Use diatomaceous earth for a natural bug killer! It's effective against most insects and even slugs and snails. It is not a chemical. It is diatoms (a type of phytoplankton algae) that have been ground up. The edges are very sharp and will puncture the insect's skin or mess up the insect's breathing, digestion and reproduction if eating.
Diatomaceous earth is safe for humans, but you shouldn't breathe it in. Take precautions such as using gloves and wearing a mask. Keep out the reach of children.
To apply, your plants must be wet. So do it first thing in the morning or after watering. Put diatomaceous earth in a jar with holes in the lid and shake a thin layer onto the leaves. Repeat as necessary.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Blackberries
Recommended varieties:
~western trailing (ripe June/July)~
*Siskiyou
Boysenberry
~eastern erect (ripe July/Aug)
Apache
Arapaho
*Navajo
~eastern semi-erect (ripe August/Sept)
**Triple Crown
Chester
*Prime Jan
Not recommended: Marion
Planting:
Plant in early spring. Space western trailing plants 4-6 feet apart, rows 8-10 feet apart. Erect types should be spaced 3-4 eet apart, rows 8-10 feet apart.
Trellising & Trimming:
Western trailing type - Set stout end posts between each plant. Place top wire 5 feet above ground, the next one 3 feet above. New canes grow for one year, overwinter, grow fruit the next summer, then die. Cut out the canes that bore fruit at ground level . Train new canes singly in a spiral, fan shaped wrap on two wires. Put longest canes on first.
Erect type - Cut new canes to about 40" as they develop in the summer to promote lateral branching. After the harvest, kep only 3-4 of the strongest new canes. During the following spring, cut back lateral branches on floricanes (canes that bore fruit last summer) to 12-18" to improve fruit quality.
I planted 1 Triple Crown plant this year.
~western trailing (ripe June/July)~
*Siskiyou
Boysenberry
~eastern erect (ripe July/Aug)
Apache
Arapaho
*Navajo
~eastern semi-erect (ripe August/Sept)
**Triple Crown
Chester
*Prime Jan
Not recommended: Marion
Planting:
Plant in early spring. Space western trailing plants 4-6 feet apart, rows 8-10 feet apart. Erect types should be spaced 3-4 eet apart, rows 8-10 feet apart.
Trellising & Trimming:
Western trailing type - Set stout end posts between each plant. Place top wire 5 feet above ground, the next one 3 feet above. New canes grow for one year, overwinter, grow fruit the next summer, then die. Cut out the canes that bore fruit at ground level . Train new canes singly in a spiral, fan shaped wrap on two wires. Put longest canes on first.
Erect type - Cut new canes to about 40" as they develop in the summer to promote lateral branching. After the harvest, kep only 3-4 of the strongest new canes. During the following spring, cut back lateral branches on floricanes (canes that bore fruit last summer) to 12-18" to improve fruit quality.
I planted 1 Triple Crown plant this year.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Getting seeds up & Watering
To get seeds up, you have to keep the garden moist. Water with an impact-head sprinkler until seedlings all emerge. For a spring garden, you can probably get away with daily for a few minutes, summer gardens will need more.
After seedlings emerge, water with soaker hoses or other drip system. The best system (and most cost-effective one) that I've seen is sold locally by a man out of his house. His website is www.homegardenirrigation.com.
Spring & Fall garden - needs to be watered 2x a week
Summer garden (all but tomatoes, melons, cantalopes, butternut/hubbard/banana squash) - water 1x a week
Tomatoes, melons, cantalope, squash - water every 10 days to 2 weeks.
Fruit trees - water every 10 days to 2 weeks
After seedlings emerge, water with soaker hoses or other drip system. The best system (and most cost-effective one) that I've seen is sold locally by a man out of his house. His website is www.homegardenirrigation.com.
Spring & Fall garden - needs to be watered 2x a week
Summer garden (all but tomatoes, melons, cantalopes, butternut/hubbard/banana squash) - water 1x a week
Tomatoes, melons, cantalope, squash - water every 10 days to 2 weeks.
Fruit trees - water every 10 days to 2 weeks
Strawberries
Strawberries
Recommended Varieties:
~June Bearing~
*Ventana
*Sequoia
Oso Grande
Camino Real
Camarosa
Tioga
~Everbearing~
**Albion
*Diamante
Aromas
Seascape
Eversweet (Hecker/Fern Cross)
Selva
Hecker
Fern
Varieties to Avoid
Benton
Shucksham
Tribute
Tristar
Quinault
Fort Laramie
Ozark Beauty
Whopper
Planting (year 1):
Plant in spring or early summer, they will produce a small crop the first year.
Work organic material into the top 8-10 inches of the soil.
Work in a complete fertilizer along with the organic material, strawberries love nitrogen (but need complete fertilizer like 16-8-8)
Plant in rows, staggered 10 to 14" apart. (1 per square foot)
Immediately after planting, thoroughly soak (impact sprinkler 1 hour on quarter circle.)
If planted in the spring, water every other day for a few minutes for a week, if planted in warm summer weather, water for a few minutes every day for a week
Watering:
Water strawberries regularly to keep even level of moisture -
During 2nd week of planting, water every 2-3 days, depending on weather
After two weeks, water 2x a week. (Impact sprinkler, let run to soak root zone - 12" deep. or do soaker hoses in furrows = preferable to avoid fungus.)
Growing:
Within 4 weeks of planting, clip all the flowers. Let the next set of flowers grow.
Remove all runners to encourage plant to produce berries (instead of new plants) Do through October on everbearing berries.
Fertilize once every 6 weeks lightly, rather than a lot at the beginning of the year (example: ammonium sulfate at a rate of 1.5 cups per 30 feet row that is 36" wide)
Mulch - Strawberries love mulch. put grass clippings 4" deep after they are vigorously growing - about 3 weeks after planting in late spring.
renew mulch in the spring
You can leave runners that grow after fruiting season (oct for everbearers). Direct them where you want them to grow.
In october when the strawberry plants are dry, mow them down or clip to 4" and then re-mulch. Or leave plants and renew mulch in spring.
Harvesting:
When berries are fruiting, pick three to four times a week. Pick ripe and refrigerate immediately.
If you follow these methods, you should get 150-200 berries per plant!
Following Years:
year 2 - don't clip flowers at all, do clip runners all season
year 3 - repeat
year 4 - repeat
After the fourth season is done, you'll need to replant new plants the next year. (unless you had new plants grow.)
Recommended Varieties:
~June Bearing~
*Ventana
*Sequoia
Oso Grande
Camino Real
Camarosa
Tioga
~Everbearing~
**Albion
*Diamante
Aromas
Seascape
Eversweet (Hecker/Fern Cross)
Selva
Hecker
Fern
Varieties to Avoid
Benton
Shucksham
Tribute
Tristar
Quinault
Fort Laramie
Ozark Beauty
Whopper
Planting (year 1):
Plant in spring or early summer, they will produce a small crop the first year.
Work organic material into the top 8-10 inches of the soil.
Work in a complete fertilizer along with the organic material, strawberries love nitrogen (but need complete fertilizer like 16-8-8)
Plant in rows, staggered 10 to 14" apart. (1 per square foot)
Immediately after planting, thoroughly soak (impact sprinkler 1 hour on quarter circle.)
If planted in the spring, water every other day for a few minutes for a week, if planted in warm summer weather, water for a few minutes every day for a week
Watering:
Water strawberries regularly to keep even level of moisture -
During 2nd week of planting, water every 2-3 days, depending on weather
After two weeks, water 2x a week. (Impact sprinkler, let run to soak root zone - 12" deep. or do soaker hoses in furrows = preferable to avoid fungus.)
Growing:
Within 4 weeks of planting, clip all the flowers. Let the next set of flowers grow.
Remove all runners to encourage plant to produce berries (instead of new plants) Do through October on everbearing berries.
Fertilize once every 6 weeks lightly, rather than a lot at the beginning of the year (example: ammonium sulfate at a rate of 1.5 cups per 30 feet row that is 36" wide)
Mulch - Strawberries love mulch. put grass clippings 4" deep after they are vigorously growing - about 3 weeks after planting in late spring.
renew mulch in the spring
You can leave runners that grow after fruiting season (oct for everbearers). Direct them where you want them to grow.
In october when the strawberry plants are dry, mow them down or clip to 4" and then re-mulch. Or leave plants and renew mulch in spring.
Harvesting:
When berries are fruiting, pick three to four times a week. Pick ripe and refrigerate immediately.
If you follow these methods, you should get 150-200 berries per plant!
Following Years:
year 2 - don't clip flowers at all, do clip runners all season
year 3 - repeat
year 4 - repeat
After the fourth season is done, you'll need to replant new plants the next year. (unless you had new plants grow.)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Carrots
From the back of the Mountain Valley Seeds Carrots - Scarlet Nantes package:
"Bugs Bunny would love this carrot, and so should you. Here's a long, fine-grained carrot that is nearly coreless. A rich orange color, it is delicious raw, cooked or frozen. Like other carrots, it is rich in food value and stores well. Good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin A."
Full Sun
Plant 1/4" deep, spaced 1/2" apart
Row spacing: 12-15"
Seedlings emerge in 12-18 days
Days to maturity: 65-75 days
Thin to 1/2" apart when 3" tall
Recommended Varieties:
Sweet Bay Jane (57 days)
Magnum (58 days)
Sugar Snax (63 days)
Envy (66 days)
Scarlet Nantes (68 days)
Tender Sweet (75 days)
Harvesting Tips:
You can harvest carrots when they are very small (baby carrots). But you can still eat them when older and they are still good. They store in the ground for 3-4 months in cool summer weather and 6-7 monhts in the winter if planted to mature in the fall.
"Bugs Bunny would love this carrot, and so should you. Here's a long, fine-grained carrot that is nearly coreless. A rich orange color, it is delicious raw, cooked or frozen. Like other carrots, it is rich in food value and stores well. Good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin A."
Full Sun
Plant 1/4" deep, spaced 1/2" apart
Row spacing: 12-15"
Seedlings emerge in 12-18 days
Days to maturity: 65-75 days
Thin to 1/2" apart when 3" tall
Recommended Varieties:
Sweet Bay Jane (57 days)
Magnum (58 days)
Sugar Snax (63 days)
Envy (66 days)
Scarlet Nantes (68 days)
Tender Sweet (75 days)
Harvesting Tips:
You can harvest carrots when they are very small (baby carrots). But you can still eat them when older and they are still good. They store in the ground for 3-4 months in cool summer weather and 6-7 monhts in the winter if planted to mature in the fall.
Spinach
From the back of the Burpee Spinach Bloomsdale Long-Standing package:
"Glossy dark green, crinkled leaves. Will grow a long time before "bolting" so you can pick over a long season. Great for salads."
Full sun
Plant 1/2" deep
Seedlings emerge in 7-14 days
Space rows 18" to 24" apart.
Thin to 6" apart when seedlings are 1-2" high
Harvest in about 48 days
Recommended Varieties:
Bloomsdale Long Standing
America
Harvesting Tips:
Harvest spinach before it starts putting up seed stalks, because it becomes tough and strong tasting.
Cut the whole plant straight across about 1/2" above the ground. If you start harvesting when the plants are very young and have only 5-6 leaves, they will grow a new set of leaves before going to seed. Long-standing variety may last longer. You may also clip off outer leaves and leave inner leaves to grow more.
Eating Tips:
Add to salads
Add to fruit shakes to make "green" smoothies
Preserving Tips:
Refrigerate
Wash and freeze in gallon size freezer bags
"Glossy dark green, crinkled leaves. Will grow a long time before "bolting" so you can pick over a long season. Great for salads."
Full sun
Plant 1/2" deep
Seedlings emerge in 7-14 days
Space rows 18" to 24" apart.
Thin to 6" apart when seedlings are 1-2" high
Harvest in about 48 days
Recommended Varieties:
Bloomsdale Long Standing
America
Harvesting Tips:
Harvest spinach before it starts putting up seed stalks, because it becomes tough and strong tasting.
Cut the whole plant straight across about 1/2" above the ground. If you start harvesting when the plants are very young and have only 5-6 leaves, they will grow a new set of leaves before going to seed. Long-standing variety may last longer. You may also clip off outer leaves and leave inner leaves to grow more.
Eating Tips:
Add to salads
Add to fruit shakes to make "green" smoothies
Preserving Tips:
Refrigerate
Wash and freeze in gallon size freezer bags
Swiss Chard
From the back of the Burpee Swiss Chard Neon Lights Mix package:
"A Beautiful blend of amazing clors. Includes: golden yellow, intense red, rich magenta, cream and pure white. All have bright green leaves."
Full Sun
Plant 1/2" deep, 6" apart
Thin to 12" apart when seedlings are 1-2" tall
Harvest in about 60 days
Recommended Varieties:
Large White Ribbed
Rhubarb Chard
Bright Lights
Discovery
Fordhook Giant (standard variety)
Harvesting Tips:
Harvest regularly when plants are 10-12." If the plants get too tall, it gets fiberous and isn't mild and tender. Cut the outside leaves and leave a clump of small leaves in the center so it will keep producing. Or, you can just cut off all the leaves straight across and leave 1" above the ground if you have a lot of plants, it will grow back later. Just cut one plant at a time and within a week or two, the leaves will be large enough to cut again.
Eating Tips:
Add to salads
Add to fruit shakes to make "green" smoothies
Preserving Tips:
Refrigerate
Wash and freeze in gallon size freezer bags
"A Beautiful blend of amazing clors. Includes: golden yellow, intense red, rich magenta, cream and pure white. All have bright green leaves."
Full Sun
Plant 1/2" deep, 6" apart
Thin to 12" apart when seedlings are 1-2" tall
Harvest in about 60 days
Recommended Varieties:
Large White Ribbed
Rhubarb Chard
Bright Lights
Discovery
Fordhook Giant (standard variety)
Harvesting Tips:
Harvest regularly when plants are 10-12." If the plants get too tall, it gets fiberous and isn't mild and tender. Cut the outside leaves and leave a clump of small leaves in the center so it will keep producing. Or, you can just cut off all the leaves straight across and leave 1" above the ground if you have a lot of plants, it will grow back later. Just cut one plant at a time and within a week or two, the leaves will be large enough to cut again.
Eating Tips:
Add to salads
Add to fruit shakes to make "green" smoothies
Preserving Tips:
Refrigerate
Wash and freeze in gallon size freezer bags
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Beets
From the back of Ferry-Morse Detroit Dark Red, Morse's Strain package:
"High in vitamins A, B2, B6 & C. Dark red, globe-shaped roots have crisp, sweet, tender flesh. A Ferry-Morse introduction; ideal for home canning and pickling."
Full sun
Plant 1" deep
Row spacing 18"
Thin to 4" apart when 6" tall
Seedlings emerge 8 to 10 days
"The small slender tops make delicious greens. Beets can be grown repeatedly during the season for a bountiful crop."
Recommended Varieties:
Perfected Detroit
Detroit Supreme
Harvesting Tips:
For beet greens, eat when about 6" tall, and root is marble size
Start harvesting when beets are 1" in diameter. You can eat them up to just about the size of a baseball. If you've never eaten fresh cooked beets, you're in for a treat.
"High in vitamins A, B2, B6 & C. Dark red, globe-shaped roots have crisp, sweet, tender flesh. A Ferry-Morse introduction; ideal for home canning and pickling."
Full sun
Plant 1" deep
Row spacing 18"
Thin to 4" apart when 6" tall
Seedlings emerge 8 to 10 days
"The small slender tops make delicious greens. Beets can be grown repeatedly during the season for a bountiful crop."
Recommended Varieties:
Perfected Detroit
Detroit Supreme
Harvesting Tips:
For beet greens, eat when about 6" tall, and root is marble size
Start harvesting when beets are 1" in diameter. You can eat them up to just about the size of a baseball. If you've never eaten fresh cooked beets, you're in for a treat.
Kale
From the back of the Ferry-Morse Kale, Dwarf Blue-Curled, Vate's Strain package:
"Parsley-like leaves that are never bitter are very desirable as greens and garnishing. Can be grown both as a spring and early fall crop. Loaded with vitamins A and C and the B group."
Plant 1/4 to 1/2" deep
Row spacing 12"
Plant spacing 12"
Seedlings emerge in 8-12 days
Days to harvest: 60 days
"Suggestions: Make several pickings during season for abundant crop before hot weather. Sow again in midsummer for fall crop. A light fall frost makes the pleasant flavor of the leaves even better."
Harvesting tips:
Cut off leaves
Eating:
Eat in salads
Great to add to fruit shakes for "green smoothies"
Preserving:
Refrigerate
Wash and Freeze in gallon bags
"Parsley-like leaves that are never bitter are very desirable as greens and garnishing. Can be grown both as a spring and early fall crop. Loaded with vitamins A and C and the B group."
Plant 1/4 to 1/2" deep
Row spacing 12"
Plant spacing 12"
Seedlings emerge in 8-12 days
Days to harvest: 60 days
"Suggestions: Make several pickings during season for abundant crop before hot weather. Sow again in midsummer for fall crop. A light fall frost makes the pleasant flavor of the leaves even better."
Harvesting tips:
Cut off leaves
Eating:
Eat in salads
Great to add to fruit shakes for "green smoothies"
Preserving:
Refrigerate
Wash and Freeze in gallon bags
Monday, March 2, 2009
Snap Peas
Planting instructions for peas from the back of the package of Burpee Super Sugar Snap peas:
"An improved sugar snap pea with sweeter, plumper, earlier pods on more productive and disease resistant plants. Use raw or cooked. Provide strong support."
Full Sun
Plant 2" deep, 2" apart
Thin seedlings to 6" apart
24" between rows
Seedlings emerge in 7-14 days
Harvest in 64 days
Recommended varieties:
Super Sugar Snap (64 days)
Sugar Sprint (62 days)
Oregon Giant Snow Peas (60 days)
Harvesting Tips:
Begin harvesting when the peas are ripe - meaning the pods have swollen but aren't old. Keep plants well picked, as they produce a lot more when you do.
"An improved sugar snap pea with sweeter, plumper, earlier pods on more productive and disease resistant plants. Use raw or cooked. Provide strong support."
Full Sun
Plant 2" deep, 2" apart
Thin seedlings to 6" apart
24" between rows
Seedlings emerge in 7-14 days
Harvest in 64 days
Recommended varieties:
Super Sugar Snap (64 days)
Sugar Sprint (62 days)
Oregon Giant Snow Peas (60 days)
Harvesting Tips:
Begin harvesting when the peas are ripe - meaning the pods have swollen but aren't old. Keep plants well picked, as they produce a lot more when you do.
Lettuce
From the back of the Burpee Organic Buttercrunch Lettuce packet:
"All-America Winner. .... luscious, buttery texture. Compact heads with some heat resistance."
Full sun
1/4" deep
Thin to 8" apart when 1 to 2" high
Seedlings emerge in 7-10 days
Sow every two weeks to extend harvest
Recommended Varieties:
~Butterhead~
Red Derby
Buttercrunch
~Romaine~
Red Eye Cos
Paris Island Cos
Giant Caesar
~Looseleaf~
Oakleaf
Red Sails
Harvesting Tips:
~Looseleaf~
cut off most of the outer leaves and leave the small center leaves intact so the plant continues producing.
~Romaine / Butterhead~
When lettuce is properly headed, use a sharp knife at the base to cut it off.
If harvesting in spring, cut as soon as mature so they don't bolt (once that happens, the lettuce is very tough and bitter)
If maturing in the fall, they can last for several weeks in the garden. They will blanch (center leaves are lighter colored and are milder.)
"All-America Winner. .... luscious, buttery texture. Compact heads with some heat resistance."
Full sun
1/4" deep
Thin to 8" apart when 1 to 2" high
Seedlings emerge in 7-10 days
Sow every two weeks to extend harvest
Recommended Varieties:
~Butterhead~
Red Derby
Buttercrunch
~Romaine~
Red Eye Cos
Paris Island Cos
Giant Caesar
~Looseleaf~
Oakleaf
Red Sails
Harvesting Tips:
~Looseleaf~
cut off most of the outer leaves and leave the small center leaves intact so the plant continues producing.
~Romaine / Butterhead~
When lettuce is properly headed, use a sharp knife at the base to cut it off.
If harvesting in spring, cut as soon as mature so they don't bolt (once that happens, the lettuce is very tough and bitter)
If maturing in the fall, they can last for several weeks in the garden. They will blanch (center leaves are lighter colored and are milder.)
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Spring Garden
Things I will plant in the spring garden. Can be planted around March 15th. These are plants that are leaf and root plants that like cool weather and have shallow roots.
*Peas, Sugar Snap
*Kale, dwarf blue curled, Vate's strain
*Beets, Detroit Dark Red, Morse's strain
*Swiss Chard, Neon Lights Mix
*Spinach, Bloomsdale Long-standing
*Lettuce, Buttercrunch organic
*Carrots, Scarlet Nantes
Other items to plant around March 15, but I may not get to this year:
Strawberries (April 1)
Raspberries
Blackberries
Celery
Radishes
Turnips
Potatoes
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Garlic
Asparagus
Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Plant extra plantings on April 1 & April 15 for longer crop:
Lettuce
Kale
Beets
Carrots
Radishes
Rhubarb
And Recommended Varieties of some of the veggies I didn't plant this year. Plant varieties in the spring that are earlier so they mature before full heat, and the later varieties in the fall:
~Asparagus~
Jersey Knight
Jersey Giant
U C 157
Purple Passion (purple, sweeter, but not as productive)
~Broccoli~
Early Divided (45 days)
Packman (55 days)
Coronado Crown (60 days)
Marathon (68 days)
Goliath (76 days)
Arcadia (86 days)
~Cauliflower~
Farmer's Extra Early (40 days)
Snow Crown (48 days)
Cassius (65 days)
Cheddar (68 days)
Artica (80 days)
~Potatoes~
*Yukon Gold
Red Pontiac
Yellow Finn
Gold Rush Russet
Butte
Ranger Russet
Russet Burbank
~Sweet Potatoes (Yams)~
Georgia Jets (85 days)
Centennial (90 days)
~Rhubarb~
Valentine (old good standard)
Crimson Red (new variety)
*Peas, Sugar Snap
*Kale, dwarf blue curled, Vate's strain
*Beets, Detroit Dark Red, Morse's strain
*Swiss Chard, Neon Lights Mix
*Spinach, Bloomsdale Long-standing
*Lettuce, Buttercrunch organic
*Carrots, Scarlet Nantes
Other items to plant around March 15, but I may not get to this year:
Strawberries (April 1)
Raspberries
Blackberries
Celery
Radishes
Turnips
Potatoes
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Garlic
Asparagus
Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Plant extra plantings on April 1 & April 15 for longer crop:
Lettuce
Kale
Beets
Carrots
Radishes
Rhubarb
And Recommended Varieties of some of the veggies I didn't plant this year. Plant varieties in the spring that are earlier so they mature before full heat, and the later varieties in the fall:
~Asparagus~
Jersey Knight
Jersey Giant
U C 157
Purple Passion (purple, sweeter, but not as productive)
~Broccoli~
Early Divided (45 days)
Packman (55 days)
Coronado Crown (60 days)
Marathon (68 days)
Goliath (76 days)
Arcadia (86 days)
~Cauliflower~
Farmer's Extra Early (40 days)
Snow Crown (48 days)
Cassius (65 days)
Cheddar (68 days)
Artica (80 days)
~Potatoes~
*Yukon Gold
Red Pontiac
Yellow Finn
Gold Rush Russet
Butte
Ranger Russet
Russet Burbank
~Sweet Potatoes (Yams)~
Georgia Jets (85 days)
Centennial (90 days)
~Rhubarb~
Valentine (old good standard)
Crimson Red (new variety)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Seeds vs Plants
For most things, you can plant just seeds. For example, these do well from seed:
Cucumbers
Melons
Squash
Pumpkins
Corn
Spinach
Beets
Beans
Swiss Chard
These are almost always started as transplants:
Tomatoes
Peppers
Eggplants
Celery
These are good to start indoors to plant in a spring garden when germination is poor:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Lettuce
Peas
You could plant these at the same time you plant your spring garden and then transplant if the ones you plant outside don't come up, or start them about March 1. You could also start successive plantings of lettuce inside March 1, March 15, April 1 and April 15.
Cucumbers
Melons
Squash
Pumpkins
Corn
Spinach
Beets
Beans
Swiss Chard
These are almost always started as transplants:
Tomatoes
Peppers
Eggplants
Celery
These are good to start indoors to plant in a spring garden when germination is poor:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Lettuce
Peas
You could plant these at the same time you plant your spring garden and then transplant if the ones you plant outside don't come up, or start them about March 1. You could also start successive plantings of lettuce inside March 1, March 15, April 1 and April 15.
My Garden Size
I have 3 raised bed gardens to plant. Here are the dimensions:
Spring Garden bed - 132" x 43" (11 feet x 3 feet 9") or 40 square feet
Summer Garden #1 - same as Spring garden
Summer Garden #2 - 209" x 38" (17 feet 5" x 3 feet 2") or 55 square feet
Then I also have these areas:
Tomato bed - 9 feet by 11 feet, or 99 square feet
Strawberry patch - 150" x 38" (12 feet 6" x 3 feet 3"), or 40 square feet
Raspberry patch - 30 feet by 3 feet, or 90 square feet
So my total garden area is: 364 square feet
Veggies - 234 square feet
Berries - 130 square feet
Spring Garden bed - 132" x 43" (11 feet x 3 feet 9") or 40 square feet
Summer Garden #1 - same as Spring garden
Summer Garden #2 - 209" x 38" (17 feet 5" x 3 feet 2") or 55 square feet
Then I also have these areas:
Tomato bed - 9 feet by 11 feet, or 99 square feet
Strawberry patch - 150" x 38" (12 feet 6" x 3 feet 3"), or 40 square feet
Raspberry patch - 30 feet by 3 feet, or 90 square feet
So my total garden area is: 364 square feet
Veggies - 234 square feet
Berries - 130 square feet
Publish Post
Friday, February 27, 2009
A Garden Blog
This blog is to keep track of my gardening this year! We took a gardening class and I figured if I blog about it, I might not lose all the info for next year. I've gardened for years, but never really knew what I was doing. I still don't, but I did learn a lot at the class and I think the garden should do much better this year.
Much of the info is from that class taught by Gordon Wells, Jr. The recommended varieties and harvesting tips were very useful, as well as soil prep, fertilizing and watering.
Much of the info is from that class taught by Gordon Wells, Jr. The recommended varieties and harvesting tips were very useful, as well as soil prep, fertilizing and watering.
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