grandfathers house, the other is raised beds intensively planted at my house.
Tomatoes; Golden Jubilee, Dr. Wyche's, Free Tibet's, Black Prince, Sungold, Strawberry Husk
Hot Peppers; Cherry Bomb, Jalapeno, Habanero, Red Savina Habanero, Bhut Jolokia (first try)
Italia and Black Beauty for Sweet Peppers. String beans in yellow, green and purple. Sweet, Lime and Lemon Basils. Okra, Dill, Sage, Lavender, and Mammoth Sunflower. Super sugar snap peas.
Turnips, Radishes (almost gone by), Nantes Coreless carrots, Parsnips, Three types of heirloom Zucchini, Swiss Chard, Bunching onions, Red, White, and Yellow Onions. Black seeded simpson lettuce, and two salad mixes, Italian and French. A couple of sugar baby watermelons, and a vine peach for good measure.
Lastly I have some horseradish and yukon gold potatoes in five gallon buckets. These have done amazingly well.
Been super busy staying on top of the weeding, top-dressing with fresh compost, and keeping the soil turned up. The work is paying off though. The Tomato plants are knee high and flowering, the sunflowers are waist high. In spite of the almost two inches above average of rain for the month of June, things are proceeding well. Looks to be a lot of freezing, canning, and dehydrating coming up soon!
Showing posts with label small scale gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small scale gardening. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Act Locally, Think Nationally
There is no doubt in anyone's mind that we live in trying times. Many of us go to work everyday, just glad to be employed. Wanton for even a brief glimmer of hope, we are bombarded with bad news constantly. The worst part is that there really is not a lot your average citizen can do about such enormous issues.
An Islander really can't affect the outcome of national health care, debt, recession, and the economy going down the toilet. Let us not be overwhelmed by this, and instead act locally and think nationally. Going beyond our own frugality, we can simply help our own members of our Islands community in their struggles.
Local food shelves will surely see need in this year and the next. Anything that's donated would be a blessing for those who receive it. I like many others don't have extra coins to spare, and donate neeeded canned goods. But this doesn't mean we can't help, there is much opportunity for Islanders with some spare seed, soil, and time.
For those who've never gardened before, start now. If you've got a south facing window, a packet of tomato or squash seeds, and a couple small cups of soil you can help. No garden space? Got room on your porch, step, or walk for a bucket or two of soil? That's all you need.
No soil? Just talk to your local farmer about his pasture, Stuff your old buckets or containers 3/4 full of last years dried cow patties. Top off with some topsoil (if you have it) or a 50/50 mix of beach sand and organic matter like compost or very rotted wood. Put in a sunny spot, and water daily and you're on your way!
If you're an established gardener, consider tilling up more, and enlarging your garden. Start a couple extra plants, or try something new that keeps for a long time. Remember all those zuchini and summer squash that you couldn't give away last summer? Pick them smaller this year, slice them up, and dry them in the oven. Done this way they'll keep all the way till next summer!
Islanders will never solve the issues that face the United States. We barely stand a chance of affecting how Vermont weathers this economic storm. We can make a difference here at home in our own community, amongst our friends and neighbors. I implore all, please try.
An Islander really can't affect the outcome of national health care, debt, recession, and the economy going down the toilet. Let us not be overwhelmed by this, and instead act locally and think nationally. Going beyond our own frugality, we can simply help our own members of our Islands community in their struggles.
Local food shelves will surely see need in this year and the next. Anything that's donated would be a blessing for those who receive it. I like many others don't have extra coins to spare, and donate neeeded canned goods. But this doesn't mean we can't help, there is much opportunity for Islanders with some spare seed, soil, and time.
For those who've never gardened before, start now. If you've got a south facing window, a packet of tomato or squash seeds, and a couple small cups of soil you can help. No garden space? Got room on your porch, step, or walk for a bucket or two of soil? That's all you need.
No soil? Just talk to your local farmer about his pasture, Stuff your old buckets or containers 3/4 full of last years dried cow patties. Top off with some topsoil (if you have it) or a 50/50 mix of beach sand and organic matter like compost or very rotted wood. Put in a sunny spot, and water daily and you're on your way!
If you're an established gardener, consider tilling up more, and enlarging your garden. Start a couple extra plants, or try something new that keeps for a long time. Remember all those zuchini and summer squash that you couldn't give away last summer? Pick them smaller this year, slice them up, and dry them in the oven. Done this way they'll keep all the way till next summer!
Islanders will never solve the issues that face the United States. We barely stand a chance of affecting how Vermont weathers this economic storm. We can make a difference here at home in our own community, amongst our friends and neighbors. I implore all, please try.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Wind and Gardens
Wind in gardens can wreak havoc on young plants. Windy days, even more so on sunny or hot days, forces a lot of evapotranspiration on the plants causing them to wilt. They don’t have deeply rooted systems yet, and the plant simply can’t keep up with demand. Thus windy days are bad for transplanting, and this is how I screwed up and my wife saved my butt.
So I decided things were too cramped in a couple of our raised beds. The russian red kale and a Brussels Sprouts were beginning to shade my turnips. So I transplanted the sprout to the edge of the bed, and the two kale to whiskey barrel flower planters. I watered. Then I watered again, and they wilted. It was the hottest day of the year so far, 90’s and high winds to boot.
I blew it. They didn’t look good. I had to go uptown for propane so to smooth thngs over with the wife I dropped by the nursery. Picked up a six pack of white impatiens, two oriental poppies, six pack of coleus, and four millet. This would make up for killing the other plants. When I got home, I surprised my wife with the flowers.
However, she had a little surprise of her own. Later on as I made dinner she went around and plucked the old leaves from the Kale I had transplanted. Leaving behind only about the three newest leaves. They are doing just fine. Lesson learned, in addition to water if you reduce the amount of surface area that evapotransiration can occur, it will help with transplant success.
We only get to have a couple of small raised beds for gardening at the place we summer. So this year I added a faux raised bed, and lined a 2X10 frame with cardboard on the bottom. This is my container garden for small nursery stock like the 2 for $2 catalog special weigelas, and mockorange, and a couple smokebush. There’s random stuff I started like echinacea, and rudbeckia.
Its also for my baby potatoes, which I grow by putting in the bottom of a container half full of soil. Once the potato plants grow past the top of the container I fill the rest of the way with compost. At the end of the season the container will be full of baby size potatoes. I think it’s probably one of the easiest ways to grow potatoes.
There are also one gallon containers filled with habanero and jalapeno peppers. The small container forces them to flower sooner in our short growing season here. It will allow me to harvest peppers sooner, and transport them. Container growing allows season to be extended in the spring or fall if a greenhouse, coldframe, or south facing window is available.
Lastly there’s a lone red pear tomato, because it like variety in my salad. It’s also to keep it away from the Sungolds I planted, and the Tibetan tomatoes my wife planted. I always seem to have issues with cross pollenation or something the more varieties I grow. So those are my gardens, and how their affected by wind.
So I decided things were too cramped in a couple of our raised beds. The russian red kale and a Brussels Sprouts were beginning to shade my turnips. So I transplanted the sprout to the edge of the bed, and the two kale to whiskey barrel flower planters. I watered. Then I watered again, and they wilted. It was the hottest day of the year so far, 90’s and high winds to boot.
I blew it. They didn’t look good. I had to go uptown for propane so to smooth thngs over with the wife I dropped by the nursery. Picked up a six pack of white impatiens, two oriental poppies, six pack of coleus, and four millet. This would make up for killing the other plants. When I got home, I surprised my wife with the flowers.
However, she had a little surprise of her own. Later on as I made dinner she went around and plucked the old leaves from the Kale I had transplanted. Leaving behind only about the three newest leaves. They are doing just fine. Lesson learned, in addition to water if you reduce the amount of surface area that evapotransiration can occur, it will help with transplant success.
We only get to have a couple of small raised beds for gardening at the place we summer. So this year I added a faux raised bed, and lined a 2X10 frame with cardboard on the bottom. This is my container garden for small nursery stock like the 2 for $2 catalog special weigelas, and mockorange, and a couple smokebush. There’s random stuff I started like echinacea, and rudbeckia.
Its also for my baby potatoes, which I grow by putting in the bottom of a container half full of soil. Once the potato plants grow past the top of the container I fill the rest of the way with compost. At the end of the season the container will be full of baby size potatoes. I think it’s probably one of the easiest ways to grow potatoes.
There are also one gallon containers filled with habanero and jalapeno peppers. The small container forces them to flower sooner in our short growing season here. It will allow me to harvest peppers sooner, and transport them. Container growing allows season to be extended in the spring or fall if a greenhouse, coldframe, or south facing window is available.
Lastly there’s a lone red pear tomato, because it like variety in my salad. It’s also to keep it away from the Sungolds I planted, and the Tibetan tomatoes my wife planted. I always seem to have issues with cross pollenation or something the more varieties I grow. So those are my gardens, and how their affected by wind.
Friday, March 21, 2008
If You're Smart You'll Grow A Garden This Year
The best way to save money in a downturned economy is anyway you can. Often the most productive and healthful is gardening. Don't worry though if you don't have a spare quarter acre you can tear up and plant. Container gardening can be just as great.
A couple buckets filled with soil on your porch will do the job. You can even plant more then one crop in a bucket! Lettuce can be planted on top of the soil underneath tomatoes or peppers, even spices or herbs. The other helpful hint is that plants can also be grown on structure. Cukes and melons can be supported with mini trellis's, and beans/peas on poles. Lots of possibility.
The only thing limiting your ability to container garden is your imagination and access to materials. Hydroponics has also become popular in recent years. Small home built systems that use a nutrient solution to feed and grow plants can be highly successful. Though with hydroponics it is easier to grow crops with low nutrient requirements, anything can be grown. The best part is, it automatically waters the plants, so you don't have to remember to do it.
So when food prices skyrocket, roll up your sleeves and get to work. Some seeds, a bit of soil and ingenuity can go a long ways. A little research on the internet will help you find all you need to know.
A couple buckets filled with soil on your porch will do the job. You can even plant more then one crop in a bucket! Lettuce can be planted on top of the soil underneath tomatoes or peppers, even spices or herbs. The other helpful hint is that plants can also be grown on structure. Cukes and melons can be supported with mini trellis's, and beans/peas on poles. Lots of possibility.
The only thing limiting your ability to container garden is your imagination and access to materials. Hydroponics has also become popular in recent years. Small home built systems that use a nutrient solution to feed and grow plants can be highly successful. Though with hydroponics it is easier to grow crops with low nutrient requirements, anything can be grown. The best part is, it automatically waters the plants, so you don't have to remember to do it.
So when food prices skyrocket, roll up your sleeves and get to work. Some seeds, a bit of soil and ingenuity can go a long ways. A little research on the internet will help you find all you need to know.
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