Seedlings!

The first of the spring seedlings have emerged! I'm so happy. Here are some pictures!

The seedling setup in the kitchen:

Onions:

Kale, Red Russian:

Broccoli, Early Green:

Lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson:














Roque D'Hiver Lettuce:














Lettuce, Yugoslavian Red:

I have a couple of other kinds of lettuce, and also Sweet Alyssum which has come up. I'm starting some Mountain Laurel, Butterfly Weed, Red Milkweed and Leeks, we'll see how they come up!

Hens in the paper!

I'm in the local paper, for the warrant article on backyard hens in Arlington!

http://www.wickedlocal.com/arlington/news/x1959825954/Backyard-hens

Bok bok!!!!

Snowdrops sighted!

Well, I have my first blooms of spring! Snowdrops, about to bloom!

The crocuses are starting to come up, too!

I think there might even be life stirring in my apple trees, but that might just be me getting over-excited.

I can't wait for spring!!!

How to start a vegetable garden the easy way

I get a lot of questions on various gardening topics, so every time I write down an answer, I try and save it for posterity! Here is my take on how to start a garden the easy way:

If this is your first time having a garden, I would do things as easily as possible. Here's what I'd do:

1. Find a good site. Look for a spot that gets at least 6 hours of direct sun a day, preferably more. You want good drainage. I'd also test the soil for lead, at least where I live.

2. As soon as the snow melts, go cover the ground where you want your garden with about 4 sheets deep of black and white newspaper. Top that with about 3 inches of compost, either by the bag or in bulk (locally, from Weiss farms).

3. In the middle of May (locally), go buy small plants from a good nursery (locally, I've had luck with Mahoney's, Pemberton Farms, and Wilson's). Pay attention to how much space each plant needs, when deciding how many plants to buy. Easy plants to start with are: tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, chives, basil, marigolds, zucchini, and lettuce, at least around here. You can start beans, zucchini, and marigolds from seed, directly in the garden, around May 15, but for the rest I would buy plants, as they take more effort to get started.

3. Start by hardening off your plants, unless the nursery says they are already hardened off. That means taking them outside for gradually increasing amounts of time, to get them used to where they are going to go. Like first 1 hour in the sun, then the next day 2, then 3, etc., until they are used to the current, full day of sunlight. If you just put them right out into a sunny spot they will get sunburned or die from exposure. :-( Water your seedlings if the top inch of the soil gets dry.

4. After around May 15 (some wait until after Memorial day, depending on zone), plant your plants out so that when MATURE, the edges will be touching. This will leave a lot of empty space in between plants, which is ok. You can plant right through the compost and newspaper you laid down before to smother grass and weeds. Give the plants a good soaking once they're in the ground. If your layer of compost has shrunk down to less than 1", add more compost, hay, or shredded bark mulch (up to 4") to keep the moisture in the soil, and reduce weeds.

5. Water no more than once a week, and not at all if it rains a lot that week. The compost will provide most of the nutrients your plants need, but if you want to give them an extra boost, you can fertilize them with seaweed or kelp meal once or twice a month.

6. Pick stuff as soon as it is ripe!

:-)

Pam

Spring has sprung!

Spring has sprung! The bulbs in my garden are coming up in multitudes now. Tom pointed out the first snowdrop when the snow started to melt last week. Now that it's almost gone, I'm finding snowdrops and crocus everywhere! Yay!

Chickens!

I'm taking a backyard chicken class!

http://www.codmanfarm.citymax.com/page/page/4439665.htm

It should be fun!

I'm also working to change the town bylaws to allow for small numbers of hens on residential propertys.  The zoning bylaws are very hard to change - 2/3 majority, so we'll see what happens!  I'm puting together a proposal that includes limits on the # of chickens, no roosters, property line setbacks, cleanliness requirements.  Whatever I can do to prevent chickens from being a nuisance, so that hopefully the zoning ordinance will be possible to change.  Anyone have any experience in this?  I'd appreciate all advice and comments!

Pictures of the garden!

Here are some good garden pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/pam.callaway/GardenPhotos2008#

Seeds ordered!

Well, the bulk of my seeds have been ordered!  Yay!  Here's a selection of what I ordered.  Yes, I know it won't all fit.  Maybe one of each kind?  Maybe I'll win the community garden lottery this year!

From Seed Saver's Exchange, I'm trying:
Painted Pony dried beans - cool markings
Chyenne Bush Squash - no vine!
Brandywine tomato
Federle (paste) tomato
Tommy Toe (cherry) tomato
Golden Treasure sweet pepper

From Wood Prairie Farm, I'm trying:
Dorinny (dwarf) sweet corn
Flashy Trout back lettuce
Hulless Oats cover crop seed
Tavera Green Beans

From Fedco, I'm trying:
Yellowstone carrot
Atomic Red Carrot
Purple Haze Carrot
Noir de Russie Scorzonera
Skirret
Crystal White Wax Onion (supposedly 1 year from seed to bulb, no "sets")
Claytonia (for a cold frame winter crop)
Large-leaf Round mache
Kolibri Kohlrabi
Redventure Celery
Diamonte Celeriac
Peacework Sweet Pepper

Crop Rotation

Crop Rotation means planting different crops in each location every year. It's a great way to prevent soil pathogens and pests from building up year after year. If you include a cover crop in your rotation, it even builds the soil! At the very least, you should try not to plant the same plant (or even plant family) in the same place for 4 years. Longer is better. This is one of the keys to easy organic gardening!

Here's my current sequence for pest & pathogen reduction: Potatoes/Tomatoes/Peppers -> leeks/onion/carrot/garlic -> Brassicas/radish -> cover -> Corn/Beans/Squash -> beets/lettuce/greens/mustard underneath beans

(yes, beans are in there twice, but the 2 year group is separated by 4 years)

Family	Members	Follows	Why?
Beets (Chenopodiaceae)	Amaranth Beets Spinach Swiss Chard
Brassicas (Cruciferae)	broccoli brussels sprouts cabbage cauliflower collards kale kohlrabi mustard radishes turnips arugula	Garlic, leeks, onions Legumes	Onion-family crops thwart parasites and pests that trouble cabbage Legumes build up soil nutrients for heavy feeders.
Carrot (Apiaceae)	carrot celery chervil cilantro dill parsley parsnips	Winter squash or pumpkins (anywhere really) Potatoes	Vining crops smother weeds, making it easier to keep root crops clean. (fairly unrelated to other crops and each other) Potatoes require digging which loosens up the soil for root crops
Grasses (Gramineae)	corn oat rye wheat	Cover crops	Cover crops help build up the soil for corn.
Lettuce/sunflower (Compositae)	artichoke chicory endive lettuce sunflower	Carrots, parsnips	Roots loosen soil, making penetration easier for shallow rooted lettuce
Onion (Liliaceae)	chives garlic leeks onions shallots	Winter squash or pumpkins Brassicas fall planted garlic and shallots should follow potato	Vining crops smother weeds, making it easier to keep root crops clean. Brassicas kill soil pests. Potato harvest results in a clear planting bed for fall-planted crops
Peas/beans (Leguminosae)	alfalfa beans clover cowpea lentils peanuts peas vetch	Cabbage-family crops or corn	Legumes fix their own nitrogen. Turn cover crops under to replace nutrients used by heavy-feeding crops.
Squash (Curcurbitaceae)	Cucumbers melons pumpkin squash
Tomato/nightshades (Solanaceae)	eggplant peppers potatoes tomatoes	Mustard, rape, turnips Potatoes can follow corn	Incorporate cabbage-family crop residues to help rid the soil of pathogens that attack nightshades Corn as a preceding crop increases yield of potatoes

Garden Timeline

Here's my Garden Timeline.  It's a work in progress, but so far it's been very helpful!

Garden Timeline for 2009

Mid winter (Jan - Feb)

Sharpen lawn mower 

Decide on a garden layout

-spacing

-crop rotation

-succession planting

order seeds and plants!!!

order bees!

Late winter (Feb)

Give houseplants a cool shower in the bathtub.

Spray fruit with dormant oil

Prune fruit trees and cane fruit ( everything except Rhododendron and spring bloomers)

Cut back:

-coneflowers

-sunflowers

-corn

-bird feeding plants

-asparagus

Very Early Spring (Late Feb - Early March)

Fertilize asparagus

Rake up any garden debris or unwanted mulch

PESTS - handpick asparagus and rhubarb

SAND blueberries and cranberries

Soil test?

Check soil for microbial life?

Replenish mulch - green on garden, brown elsewhere

BEES - put out bees and bee houses!

Start indoors:

-use mycorrhizal fungi on seeds and transplants

-onions

-leeks 

-lettuce

-peas

-slow growing flowers that need 10 - 12 weeks inside

-pansies

-snapdragon

-cabbage

-kale

-broccoli

-pine nuts

-mountain laurel

-celery

Start outdoors:

-Mache

Start hardening off:

-onions

-cabbage

-leafy greens

-pansies

-snapdragons

-broccoli

Early Spring (March)

Fertilize blueberries with Hen Manure

COMPOST!

Compost tea - soil & foliar application to reduce pathogens

Feed soil in lawn with soybean meal, corn meal, or corn gluten

Any other fertilizer

Plant any new trees or shrubs

WEED

Start a few early warm weather seedlings:

-tomatoes

-peppers

Plant/transplant outside with protection:

-peas

-radishes

-spinach

-mustard greens

Plant direct/transplant out:

-onions

-cabbage

-leafy greens

-pansies

-snapdragons

-broccoli

Harden off:

-leeks

-onions

Start seeds outdoors:

-Parsley

-Sage

-Rosemary

-Thyme

Mid Spring (April)

Set out early tomatoes with protection

Plant potatoes as soon as soil can be dug

Divide and transplant summer-blooming plants like asters

Weed

Start more warm weather seedlings indoors:

-tomatoes

-peppers

-celeriac

-eggplant

Start outdoors:

-sorrel

-peas

-swiss chard

-Switch lettuce & greens seeding from "cool" to "warm" types

-beets

-summer carrots

Transplant out:

-Leeks

-onions

Late Spring (May)

Harvest Asparagus, Rhubarb

Weed

After bloom, prune rhododendrons if neccessary

Spray lawn with compost tea

Start building projects:

-fencing

-trellises

Start outdoors:

-carrots

-peas

-beets

-scallions

Transplant out:

-onions

-potatoes

-cabbage

Start indoors early May:

-parsley

-dill

-basil

-zinnia

-melons

-cucumbers

-squash

Late late spring (After Memorial day):

Mulch

Weed

Plant/Transplant out:

-Tomatoes (if soil T>65°)

-Peppers (if soil T>65°)

-melons

-cucumbers

-squash (if soil T>70°) 

-beans (if soil T>60°)

Early Summer (June)

Plant out any remaining plants

Weed

Water as needed

Spray with seaweed

Spray and drench with compost tea, especially sick plants

PESTS - handpick or soap

Fertilize lawn, rake in compost

Plant out seeds (mid to late june):

--parsnips

--scorzonera

--salsify

--skirret

--corn (if soil T>70°) 

--sweet potato slips

Transplant out any remaining warm weather crops (if soil is warm, > 65):

--cucumber

--tomatoes

--peppers

--melons

--squash

--Celeriac

Harvest:

-peas

-strawberries

-leafy veggies

-radishes

Mid Summer (July)

Water plants regularly

Spray with seaweed in early July only

Deadhead flowers

Weed

PESTS - handpick or soap

Save seeds

Start fall crops indoors:

-brussels sprouts

Start fall crops outdoors:

--carrots

-fennel

-root parsley

Transplant out:

-celeriac

-okra

Harvest:

-Gooseberries

-Raspberries

-Blueberries

-Onions

-Garlic

-Potatoes

-early tomatoes

Late Summer (August - Early Sept)

Water plants regularly

Spray indoor plants/herbs with seaweed

Weed

Save seeds

Order bulbs

Order fall plants and trees

Preserve crops

Set up cold frame

Start seeds for indoor herbs:

-basil

-chervil

-parsley

Pot up indoor herbs (4" or larger pots):

-thyme (dig up or root soft tip cutting)

-basil

-rosemary

-chives (needs short chilling period)

-oregano

-parsley

-sage - tip cutting

Plant out:

-cover crops

Plant out fall harvest:

-string beans

-lettuces

-cole crops

-fall peas

-carrots

-swiss chard

-kohlrabi

Harvest:

-remaining onions

-tomatoes

-peppers

-squash

-pumpkins

-gourds

-melons

-herbs (including extra to dry)

Pull up overdone veggies:

-zucchini

Early Fall  (Late Sept - Oct)

Plant any new trees or shrubs

Clean up any diseased foliage or rotten fruit

Divide spring blooming plants, daylilies, hostas

Save seeds

Bring in and soak houseplants (including lemon, bay)

Mow lawn high

Overseed lawn

MORE COMPOST

Compost tea watering & spray

Plant out:

-additional cover crops

-spring bulbs

-garlic

-shallots

Start cold frame crops:

-kale

-mache

-claytonia

-spinach

-cool weather greens & lettuce

Harvest:

-remaining potatoes

-swiss chard

-collards

-kale

-cress

Late Fall  (Oct - Nov)

Soil test

Spray fruit with dormant oil

Gather leaves for compost & leaf mold

Clean, sharpen, and oil garden tools before storing

Plug in bird bath heater

Stock up on bird seed for the winter

Apply any fertilizer

Mulch garden

-Pine needles for blueberries

-Straw for garden

-Compost for asparagus - 3" deep, maybe straw also

-Thick layer on mums, roses

Plant out:

-additional cover crops

-spring bulbs

-garlic

-shallots

-more kale

Start indoors (for windowsill/light production)

-dwarf peas

-lettuces

-herbs

-chives

-radishes

-mini carrots

Early winter (Dec)

Spray fruit with dormant oil

Make cordials, jams, chutneys

Refresh potting soil for indoor plants

Mulch with Christmas tree limbs:

-Mums

-blueberries

-roses