Hey GREENTHUMBERS!!!!
"Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110" has been growing, big surprise huh? Well once again the "Dirt Bags have been producing lettuce, onions, spinach and a few more radishes. I expected more from the radishes but when it got hot they went to tops and stopped forming bulbous roots. Maybe I watered them too much or gave them too much fertilizer or something. In conclusion the radish in the bad was only semi-successful. I have replanted two "Dirt bags" with 6 Broccoli plants and a 3rd "Dirt bag with Yellow Bush Beans, which are already peeking their heads up. I still have lots of lettuce, onions and beets to harvest. The beets look very healthy but we will have to see how they grow in their rather shallow container. Okay now on to the straw bale portion. It looks sad, very sad. I fertilized and then it rained for a week. I plan to fertilize more tomorrow. One of the Pepper Plants looks a little better but nothing is thriving. I was finally able to get the ground worked in the traditional garden bed and I planted Pole Beans, Bush Beans, Red, White, Blue & Yellow potatoes, Yellow Peppers, Yellow Tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and some Rhubarb plants too. I still have about 4 dozen Sweet Potato plants to get in if it ever stops raining long enough. I read about a sweet potato producer in Iowa who does not plant until mid-July. He says sweet potatoes love heat and he has great success waiting until then. If I can get mine planted by mid-July I will feel like I also succeeded. In the traditional garden the beans and onions are already up in less than a week. I planted all colors of beans, yellow, purple, green, pole, and mottled. I have also added to the experiment with some Patio Containers. I had 3 planting boxes that have water reservoirs underneath and one of those hanging planter thingies. My friend and Cubical-mate Sue gave me the hanging planter. It is meant for impatiens or other flowers and not necessarily tomatoes. However I really like the design better than other upside down tomato planters I have seen. This one has a hard plastic bottom so excess water has to overflow the 2" sides. I think this design helps to retain moisture better than if it just had holes in the bottom. I planted a couple of black tomato plants and several Marigolds in the sides of the planter. The tomatoes are growing like weeds; they are very happy and full of blossoms. 2 of the planting boxes also have 3 tomatoes each and the 3rd has 6 yellow pepper plants which all seem to be thriving. You may have noticed I have a lot of yellow peppers; I got a whole flat of 36 plants for only $4 at the Chana Auction Barn. The Chana Auction Barn has a sale every Tuesday all year round. It is very “rural” and a little “hillbilly” but where else can you buy poultry every Tuesday? This is where I acquired all of my babies. In fact this past Tuesday I brought home 15 more Indian Runner Ducklings. I now have 41 ducks, 22 chickens, 6 geese and 15 turkeys and one 55.5 pound Miniature Dachshund. I will be building more fences tomorrow to go around the new Duck House. We let the 13 baby turkeys out of their crib today for the first time. They immediately tried to fly out of the pen. The 2 older turkeys ran over and calmed everybody down and I was able to get 2 that made it to the outside back on the inside. Tonight everyone was put to bed inside the Chicken House and hopefully everyone will remember where home is tomorrow and not try to wander beyond the chicken yard. I will have to say the Ducks and Geese have had an impact on the bug population however the Mosquitoes are still winning the battle. I guess I just need more ducks!
Happy Gardening and Whispering!
Dale
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Experimental Garden Log: Stardate 05312010
Hey Gardening Groupies,
I know it has been a long time since I last posted to this blog but May has been a very, VERY, busy month. Besides tending to the "Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110" and also trying to do all the other Non-Experimental Gardening, I became the proud papa of baby ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys. I’ve been building fence and tending to my extensive flock of rare and heritage breed poultry. They have already been on the attack to the insect population and are big fans of the dandelions too. If everyone had a few chickens or geese you could eliminate your lawn's chemical dependency. I have read that Guinea Hens love Japanese Beetles and I am hoping that my chickens will too. In the south farmers used to raise “Weeder Geese” who would tear through the tobacco, cotton and corn fields, eating all the weeds and not touching the crops, a much “greener” method than today's herbicides.
Here are the breeds in my current flock as of May 31: 9 Saxony Ducklings, 17 Indian Runner Ducklings, 3 Chinese Geese 2 Buff Geese, 22 Bantam Chickens (21 Barnyard mix of colors and 1 all white), 16 Bronze Turkeys and 1 adult Grey goose currently referred to as “Mama Goose”. I actually started out with a few more but 2 chicks and 7 turkeys did not survive. I am quite impressed with the hardiness of the ducks and geese. The turkeys are being “turkeys” and looking healthy 1 minute and dead the next. One particular bird, “Charlie”, was looking ill earlier this week and was separated from the others. My Mother has been hand feeding him and he is doing much better and up and walking again. He may rejoin his brethren in a few days. Last Monday, one of the 90 degree days, 2 of the older turkeys, who are 5 weeks old, decided not to keep hydrated and dropped dead. So despite these deaths a couple of possible “births” have also emerged. About 2 weeks ago an adult grey goose wandered into the yard. She may have heard the goslings and ducklings at play. Anyway she is very tame and I put her in the dog kennel while we searched for her home and within an hour she laid an egg. We have yet to find out where she wandered away from and a few days later she laid another egg. A week ago I decided everybody seemed old enough and the overnight temps had warmed so all the ducks, geese and “Mama” got put together in the same pen. Mama Goose watches over everyone but in the last few days she has adopted the 3 Chinese Goslings. She now keeps the ducks a safe distance away and stands guard while the goslings forage. Also it has been over a week since her last egg so I think the factory may have closed once the adoption became finalized. If I can find an incubator large enough we may try to hatch the 2 eggs.
So now on to the Garden.....the recent weeks of rain and current heat wave have made "Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110" grow like crazy. I did have to cover it up with some tarps on May 12 because the 30 degree overnight temp was our last actual frost. Other than that I have not had to do too much. I will say these 2 methods require little or no maintenance other than watering. I also thinned the radish and beet seedlings a few weeks ago and added them to my coleslaw and salad for a tasty crunch, but that was like a 3 minute job. The “Dirt-Bag” portion of the garden has already had a few harvests, Radishes Onions and Spinach. The Lettuce could also be “saladized” anytime as well. I would also like to declare this method a success and recommend it for anyone with poor soil conditions, lack of space or time. A very prolific and successive salad garden can be grown in a very small space with very little effort. The “Myth” has been “Busted” and a use for “Dirt-Bags” has been found!
Straw Bale Garden: Okay, yes this is an experiment and I know not all experiments are successful, but I am starting to have my doubts on this method. First off the strawberries did not grow at all. I do however blame the bare roots that came from Home Depot. I planted some in the straw and some in the actual soil on the end of the garden but after 5 weeks they did absolutely NOTHING! Last week I dug around and found almost all of the bare roots just as they came out of the package, no signs of life at all. I have planted bare root stock before and had success but these had probably have been sitting in a warehouse since last fall and were dead before they went into the ground. I have replanted Marigolds in their space and they are doing well, which is more than I can say about the rest of the straw bales. Only 1 Cucumber has sprouted, all the Summer Squash came up as well as the Nasturtiums and so far only 3 of the Morning Glories. Everything is alive but it does not seem to be thriving. I am going to start giving the plants some fish emulsion fertilizer to see if that will perk them up. The Tomatoes, Cabbage and Peppers should have doubled in size by now at the minimum. Also everything seems to be somewhat pale and not a vibrant dark green which makes me think they are nutrient deprived. I mixed in a little 10-10-10 fertilizer in the planting holes but maybe that has already been used up. Nonetheless the "Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110" is growing along pretty good for as early as it was planted and I have been enjoying the harvests.
Happy Gardening,
Dale
I know it has been a long time since I last posted to this blog but May has been a very, VERY, busy month. Besides tending to the "Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110" and also trying to do all the other Non-Experimental Gardening, I became the proud papa of baby ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys. I’ve been building fence and tending to my extensive flock of rare and heritage breed poultry. They have already been on the attack to the insect population and are big fans of the dandelions too. If everyone had a few chickens or geese you could eliminate your lawn's chemical dependency. I have read that Guinea Hens love Japanese Beetles and I am hoping that my chickens will too. In the south farmers used to raise “Weeder Geese” who would tear through the tobacco, cotton and corn fields, eating all the weeds and not touching the crops, a much “greener” method than today's herbicides.
Here are the breeds in my current flock as of May 31: 9 Saxony Ducklings, 17 Indian Runner Ducklings, 3 Chinese Geese 2 Buff Geese, 22 Bantam Chickens (21 Barnyard mix of colors and 1 all white), 16 Bronze Turkeys and 1 adult Grey goose currently referred to as “Mama Goose”. I actually started out with a few more but 2 chicks and 7 turkeys did not survive. I am quite impressed with the hardiness of the ducks and geese. The turkeys are being “turkeys” and looking healthy 1 minute and dead the next. One particular bird, “Charlie”, was looking ill earlier this week and was separated from the others. My Mother has been hand feeding him and he is doing much better and up and walking again. He may rejoin his brethren in a few days. Last Monday, one of the 90 degree days, 2 of the older turkeys, who are 5 weeks old, decided not to keep hydrated and dropped dead. So despite these deaths a couple of possible “births” have also emerged. About 2 weeks ago an adult grey goose wandered into the yard. She may have heard the goslings and ducklings at play. Anyway she is very tame and I put her in the dog kennel while we searched for her home and within an hour she laid an egg. We have yet to find out where she wandered away from and a few days later she laid another egg. A week ago I decided everybody seemed old enough and the overnight temps had warmed so all the ducks, geese and “Mama” got put together in the same pen. Mama Goose watches over everyone but in the last few days she has adopted the 3 Chinese Goslings. She now keeps the ducks a safe distance away and stands guard while the goslings forage. Also it has been over a week since her last egg so I think the factory may have closed once the adoption became finalized. If I can find an incubator large enough we may try to hatch the 2 eggs.
So now on to the Garden.....the recent weeks of rain and current heat wave have made "Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110" grow like crazy. I did have to cover it up with some tarps on May 12 because the 30 degree overnight temp was our last actual frost. Other than that I have not had to do too much. I will say these 2 methods require little or no maintenance other than watering. I also thinned the radish and beet seedlings a few weeks ago and added them to my coleslaw and salad for a tasty crunch, but that was like a 3 minute job. The “Dirt-Bag” portion of the garden has already had a few harvests, Radishes Onions and Spinach. The Lettuce could also be “saladized” anytime as well. I would also like to declare this method a success and recommend it for anyone with poor soil conditions, lack of space or time. A very prolific and successive salad garden can be grown in a very small space with very little effort. The “Myth” has been “Busted” and a use for “Dirt-Bags” has been found!
Straw Bale Garden: Okay, yes this is an experiment and I know not all experiments are successful, but I am starting to have my doubts on this method. First off the strawberries did not grow at all. I do however blame the bare roots that came from Home Depot. I planted some in the straw and some in the actual soil on the end of the garden but after 5 weeks they did absolutely NOTHING! Last week I dug around and found almost all of the bare roots just as they came out of the package, no signs of life at all. I have planted bare root stock before and had success but these had probably have been sitting in a warehouse since last fall and were dead before they went into the ground. I have replanted Marigolds in their space and they are doing well, which is more than I can say about the rest of the straw bales. Only 1 Cucumber has sprouted, all the Summer Squash came up as well as the Nasturtiums and so far only 3 of the Morning Glories. Everything is alive but it does not seem to be thriving. I am going to start giving the plants some fish emulsion fertilizer to see if that will perk them up. The Tomatoes, Cabbage and Peppers should have doubled in size by now at the minimum. Also everything seems to be somewhat pale and not a vibrant dark green which makes me think they are nutrient deprived. I mixed in a little 10-10-10 fertilizer in the planting holes but maybe that has already been used up. Nonetheless the "Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110" is growing along pretty good for as early as it was planted and I have been enjoying the harvests.
Happy Gardening,
Dale
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Experimental Garden Log: Stardate 05012010
Hello Assorted Gardening Friends;
"Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110" is fully planted and starting to look more like a garden than a weird science project. Last week I took full advantage of our exceptionally early spring and planted all the bales so now I am watering something other than just straw! By the way, have you all noticed that the Lilac’s, Crabapples and other blossoms are almost a full month ahead of schedule this year, wow! That’s partly why on Wednesday, APRIL 28, 2010 I planted the bales of straw with the following:
Summer Squash - Green Gem Hybrid - Bale #1 (2 hills)
Summer Squash - Goldtender - Bale #2 (2 hills)
Tomato - Roma - Bale #3 (3 plants)
Cabbage - Dynamo - Bale # 4 (4 plants)
Tomato - Big Boy & Early Girl - Bale #5 (2 each)
Nasturtium - Jewel Mix - Bale #6 (5 hills)
Tomato - Cherry - Bale #7 (1 plant)
Tomato – Gold Dust - Bale #7 (3 plants)
Nasturtium - Fordhook Favorites - Bale #8 (5 hills)
Cucumber - Picklebush - Bale #9 (2 hills)
Cucumber - Spacemaster - Bale #10 (2 hills)
Pepper - Giant Marconi - Bale #11 (4 plants)
Pepper - Sweet Banana - Bale #12 (4 plants)
Marigold - Janie Primrose - Front Corners (4 plants)
Morning Glory - Picotee Blue at each end on trellises (4 hills)
NOW this the earliest I have EVER planted Tomatoes and Peppers, EVER! I mean we are in Northern Illinois after all and the last frost date is still a few weeks away, but since this is an experiment I decided to “go for it.” Plus the garden has a location advantage, some wind protection and the shed and bales absorb heat, and I can easily cover up the plants in case Ma Nature decides bring back a little winter weather. So throwing caution to the wind I planted the whole kitandkaboodle and as you see from the list I put in a few flowers for some color. Actually the Marigolds help keep pests away and all parts of the Nasturtium are edible and even are a source of vitamin C. The Morning Glory is a favorite flower of mine, however some species have edible parts or other medicinal uses such as a laxative or a hallucinogenic, but I will just admire mine for its blooms. (Okay here’s the starter for a round of “Six Degrees of Gina Ross”: The line "What's the story, morning glory?" is the opening to "The Telephone Hour" from the musical…???) In order to plant the bales I had to create a little pocket in the bales with a trowel for the plants or seeds. I filled each pocket with some of the store-bought compost and mixed in a little of the 10-10-10 fertilizer too. Not much different from planting directly into the ground really. According to my research the plants roots will work their way into the bale of straw as it continues to decompose. I have also purchased, as recommended by an online Bale-Gardener, a Fish Emulsion Fertilizer which it says to use about once a month. The plants and seeds should all mature and fully cover the bales. I have some trellises and cages for the tomatoes and cucumbers to vine up on. All of these plants are sort of on the second floor, up off of the ground, which is supposed to keep them healthier during the growing season. In my research I did not come across anyone who located their bales next to a building, the other examples were just sort of out in the middle of the yard and none seemed to be filled with such a variety. Fingers crossed and at the very least it already looks way better than the anti-swamp rat rock pile. Check out the photos because the “Bags of Dirt” section of the experimental garden is all sprouted and growing well. I need to thin the radishes already, which I plan to do this coming week. I read about using these seedling throwaways for a spicy crunch in a salad or stir-fry, which I will do. And speaking of eating, the wild Asparagus is up; I picked about 5 pounds last Thursday from my free clandestine roadside locations. I recently had the pleasure of some “Beer Battered Asparagus Spears”, an exceptionally delicious treat. These were just dipped in a thin Beer Batter and pan fried in a little oil (not deep fried) until crisp and tender.
Happy Gardening,
Dale
"Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110" is fully planted and starting to look more like a garden than a weird science project. Last week I took full advantage of our exceptionally early spring and planted all the bales so now I am watering something other than just straw! By the way, have you all noticed that the Lilac’s, Crabapples and other blossoms are almost a full month ahead of schedule this year, wow! That’s partly why on Wednesday, APRIL 28, 2010 I planted the bales of straw with the following:
Summer Squash - Green Gem Hybrid - Bale #1 (2 hills)
Summer Squash - Goldtender - Bale #2 (2 hills)
Tomato - Roma - Bale #3 (3 plants)
Cabbage - Dynamo - Bale # 4 (4 plants)
Tomato - Big Boy & Early Girl - Bale #5 (2 each)
Nasturtium - Jewel Mix - Bale #6 (5 hills)
Tomato - Cherry - Bale #7 (1 plant)
Tomato – Gold Dust - Bale #7 (3 plants)
Nasturtium - Fordhook Favorites - Bale #8 (5 hills)
Cucumber - Picklebush - Bale #9 (2 hills)
Cucumber - Spacemaster - Bale #10 (2 hills)
Pepper - Giant Marconi - Bale #11 (4 plants)
Pepper - Sweet Banana - Bale #12 (4 plants)
Marigold - Janie Primrose - Front Corners (4 plants)
Morning Glory - Picotee Blue at each end on trellises (4 hills)
NOW this the earliest I have EVER planted Tomatoes and Peppers, EVER! I mean we are in Northern Illinois after all and the last frost date is still a few weeks away, but since this is an experiment I decided to “go for it.” Plus the garden has a location advantage, some wind protection and the shed and bales absorb heat, and I can easily cover up the plants in case Ma Nature decides bring back a little winter weather. So throwing caution to the wind I planted the whole kitandkaboodle and as you see from the list I put in a few flowers for some color. Actually the Marigolds help keep pests away and all parts of the Nasturtium are edible and even are a source of vitamin C. The Morning Glory is a favorite flower of mine, however some species have edible parts or other medicinal uses such as a laxative or a hallucinogenic, but I will just admire mine for its blooms. (Okay here’s the starter for a round of “Six Degrees of Gina Ross”: The line "What's the story, morning glory?" is the opening to "The Telephone Hour" from the musical…???) In order to plant the bales I had to create a little pocket in the bales with a trowel for the plants or seeds. I filled each pocket with some of the store-bought compost and mixed in a little of the 10-10-10 fertilizer too. Not much different from planting directly into the ground really. According to my research the plants roots will work their way into the bale of straw as it continues to decompose. I have also purchased, as recommended by an online Bale-Gardener, a Fish Emulsion Fertilizer which it says to use about once a month. The plants and seeds should all mature and fully cover the bales. I have some trellises and cages for the tomatoes and cucumbers to vine up on. All of these plants are sort of on the second floor, up off of the ground, which is supposed to keep them healthier during the growing season. In my research I did not come across anyone who located their bales next to a building, the other examples were just sort of out in the middle of the yard and none seemed to be filled with such a variety. Fingers crossed and at the very least it already looks way better than the anti-swamp rat rock pile. Check out the photos because the “Bags of Dirt” section of the experimental garden is all sprouted and growing well. I need to thin the radishes already, which I plan to do this coming week. I read about using these seedling throwaways for a spicy crunch in a salad or stir-fry, which I will do. And speaking of eating, the wild Asparagus is up; I picked about 5 pounds last Thursday from my free clandestine roadside locations. I recently had the pleasure of some “Beer Battered Asparagus Spears”, an exceptionally delicious treat. These were just dipped in a thin Beer Batter and pan fried in a little oil (not deep fried) until crisp and tender.
Happy Gardening,
Dale
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Experimental Garden Log: Stardate 04202010
Hello Vegetables, Veggie-matarians and assorted Garden Folk;
"Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110" has been moving along. I have been watering the bales trying to get them ready for planting. Since the weather has been so nice and Mother Earth News said it was okay to plant cold weather crops 1 month before the last frost date, I decided to plant 5 of the bags of topsoil. First I had to remove the top of each bag with a utility knife, leaving a 2 inch border. Upon opening the first bag of premium topsoil I discovered it to be less than desirable for planting. It was dense and compacted with no organic material. The seeds would not be happy if I planted them in this stale loaf of dirt. Fortunately I had several bags of "Compost with Manure" on hand, which I mixed in to provide a much more welcoming home for the seeds. The topsoil and compost mixture is much lighter now than just straight topsoil. I also mixed in a handful of 10-10-10 fertilizer as instructed in the article. Mother Earth News must have different dirt available in their area because I can't see the topsoil as purchased working very well. I also punched the required drainage holes throughout the bottom of the bags with a screwdriver. The "soil" underneath is mostly clay and gravel but "Mother" said this method can would in poor soil conditions. Additionally there is about 3 inches of space between the bags and the bales so I decided to utilize this narrow lane and amended it with the "Compost with Manure" as well. Finally I started the arduous task of planting the seeds in the 5 bags (roughly 24" x 18" each) as well as that 3" strip. On April 14, 2010 (a new record for the earliest I have ever planted anything) the following went into Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110:
Spinach - Bloomsdale Long Standing - Bag #1 (2 rows)
Radish - Extra Early Cherry Belle - Bag #2 - (3 rows)
Lettuce - Buttercrunch - Bag #3 (1 row)
Lettuce- Black Seeded Simpson - Bag #3 (1 row)
Yellow Onions Sets - Bag #4 (3 rows)
Radish - Crimson Giant - Bag #5 (3 rows)
Pea - Snowbird - Edible Pod (in the 3" strip of space) (single row)
I know that some of you may be thinking 3 rows in such a narrow area seems a little too close for comfort, but this is an experiment. It is also basically just one large container garden so with ample water and nutrients I hope for success in these tiny spaces. I saw another brand of pre-bagged "Garden Soil" available and I am going to purchase 2 bags. It costs $4.97 per bag and from the description seems to be a mixture of topsoil and compost, similar to what I mixed myself for a small savings. I have some bare root strawberries for the end of the plot, and I will tryout this other product. I will also stick a few strawberries in the sides of the bales of straw as well. Today April 20, 2010 I plan to plant the following:
Yellow Onions Sets - Bag #6 (3 rows)
Beet - Detroit Dark Red - Bag #7 (2 rows)
Strawberries - Sequoia, Ozark Beauty, Quinalt - Bags #11 & #12
Pea - Snowbird - Edible Pod (in the rest of the 3" strip of space) (single row)
That will still leave Bags #8, #9, & #10 open.
Happy Gardening!
Dale
"Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110" has been moving along. I have been watering the bales trying to get them ready for planting. Since the weather has been so nice and Mother Earth News said it was okay to plant cold weather crops 1 month before the last frost date, I decided to plant 5 of the bags of topsoil. First I had to remove the top of each bag with a utility knife, leaving a 2 inch border. Upon opening the first bag of premium topsoil I discovered it to be less than desirable for planting. It was dense and compacted with no organic material. The seeds would not be happy if I planted them in this stale loaf of dirt. Fortunately I had several bags of "Compost with Manure" on hand, which I mixed in to provide a much more welcoming home for the seeds. The topsoil and compost mixture is much lighter now than just straight topsoil. I also mixed in a handful of 10-10-10 fertilizer as instructed in the article. Mother Earth News must have different dirt available in their area because I can't see the topsoil as purchased working very well. I also punched the required drainage holes throughout the bottom of the bags with a screwdriver. The "soil" underneath is mostly clay and gravel but "Mother" said this method can would in poor soil conditions. Additionally there is about 3 inches of space between the bags and the bales so I decided to utilize this narrow lane and amended it with the "Compost with Manure" as well. Finally I started the arduous task of planting the seeds in the 5 bags (roughly 24" x 18" each) as well as that 3" strip. On April 14, 2010 (a new record for the earliest I have ever planted anything) the following went into Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110:
Spinach - Bloomsdale Long Standing - Bag #1 (2 rows)
Radish - Extra Early Cherry Belle - Bag #2 - (3 rows)
Lettuce - Buttercrunch - Bag #3 (1 row)
Lettuce- Black Seeded Simpson - Bag #3 (1 row)
Yellow Onions Sets - Bag #4 (3 rows)
Radish - Crimson Giant - Bag #5 (3 rows)
Pea - Snowbird - Edible Pod (in the 3" strip of space) (single row)
I know that some of you may be thinking 3 rows in such a narrow area seems a little too close for comfort, but this is an experiment. It is also basically just one large container garden so with ample water and nutrients I hope for success in these tiny spaces. I saw another brand of pre-bagged "Garden Soil" available and I am going to purchase 2 bags. It costs $4.97 per bag and from the description seems to be a mixture of topsoil and compost, similar to what I mixed myself for a small savings. I have some bare root strawberries for the end of the plot, and I will tryout this other product. I will also stick a few strawberries in the sides of the bales of straw as well. Today April 20, 2010 I plan to plant the following:
Yellow Onions Sets - Bag #6 (3 rows)
Beet - Detroit Dark Red - Bag #7 (2 rows)
Strawberries - Sequoia, Ozark Beauty, Quinalt - Bags #11 & #12
Pea - Snowbird - Edible Pod (in the rest of the 3" strip of space) (single row)
That will still leave Bags #8, #9, & #10 open.
Happy Gardening!
Dale
Experimental Garden Log: Stardate 04112010
Hello All,
After spending several hours in the sun and heavy traffic recently, with little interest in my job skills, I decided instead to begin "Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110". This new adventure came about due to the most recent issue of Mother Earth News, which had an article about growing a garden in a minimum of space utilizing 40lb bags of topsoil. Another interesting method of planting vegetables in bales of straw was also brought to my attention in the past week. I coupled these two ideas, along with an unsightly area next to my parents shed and went to work. Yesterday, (April 10, 2010) I removed 12 wheelbarrows full of field stone that my father had placed there 25 years ago so the swamp rats would not burrow under the cement slab of the shed. I have not seen any swamp rats anywhere near the shed for 25 years, but they do exist. I do however know that because I removed the field stone, this will likely be the catalyst and year when they decide to return from their extended around the world tour. Nonetheless I have moved forward and purchased 12 bales of wheat straw and 12 - 40lb bags of premium topsoil (I chose the $1.98 per bag of superior dirt (Scott's brand Topsoil) over the $1.28 ordinary dirt (Wal-Mart brand topsoil). I installed the straw in a double row against the east wall of the shed. The bags of topsoil have been laid in a single row end to end all along the front. In order to prep the straw for planting the decay process must be kick started with water, so tonight I watered my straw bales, thoroughly. I am supposed to water them every day for a week after which I can begin planting. I will send photos of my progress as soon as I figure out how to move the images from the camera to the computer.
Happy Gardening,
Dale
After spending several hours in the sun and heavy traffic recently, with little interest in my job skills, I decided instead to begin "Experimental Garden Plot #1-A41110". This new adventure came about due to the most recent issue of Mother Earth News, which had an article about growing a garden in a minimum of space utilizing 40lb bags of topsoil. Another interesting method of planting vegetables in bales of straw was also brought to my attention in the past week. I coupled these two ideas, along with an unsightly area next to my parents shed and went to work. Yesterday, (April 10, 2010) I removed 12 wheelbarrows full of field stone that my father had placed there 25 years ago so the swamp rats would not burrow under the cement slab of the shed. I have not seen any swamp rats anywhere near the shed for 25 years, but they do exist. I do however know that because I removed the field stone, this will likely be the catalyst and year when they decide to return from their extended around the world tour. Nonetheless I have moved forward and purchased 12 bales of wheat straw and 12 - 40lb bags of premium topsoil (I chose the $1.98 per bag of superior dirt (Scott's brand Topsoil) over the $1.28 ordinary dirt (Wal-Mart brand topsoil). I installed the straw in a double row against the east wall of the shed. The bags of topsoil have been laid in a single row end to end all along the front. In order to prep the straw for planting the decay process must be kick started with water, so tonight I watered my straw bales, thoroughly. I am supposed to water them every day for a week after which I can begin planting. I will send photos of my progress as soon as I figure out how to move the images from the camera to the computer.
Happy Gardening,
Dale
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