Don't you love a clear plot of fresh dirt!
We finished removing all of the stumps and rocks today. We moved two giant rocks under the lilac as benches. And I limed and seeded green manure/winter cover crop. I am imagining rows of productive crops next year....
(Tomorrow we will move the fence to encompass the newly cleared area.)
community plot expansion project
Wow, that looks great! Are you going to put the fence all the way around?
ReplyDeleteYes! Tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteDoes Skippy like other dogs?
ReplyDeleteKathy, Off topic question, but have you ever had bush bean leaves curl up and the outer stems dry up/wither (not the base of the stem)? I have some seedlings going in my sunroom and one of them has had it, another looks to be slipping, and I have no idea what's got them! I see no bugs, no spots, no holes, no mildew, etc... Any idea what this might be? Any thoughts would be much appreciated!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! That looked like a lot of work, but I am sure it will pay off. I can't wait to see what you grow there next year.
ReplyDeleteOh well done! How promising that looks! I can't wait to see what you do with it next year.
ReplyDeleteWell done, say what do you plant for green manure winter cover?
ReplyDeleteThat looks great! I've just barely managed to clean up my beds, and will starting digging next.
ReplyDeleteLove the fall flower photos from Friday, too.
Tyra: My green manure cover crop is a mix from Johnny's: field peas, winter rye grass, vetch, and clover.
ReplyDeletemamawhatthe: My first though about the beans is a virus. I had trouble with this - photos of my beans are here and here. This virus is spread through infected seed and is very common. The best solution is to grow resistant varieties.
A nice idea to grow beans indoors during the winter!
jennifer: Skippy definitely likes other dogs. He's very sociable. I'm noticing these days he pays more attention to females. And there are certain breeds of dogs he seems to prefer. He especially likes dogs that play and run with him. He's not very interested in balls or playing fetch. Do you have a dog?
I have 2 mice and a rat, but I often watch a whippet and a lovely 14 year old mutt, who love to follow me anywhere.
ReplyDeleteWhat does the ground cover do? How does it benefit instead of suck more nutrients out?
Here's a really good site with information on cover crops for the home garden (Oregon St Univ Extension).
ReplyDelete"Cover crops help reduce soil compaction and prevent erosion. Their roots penetrate and help loosen heavy-textured soils, allowing better air and water penetration. Cover crops also are called catch crops.... catches and uses the nitrogen and other mineral nutrients that winter rains normally leach away. When you turn the cover crop under in the spring, these nutrients return to the soil, ready for your crop of vegetables.
Nearly all garden soil needs organic matter to maintain the bacteria, fungi, earthworms, and other forms of life needed to make a healthy, fertile soil.
Inoculated legume cover crops add nitrogen to the soil. When you turn cover crops under, they add organic matter to the soil--building better soil structure and fertility."