Garden Friday

 

 

 

Welcome to Garden Friday,

where we share our Zone 7b Piedmont garden.

Asparagus has been emerging from its winter sleep.

It is sampled while working outside,

a true springtime treat.

 

Yukon Gold potatoes were planted this week,

one of several sowings I hope to do.

In past years, they were all planted at the same time,

and harvested that way as well.

This early planting shouldn't be upset

by any cold snaps coming our way,

and another round or two sown later on.

 

The Ruth Stout method is being employed,

something I've never tried before.

The mulch next to the garlic beds was moved

and the spuds were laid right on the soil.

No preparation or amendment was involved,

unless you count some curious chooks 

scratching, digging and "fertilizing" the area before planting.

The rows will be covered in organic straw

and left alone.  As the foliage shoots up,

more straw will be added to cover and avoid

sunlight from penetrating the crops.

I'm also toying with the idea of using this method

to grow sweet corn this summer.

Isn't it just grand that there is always something new to try?

This gardener will definitely be checking out Ms. Stout's books

on my next trip to the library.

 

The garlic is benefiting from our consistent rainfall.

At least once a week,

we get an ample soaking.

I haven't run the irrigation once this winter.

 

The winter sowing has been a game changer for me.

I have always tried to grow seedlings in the house,

but have had limited success.

This method, which is fairly hands-off,

has worked miraculously!

I will never go back to anything else.

No need for grow lights, heat mats,

or even a greenhouse.

Just look at the germination in this bin.

They have all been this way.

 

Once the seedlings hit the top of the container,

(the lid is mostly closed, except for very warm days),

they get transplanted to cell trays.

Using a bamboo skewer, holes in potting soil were made

to receive each seedling.

The starts were lifted by the leaves

and gently placed into each cell.

The root development was like nothing

I've ever grown before!

 

Placing welded wire over the trays

helps to deter squirrels from using them

as a hiding place for their food stash.

It also dissuades the chooks from pecking at them

when they are roaming the garden.

 

Okay, I think it's fair to say,

that I've fully embraced this method of growing.

Each one of these reused lettuce bins

has about 50 seedlings in them.

I'm thinking I will have more than enough to share

with friends and neighbors who want to grow their own food.

 

 Look at this darling chart I found on The Farmer's Almanac!

It's a great visual about companion planting,

and at a glance, it's easy to tell which crops

play well with others.

I love it so much, I am planning to frame it.

We added a cattle panel arch

to the back entrance to the garden area.

It will be seeded with something lovely,

maybe peas, morning glory or clematis.

 

In the front flower beds,

spring is popping up all over.

Here, the black-eyed susan is enveloping the bird bath.

The weather will soon be mild enough

for us to put out our new birdbath that a friend made.

 

The salvia is coming back with no prompting from me.

This is one of my favorite perennials,

as it is so easy to grow.

I look forward to sharing with you the new design beds

that a fellow master gardener is helping me with.

The idea is to use mostly what I already have,

and creating a cohesive space to enjoy.

The mums that grew to be gargantuan,

will be relocated to ensure that they

have enough room to spread out.

 

The new tarps are in place in the chook run.

I can't tell you how much better it looks.

The bonus is that they are weather resistant,

and this white one in particular keeps the chooks dry.

The streamlined look really appeals to me.

We ended up adding another cattle panel to this side

of the run, so that we could open up the tarp completely

and give them more shade and protection from our ever present rain.

 

An added blessing of the rain, is that it has shown me

where I need to work on the chicken run

to improve the drainage.

I will get out there with a shovel and maybe some river rocks

to create a more aesthetically pleasing system.

It's important to keep standing water out of the run,

as chickens are prone to bumblefoot in wet conditions.

The chooks enjoy some mealworms on their 

Omlet free standing perch.

They also get to free range several times a week

when I am outside working in the yard.

No doubt they are finding a few more things to eat out there!

Thank you so much for stopping by to visit.

May you enjoy wherever life finds you.

Peace...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garden Friday

Welcome to Garden Friday!

There's a lot going on in the garden this week,

and an array of projects in midstream.

After visiting the farmers' market last weekend,

I am still scouting the perfect spot 

for the lovelies that made their way home with me.

One of the tasks on my list was to get the cover crops mowed down.
This was the first winter I've grown cover crops 
and I plan to repeat it in late fall.
The crops sown are there to add nutrients to the soil,
keep weeds at bay, and allow for earlier planting come spring.
I used hedge trimmers to do the job quickly.

Green beans and cucumbers were planted in two of the four rows.
Sunflowers were sown at the ends to attract pollinators
and add a little perty to the beds.
 These are all companion plants, which is this spring's focus.
I will be using more flowers in general in the veggie beds than in the past,
in order to make it easier for pollinators to find the veg.

This is the beginning of the wattle fence project.
Big K has been able to get the wooden pieces that will be used as stakes.
The line was strung (see the arrows?) to keep some semblance of a straight row
for the stakes to line up against.
Me and straight lines don't get along too well,
so we need all the help we can get.
For now, the plan is to fence in two sides of the veggie garden,
and if I like it as much as I think I will,
I'll have to scratch up some more grapevine or willow branches.
Sometimes materials for these types of projects
can be acquired on Craig's List or Next Door
just for the asking.

The "spa" room, as we call it, 
has been transformed into a greenhouse.
Seeds have done well in the space,
as it gets a good amount of morning light.
This week began the sowing of melon and watermelon seeds.
Actually, I just noticed last night that the watermelon is up!
They will be grown on the arches we created on the northeast side of the garden.
Soon this room will be converted into a laundry room,
so I will lose my greenhouse.
It's a fair exchange.

 The garden is starting to fill with color.
The consistently warm temperatures are nurturing
the lettuce, kale, chard, peas, leek and cabbage growing in the hugelkultur bed.
It's been so wonderful to finally be able to harvest enough greens
for a week's worth of salads.

 The garlic is happy as a clam.
It was recently fertilized with Mighty Grow,
and will be fed once more before harvest.
The shallots are starting to form flowers.
I've read conflicting things about that.
Some sources say to leave the flowers to collect the seeds,
and others say to cut off the flowers to encourage energy to the bulb.
A call to Extension might be in order.
I'll report what I find out.
 This parsley has impressed me,
making it through the whole winter with no problem.

Another chore that needs to be done 
is to top off the entire garden with the free mulch
we got from our local landfill.
Free is good.

This kale is the Premier variety,
and although I prefer the taste of some others,
this one has bounded back over the past few weeks
and is producing quite well.
If you look closely, you can see some red lettuce
popping up to the right of the kale.

With a rainy few days expected,
the garden should get a good dousing.
Less work for the gardener.
There will be plenty to do once it's over.

How's your spring garden coming along?

Let's Make a Plan

 This week's forecast calls for highs in the 60's here,
ALL WEEK LONG!
I can finally get some garden chores completed
without the threat of rain or frigid temperatures.
One thing I've been working on is my spring garden plan.

2018 cucumbers

 One of the tools I've used in the past 
has been the free online planner offered by
Gardener's Supply Company.
You can find the tool here.
It's a great way to get started,
especially if you've never planned a garden.
I find it so helpful to be able to place the crops in the boxes,
and then tweak it as necessary.

Here's a preliminary plan for our hugelkultur bed.
You can vary the size of the beds easily
and there is a large list of popular plants from which to choose.

 This season, my focus will be on companion planting.
There is so much information on this topic,
and I thought it would be worth a try.
Recently, I've been reading books that covered the subject.
The best by far was Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte.
She offers simple explanations why certain veggies just love sharing space.

She also features a list of which plants don't really get along.
Instead of haphazardly planting what you have space for,
the idea is that by paying attention to which crops are neighbors,
the result will be better crop production and food quality.
It's worth a shot! 

2018 Yukon Gold potatoes

This year when I get my Yukon Gold potatoes started,
I will be adding bush bean, cabbage or nasturtiums to the outside of the wire hoops.
This will allow for the companion plant on the outside
to shade the potato foliage as it grows out of the hoops,
thus saving me from having to buy straw 
or bank the potato plants with additional soil. 
You can see how we created the potato cages here.

For folks who grow in rows, 
there is even a set of diagrams that suggest
how to place your companion plants.
It really doesn't get much easier than that!
For those of us who grow in raised beds or raised rows,
the principal is still easy to follow.

 Here's a rough sketch of the garden as it presently stands.
The structural parts are laid out,
and I can fill in what will go where as the season heats up.
For instance, I already know that I want runner beans to grow on the arches,
followed by melons later on in the season.
And presently in the two 4 X 4 raised beds, 
I have garlic and shallots growing,
which will have to remain there for a while longer.
There is still room in those smaller beds to add some companion plants around the perimeter,
like beets, carrots, kale, or spinach.
Not only is it beneficial for the established crop,
it will make the bed look so interesting with all of the varied colors, shapes, and textures.
The bonus is that it may confuse the bugs.

A master list of planting times for different veggies
(I only listed the ones I plan to grow),
makes the planning so much easier.
In March here in the Piedmont,
we can sow beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, and spinach.
So I will simply fill in any bare spots in those 4 X 4 beds
with one of these things I was planning on growing anyway.
Then I can fill in some of the other growing areas
with more of the same goodies.
It seems to be a more efficient use of space
and I'm hoping it will help with insect control.

It sure feels like spring,
but I know that Mother Nature is in charge.
Let's hope she's not feeling mischievous!