I'm going to start a weird topic for my area this week....Water Conservation.
This June has been one of the wettest I can remember. I don't think we've had more than 1 or 2 days where we didn't get at least 1 shower, and most days were completely grey and rainy.
I've had more issues with seedlings and potted (outdoor) plants getting too much water than not enough.
Gardens are waterlogged, Lake Hopatcong is actually full...when on Memorial Day there were many lamenting how empty it still was from the winter lowering.
So, before June, we were in a drought.
And, summer drought has become common in our area in the last 10 years, I've heard announcements about lakes and reservoirs being at record lows frequently. And the building boom of the late 1990s and 2000's has not helped.
I have posted about wanting a rain-water capturing system that we just haven't been able to afford yet, so that I don't have to feel nervous about watering our garden from our well. Nor have we been able to find a source for clean used barrels...
We've never had a problem with our well, and as far as I know, no one around us has either. It's just that when you think about the dryness around, lakes lower, less rainfall in the highlands, etc it makes you take note, so I'm going to blog about conserving water, even after a month with 10+ inches of rain.
We get most of our produce from the biodynamic Community Supported Garden (CSG) at Genesis Farm.
Some of it comes home pretty dirty, and for years I was washing it all under running water. For the past year or two, though, I've been trying to do as much as I can with less water.
I start by putting the veggies in a big bowl or use the salad spinner and letting it fill half way, scrubbing the veggies using the water from the bowl; setting aside each scrubbed veggie until the dirt is off and I have a bowl of brown muddy water.
Then I use that water to water plants, and get the benefit of all that biodynamic soil, rather than letting it run down the drain along with gallons and gallons of water....
After getting rid of the "mud", I give the veggies a final rinse, now free of most of their dirt, it only takes a slow stream of running water, again captured in the bowl...and use that for the plants too.
There have been times when I've been "too busy" to do it this way, but when I don't capture the wash water and let it run even a little, I feel guilty.
Water is a precious resource, even when you've had a rainy June.
Tomato Angst
This year's seed starting did not go well. I started too late (early April) and tried to start the seeds in my kitchen bay window. I should have known...even though these windows are not as new as the ones in the rest of the house, they are modern windows. Remember my plight 2 years ago? So the seedlings didn't do well inside, and even when I put them outside I hesitated to put them in direct sunlight where the critters could make an easy meal of them. So, they hung out on my porch not doing too much.
My gardening buddy, Kim, took pity on me and gave me some of her leftover plants. She always does well with seed starting. I think her south-facing side porch helps! So I did have a couple of plants, but with all of the June rain and lack of sun, nothing was really doing well.
So, last weekend I bought some tomato plants from a local store to supplement my scrawny seedlings. All 'patio' varieties which were supposed to be more bushy with thick firm stems.
I took them home put them in soil mixed with composted sheep manure (ewe poo) in well drained pots.
I put them among all my other pots filled with veggies, flowers and herbs on the porch steps. Covered everything with bird netting to protect everything from the deer and 'Chucky' and went about my weekly business.
When my mom came to visit on Wednesday they were all DEAD! Probably a fungal infection of some sort, but I had to bring them back to the nursery and try again this weekend with new plants.
These are not "patio" plants, but hopefully will survive ok in the pots anyway.
Everything else has managed to survive in pots on the steps, even the broccolin and cauliflower were doing well until someone found them - that's why there's bird netting now.
The peppers even look like they are thriving.
Keep your fingers crossed for me. I can't imagine another summer with no tomato harvest - and neither can my son, Ronnie...
I'll keep you posted.
My gardening buddy, Kim, took pity on me and gave me some of her leftover plants. She always does well with seed starting. I think her south-facing side porch helps! So I did have a couple of plants, but with all of the June rain and lack of sun, nothing was really doing well.
So, last weekend I bought some tomato plants from a local store to supplement my scrawny seedlings. All 'patio' varieties which were supposed to be more bushy with thick firm stems.
I took them home put them in soil mixed with composted sheep manure (ewe poo) in well drained pots.
I put them among all my other pots filled with veggies, flowers and herbs on the porch steps. Covered everything with bird netting to protect everything from the deer and 'Chucky' and went about my weekly business.
When my mom came to visit on Wednesday they were all DEAD! Probably a fungal infection of some sort, but I had to bring them back to the nursery and try again this weekend with new plants.
These are not "patio" plants, but hopefully will survive ok in the pots anyway.
Everything else has managed to survive in pots on the steps, even the broccolin and cauliflower were doing well until someone found them - that's why there's bird netting now.
The peppers even look like they are thriving.
Keep your fingers crossed for me. I can't imagine another summer with no tomato harvest - and neither can my son, Ronnie...
I'll keep you posted.
Weekend Garden Review
Almost everything I planted last weekend is, at least, poking its way up.
I have tiny lettuce, spinach, & broccoli rabe seedlings in the window boxes...no sign of the swiss chard yet.
The beans are just-cresting the dirt in the side boxes, and one of the peat pots of cucumbers is up as well.
No sign of the zucchini or yellow squash yet...
This weekend, I transplanted a bell pepper and 2 tomatoes (Striped Roman and Kellogs Breakfast varieties) to bigger pots flowers to hanging pots...made 2 big flower pots for Mom and still have some left over to plant around the yard.
I had posted a "wanted" on the local Freecycle list and received 3 new pots...one was huge - from a large rhododendron the giver had purchased.
My original planting of cilantro is just about big enough to start harvesting...so next weekend we will have fresh salsa! Yay! For my fresh salsa recipe click here.
I have been procrastinating on going to the fenced plot and doing groundhog control...but it must eventually be done....there are more tomatoes to plant, and not much more room on the porch steps..and the squash will need space too.
And, OI, Chucky was sighted last night close to the porch....
I have tiny lettuce, spinach, & broccoli rabe seedlings in the window boxes...no sign of the swiss chard yet.
The beans are just-cresting the dirt in the side boxes, and one of the peat pots of cucumbers is up as well.
No sign of the zucchini or yellow squash yet...
This weekend, I transplanted a bell pepper and 2 tomatoes (Striped Roman and Kellogs Breakfast varieties) to bigger pots flowers to hanging pots...made 2 big flower pots for Mom and still have some left over to plant around the yard.
I had posted a "wanted" on the local Freecycle list and received 3 new pots...one was huge - from a large rhododendron the giver had purchased.
My original planting of cilantro is just about big enough to start harvesting...so next weekend we will have fresh salsa! Yay! For my fresh salsa recipe click here.
I have been procrastinating on going to the fenced plot and doing groundhog control...but it must eventually be done....there are more tomatoes to plant, and not much more room on the porch steps..and the squash will need space too.
And, OI, Chucky was sighted last night close to the porch....
Grow Your own Pancakes?!?!?!?!
I subscribe to Organic Consumers Association newsletters.
Today they had an interesting article which has inspired a whole new train of thought for me.
Growing my own grains, albeit on a small scale.
The grab-line for the e-newsletter was as follows:
How to Grow Your Own Wheat and Make Your Own Flour
The process of of making your own flour is a lot easier than most people imagine. Before the advent of the modern flour mill, grinding wheat or corn into flour was a laborious task. For that reason, most Americans still assume flour is made with some sort of magical machinery in a factory somewhere. In actuality, wheat is one of the easiest crops to grow, even if you have limited space. Once you've grown it, you just need to cut an arm-full, flail it a bit to remove the grain, blow the chaff off the grain, and use a device like your blender to make the flour. From there, the cookie, bread, pasta or pancake recipe you use is up to you!
The link to the whole article online is:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_18082.cfm
The winter wheat sounds like a good option for me...once harvested, other veggies can be grown in the vacant spaces.....let me know what you think...if you've done this before or plan to try it this year along with me!!
Today they had an interesting article which has inspired a whole new train of thought for me.
Growing my own grains, albeit on a small scale.
The grab-line for the e-newsletter was as follows:
How to Grow Your Own Wheat and Make Your Own Flour
The process of of making your own flour is a lot easier than most people imagine. Before the advent of the modern flour mill, grinding wheat or corn into flour was a laborious task. For that reason, most Americans still assume flour is made with some sort of magical machinery in a factory somewhere. In actuality, wheat is one of the easiest crops to grow, even if you have limited space. Once you've grown it, you just need to cut an arm-full, flail it a bit to remove the grain, blow the chaff off the grain, and use a device like your blender to make the flour. From there, the cookie, bread, pasta or pancake recipe you use is up to you!
The link to the whole article online is:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_18082.cfm
The winter wheat sounds like a good option for me...once harvested, other veggies can be grown in the vacant spaces.....let me know what you think...if you've done this before or plan to try it this year along with me!!
I'm at it again - The Garden Experiment 2009
Last year was pretty pathetic, after initial success with the indoor seedlings and lettuce and garlic harvest, the groundhog (aka "Chucky") pretty much ruined things for me.
Every time I thought I'd managed to bar his way he found a new one. I had very little in the way harvest after the begining of July...mostly just basil.
This year, I had a sluggish start at planting indoor seeds and most things are still really small.
Around Mothers day I started a second batch of seeds in seedling containers, mostly herbs and flowers.
I also started some window boxes and flower pots using the SFG (square foot gardening) theory that you don't need more than 6" deapth of dirt to grow most things.
So, I've got radishes coming along in a window box on the porch rail, and transplanted, store-bought cauliflower and broccoli plants donated by my friend Kim, in large flower pots perched on the patio steps.
I did plant onion sets in the main garden, noting the big tunnel Chucky already dug...
And my husband purchased some mesh fencing that I need to lay around the outside of the garden to prevent Chucky's digging habits.
Yesterday I planted two topsy-turvy tomato hangers with seedlings (Amish Salad, and Prudence Purple varieties) provided by my best garden pal, Kim (of the broccoli and cabbage). And planted some bean seeds, both pole and bush in some more window boxes which I have on the cement patio next to the house. I also planted lettuce, broccoli rabe, and spinach seeds in window boxes on the porch railing. I also planted zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumber seeds in peat pots, in hopes that I'll be able to fill in the main garden at some point........
As you can probably tell, most of my plants are close to the house so far this year.
I am too tired of doing the work of gardening without reaping the rewards!!!
I'll try to keep a record of how it is going with the window box garden and take some pictures to post.
So far, the radish greens are lush and enticing, but no bulb of significance has formed.....
Every time I thought I'd managed to bar his way he found a new one. I had very little in the way harvest after the begining of July...mostly just basil.
This year, I had a sluggish start at planting indoor seeds and most things are still really small.
Around Mothers day I started a second batch of seeds in seedling containers, mostly herbs and flowers.
I also started some window boxes and flower pots using the SFG (square foot gardening) theory that you don't need more than 6" deapth of dirt to grow most things.
So, I've got radishes coming along in a window box on the porch rail, and transplanted, store-bought cauliflower and broccoli plants donated by my friend Kim, in large flower pots perched on the patio steps.
I did plant onion sets in the main garden, noting the big tunnel Chucky already dug...
And my husband purchased some mesh fencing that I need to lay around the outside of the garden to prevent Chucky's digging habits.
Yesterday I planted two topsy-turvy tomato hangers with seedlings (Amish Salad, and Prudence Purple varieties) provided by my best garden pal, Kim (of the broccoli and cabbage). And planted some bean seeds, both pole and bush in some more window boxes which I have on the cement patio next to the house. I also planted lettuce, broccoli rabe, and spinach seeds in window boxes on the porch railing. I also planted zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumber seeds in peat pots, in hopes that I'll be able to fill in the main garden at some point........
As you can probably tell, most of my plants are close to the house so far this year.
I am too tired of doing the work of gardening without reaping the rewards!!!
I'll try to keep a record of how it is going with the window box garden and take some pictures to post.
So far, the radish greens are lush and enticing, but no bulb of significance has formed.....
Garden Experiment 2008 - Lammas Update
Well - it's been 3 months since I've updated this with garden news.
And there's actually been a lot of news...it's just been so bi-polar that I've not had the heart to post it.
As the last post stated, all of my early crops got eaten....by something rabbit...groundhog...chipmonk I wasn't sure.....
Upgrading Defenses
I knew I had to upgrade my defenses, but before I could get around to it the next crops started to come in. The spinach, swiss chard and arugula I had started from seed, and they started to get eaten too....
So, put a new 2' fence with 1/4" openings around the bottom of the existing fence, and put down 1 inch layers of soaked newspaper around the outside in an outward facing L - against the fence and away from it. On top of this I put top soil and planted my marigolds....the marigolds disappeared, but the remaining swiss-chard, the lettuce starts and the arrugula kept growing. I planted lavender and feverfew outside the garden "gate" and radish, scallion, & carrot seeds, my tomato & pepper seedlings inside...and they also grew.
YAY! I was keeping critters out!
My Garden GROWS!
I went on vacation, and when I came home and things were good, so I planted beans, squash, and cucumbers, and took as a good omen the fact that I had at least 2 garden spiders living in my fence and a garter snake living in the flower pot under the windmill.
While I'd been away the tomato plants had more than doubled in size, the radishes had overwhelmed the carrots and scallions (a lesson for next time) and the lettuces were ready to harvest...and harvest...harvest ....and then they were dessimated.GONE eaten completely to the ground.
IT's A GIANT GROUNDHOG
The newspaper barrier had stopped the critters for a while, but apparently the most determined critter of all was a HUGE groundhog who lives just into the woods behind the garden.
He managed to break through the newspaper barrier in late in June, and I have not managed to find a way to keep him out yet. I have used purchased products (Mole-b-gone - a castor oil based repellant & Critter Ridder- a pepper based repellant). I have used rocks that I can barely carry, I have used home made garlic spay....nothing is keeping this guy out.
Continual Destruction
As the bean and cucumber plants appeared they were eaten to the ground...so far the squash are safe. I had re-seeded lettuces for a future crop and have not seen anything so I assume as soon as they show up they are eaten as well.
Blessedly the critter does not seem to prefer tomato and pepper and basil plants....they get nibbled from time-to-time, but more in the way of a trim or pruning rather than eating to the ground.
Do Groundhogs Seek Revenge???
It does seem that whenever I've worked in the garden and tried to put a new layer of defenses down that my nemesis goes for revenge.........
Last weekend I was enthused by 1 of my pepper plants - a mild variety that produces long yellowish peppers - the plant was tall and healthy and had at least a dozen small peppers hanging on it....well, I did my "shoring up" of defenses, pulled some weeds etc then went to make supper.
When I went back to show my husband, the plant had been eaten to the stems...the peppers were, however, left hanging....like me.
Harvest Despite Destruction
As I had indicated, even though the groundhog got the lions share of lettuce I had managed to eat a lot of salad for the two weeks between coming home from vacation and his breaking and entering...I have harvested a few peppers and small cherry tomatoes so far and that will hopefully continue.
My garlic, shallots and onions were harvested over the past month. The garlic had varying results. We planted about 6 varieties and some did better than others I'm not sure if that was due to the spot in the planting bed or just the variety. The shallots did MUCH better than last year and I have high hopes that next year will be even better. Onions were a new crop for me and I don't think I kept the bed weeded enough or watered enough. Despite that, I did get a harvest...they are mostly smallish, but will still be yummy I'm sure.
And there's actually been a lot of news...it's just been so bi-polar that I've not had the heart to post it.
As the last post stated, all of my early crops got eaten....by something rabbit...groundhog...chipmonk I wasn't sure.....
Upgrading Defenses
I knew I had to upgrade my defenses, but before I could get around to it the next crops started to come in. The spinach, swiss chard and arugula I had started from seed, and they started to get eaten too....
So, put a new 2' fence with 1/4" openings around the bottom of the existing fence, and put down 1 inch layers of soaked newspaper around the outside in an outward facing L - against the fence and away from it. On top of this I put top soil and planted my marigolds....the marigolds disappeared, but the remaining swiss-chard, the lettuce starts and the arrugula kept growing. I planted lavender and feverfew outside the garden "gate" and radish, scallion, & carrot seeds, my tomato & pepper seedlings inside...and they also grew.
YAY! I was keeping critters out!
My Garden GROWS!
I went on vacation, and when I came home and things were good, so I planted beans, squash, and cucumbers, and took as a good omen the fact that I had at least 2 garden spiders living in my fence and a garter snake living in the flower pot under the windmill.
While I'd been away the tomato plants had more than doubled in size, the radishes had overwhelmed the carrots and scallions (a lesson for next time) and the lettuces were ready to harvest...and harvest...harvest ....and then they were dessimated.GONE eaten completely to the ground.
IT's A GIANT GROUNDHOG
The newspaper barrier had stopped the critters for a while, but apparently the most determined critter of all was a HUGE groundhog who lives just into the woods behind the garden.
He managed to break through the newspaper barrier in late in June, and I have not managed to find a way to keep him out yet. I have used purchased products (Mole-b-gone - a castor oil based repellant & Critter Ridder- a pepper based repellant). I have used rocks that I can barely carry, I have used home made garlic spay....nothing is keeping this guy out.
Continual Destruction
As the bean and cucumber plants appeared they were eaten to the ground...so far the squash are safe. I had re-seeded lettuces for a future crop and have not seen anything so I assume as soon as they show up they are eaten as well.
Blessedly the critter does not seem to prefer tomato and pepper and basil plants....they get nibbled from time-to-time, but more in the way of a trim or pruning rather than eating to the ground.
Do Groundhogs Seek Revenge???
It does seem that whenever I've worked in the garden and tried to put a new layer of defenses down that my nemesis goes for revenge.........
Last weekend I was enthused by 1 of my pepper plants - a mild variety that produces long yellowish peppers - the plant was tall and healthy and had at least a dozen small peppers hanging on it....well, I did my "shoring up" of defenses, pulled some weeds etc then went to make supper.
When I went back to show my husband, the plant had been eaten to the stems...the peppers were, however, left hanging....like me.
Harvest Despite Destruction
As I had indicated, even though the groundhog got the lions share of lettuce I had managed to eat a lot of salad for the two weeks between coming home from vacation and his breaking and entering...I have harvested a few peppers and small cherry tomatoes so far and that will hopefully continue.
My garlic, shallots and onions were harvested over the past month. The garlic had varying results. We planted about 6 varieties and some did better than others I'm not sure if that was due to the spot in the planting bed or just the variety. The shallots did MUCH better than last year and I have high hopes that next year will be even better. Onions were a new crop for me and I don't think I kept the bed weeded enough or watered enough. Despite that, I did get a harvest...they are mostly smallish, but will still be yummy I'm sure.
Growing Challenge & It Doesn't end with the Peas!
So, the peas got et by a critter......
That's not really ok...I am a bit bitter about it, but figured hey...I didn't put down any of my mole be gone (which has seemed to help with groundhogs/woodchucks in the past). And it's a little too early for marigolds...
This weekend I scattered the castor oil infused corn husks (aka Mole-B-Gone) around the garden, planted some marigold seedlings and stared setting out my cruciferous plants which are another first for me. Broccoli and cauliflower I had started from seed and some left-over purple cabbage starts from my friend K.
I also started some chard, arugula and lettuce seeds.
I did this SUNDAY afternoon.
Yesterday I went to water them and EVERYTHING BUT THE PURPLE CABBAGE WAS GONE!
I am SO FRUSTRATED! How could the varmits have found these things so fast?!?!? Now I'm not sure whether it's a groundhog or a bunny that is managing to get past my defenses, and I 'm really afraid of setting out anything else.
I have more green cabbage and kholrabi starts that didn't make it into the garden on Sunday still in the greenhouse....not to mention all of my herb starts, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants ....
On a side note the garlic onions and shallots are doing just fine with no fence or protection whatsoever.
That's not really ok...I am a bit bitter about it, but figured hey...I didn't put down any of my mole be gone (which has seemed to help with groundhogs/woodchucks in the past). And it's a little too early for marigolds...
This weekend I scattered the castor oil infused corn husks (aka Mole-B-Gone) around the garden, planted some marigold seedlings and stared setting out my cruciferous plants which are another first for me. Broccoli and cauliflower I had started from seed and some left-over purple cabbage starts from my friend K.
I also started some chard, arugula and lettuce seeds.
I did this SUNDAY afternoon.
Yesterday I went to water them and EVERYTHING BUT THE PURPLE CABBAGE WAS GONE!
I am SO FRUSTRATED! How could the varmits have found these things so fast?!?!? Now I'm not sure whether it's a groundhog or a bunny that is managing to get past my defenses, and I 'm really afraid of setting out anything else.
I have more green cabbage and kholrabi starts that didn't make it into the garden on Sunday still in the greenhouse....not to mention all of my herb starts, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants ....
On a side note the garlic onions and shallots are doing just fine with no fence or protection whatsoever.
Growing Challenge: The Peas are GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't believe it!
After all that waiting and watching.......SOMETHING (woodchuck/groundhog probably) got thorugh the perimeter fence and ATE ALL OF THEM!!!!!!! I planted 2 full packs!
The onions, shallots and garlic are, however doing quite nicely.
I think I'm going to go cry now.
After all that waiting and watching.......SOMETHING (woodchuck/groundhog probably) got thorugh the perimeter fence and ATE ALL OF THEM!!!!!!! I planted 2 full packs!
The onions, shallots and garlic are, however doing quite nicely.
I think I'm going to go cry now.
Growing Challenge: The Peas are Coming! The Peas are Coming!
YAY!
After work yesterday it was SO beautiful that the boys and I stayed outside for a while...them to play on their climbers and met o rake yet another couple of tons of leaves off of the flower beds.
So, of course I wandered over to the garden enclosure and there were some peas...fianlly...peeking up out of the ground!
I didn't have the time or energy to go get the camera last night, but I promise to take a picture and post it over the weekend.
YAY!
After work yesterday it was SO beautiful that the boys and I stayed outside for a while...them to play on their climbers and met o rake yet another couple of tons of leaves off of the flower beds.
So, of course I wandered over to the garden enclosure and there were some peas...fianlly...peeking up out of the ground!
I didn't have the time or energy to go get the camera last night, but I promise to take a picture and post it over the weekend.
YAY!
Transplanting 1
Yesterday I transplanted ALL of my tomato seedlings and some of my flower and herb seedlings. It was exhausting and dirty work.
Exhausting because I did it in my kitchen and because I tried to save as many tomatoes as I could...and I only lost 2 during the process. It seems as though the separation of even the tiniest of starts worked.
I have no pictures at the moment, because I was too tired to take them and my kids were yelling for dinner by the time I finished.
Right now, I have no place to put these plants once Mothers' Day rolls around and I can plant outside. The fenced in area that was home to my tomatoes and squash (and everything else) last year should not be a home for them again ghis year according to crop rotation guidelines, but right now I don't have the larger area I intend to use fenced in.
But that problem still has 4 weeks to get a resolution.
In another week or two I'll be doing the transplant shuffle on the peppers and eggplants, and probably more herbs and flowers.
Exhausting because I did it in my kitchen and because I tried to save as many tomatoes as I could...and I only lost 2 during the process. It seems as though the separation of even the tiniest of starts worked.
I have no pictures at the moment, because I was too tired to take them and my kids were yelling for dinner by the time I finished.
Right now, I have no place to put these plants once Mothers' Day rolls around and I can plant outside. The fenced in area that was home to my tomatoes and squash (and everything else) last year should not be a home for them again ghis year according to crop rotation guidelines, but right now I don't have the larger area I intend to use fenced in.
But that problem still has 4 weeks to get a resolution.
In another week or two I'll be doing the transplant shuffle on the peppers and eggplants, and probably more herbs and flowers.
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