In advance of spring -planning the garden

Gardening and Household tips. Good food. The Lighter side...

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Linnea
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Post by Linnea » 02-21-2010 05:11 PM

Great suggestions! Today, I am going to go out and check out the compost bin...see what's in it. :eek:

Did not do any gardening last year, and did nothing with the compost bin.

I keep eyeing the raised beds along the length of the side yard. They are about 5 railroad timbers high, 50' in length and 18" wide.

There are 3 or 4 small azalea bushes there, and lots of flowering thyme. Trying to gauge how much direct sunlight and brightness there is during the day there.

I am thinking if azaleas can bloom there, some vegetables would also grow there. ;) A lone snapdragon also blooms there in the late summer and early fall. I just love snapdragons! These are varied, sometimes pink and sometimes deep magenta with yellow sunburst centers. Magical little flowers! I think I accidentially pulled some of it out a year or so ago, as the little group seems smaller :( I've heard it is difficult to get snapdragons established.

I do have a problem with removing all the thyme, but it has gotten really woody, and - well some other flowers and veggies seem more attractive.

If I pulled out the thyme, to compensate for the bareness in fall/winter - I guess I could plant some grasses, kale and cabbage plants in planters to put along there.

Also think I will get a hold of Frank over in Fayetteville, and order some of his A-35.
:D

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Post by Joolz » 02-21-2010 06:56 PM

I got the salad and greens garden planted yesterday. Two varieties of leaf lettuce, spinach, red and yellow onions, swiss chard, and mustard greens. It's misting rain now, so that's great.

This morning, we transplanted an Italian cypress tree that we decided would look better in another spot (gives us a traditional grouping of 3 instead 2 in one place and one in another), and planted four grapes (three red, and one purple). We already have two green grapes -- one being the now 12 year old vine that we successfully transplanted when we moved. Even though most experts (there are lots of grape experts here in wine country ;) ) told us it wouldn't survive the move, we tried it since we felt we had no choice (the landlord at our old place was going to kill it :( ), and it is doing great! :)

We still have two blackberries to transplant (alongside the one we moved from the old house), and a blueberry that was a housewarming gift from a friend. We're still not sure where to put that. Any of you have any experience with blueberries? I know they prefer acidic soil and don't like the heat (which is out biggest consideration here), so I figure it will need morning sun and afternoon shade. Still looking for the perfect spot for it.

That takes care of the back yard -- for now. In the front, we've got 4 roses to transplant (near the three already there), and various other shrubs and flowers to deal with. Basically, the front yard has to have the landscaping completed, which is going to be the biggest job this spring.

We have to replace the poor little lime tree in the front yard, too. We managed to save all the citrus (the lemon is questionable, but I think it survived) during the freeze we had in December except that little lime. No signs of life at all there. :(

We've got a couple more days of sun, then more rain, so I hope to get a lot of the transplanting done and start digging on the landscaping project while the soil is damp. We're going to level off the slope near the sidewalk with a low, curved retaining wall. Behind the retaining wall toward the house will eventually be a fence (I want a white picket fence), and on the sidewalk side will be shrubs and flowers. Inside the fence on the house side, there's already a semi-circle of dwarf fruit trees. We plan to fill in that semi-circle with other plants (getting rid of the grass -- don't want to mow), leaving an area near the house (roses are against the house) for a small courtyard of old brick, where we can put some benches or a table or something. Hope that made sense. Lots of work to do there!

Oh, and BTW, I made a great cover for my pond this winter using electrical conduit stuck into the ground and curved over the pond to make several arches about 2-3 feet high, with one long lateral one spanning the length that they were all tied to in the center. I covered this with clear plastic and weighted it down with bricks. It made a mini-greenhouse and ALL my pond plants survived the winter under there! I've always covered it to keep the leaves and messiness out, but had never managed to actually get the water plants to winter over. This worked great! I won't need to buy new plants. My fish are doing great, too (fat little beggars! LOL), and the water is crystal clear. Excellent!

I went around the yard inspecting everything when I was done transplanting this morning, and was VERY happy with what I saw. Buds and signs of new life everywhere. :)

OK... done now... :D
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Post by Joolz » 02-21-2010 06:59 PM

Linnea wrote: Great suggestions! Today, I am going to go out and check out the compost bin...see what's in it. :eek:

Did not do any gardening last year, and did nothing with the compost bin.

I keep eyeing the raised beds along the length of the side yard. They are about 5 railroad timbers high, 50' in length and 18" wide.

There are 3 or 4 small azalea bushes there, and lots of flowering thyme. Trying to gauge how much direct sunlight and brightness there is during the day there.

I am thinking if azaleas can bloom there, some vegetables would also grow there. ;) A lone snapdragon also blooms there in the late summer and early fall. I just love snapdragons! These are varied, sometimes pink and sometimes deep magenta with yellow sunburst centers. Magical little flowers! I think I accidentially pulled some of it out a year or so ago, as the little group seems smaller :( I've heard it is difficult to get snapdragons established.

I do have a problem with removing all the thyme, but it has gotten really woody, and - well some other flowers and veggies seem more attractive.

If I pulled out the thyme, to compensate for the bareness in fall/winter - I guess I could plant some grasses, kale and cabbage plants in planters to put along there.

Also think I will get a hold of Frank over in Fayetteville, and order some of his A-35.
:D

This sounds like a good plan, Linnea! Yes, get out there as soon as you can and get your hands dirty! It does wonders for the soul, and is a surefire cure for the winter blues. ;)
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Post by Cherry Kelly » 02-22-2010 02:13 PM

Linnea - It would be good to know how much sunshine those raised beds get each day. ALSO any proximity to trees. The old tree roots only go as far out as the width of the tree branches does not hold as "true" in a lot of zones. Had to tear out a raised bed and dig out tree roots that had taken over. Very frustrating as no trees were supposedly close enough to have caused problems.

Now the question is how tall do you want the plants to be? any special color groups for flowers? You might consider some annuals for first year until you decide what you want for a more permanent planting. I have discovered over the years that even some that say shade work well in sunshine and vice versa. The only difference seems to be in how tall they get...especially in annuals and in my hollyhocks.

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 02-22-2010 02:21 PM

Joolz - blueberries - delicious! In MN we had wild ones - small but very tasty. They grew in the woods and the sunshine was all filtered sunlight. The neighbor down the road has the larger ones. That farm grows them so they get morning sun and afternoon shade.

My concord grapes vines are a few decades old now. Lots of good jelly!! and wine if I feel like making it....

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 03-03-2010 11:02 AM

Starting seeds for spring gardens!!

YES this is the month to get many of your pepper and later the tomato seeds started for your gardens. (April starting time for northern climates.)

Reminder for home growers who lack greenhouses or grow light or the new special seed starters - peppers take 7-10 days before they sprout, tomatoes a week. They might sprout sooner, but this is the general suggested time. From there 6-8 weeks of growing time til planting time.

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When will the threat of frost be past?

Post by Linnea » 03-08-2010 05:29 PM

...for Western Washington ;)

by Jeff Renner _ King 5 Weatherman

Posted on February 25, 2010 at 6:54 PM

When will the threat of frost be past?

"We're all getting the urge to begin gardening, but of course plants (especially young plants) don't respond well to freezing or sub-freezing temperatures. The exact last day of frost can vary from year to year, and from area to area (inland areas will tend to see frost occur much later in the spring than areas close to the Sound). Statistics show the average last day of frost for Seattle (referenced to the University of Washington) is March 22nd, and the "safe" date for planting is April 15th."

Sound about right Psychicwolf? What are you planting this year? Got anything started indoors?

So far, I have some tomato starts. Think I will start some lettuces, another variety of tomatoes, bunching green onions, and small zucchini squash inside this week as well.

Will sow some sugar pea pods (and plant the lettuces, gr onions) outside by mid-April. Depending on the outside temps, will start some Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans hills, and plant the tomato starts. Also going to try for butternut squash, and maybe some peppers and basil - although these will need a lot of sun and warmth.

My plans are modest, and hopefully more realistic this year. Have to do all on a shoestring budget. The plan is to make a raised bed 4' by 8' - whether or not I can assemble any boards to frame it in. Heh.

To accomplish this I'll need to lay out some layers of newspaper (yuk! wonder about the toxicity of the ink? But, got this info online at a gardening site) right on the grass to block out the light, then build up with (hopefully, if I can borrow a wood chipper, a layer of finely chopped branches I have laying around) - then some fertilizer, maybe straw if I can find any - followed by more fertilizer, some top soil, compost soil (hopefully from the compost bin I have), and mulch. Trying to find some local sources for organic gardening fertilizer, and some comfrey plants.

I've read that comfrey is amazing as a 'green fertilizer' as its roots dig deep into the ground and bring up nutrients and minerals otherwise not available - and you can chop up the leaves and place these right around the garden plants.

Here's a link for NW Herbs, etc...
http://www.horizonherbs.com/

Going to go check out this site - and watch the snow flakes fall! Yes, it is snowing here today! However, the flakes are not 'sticking'. 40 degrees, although near freezing in some areas overnight. Yikes!

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Post by badspell » 03-08-2010 07:53 PM

Linnea

“My plans are modest, and hopefully more realistic this year. Have to do all on a shoestring budget. The plan is to make a raised bed 4' by 8' - whether or not I can assemble any boards to frame it in. Heh.”

Linnea if you use wood make sure it’s not treated! No rail Road ties, landscape timbers or anything that has a green tent. They contain poisons that can leach into the soil and contaminate your vegetables. That said, untreated lumber in the great Northwest wouldn’t last very long. I’m not sure what’s available in you’re area, but I would look into rocks, blocks or stones. They look better than last forever.


“To accomplish this I'll need to lay out some layers of newspaper (yuk! wonder about the toxicity of the ink? But, got this info online at a gardening site) right on the grass to block out the light, then build up with (hopefully, if I can borrow a wood chipper, a layer of finely chopped branches I have laying around) - then some fertilizer, maybe straw if I can find any - followed by more fertilizer, some top soil, compost soil (hopefully from the compost bin I have), and mulch. Trying to find some local sources for organic gardening fertilizer, and some comfrey plants.”

Linnea if you’re making a raised bed, say 12” or so no need for newspapers. Grass will never survive that deep and I have concerns about layering wood chips and fertilizer. Even if it’s organic. It looks to me like recipe to throw off the pH of the soil, and also burn the root system. I can’t speak to your soil conditions out there, but if I were starting a garden. Bring in some topsoil, till in some compost, take a soil test mid summer and go from there.
You spoke about a shoestring budget. There’s no need to waste organic fertilizers in unneeded areas. Rather dig holes 2’ deep & 18” wide. In the bottom 1/3 of the hole mix top soil and organic fertilizer as directed. Put in a layer of just topsoil/seasoned compost…. and plant. Young plants don’t need a lot of nutrients and can be burned if too many are added too soon. Put nutrients deeper so the roots can benefit the mature producing Plant when it‘s needed the most. I guarantee if you use this method in Midsummer when the neighbors plants are looking wimpy. Yours will be healthy and producing.


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Post by Joolz » 03-08-2010 10:20 PM

That's great advice for Linnea, badspell. :)

Linnea, I think I'd just make the raised bed out of concrete blocks. They're cheap enough and you wouldn't even need to cement them together. Just set them close together, and stagger them if you want to stack two rows high (you'll need some half-blocks, too, if you stack them). They're heavy enough that I don't think they'll move around. If you want to cement them together, a small bag of Quickcrete would be all you need. You could easily handle that by yourself.

There are lots of organics available now, even at Lowe's and Home Depot. Organic soils, composts, manures, mulches. Organic veggie starts, too.

I'm thinking you could go ahead and plant your peas, lettuces, and onions in the ground right now. Spinach and most other greens fall into this category, too. They prefer cool weather and will take a frost without damage (just not a hard freeze, but you can cover them overnight should that happen and they will be OK). You'll get a longer harvest season out of them that way. I used to plant this kind of stuff in February when I lived in Tennessee and it did just fine. Our last frost date was about the same as what you said yours is.

My lettuce, spinach, onions, swiss chard and mustard greens are all up now. :) Little babies poking their green heads up. Love it!

We've been working hard on the yard still. I've transplanted a lot of things the past week, and have more to go! Working on that lawn we're getting rid of. Tomorrow will be a long day of digging and getting rid of bermuda grass and crab grass. I'm going to set out some strawberries soon, too! Yum!
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Post by Cherry Kelly » 03-09-2010 10:47 AM

I prefer the concrete blocks to make raised beds. You do not need the soy oil based newspapers in a short concrete block based raised bed. Granted newspapers can help between top rows to help cut weeds, but they do disintegrate. I have also used the plastic borders to create semi-raised beds.

My strawberry bed has two side of RR ties and two that are unpainted metal. The RR ties have sat in the open for several years. I lined the inside of the ties with garden plastic and do test the Ph levels. It is an experiment that I will check on as years go by.

Untreated lumber can be found, but is prone to attracting termites as well as other unwelcome pests.

My largest concrete raised bed is 10' x 12' (approx). I have grown everything from tomatoes and peppers to zucchini and onions as well as early leafy veggies. The other garden areas have plastic border as well as no borders. So far - so good.

---
badspell looks good, now to separate into individual planters!

Our last frost time varies and will go into May, so I often have planter starters going longer indoors. IF you have the possibility of frost after planting outdoors - have some covers to protect those plants! Had to do that more than once when we had late May frosts.

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 03-11-2010 11:13 AM

Not only do they have those handing tomato plant baskets, but they seem to have gone further - with hanging ones for peppers, cucumbers, etc. (and of course flowers).

Cheapest place to obtain them: WalMart, Target and similar stores.

This should be good news for those who have deck areas or places to hang plants - particularly veggies. Some have had good luck with them, so might grab a couple just to see if they do work. Neighbor's tomatoes were so-so last year, but am thinking of the cucumbers and perhaps small type squash plants.

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Post by Psychicwolf » 03-25-2010 10:11 AM

I've been working the soil and moving my beautiful compost into the garden.;) The elk did very little damage to the fence this year, which was good.

I do have the carrots, kale, arugula and the beets in. I'll probably plant shell peas, Chinese pea pods and broccoli nest week. My onions wintered over pretty well this year thanks to the mild weather, but I will plant a few more sets of the reds which didn't hold over as hardily. The peppers, strawberries, herbs and lettuce are in the greenhouse (I built from left over materials from the house construction).

I think I am going to do potatoes in the new "bag" system. The soil here is so moist, I've had mildew problems with taters in the ground. Plus then I could have them closer to the house...the better to fight the critters for them.:D

Hoping this year is as fine as last year!
Dance to heal the earth. Not just when you're dancing, but always. Live the dance, whenever you move, in all you do, dance to heal the earth.

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 03-25-2010 12:26 PM

Psychic - sounds like you have a good start.
For those potatoes - I am using old hay bales unless I can find some straw bales - they do well in either. they do need decent drainage for sure!

Still too wet/cold here to do much except very early spring growing plants - leaf lettuce, spinach and yes will put out some onions too. (small table type onions) That is IF the weather cooperates.

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 04-02-2010 11:06 AM

Seeds are up!! yes - gardens wet again - with the rain - but some weeding is going on in flower beds -- shepherds grass (flowers) seem to go everywhere and anywhere all it takes is one small root being missed - and poof!!

---
Daffodils blooming here - beautifully! Redbuds, forsythia - gonna be pretty!

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