SFG – lessons learned & tips to try

1.  This fall, I’ll try to remember to cover the mix/box over winter.  We are unprotected and the wind carried off quite a bit of the soil-less mix.  If I had covered each box with newspaper and weighted it down with rocks (we have plenty!), I’d have protected my beds.  However, since I should be amending the beds with a bit of compost each year, maybe it’s not such a big deal to let the wind create a bit of room. 

2.  To repel the nibbling deer, I’ll try hanging citrus scented soap in nylon or net bags around the perimeter of the garden.  If that doesn’t work, I will fence … in an attractive way.

 

Part I of many …

Because … I’m sure there will be more lessons and tips throughout the year!

Wordless Wednesday – Square Foot Gardening

Monday DayLook – April 26, 2010

For Today:  April 26, 2010

 

Looking out from my back porch... specks of yellow from Dandelions are showing up in my backyard, blackbirds have shown up, a pair of Mallards is nesting in the slough just beyond the backyard (we are all awaiting the arrival of ducklings!), the sandbox has been visited often, and the lilacs are greening up, too.  The day itself is overcast and a little dreary – if we didn’t need the rain it would be slightly depressing.

 

I am thinking about… chicks!!  They arrive later this week & I still need to set up their brooder.  All the supplies are in the garage, just need to put it all together.

 

I am thankful for... baptism.  My niece was baptized on Saturday evening.  Seeing the sacrament received again by another child makes me smile.

 

I am reading… “The Backyard Homestead” edited by Carleen Madigan.  I’m not very far into the book, but the concept is intriguing.  We aren’t limited by space, to I don’t feel the need to organize my yard as intensively as what this book outlines.  However, I’m reading it to learn and pick up little tid-bits of info that I can apply to our situation.

 I am hoping... for a little more rain to wet the ground and settle the dust. CHECK!

 

I am hearing... the wind, not too strong, blowing around the house.  The kids are quiet & baby Louis is sleeping.

 

I am wearing… jeans, a light blue 3/4 length sleeve t-shirt, and grey socks because I had to put on mud boots to go outside and water the chickens (Angelina couldn’t get the cover off the waterer).

 

From the school room... we’re just trying to stay strong and steady through mid-May to end the formal school year.

 

From the kitchen... I haven’t done a very good job of menu planning the last two weeks, so need to get going on it again.

 

State of the house… the dust is getting the best of me right now!  Doors get left open and the dust floats on in and settles wherever it likes.

 

A successful moment… the weekend was really fun … college fraternity reunion … niece’s baptism … 13yo birthday.  I pulled off all I needed to get done: annual summary with substance and a little flair, remembered the baptism gift, packed the kids and myself for the overnight, baked a cake & cooked a birthday meal.  Phew!

 

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday: Dash, Angelina & Zeke will be participating in the 4-H Communication Arts contest today.   

Wednesday: Angelina has a make-up dance class tonight. 

Thursday-Friday:  The chicks arrive at some point and I also placed an Azure Standard/(Food co-op) order, so will need to run to pick that up, too.

Saturday/Sunday:  Dash is having a birthday party with friends – he’s super excited cuz they are going to Thunder Road (go-carts, mini-golf, etc.).  Eric and I teach the third (and last) class in our NFP series this weekend, too.

 

A picture memory …

Remember this from last year???  Almost time for planting the SFG’s again, and this year we are ready a little earlier …

Eric took a cell-phone picture of Dash at Aerospace Camp 2010...

St. Clare Heirloom Seeds

  I received my order of garden seeds from St. Clare Heirloom Seeds this past week.  Seeing as how I had just ordered on April 16th, I was very surprised to receive the seeds on Monday.  That’s quick!!  Now, I cannot actually comment on the germination because they haven’t been planted, yet.  But, if looks and service say anything, these seeds are going to turn into wonderful plants.  The seed packets are cute and the quantity of seed in each is reasonable.  I found the price to be in line with what I’ve paid in the past for similar seeds and I was even able to purchase some of my favorite varieties.  Shipping is only $3 for seed orders. 

A bonus with St. Clare Heirloom Seeds is that they specialize in Non-GMO, Non-Treated, Non-Hybrid, Heirloom and Open-Pollinated Seeds.  While all these factors may be important to some folks, I was most interested in the Heirloom tomato seeds.  I have read and ‘heard’ that heirloom varieties have such good flavor.  I want to experience the difference for myself, and flavor is important when canning spaghetti sauce and freezing stewed tomatoes.

They sell books, too.  I found one that I cannot wait to receive and read … Backyard Homestead … more on that after it arrives!  If plants were available, I would definitely order.  I’ll keep you posted on how my garden grows in future posts.

Here’s a list of what I ordered:

• Green Bean – Contender
• Beet – Cylindra
• Carrot – Danvers 126
• Pea – Super Sugar Snap
• Pea – Maestro
• Summer Squash – Black Beauty
• Winter Squash – Burgess Strain Buttercup
• Lettuce – Paris Island COS
• Lettuce – Lettuce Blend #2
• Spinach – Bloomsdale Long Standing
• Tomato – Toma Verde Tomatillo
• Tomato – Tumbler (Cherry)
• Tomato – Amish Paste
• Tomato – Delicious
• Tomato – Rutgers

Of course, this isn’t all I will be planting.  I am not ordering early enough to start broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, & peppers from seed!  And then, I really like English cukes, so will be looking for those seeds/plants locally.  The potatoes and corn are planted in a larger plot we share with Grandpa & Grandma Green Acres.  Grandpa already has a few rows of potatoes planted … using our own home-grown potatoes for seed.

SFG - Growing well

We've been receiving enough rain that we haven't had to water much. It's been wonderful for our SFG's ... not so much for the landscaping, which is delayed (more so delayed because the wrong pavers were sent from the distributor!). The kids' SFG's are doing very well, and we were able to harvest Angelina's leaf lettuce this past weekend. Because of cool weather in our area, the lettuce is not bitter, but very mild tasting.

In my SFG's, the cukes are flowering and I've been able to pick small handfulls of broccoli. The broccoli production will not be as good because I had to transplant (after the hail storm). The transplants had headed and to ensure the plant's survival, I had to break off the already formed head of broccoli. Therefore, I won't be able to harvest a large single head that will feed our whole family at a meal. Regardless, I am happy to at least have broccoli! I now have a small sandwich sized baggie of broccoli ... not exactly what I planned, but it's fresh from the garden.

Tomatoes in the old-fashioned garden are flowering and starting to set fruit. The plants aren't big (barely a 18 inches tall), compared to what I'm used to for this time of year (closer to 2.5-3.5 feet). I hope they'll take off and be able to produce into the fall months.

SFG Update!

I finally planted the remaining SFG's this evening. It had been sooo windy all day. While it was still breezy, especially while planting the tiny carrot seeds, it needed to be done. So, I'll have beans and peas at the end of August and into September.

I can honestly say that I have NOT planted THIS late before, but some years are like that. If I want to be done with that first mild frost in September, I'll let it go ... if not, I'll be searching for blankets and sheets to cover up the SFG's.

On Saturday, Eric rototilled around all the SFG boxes & the old fashioned garden to knock down the weeds. I like being able to look out and see it without the weeds. It's also a bit of prep work for laying down canvas or landscape fabric. I eventually hope to cover the walkways with pea gravel or something that won't blow away. One small step at a time.

Storms and Hail

I saw the clouds, but didn't do anything. It's been a rainy week and I assumed this would be a similar storm - nice rain, soak the garden and container gardens ... nothing to worry about. I WAS WRONG! It stormed with wind and hail. I was able to get the kids' herb gardens to a safer spot. Thank goodness, as Achievement Days, where they are supposed to be exhibited, is next week. Also managed to pull the large herb containers back closer to the house, but they still were really beaten by hail. Half of me was drenched, but it needed to be done.




View out our side garage door at the piles of hail (top and bottom photos). Most of the hail was the 1/2 inch size.





Above is the first Marian Herb container garden I planted. It looked so full yesterday morning. Wish I'd have snipped some of the parsley before it was beaten down. I didn't realize the pot in front still had a plug in the bottom! The water spilled over the brim ... I removed the plug and was happy to see that these plants looked pretty good, considering.

Thunderstorms aren't terrible. I do not dread them, but I don't like hail at all. It makes my stomach tense and knotted ... I do, and did, pray for the preservation of gardens, crops, and home. At least the weeds got knocked down, because we won't be able to mow anytime soon! The first storm was the worst (it brought the hail) and the wind blew from the West; about 20 minutes later another storm came blowing from the East. Not a good combination to have rain coming from different directions in such a short time period.



Above is a view is from our front door shortly after the first storm passed through. It was hard to believe how much water was draining into the slough in front of our house. The ground is obviously plenty wet.

I'm not even going to go look at my SFG today. I can be optimistic and believe a few plants have survived, but I know I'll have to replant (especially tomatoes, cukes, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage). Hopefully plants are still available at the greenhouse/nursery.

One of the kids left the garage door open, too. I found out when another child opened the garage-to-house door and the air pressure changed dramatically. That was NOT a nice surprise. We had a lot of boxes in the garage; they are now water logged and will need to be tossed. Just another mess I really didn't want to deal with today. The water (deep for a garage, in my opinion) was swirling around the drain as the garage door lowered. The boys will be cleaning up that mess shortly.

I have no idea, yet, how much rain fell. Hubby hasn't had time to set up his rain gauge ...

A Productive Garden Day

Finally! I was able to get all the plants (ie. tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers) into 'real' soil. They'd been looking a little peaked in their plastic containers. I put hot caps over most of the tomatoes because that will help them establish better; it creates a mini greenhouse for each plant and protects from sun, wind, bugs, kids and wildlife.

The black landscape fabric will hopefully help keep the weeds down. As you can see the surrounding area is full of weeds ... mostly dandelions ready to go to seed at the next brush of wind. Dash cannot keep up with the mower! He mows and the next day, new blooms pop up and grow about 8 inches to proclaim their dominance. I've heard that dandelions mean the soil is really fertile ... if only I could harness it for grass and flowers that I enjoy! That day is coming...

Dash also planted his SFG this afternoon. His includes green beans, yellow onions, beets, and romaine lettuce.

Eva's garden is starting to show growth, especially in the lettuce, shown in the above picture, and onion squares. I expect her peas will be up within a week.

This leaves two more SFG beds to plant with sugar snap peas, shell peas, more green beans, and the remaining onion sets. I might also put in more beets if there is room. The picture below is of the Marian herb garden - the first pot I planted. The herbs have grown quite a bit!

**I had planned to have a strawberry bed, but it is late to get that started and the veggies are more important. I'm planning a raised bed, so part of the prep work is already done ... rototilling and landscape fabric. Either this Fall after tomatoes are done or early next Spring, I'll get the bed made and ready for the Strawberries.

Old Fashioned Gardening

Square Foot Gardening (SFG) is not ideal for tomatoes, in my opinion. The book recommends 9 square feet per plant!!! That's a 3/4 of each of my SFG's! I'm not willing to give up that much room. Besides when I planted in my old garden, I didn't need that much room. The plants were close together, probably 1.5 to 2 feet apart, but my system for planting still allowed me to harvest easily.

Furthermore, I want a lot (we're talking at least a dozen plants) of fruit to ripen at the same time so I'm able to can. I'm old fashioned and like to pressure can or water bath tomatoes - depending on what I'm preparing. Of course, that might be a bit ambitious this year, as I'll be about 6/7 months pregnant by tomato canning time.

So, this weekend, my hubby is rototilling a plot for me. I'll plant the tomatoes and probably a couple other veggies the 'old-fashioned' way. It's still a raised bed; though not as raised as the pallets used for the SFG's.

Yes, Eric is wearing coveralls to rototill the tomato & strawberry beds. IN. JUNE. Absolutely nuts! The borrowed tiller wasn't working too well, but he got a start. He plans to work it up better this week. After a rain it might be easier anyway; and I can't plant anything until it dries up a little bit.

Square Foot Gardening Progress

On Wednesday, I helped Angelina plant her SFG (Square Foot Garden). We used nails and jute twine to mark the 12 - 1" square sections.










She planted red onions, carrots, leaf lettuce, and sugar snap peas. After planting I showed her how to water her little plot. We also filled three other SFG's with planting mix.




Then, on Thursday, I planted two more SFG's with assorted peppers (5 plants), broccoli (8 plants - we like broccoli and it freezes well), cauliflower (3 plants), cabbage (4 plants) & cucumbers (4 plants which we will train to grow up a trellis). Angelina & Graham helped mark the sections and water after planting. Now to wait for the sprouts! For now, I'm just covering the gardens with prayer to protect from any voracious wildlife ...

Square Foot Gardening

Well, it's started ... the square foot gardening, that is. We set up six boxes on Saturday, and filled two with a mixture of vermiculite, spaghnum peat moss, and compost (equal parts by volume). The kids all helped in various ways - carrying bags to the site, getting tools, mixing, filling the boxes, and wetting down the planting mix. Unfortunately, the planting itself did not get done. By noon, I had run out of energy!

1. Getting the boxes in location and properly spaced. Thank goodness my hubby was around for this portion or I would've run out of steam much earlier. We lined the bottom of each box with landscape fabric before adding the soil-less mix.

2. Measuring out the 'mix' components onto the tarp. We used shovels to mix, but mostly used the tarp to 'roll' the mixture around to combine it. It was a lot of work, IMHO! After it was mixed, we shoveled and dumped it into the boxes. It seemed to take a lot more mix than I calculated.

3. Dash wet down 'his' SFG. This will be his 4-H gardening project. He'll be planting peppers, onions, lettuce, and beets. He'll be taking care of any weeds (there shouldn't be too many) and managing the watering.

4. Eva wetting down her SFG. She'll be planting sugar snap peas, carrots, red onions, and spinach in her plot. This will also be a 4-H project for her.

5. Before we plant, we'll be making a square foot grid in each box with nails and twine. The whole premise behind SFG is that each plant needs only a little space to produce. Marking out the grid helps to space plants and conserve space in your SFG. More pics later!

The itch to garden...

This year, I have a blank slate in which to garden. In the past, I've had a huge garden - approximately 16'x24'. I loved it and packed as much as I could into that space, often squeezing rows and plants together to get more for my time and create less room for weeds to grow. I've kept my garden plans in a binder since we started that garden in 1999 - it helped with rotation and was fun to look back at seed varieties.

However, I'm going to try something different with my blank slate. A few friends have had success with Square Foot Gardening, and I want to try my hand at it, too. I purchased this book by Mel Bartholomew and have read through it.

I've saved scraps from our home building and hope to get the soil supplies by mid-May. There have been many years where I haven't planted until June, and I've still had bumper crops. So, the time-line doesn't concern me too much.

If you want to know more about Square Foot Gardening, check this link, or check out the book at your local library. He makes a lot of sense and his ideas are easily applied to container gardening, as well.

P.S. As my SFG (Square Foot Garden) takes shape, I'll share more of the details.