Showing posts with label Raised Beds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raised Beds. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Dry Hurricane
The rain from Hurricane Irene may have drenched the coast, but it left Charlotte high and dry. The garden had to be watered on Sunday. Watching people fighting high water on the coast, while the soaker hoses are running seems so unfair. The dry weather seems to have slowed the tomatoes and ended the squash, but it does not seem to bother the okra.
Sunday was a good time to start the fall garden. The soil is still too warm for cabbage and things like that, but the turnips, mustard and kale do not seem to be as sensitive to soil temperature for germination. Carrots, beets, spinach, cabbage, onion sets, broccoli and Brussels sprouts will have to wait.
Several beds that were occupied by squash and squash family plants need to be renewed for fall or spring planting. The ones for fall planting can just be reworked and not mulched. The ones for spring will get a heavy layer of mulch to stimulate decomposition of compost and generation of earthworms.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Dead Cucumber Vines
None of the cucumbers are producing much of anything. One row finally died except for one plant. They were pulled off this weekend and disposed of in the trash can rather than the compost pile. A new row was planted in another bed. Cucumbers are a favorite vegetable from the garden. It is painful not to have any.
Every year new lessons are learned from experience. The raised beds were started several years ago. One of the mistakes that were made at that time was to make several beds in each row. The thirty inches between the beds is just wasted and things grow over the space so that it really is not good for navigation. Also some of the beds were 3’ wide and some are 4’. The 4’ wide beds hold more and will be more efficient. This winter’s project will be to start the reconstruction of the beds to make them the same length as the row and all of them will be 4’ wide.
The eggplants are finally producing. The potato bag was emptied. There were not a lot of potatoes, but for the space and effort invested the yield was acceptable. The dirt will be improved next year and hopefully the yield will increase.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Every year new lessons are learned from experience. The raised beds were started several years ago. One of the mistakes that were made at that time was to make several beds in each row. The thirty inches between the beds is just wasted and things grow over the space so that it really is not good for navigation. Also some of the beds were 3’ wide and some are 4’. The 4’ wide beds hold more and will be more efficient. This winter’s project will be to start the reconstruction of the beds to make them the same length as the row and all of them will be 4’ wide.
The eggplants are finally producing. The potato bag was emptied. There were not a lot of potatoes, but for the space and effort invested the yield was acceptable. The dirt will be improved next year and hopefully the yield will increase.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Change of Plans
The weather improved so much that the kale was planted without provisions for covering it. The covered row has been uncovered for a week. A few cabbage, broccoli, and pak choy plants are being hardened off for next weekend. Onions will go in at the same time. Hopefully the pak choy and cabbage will be ready to plant by the time the later plants go in and the space can be used by pepper, egg plant or tomato plants.
I have always hardened off plants going into the ground, but I never really understood the benefits until this week. While studying for the vegetable part of the Master Gardener® program, I read that it makes the stems thicker. When comparing the cabbage plants that are being hardened with the plants in the greenhouse this was verified.
Almost all of the initial planting of basil died after germination. They were replanted this weekend and have already sprouted. It seems they were planted too thickly this time and will need to be thinned. Let’s see how many survive first.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
I have always hardened off plants going into the ground, but I never really understood the benefits until this week. While studying for the vegetable part of the Master Gardener® program, I read that it makes the stems thicker. When comparing the cabbage plants that are being hardened with the plants in the greenhouse this was verified.
Almost all of the initial planting of basil died after germination. They were replanted this weekend and have already sprouted. It seems they were planted too thickly this time and will need to be thinned. Let’s see how many survive first.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
2011 Garden Plan (Cont.)
As the assessment continues for the garden plan, the next step is a list of what will be planted and approximately how much we need. There are never enough tomatoes and egg plants, so they get 1st consideration. If all of the G-beds are planted to tomatoes on 2’ centers, there will be 3 12’ beds with 7 tomato plants each or 21 plants. E-2 is 8’ and can accommodate 5 plants for a total of 26. That should be enough.
E-1 is 16’ long. That will accommodate 9 egg plants, which is 1 ½ times as many as we had this year. Basil, parsley and cilantro will be planted between the tomatoes and eggplants. That will be a total of 30 plants or 10 of each. We don’t really need that much of any of them, but they keep the bugs down. The excess can be given away or dried. A row of onion sets will be planted down the middle of each row. E-1 will also have 9 cabbage plants. G-1 will have 7 broccoli plants.
The 4 foot rows will have different varieties of squash. Like most of the crucifers they will be direct seeded. The un-bedded rows will be dedicated to okra and peppers. These rows are about 40’ long. The okra will be direct seeded, but 21 pepper plants of differing varieties will be needed. The okra will be planted by itself. There will be some odd herb varieties inter-planted with the peppers. That will require 20 plants of various herbs and flowers. A few of the herbs inter-planted with the tomatoes and eggplants will be substituted by nasturtiums and marigolds, so the extras can be used with the peppers. This gives an idea of what will be planted in the greenhouse.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
E-1 is 16’ long. That will accommodate 9 egg plants, which is 1 ½ times as many as we had this year. Basil, parsley and cilantro will be planted between the tomatoes and eggplants. That will be a total of 30 plants or 10 of each. We don’t really need that much of any of them, but they keep the bugs down. The excess can be given away or dried. A row of onion sets will be planted down the middle of each row. E-1 will also have 9 cabbage plants. G-1 will have 7 broccoli plants.
The 4 foot rows will have different varieties of squash. Like most of the crucifers they will be direct seeded. The un-bedded rows will be dedicated to okra and peppers. These rows are about 40’ long. The okra will be direct seeded, but 21 pepper plants of differing varieties will be needed. The okra will be planted by itself. There will be some odd herb varieties inter-planted with the peppers. That will require 20 plants of various herbs and flowers. A few of the herbs inter-planted with the tomatoes and eggplants will be substituted by nasturtiums and marigolds, so the extras can be used with the peppers. This gives an idea of what will be planted in the greenhouse.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Garden Plan 2011
It is time to plant the greenhouse. The first step in that is to plan the garden. The garden has 7 rows of 3 raised beds and two rows with no beds. The no bed rows are 3’ wide and 4’ wide plus of course the paths. When planning last year’s garden, the beds seemed to reduce the number of plants that could be planted. When actual planting began this was not the case.
This years garden will have a lot of changes from last years. There will be no potatoes or corn. There will be more tomatoes, eggplants and squash. There will be a lot more beans. The beds will all have corner posts for attaching trellises or other types of support. The okra is the only plant that will use soaker hoses and it will be planted in a no-bed row. There will several new varieties of tomatoes and some cherry peppers. Mick McNeely made some stuffed cherry peppers. Just thinking about them is making my mouth water.
A few beds are planted with fall crops and they will not be available for the early spring planting. They will be used for succession planting of squash and cucumbers. There will also be a few beds used for early planting of sugar peas and various greens. Onions will be inter-planted with almost everything. There will be more specifics about the garden plan in the next post.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
This years garden will have a lot of changes from last years. There will be no potatoes or corn. There will be more tomatoes, eggplants and squash. There will be a lot more beans. The beds will all have corner posts for attaching trellises or other types of support. The okra is the only plant that will use soaker hoses and it will be planted in a no-bed row. There will several new varieties of tomatoes and some cherry peppers. Mick McNeely made some stuffed cherry peppers. Just thinking about them is making my mouth water.
A few beds are planted with fall crops and they will not be available for the early spring planting. They will be used for succession planting of squash and cucumbers. There will also be a few beds used for early planting of sugar peas and various greens. Onions will be inter-planted with almost everything. There will be more specifics about the garden plan in the next post.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Sweet Greens
The greens are getting more and more plentiful. Even though the leaves are getting really large, they are tender and tasty. I picked a bunch last night and washed and stemmed them this morning. The will be delicious tonight. We will even eat them with breakfast tomorrow morning. The leftovers are a great addition to vegetable soup. The “pot likker” is a tasty and healthy drink.
The days are getting so short that there is little time to work in the yard and the garden in the evenings. These short days also affect the setting of blossoms on the tomato plants that were moved inside the greenhouse. One of the weekend chores will to be re-rig and set the lights in the greenhouse to extend day length.
I don’t have as much wood as I thought to build new raised beds. Another weekend chore will be to mulch down the bare dirt in the garden. The beds that were planned for those areas will have to wait until more wood is scrounged. The compost is building up in the finished compost holding bin. It will have to be put on a tarp and covered to prevent all the goodies from leaching out.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The days are getting so short that there is little time to work in the yard and the garden in the evenings. These short days also affect the setting of blossoms on the tomato plants that were moved inside the greenhouse. One of the weekend chores will to be re-rig and set the lights in the greenhouse to extend day length.
I don’t have as much wood as I thought to build new raised beds. Another weekend chore will be to mulch down the bare dirt in the garden. The beds that were planned for those areas will have to wait until more wood is scrounged. The compost is building up in the finished compost holding bin. It will have to be put on a tarp and covered to prevent all the goodies from leaching out.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Putting the Beds to Bed
It is almost time for the dirt in the garden to begin its winter rest. If your garden has raised beds there are a few little things to be done. Old vegetation should be gotten rid of. If there was even a hint of pest infestation, it should be burned or put in the trash to be hauled off. Any beds not used for winter crops should be gotten ready for the winter sleep.
For a 4’ X 8’ bed, about 1 wheelbarrow load of compost should be worked in the top 6” or 8” of soil. An easy way to do this is to dig fairly deep furrows with a hoe. Fill these with compost and then dig new furrows where the ridges are letting the soil fall on the filled furrows. Then the whole bed can be smoothed with a rake and covered with mulch. Leave are great, but don’t use leaves from walnut or hickory as they contain a powerful natural herbicide.
Gardens not in beds should be stripped of old vegetation, covered lightly with leaves and tilled deeply. They should then receive a covering of about 4” to 6” of mulch. Leaves from the side of the road are good for this.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
For a 4’ X 8’ bed, about 1 wheelbarrow load of compost should be worked in the top 6” or 8” of soil. An easy way to do this is to dig fairly deep furrows with a hoe. Fill these with compost and then dig new furrows where the ridges are letting the soil fall on the filled furrows. Then the whole bed can be smoothed with a rake and covered with mulch. Leave are great, but don’t use leaves from walnut or hickory as they contain a powerful natural herbicide.
Gardens not in beds should be stripped of old vegetation, covered lightly with leaves and tilled deeply. They should then receive a covering of about 4” to 6” of mulch. Leaves from the side of the road are good for this.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Preparing Raised Beds
Raised beds are much easier to get ready for replanting than traditional rows, but some work is required. The old plants and any weeds should be pulled. If they are put in a compost pile, it should be hot and the new material should be buried in the center to burn up any pests or diseases. Any remaining mulch can be raked off of the bed into the pathways to deter weed growth there. If this bed had any type of infestation the mulch should either be burned trashed or placed in a hot compost pile.
Next, the bed should be raked smooth. Compost should be added to top the bed up and a thin layer of dirt should be used to cover the compost. If several beds are being prepared at once, dirt can be rotated between the beds, otherwise just throw some dirt in a wheelbarrow before beginning the renewal of the bed. If the bed has not had a major reworking in the past several years and if the soil is getting packed down, it may be good to double dig the bed and add compost in layers. Be sure to note what was done in the garden record.
Finally the garden record should be consulted to see what has been planted in this bed and when. The ph should be checked, noted and modified if necessary. If sulfur or baking soda sprays have been used or if compost has been added the ph will probably have changed since the last use.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Next, the bed should be raked smooth. Compost should be added to top the bed up and a thin layer of dirt should be used to cover the compost. If several beds are being prepared at once, dirt can be rotated between the beds, otherwise just throw some dirt in a wheelbarrow before beginning the renewal of the bed. If the bed has not had a major reworking in the past several years and if the soil is getting packed down, it may be good to double dig the bed and add compost in layers. Be sure to note what was done in the garden record.
Finally the garden record should be consulted to see what has been planted in this bed and when. The ph should be checked, noted and modified if necessary. If sulfur or baking soda sprays have been used or if compost has been added the ph will probably have changed since the last use.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Fall Cleaning Progresses
The garden part of the weekend was dedicated to getting ready for fall planting and cleaning out the accumulated debris of the season. The accumulation bin of the compost system was pretty much filled with old squash plants, grass and old sunflower stalks. Some of the grass was so bad the lawnmower was used. That is in the section that will be tilled anyway. The fence-line between the neighbor and the grapevines was trimmed back as well; but that stuff went on the street.
The vacant beds (there are 5 of them) still need to be raked and refreshed. A new addition will be added to each one. They will get a permanent “corner post” in each corner just like an old four-poster bed. It will be either bamboo or fence post that can be used to attach trellises or other supports. The okra has mostly been beaten down by the rain. The corn suffered the same fate earlier. Maybe a few bamboo poles around the edge would have given enough support to stop this.
The lima bean vines have some little beans on them; but are still not ready to pick. They made beautiful vines really early, but took a long time to flower and to make beans. They do not seem to be very prolific. Everything has slowed down anyway except the weeds and the bugs.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The vacant beds (there are 5 of them) still need to be raked and refreshed. A new addition will be added to each one. They will get a permanent “corner post” in each corner just like an old four-poster bed. It will be either bamboo or fence post that can be used to attach trellises or other supports. The okra has mostly been beaten down by the rain. The corn suffered the same fate earlier. Maybe a few bamboo poles around the edge would have given enough support to stop this.
The lima bean vines have some little beans on them; but are still not ready to pick. They made beautiful vines really early, but took a long time to flower and to make beans. They do not seem to be very prolific. Everything has slowed down anyway except the weeds and the bugs.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Monday, July 19, 2010
Out with the Old, In with the New
Not New Years, just a turning point in the garden season. The old squash is getting raggedy. Some of the new squash is blooming. Some of the new squash is just getting planted. The sunflowers are almost all on the ground now. When they hit the ground they are finished whether they are finished or not. They will be pulled off this weekend and the bed will be freshened up for something in the fall garden.
The greenhouse is torn all to pieces inside. It needs to get back together for the starting of cabbage and broccoli plants. The spaghetti squash is coming off this weekend. A lady I met in Renfrow’s said that winter squash planted later in the season would taste better. It is too late to try that this year. Next year not everything will go in the ground on good Friday. Some of the plantings will be staggered. Winter squash is one of those things.
Another lesson from this years garden. The beds will either have two inch plastic pipes embedded in the corners or they will have bamboo poles set very deep. This will be to anchor any trellis or other structures needed to support growing plants.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The greenhouse is torn all to pieces inside. It needs to get back together for the starting of cabbage and broccoli plants. The spaghetti squash is coming off this weekend. A lady I met in Renfrow’s said that winter squash planted later in the season would taste better. It is too late to try that this year. Next year not everything will go in the ground on good Friday. Some of the plantings will be staggered. Winter squash is one of those things.
Another lesson from this years garden. The beds will either have two inch plastic pipes embedded in the corners or they will have bamboo poles set very deep. This will be to anchor any trellis or other structures needed to support growing plants.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Firecracker 4th
The promised rain did not materialize, watering was needed. The weekend of the 4th did show some progress in the garden however. The tomatoes are coming in fast enough to give a couple away. Not quite fast enough to can. There are several egg plants almost ready to pick. We are getting over 1 pound of cucumbers every day. The potatoes were pulled off. There was a net loss on the amount of seed potatoes and the harvested potatoes. I really mean it this time. No more potatoes!!!
One of the beds where the potatoes were planted was filled with compost and covered with dirt. Also the upside down tomatoes were planted. This year a rack was built to keep them high enough off of the ground that they will be hard for deer to browse. Last year just as the plant was loaded with tomatoes, a deer ate the whole thing. This year it is hoped that they will last long enough to come into the green house and produce some late tomatoes.
The corn is finished. Something ate the ones that were on the ground and knocked the rest of the corn down. In the three sisters bed, the beans hit the ground as well and got eaten by whatever ate the corn. The butternut squash grew into the yellow squash bed and all the way through it. There are loads of butternut squash. The powdery mildew is back and I tried to spray it, but the sulfur stopped up the nozzle on the sprayer. When it was being cleaned a part was lost so today I have to get a new sprayer.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
One of the beds where the potatoes were planted was filled with compost and covered with dirt. Also the upside down tomatoes were planted. This year a rack was built to keep them high enough off of the ground that they will be hard for deer to browse. Last year just as the plant was loaded with tomatoes, a deer ate the whole thing. This year it is hoped that they will last long enough to come into the green house and produce some late tomatoes.
The corn is finished. Something ate the ones that were on the ground and knocked the rest of the corn down. In the three sisters bed, the beans hit the ground as well and got eaten by whatever ate the corn. The butternut squash grew into the yellow squash bed and all the way through it. There are loads of butternut squash. The powdery mildew is back and I tried to spray it, but the sulfur stopped up the nozzle on the sprayer. When it was being cleaned a part was lost so today I have to get a new sprayer.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The First Day of Spring
The trees are budding, the girls are wearing short skirts and tank tops. Is that a lawn mower I hear? Some people say this has been the worst winter ever. I think Charlotte dodged the bullet. A good freeze is still possible. There are Indian Summers surely there can be Indian Winters.
The ground in the garden is ready for the serious planting. The summer seeds go in on Good Friday. The plants go in the ground the following weekend. Some of the plants are so big they may have to go in earlier. Nasturtiums and Cilantro are the heroes of the greenhouse this year. I hope they will be heroes in the garden. The basil is the week sister. It looks like the garden may have to play host to store-bought basil again. Everything else is pretty much on schedule.
Raised beds are really wonderful. They are easy to plant and weed and they can be planted when the rest of the garden is still wet. Also, they warm up faster than the dirt level beds.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The ground in the garden is ready for the serious planting. The summer seeds go in on Good Friday. The plants go in the ground the following weekend. Some of the plants are so big they may have to go in earlier. Nasturtiums and Cilantro are the heroes of the greenhouse this year. I hope they will be heroes in the garden. The basil is the week sister. It looks like the garden may have to play host to store-bought basil again. Everything else is pretty much on schedule.
Raised beds are really wonderful. They are easy to plant and weed and they can be planted when the rest of the garden is still wet. Also, they warm up faster than the dirt level beds.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Spring Garden Finally Planted
The traditional time in Charlotte for planting the spring garden and starting greenhouse plants is Super Bowl weekend. The greenhouse plants were pretty well started; but the spring garden was a problem. The ground was frozen Super Bowl Saturday. Sugar peas went in on Super Bowl Sunday along with broccoli and bok choy plants. The rest of the stuff did not get in until this weekend and yesterday. On the weekend spinach, kale, radishes, beets, onions, mesclun and arugula went into the ground. Yesterday (Monday) the rape, chard, turnips, mustard and potatoes were planted.
The moon is waning which is not a good time to plant; but the soil was finally right. To wait on a new moon for the potatoes and an increasing moon for the other stuff would put everything too late. I am too superstitious to thumb my nose at the moon and too practical to wait for it. It is supposed to rain and snow today. How long will it be before the soil is dry enough for planting?
Since the garden is mostly into raised beds now, the potatoes needed special treatment. All of the raised beds have fairly fresh compost except for some that have not been filled. The unfilled beds were used. The ground under them was tilled before the beds were built; but the rain must have re-packed the soil. It had to be tilled again before the potatoes could be planted. The soil in the unfilled raised beds was very dry for this time of year. The soil in the raised beds has the perfect moisture level. They had been covered with leaves until Sunday when the mulch was removed to allow for drying of the soil.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The moon is waning which is not a good time to plant; but the soil was finally right. To wait on a new moon for the potatoes and an increasing moon for the other stuff would put everything too late. I am too superstitious to thumb my nose at the moon and too practical to wait for it. It is supposed to rain and snow today. How long will it be before the soil is dry enough for planting?
Since the garden is mostly into raised beds now, the potatoes needed special treatment. All of the raised beds have fairly fresh compost except for some that have not been filled. The unfilled beds were used. The ground under them was tilled before the beds were built; but the rain must have re-packed the soil. It had to be tilled again before the potatoes could be planted. The soil in the unfilled raised beds was very dry for this time of year. The soil in the raised beds has the perfect moisture level. They had been covered with leaves until Sunday when the mulch was removed to allow for drying of the soil.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Winter Garden Tasks
There is almost as much work to do in the garden in the winter as during the growing season. The big difference is that there is no emergency. Just do it when you like. Once everything but the winter crops has played out or frozen, the whole garden can be tilled and mulched. The mulch over the tilled ground keeps it soft and makes the earthworms really happy. The mulch cover can be tilled in just before spring planting or pulled aside. The tilling may not even be necessary.
Planning is a lot of fun on nasty days. The unplanted garden like the imaginary lover is always perfect. If salad greens and sallet greens are planted, they need to be picked regularly to keep them growing. After a frost, they get really tender and tasty. Salad greens are eaten raw, sallet greens are eaten cooked. Greenhouse work is fun too. Winter is a good time for changes to the landscape.
This year raised beds are being installed in as much of the garden as is not planted with something. There is an easier method than double digging. The soil is tilled as deep as the tiller will go. The box is built on top of the ground. It is filled to within about 3” of the top with compost and topped up with the loose dirt from the pathways. The fallow beds are mulched.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Planning is a lot of fun on nasty days. The unplanted garden like the imaginary lover is always perfect. If salad greens and sallet greens are planted, they need to be picked regularly to keep them growing. After a frost, they get really tender and tasty. Salad greens are eaten raw, sallet greens are eaten cooked. Greenhouse work is fun too. Winter is a good time for changes to the landscape.
This year raised beds are being installed in as much of the garden as is not planted with something. There is an easier method than double digging. The soil is tilled as deep as the tiller will go. The box is built on top of the ground. It is filled to within about 3” of the top with compost and topped up with the loose dirt from the pathways. The fallow beds are mulched.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Friday, November 13, 2009
Greenhouse Weather
The garden is my pressure valve. We are into the 3rd day of really cold rain. The greenhouse has been my salvation. Potting soil is getting mixed. Cups are getting labeled and filled. The tomatoes have been planted in the indoor raised bed, the lights are set up. The lights were not cutting off automatically. I was ready to take the time back. I realized this morning when I went out to cut the lights off, that they were not plugged into the timer. It should work better now.
Why can’t the rain come while stuff is growing in the garden? The empty rain barrels are full now and overflowing. All summer city water had to be used. The rain is knocking the leaves off of the trees. That will help the leaf blowing process move along as soon as they get dry. The pin oaks are still about ½ green; so they will dump after everything else is cleaned up.
The rain is helping the greens and salad greens in the garden. The ground is too wet to pick them. They just get pulled up. When the soil dries a little there will be plenty to do there. The greens will need picking. The raised beds are full of compost. They need dirt now. More lumber has been scrounged. There is enough to build 3 or maybe 4 more beds. It is better than Prozac.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Why can’t the rain come while stuff is growing in the garden? The empty rain barrels are full now and overflowing. All summer city water had to be used. The rain is knocking the leaves off of the trees. That will help the leaf blowing process move along as soon as they get dry. The pin oaks are still about ½ green; so they will dump after everything else is cleaned up.
The rain is helping the greens and salad greens in the garden. The ground is too wet to pick them. They just get pulled up. When the soil dries a little there will be plenty to do there. The greens will need picking. The raised beds are full of compost. They need dirt now. More lumber has been scrounged. There is enough to build 3 or maybe 4 more beds. It is better than Prozac.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Praise to Arugula
This blog cannot say enough wonderful things about arugula as a salad green. It has other uses as well. My wife got a super deal on turkey meat balls the other night so she made spaghetti and meat balls. We lined the bowls with arugula. The arugula adds a really nice taste to the spaghetti sauce and the arugula tastes great with spaghetti sauce. Sunday morning one of the cooking show hosts was making arugula ravioli. Ana wrote down the recipe. If it is good, I will find it and link to it for you. I will also give you instructions for Ana’s version.
The building of raised beds in the garden is progressing well. 12 beds are completed and either planted or mulched. 4 more have been built and filled with compost. It is raining today so the soil will probably be too wet for the rest of the week to put the dirt in the beds. I did scrounge enough wood to make 3 more beds.
In the greenhouse, the tomatoes have been planted in the indoor raised bed. Two of them died immediately; so I was glad to have a couple of extras. Spaghetti squash has been planted just to test the viability of the seeds. A lot of seeds have been saved from this years spaghetti squash and the excess will be given away if they sprout well. If they don’t sprout well they will be toasted.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The building of raised beds in the garden is progressing well. 12 beds are completed and either planted or mulched. 4 more have been built and filled with compost. It is raining today so the soil will probably be too wet for the rest of the week to put the dirt in the beds. I did scrounge enough wood to make 3 more beds.
In the greenhouse, the tomatoes have been planted in the indoor raised bed. Two of them died immediately; so I was glad to have a couple of extras. Spaghetti squash has been planted just to test the viability of the seeds. A lot of seeds have been saved from this years spaghetti squash and the excess will be given away if they sprout well. If they don’t sprout well they will be toasted.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Next Years Perfect Garden
It is planning time again and the garden will finally attain the same perfection it had this time last year. There have been a few lessons to make it even more perfect. No potatoes this year. They are too cheap and my garden just doesn’t seem to produce them well. They require a loose high acid soil. A deer fence will be a necessity even though I hate it for two reasons. 1st I think the deer need to eat too. They just ate too much this year. 2nd it will be ugly.
Over ½ of the garden will be in raised beds this year. That simplifies the planning in some ways. No measuring and calculating in that part of the garden. Just plan for so many row feet of each thing; and figure out how to maximize the daylight. The soil throughout the garden will be much more uniform now. It will still need testing. In some ways it will be more complicated. In order to really take advantage of the space a lot more companion planting will be needed.
A lot of the items will be vertical this year as they were last year. That will be easier with the raised beds; but planning for available sunlight will be harder. Planning the garden needs to be finished before planting in the greenhouse begins. Last year was terrible for the greenhouse. This year will have to be better. An earlier start date will be used and twice the needed plants will be started. The excess can be given away or used to infill if something happens to the plant in the garden.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Over ½ of the garden will be in raised beds this year. That simplifies the planning in some ways. No measuring and calculating in that part of the garden. Just plan for so many row feet of each thing; and figure out how to maximize the daylight. The soil throughout the garden will be much more uniform now. It will still need testing. In some ways it will be more complicated. In order to really take advantage of the space a lot more companion planting will be needed.
A lot of the items will be vertical this year as they were last year. That will be easier with the raised beds; but planning for available sunlight will be harder. Planning the garden needs to be finished before planting in the greenhouse begins. Last year was terrible for the greenhouse. This year will have to be better. An earlier start date will be used and twice the needed plants will be started. The excess can be given away or used to infill if something happens to the plant in the garden.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Planning a Raised Bed Garden
A vegetable garden is a fairly permanent establishment. When raised beds are added it adds a new level of permanence. A regular garden will be in the same place every year. The rows may not be. With raised beds the rows (beds) will stay where they are. This has advantages and disadvantages. Some crops have very specific needs and the beds used for them may not work well in crop rotation. Most of the beds in my garden are 3’ wide. This is optimum for reaching the center from anywhere. The squash beds need to be 4’ wide. That may not be enough.
There is always something growing in our garden; so the spot where things are growing may have to wait for beds. The picture from Thursday’s article shows greens planted in a row with beds on both sides. Those greens will last until well into spring, I hope. Space had to be left for a bed between the other beds. That really doesn’t matter this time of year; but it could cause a problem next spring.
Some things grow vertically. This can complicate planning. Normally I like the tallest crops in the west of the garden with a north/south orientation. This lets everything get maximum sun without being blocked by other plants. In a raised bed plants are mixed up more to take advantage of the tighter planning requirements. This could put tall plants and short plants together, requiring heightened awareness of available and needed sunlight.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
There is always something growing in our garden; so the spot where things are growing may have to wait for beds. The picture from Thursday’s article shows greens planted in a row with beds on both sides. Those greens will last until well into spring, I hope. Space had to be left for a bed between the other beds. That really doesn’t matter this time of year; but it could cause a problem next spring.
Some things grow vertically. This can complicate planning. Normally I like the tallest crops in the west of the garden with a north/south orientation. This lets everything get maximum sun without being blocked by other plants. In a raised bed plants are mixed up more to take advantage of the tighter planning requirements. This could put tall plants and short plants together, requiring heightened awareness of available and needed sunlight.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 12, 2009
New Raised Beds
This long weekend saw some progress in the garden. The lumber has been identified for 4 new raised beds. One which was built this morning is 3’ X 8’. Two of the others will be 4’ X 12’ and will be used for squash. The other one will be 3’ X 12’. There may be another bed 4’ X 4’ to accommodate a stump. The stump is too much trouble to get out; but it can be worked around.
Most of the fallow part of the garden was tilled this weekend. That is needed before the beds can be built. The soil is tilled as deep as the tiller will go. The box is built on top of the ground and filled with compost and the loose dirt around the bed. The bed can then be planted or left for the spring. The beds that are left for spring get a layer of mulch. The spaces between the beds (30”) is mulched as well. In the spring the mulch will be pulled off of the beds and left in the paths to conserve moisture, prevent weeds and provide a home for earthworms.
The new compost system works great. There won’t be enough compost for all of the new raised beds so “black gold” will be purchased from compost central. A pickup truck full is $24.90. This is really beautiful compost and well worth the money.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Most of the fallow part of the garden was tilled this weekend. That is needed before the beds can be built. The soil is tilled as deep as the tiller will go. The box is built on top of the ground and filled with compost and the loose dirt around the bed. The bed can then be planted or left for the spring. The beds that are left for spring get a layer of mulch. The spaces between the beds (30”) is mulched as well. In the spring the mulch will be pulled off of the beds and left in the paths to conserve moisture, prevent weeds and provide a home for earthworms.
The new compost system works great. There won’t be enough compost for all of the new raised beds so “black gold” will be purchased from compost central. A pickup truck full is $24.90. This is really beautiful compost and well worth the money.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Fall Garden is Planted
Last weekend the Chard and Spinach went in. Everything else had to wait. This Saturday I built a new 12’ X 3’ raised bed. I was not double dug. The whole empty part of the garden was tilled deep. The box was built on top of the ground and about 6” of compost was put in. Then the surrounding loose dirt from the pathways was used to top out the bed.
The new raised bed was planted with Arugula and Mesclun mix. Tokyo cross turnips and curly mustard were planted in regular rows. The Brussels sprouts are still producing. I did not bother the replant them. The broccoli from spring is still healthy; but not producing broccoli. The yield was so low the broccoli may not be worth the trouble. It may produce some more.
The tomatoes are finally getting ripe and there are 5 spaghetti squash on the vine. We ate one early in the season and had one last night. These things really make a lot of spaghetti. Powdery mildew has raised it’s ugly head; so all of the cucurbits got a good dose of sulfur yesterday. I have the wood to make another raised bed; but the compost isn’t ready. Maybe later.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The new raised bed was planted with Arugula and Mesclun mix. Tokyo cross turnips and curly mustard were planted in regular rows. The Brussels sprouts are still producing. I did not bother the replant them. The broccoli from spring is still healthy; but not producing broccoli. The yield was so low the broccoli may not be worth the trouble. It may produce some more.
The tomatoes are finally getting ripe and there are 5 spaghetti squash on the vine. We ate one early in the season and had one last night. These things really make a lot of spaghetti. Powdery mildew has raised it’s ugly head; so all of the cucurbits got a good dose of sulfur yesterday. I have the wood to make another raised bed; but the compost isn’t ready. Maybe later.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
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