Thursday, November 12, 2015
early seed catalog
I just got my first seed catalog! I thought they came out at the end of December.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Persephone period begins
It's November 10. Daylight hours have fallen below 10 hours a day at my latitude. Sunrise 6:28 am, sunset 4:27 pm. Aargh - not my favorite time of year... (Plants don't grow with less than 10 hours of light a day.) I had my countdown timer set to watch for this date. I've set it for February 2nd now - the date the Persephone ends.
Sunday, November 08, 2015
Friday, October 30, 2015
today's garden work
We certainly are lucky with our fall weather this year. Tee shirt temperature and nice rains. Blue skies and calliope leaf show.
Today's tasks:
- Empty eight bags of compost and topsoil into the new garlic bed (why does the soil height always go down in a raised bed?)
- Spread and turn under the new amendments. (Got to get s proper garden fork. Don't know where mine went. I leveled with the side of the shovel.)
- Planted 140 cloves of garlic. They filled the bed full.
- I labeled each row.
- Spread salt marsh hay, about 3-5 inches, as a mulch to protect the plants against freeze-thaws and drying out during the winter.
- I piled the rest of the salt marsh hay bale on other plants I'd like to winter-over without putting them under covers. I covered some broccoli, small red cabbage, kale and beets. I think the hay will give it a few extra degrees of weather protection in the event we don't have snow cover.
- I broke off a nice length of horse radish root to try out. Smells great. I grate it in vinegar so it lasts.
- Finally, I dug another section of my sweet potato bed. Lots of tubers. Just pretty scary looking with the surface grub and wire worm damage.
Today's tasks:
- Empty eight bags of compost and topsoil into the new garlic bed (why does the soil height always go down in a raised bed?)
- Spread and turn under the new amendments. (Got to get s proper garden fork. Don't know where mine went. I leveled with the side of the shovel.)
- Planted 140 cloves of garlic. They filled the bed full.
- I labeled each row.
- Spread salt marsh hay, about 3-5 inches, as a mulch to protect the plants against freeze-thaws and drying out during the winter.
- I piled the rest of the salt marsh hay bale on other plants I'd like to winter-over without putting them under covers. I covered some broccoli, small red cabbage, kale and beets. I think the hay will give it a few extra degrees of weather protection in the event we don't have snow cover.
- I broke off a nice length of horse radish root to try out. Smells great. I grate it in vinegar so it lasts.
- Finally, I dug another section of my sweet potato bed. Lots of tubers. Just pretty scary looking with the surface grub and wire worm damage.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
looks like a good day for planting garlic
We had a torrential rain storm last night. My fall greens must have loved it. Now it's drying up and the sun is out. I brought a dozen bags of compost, manure and topsoil down to my garden yesterday. Also, a bale of salt marsh hay. I'm just waiting now for a new version of Photoshop to download (my old one didn't seem to work with my new Windows 10 OS). Separating the cloves as I wait. Once it's done, me and the dogs are going to go do some digging and plant garlic.
The new garlic patch is where my tomatoes were. I have three varieties from Territorial Seeds.
8 oz Italian Late has 72 cloves!
8 oz Music, 22 giant cloves
8 oz Duganski, 45 pretty purple cloves
OK, I'm off to plant....
The new garlic patch is where my tomatoes were. I have three varieties from Territorial Seeds.
8 oz Italian Late has 72 cloves!
8 oz Music, 22 giant cloves
8 oz Duganski, 45 pretty purple cloves
OK, I'm off to plant....
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
suzie by the pond
Suzie is in each of these pictures. She runs off when I photograph her too close, but I was happy to get her in the distance. She's been having trouble with her hips and so we're giving her special attention now.
Monday, October 26, 2015
notes on Skippy's planting calendar app
- Use app for planning your 2016 garden: A gardener emailed me that she is already using Skippy's planting calendar app to set up her vegetables for next year (she says: "early but I want an easy place to remember what I want to order")
- Fixed glitch: The app had a glitch with the season transition. It was opening but displaying nothing. We've fixed this and an updated version is now available for download at Apple App Store updates.
- Android available: We've released an android version of the app. It's available here: Skippy's planting calendar android. Please let me know feedback on this version. Right now, I think it has the season transition glitch, but it will be updated and fixed soon.
- New features for 2016: We have several updates in the works for the app. By 2016 planting season, they'll be available as a download to update your version. As we get closer to completing them, I'll explain the features we're adding. We had so many good ideas from users and are excited to encorporate some .
Please let me know any feedback on this app. I'd love to hear how you are using it and any improvements you would suggest. And, if you have used the app this season, we'd love it if you leave a review at Apple or GooglePlay.
- Fixed glitch: The app had a glitch with the season transition. It was opening but displaying nothing. We've fixed this and an updated version is now available for download at Apple App Store updates.
- Android available: We've released an android version of the app. It's available here: Skippy's planting calendar android. Please let me know feedback on this version. Right now, I think it has the season transition glitch, but it will be updated and fixed soon.
- New features for 2016: We have several updates in the works for the app. By 2016 planting season, they'll be available as a download to update your version. As we get closer to completing them, I'll explain the features we're adding. We had so many good ideas from users and are excited to encorporate some .
Please let me know any feedback on this app. I'd love to hear how you are using it and any improvements you would suggest. And, if you have used the app this season, we'd love it if you leave a review at Apple or GooglePlay.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
pears - a bumper crop this year
I'm reviewing each of my crops this year. Here's the story on my my pears.
I have two espaliered trees, a Bartlett and an Kieffer at my community garden plot, about 5-7 years old now.
April 13, I sprayed with 2% horticultural oil at the swollen bud stage. I meant to spray again between green cluster and white bud, but forgot. (Spraying is done to control psylla, mites and scale.) I didn't see the trees in bloom this year, but was told they were spectacular.
I fertilized early in the year with fruit tree spikes, 3 per tree, since the leaves looked a bit yellow. They greened up nicely.
Fruit set in abundance on both trees. Last year I remember I counted 75 pears. This year I did not even try to count. I didn't thin or cover the fruit. The leaves developed spots mid-season. Scab? As they ripened, pears became mottled with something on the surface. Some Kieffer's were misshaped with dimples or larger divots that were stony at the base. I don't know the cause either of these.
August 25, I harvested about 30 lbs of fruit - all the Bartlett and half of the Kieffer's. August 31, I harvested the rest, about 20 lbs.
I put all fruit in the refrigerator. It's a small one with poor temp control. I tried to set it for 32, but ended up freezing about 30-40% of the fruit. The fruit that didn't freeze all ripened up really nicely. I left Bartlett's in fridge about 2 weeks, took about 3-4 days to ripen. Kieffer's were in fridge either 2 or 3 weeks and took about a week to ripen. They were sweeter with longer cold treatment.
Since I still have last years canned pears left over, I made different other items this year.
- Canned pear sauce (just like apple sauce, but pears - delicious)
- Frozen pears, I tried both dry and syrup methods (haven't tried any yet)
- Dried pears, both plain and syrup methods (we love both of these!)
The Bartlett has several areas where branches don't look good and have lost leaves early this fall.
For next year,
- Apply both recommended applications of horticultural oil on the trees in spring
- If the trees set another big harvest, I'll thin to one pear per cluster, 6 inches between fruits about 30-45 days after full bloom when fruits are 1/2 to 1 inch diameter
- Get a new fridge with better temperature control
- Make dried pears again, try using a very light syrup
I have two espaliered trees, a Bartlett and an Kieffer at my community garden plot, about 5-7 years old now.
April 13, I sprayed with 2% horticultural oil at the swollen bud stage. I meant to spray again between green cluster and white bud, but forgot. (Spraying is done to control psylla, mites and scale.) I didn't see the trees in bloom this year, but was told they were spectacular.
I fertilized early in the year with fruit tree spikes, 3 per tree, since the leaves looked a bit yellow. They greened up nicely.
Fruit set in abundance on both trees. Last year I remember I counted 75 pears. This year I did not even try to count. I didn't thin or cover the fruit. The leaves developed spots mid-season. Scab? As they ripened, pears became mottled with something on the surface. Some Kieffer's were misshaped with dimples or larger divots that were stony at the base. I don't know the cause either of these.
August 25, I harvested about 30 lbs of fruit - all the Bartlett and half of the Kieffer's. August 31, I harvested the rest, about 20 lbs.
I put all fruit in the refrigerator. It's a small one with poor temp control. I tried to set it for 32, but ended up freezing about 30-40% of the fruit. The fruit that didn't freeze all ripened up really nicely. I left Bartlett's in fridge about 2 weeks, took about 3-4 days to ripen. Kieffer's were in fridge either 2 or 3 weeks and took about a week to ripen. They were sweeter with longer cold treatment.
Since I still have last years canned pears left over, I made different other items this year.
- Canned pear sauce (just like apple sauce, but pears - delicious)
- Frozen pears, I tried both dry and syrup methods (haven't tried any yet)
- Dried pears, both plain and syrup methods (we love both of these!)
The Bartlett has several areas where branches don't look good and have lost leaves early this fall.
For next year,
- Apply both recommended applications of horticultural oil on the trees in spring
- If the trees set another big harvest, I'll thin to one pear per cluster, 6 inches between fruits about 30-45 days after full bloom when fruits are 1/2 to 1 inch diameter
- Get a new fridge with better temperature control
- Make dried pears again, try using a very light syrup
Thursday, October 22, 2015
my fall harvest
These are vegetables I picked last Saturday, the day before our first frost.
I'll have to post a photo of our watermelon martinis. Carrot or radish martinis are good too. I made a nice chili out of those Black Turtle beans last night. I'll post that photo soon too.
I'll have to post a photo of our watermelon martinis. Carrot or radish martinis are good too. I made a nice chili out of those Black Turtle beans last night. I'll post that photo soon too.
my cucumber experiment - cucumbers are not a fall crop
On August 7 (65 days before my average first frost), I planted several varieties of pickling cukes: Cucumber, Salt and Pepper (49 days), Cucumber, Miniature White (50 days), Cucumber, North Carolina Pickling (60-65 days). This experiment was a last ditch effort since wilt (carried by beetles) killed my summer cucumbers.
It seemed this experiment would work, going by the days. The rule of thumb for fall planting is to count back from the average first frost date by the days to harvest, and then add 2 weeks for the "fall factor": with less light plants grow slower. So those 49 and 50 day cukes had enough time. But it did not work.
August and September weather was great. Record heat - our first heat wave in September in 35 years. I kept the plants covered to keep beetles off, then removed covers when they bloomed. They bloomed well (bees loved them), but the plants never produced cucumbers.
My lesson: Cucumbers need mid summer light - they are not a fall crop.
It seemed this experiment would work, going by the days. The rule of thumb for fall planting is to count back from the average first frost date by the days to harvest, and then add 2 weeks for the "fall factor": with less light plants grow slower. So those 49 and 50 day cukes had enough time. But it did not work.
August and September weather was great. Record heat - our first heat wave in September in 35 years. I kept the plants covered to keep beetles off, then removed covers when they bloomed. They bloomed well (bees loved them), but the plants never produced cucumbers.
My lesson: Cucumbers need mid summer light - they are not a fall crop.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
bread and butter pickles
My cucumber harvest failed miserably this year (beetles), so I went by our farmer's market and bought a big bag of beautiful picking cukes. They smelled so good. Since I'm out of my garden onions already, I got onions. And some enormous red and orange peppers. I followed the recipe for Bread-and-Butter pickles in the book "Food in Jars" by Marisa McClellan (a really nice new canning book). They are delicious! Spicy and crunchy with a bit of sweetness.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
my garden
Here's a photo of my vegetable garden now. The frost covers are off and draped over trellises or the fence behind. Looking at this picture reminds me of things that will be happening soon - hopefully before snow cover arrives.
Soon we are having a post and rail fence put in around the garden edges. It will be a nicer support for the metal deer fence than the crocked metal pole I have now. I need to take down the tomatoes supports at the left and pull those cornstalks at the right. And, pretty as it is now, I hope to get all that bright yellow bittersweet removed from the woods behind the garden. It looks like I need to mow and rake the lawn one last time this fall. I want to move the bird houses because they are full of house sparrows here (maybe in another location they'll get bluebirds or swallows). And I am getting the middle bed, the one with the hoops, ready for winter with a double layers of cold and vole protection.
preparing the vegetable garden for frost
Here are things that are important to do in a vegetable garden the day before your first frost.
- Pick any warm crop veggies left in the garden: things like peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, zucchini, summer squashes, winter squashes and pumpkins. Since these plants will all be killed by even a light frost, they can be pulled and composted now.
- For a light freeze (28-32 degrees F), its OK to leave most cold weather crops uncovered. To be on the safe side, I cover my lettuce, bok choi, peas and Swiss chard.
- For a hard frost (below 28 degrees F), cover: artichokes, arugula, beets, bok choi, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, endive, escarole, lettuce, mache, parsnips, peas, radicchio, spinach and Swiss chard. Bring potted rosemary inside.
- Crops that can withstand hard frost and do not need protection include: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, leek, mustard, onions, parsley, radishes and turnips.
Monday, October 19, 2015
boring garden tasks?
I was asked the other day about what are the garden tasks I enjoy least.
...... I'm not really sure of the answer to that.
I suppose many gardeners would say weeding, but that task gets you down close to the plants and let's you see what's going on. If it's a nice day, weeding is just part of being in the garden.
Hauling compost to the garden takes a lot of time and strength. And often needs to be done in the early spring when the weather is still cold. That's not one of my favorite tasks. But I do like that I am making and using my own compost and I don't want to bring in purchased compost.
I might have to say my least favorite task is watering. Yes, this summer I gave up watering my community plot when we had such a long stretch without rain. We have a rule that only hand watering is allowed. It takes so long. At home too I've hand watered this summer, but not as much as I should have. It gets boring, to stand there with the hose and water. My old garden had a nice underground drip system. I'll have to make one for this new garden soon.
What's your least favorite garden task?
...... I'm not really sure of the answer to that.
I suppose many gardeners would say weeding, but that task gets you down close to the plants and let's you see what's going on. If it's a nice day, weeding is just part of being in the garden.
Hauling compost to the garden takes a lot of time and strength. And often needs to be done in the early spring when the weather is still cold. That's not one of my favorite tasks. But I do like that I am making and using my own compost and I don't want to bring in purchased compost.
I might have to say my least favorite task is watering. Yes, this summer I gave up watering my community plot when we had such a long stretch without rain. We have a rule that only hand watering is allowed. It takes so long. At home too I've hand watered this summer, but not as much as I should have. It gets boring, to stand there with the hose and water. My old garden had a nice underground drip system. I'll have to make one for this new garden soon.
What's your least favorite garden task?
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