The garden will soon be perfect. At least the one in my head will. It is time to plan for next year. Step 1 is to review the garden plan for last year and read through the garden journal, totaling up the yields of the different plants. Some things did exceptionally well. Those successes will be replicated. (I hope.) Some things did not do well. That is where the challenge comes in.
Is it worth the trouble to try again? Charlie Brown kicking the football that Lucy holds comes to mind. Potatoes…no way. Speckled lima beans? The vines are loaded, but the beans are not filled out yet. They were planted on Good Friday. This is Veterans Day. Maybe a different variety will work. The bush type speckled limas from the grocery store dried beans worked great, but bush beans are a pain in the back, literally.
Next the plan comes. The blank garden map is copied and the soil is tested for PH. The soil can be amended where necessary, but it is much better if the PH is appropriate for what is being planted. It is also important to consider plant height and sunlight to get the plants in the right place. Then, of course, many of the crops should be rotated to avoid or at least minimize pest problems. It is a lot of work, but at least the garden will be perfect until it is planted in the spring.
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/
Showing posts with label Soil PH. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soil PH. Show all posts
Friday, November 12, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Garden Record-Keeping
A good journal or record of the garden will help prevent making the same mistake over and over. It also is a guide to the micro-environment of the individual garden. Day before yesterday (6/15/10) Charlotte had a good drenching from a thunderstorm. My yard did not get a drop. I wasn’t home so how do I know that? I have a rain gauge. A little notebook in the greenhouse records the rainfall and the temperature and the day’s harvest.
It also records the activities done on that day. There is also a garden map that tells what is planted where. Whenever a bed is fallow, a ph grid is made. The ph in the beds changes some from season to season. If the garden plan will require a certain ph for the next thing to be planted in a particular spot, the soil modification can begin at once. Sometimes the map is needed to identify what was actually planted. The patty-pan squash this year turned out not to be patty-pan squash. The garden map assured me that I had planted patty-pan squash in that bed. Squash seeds are unreliable.
The garden journal also helps with crop rotation and measures the success of certain things in certain places . If problems occur with certain crops year after year, we may just have to accept that those crops should not be grown in our 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/
It also records the activities done on that day. There is also a garden map that tells what is planted where. Whenever a bed is fallow, a ph grid is made. The ph in the beds changes some from season to season. If the garden plan will require a certain ph for the next thing to be planted in a particular spot, the soil modification can begin at once. Sometimes the map is needed to identify what was actually planted. The patty-pan squash this year turned out not to be patty-pan squash. The garden map assured me that I had planted patty-pan squash in that bed. Squash seeds are unreliable.
The garden journal also helps with crop rotation and measures the success of certain things in certain places . If problems occur with certain crops year after year, we may just have to accept that those crops should not be grown in our 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/
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Hard to Beat the Fire Ants
Perhaps the nest is just too big. There are still fire ants in the compost. There seem to be less and less of them though. The mound destroyer has been applied several times. The ants seem to be reduced to a small pocket in one bed. Maybe they will be gone when I get home today.
Almost everything in the greenhouse has germinated. A different watering regime is in place from last year. Last year the tray was kept wet. This year the tray is kept wet until germination. After germination the tray is filled to a level of about ¼ “and allowed to dry. It is left for one day and refilled. Three tomato plants in the raised bed are doing well. They are about 6” high now. Cucumber will be started in pots this week. As soon as they have true leaves, the bottom of the pots will be cut out and they will be transplanted. My luck with transplanted cucurbits has been poor; but they may not germinate without bottom heat.
Everything planted in the raised beds is doing well. The PH meter bit the dust; so a new one was purchased. This is a critical element in a good garden. All the beds I tested seemed to be close to 7 (neutral) last night. Lime has not been added for at least 4 years. This PH level seems suspicious. Some soil will be sent off to the Dept. of Agriculture for testing. Renfrow Hardware has free kits to send the soil samples off.
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/
Almost everything in the greenhouse has germinated. A different watering regime is in place from last year. Last year the tray was kept wet. This year the tray is kept wet until germination. After germination the tray is filled to a level of about ¼ “and allowed to dry. It is left for one day and refilled. Three tomato plants in the raised bed are doing well. They are about 6” high now. Cucumber will be started in pots this week. As soon as they have true leaves, the bottom of the pots will be cut out and they will be transplanted. My luck with transplanted cucurbits has been poor; but they may not germinate without bottom heat.
Everything planted in the raised beds is doing well. The PH meter bit the dust; so a new one was purchased. This is a critical element in a good garden. All the beds I tested seemed to be close to 7 (neutral) last night. Lime has not been added for at least 4 years. This PH level seems suspicious. Some soil will be sent off to the Dept. of Agriculture for testing. Renfrow Hardware has free kits to send the soil samples off.
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 27, 2008
Fall is Falling
Fall is Falling
Last week the garden structures from the summer came down and were stored away. It is sad to see the dead tomato plants. There has not even been a freeze. Some years we eat fresh picked tomatoes at Christmas. We haven’t had tomatoes for several weeks. This was the worst year ever for tomatoes in my garden. Many things will need to change next year.
The orientation of the garden is one thing. Rows were mostly running East-West this year. Next year they will run North-South. Hopefully the soil will get worked this coming week. Then there will be soil test and planning. Lime or sulfur will be added to bring each row to the proper ph for its intended crop.
Winter is the time for seed catalogs, greenhouse work and reading garden books. I have a huge new garden book called “Organic Gardening” from Rodale Press. It will be reviewed in segments rather than as a whole.
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/.
Last week the garden structures from the summer came down and were stored away. It is sad to see the dead tomato plants. There has not even been a freeze. Some years we eat fresh picked tomatoes at Christmas. We haven’t had tomatoes for several weeks. This was the worst year ever for tomatoes in my garden. Many things will need to change next year.
The orientation of the garden is one thing. Rows were mostly running East-West this year. Next year they will run North-South. Hopefully the soil will get worked this coming week. Then there will be soil test and planning. Lime or sulfur will be added to bring each row to the proper ph for its intended crop.
Winter is the time for seed catalogs, greenhouse work and reading garden books. I have a huge new garden book called “Organic Gardening” from Rodale Press. It will be reviewed in segments rather than as a whole.
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, December 10, 2007
Sulfur
Sulfur
I was having a hard time finding sulfur at a price I was willing to pay. I finally found 4# bags at Myers Park Hardware for $5.25 each. I was a little surprised as this store is normally a little more expensive.
If you go buy sulfur take a plastic trash bag and a way to close it securely. I put the paper bags of sulfur in the trunk of my car. It makes the whole car stink. I have had to explain to everyone who rode with me that I had not given George Bush a ride.
At this point I have laid off 3 rows counting the raised bed. All of them tested between 6.5 and 7. PH. I did not put anything on the raised bed yet. I will do that when I plant the strawberries. I did put about ½ pound of sulfur in beds 2 and 3. After that I covered them with leaves to a depth of about 8”.
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/.
I was having a hard time finding sulfur at a price I was willing to pay. I finally found 4# bags at Myers Park Hardware for $5.25 each. I was a little surprised as this store is normally a little more expensive.
If you go buy sulfur take a plastic trash bag and a way to close it securely. I put the paper bags of sulfur in the trunk of my car. It makes the whole car stink. I have had to explain to everyone who rode with me that I had not given George Bush a ride.
At this point I have laid off 3 rows counting the raised bed. All of them tested between 6.5 and 7. PH. I did not put anything on the raised bed yet. I will do that when I plant the strawberries. I did put about ½ pound of sulfur in beds 2 and 3. After that I covered them with leaves to a depth of about 8”.
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, December 7, 2007
Soil PH
Soil PH
A few weeks ago, I asked if anyone was reading this blog and if they knew how to reduce soil PH. No one answered. I am going to be optimistic and assume that someone was reading; but they either did not know or did not care. I found out how to reduce soil PH.
Bartlett tree service http://www.bartlett.com sent me a newsletter suggesting that soil PH could be reduced with the use of sulfur. I searched with Google and found this to be the case. Aluminum sulfate and iron sulfate will also work. The iron sulfate may actually be superior in some soils and some conditions. The aluminum sulfate sounds like it is fast; but it has some toxic side effects. The sulfur seems to be cheaper and longer lasting than the iron sulfate.
I found a couple of sources of more information that may be helpful. Clemson University http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1650.htm has some useful charts to show how much of the soil amendment to use based on area, soil type and desired effect. The Garden Helper http://www.thegardenhelper.com/soilPH.htm gives the desired PH range for different popular fruits and vegetables.
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/.
A few weeks ago, I asked if anyone was reading this blog and if they knew how to reduce soil PH. No one answered. I am going to be optimistic and assume that someone was reading; but they either did not know or did not care. I found out how to reduce soil PH.
Bartlett tree service http://www.bartlett.com sent me a newsletter suggesting that soil PH could be reduced with the use of sulfur. I searched with Google and found this to be the case. Aluminum sulfate and iron sulfate will also work. The iron sulfate may actually be superior in some soils and some conditions. The aluminum sulfate sounds like it is fast; but it has some toxic side effects. The sulfur seems to be cheaper and longer lasting than the iron sulfate.
I found a couple of sources of more information that may be helpful. Clemson University http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1650.htm has some useful charts to show how much of the soil amendment to use based on area, soil type and desired effect. The Garden Helper http://www.thegardenhelper.com/soilPH.htm gives the desired PH range for different popular fruits and vegetables.
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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