Growing Organic : 2018

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Preparing and Building Raised Beds

Fall is a great time of year to work in the garden. Preparing existing raised beds and building and preparing new beds now means you will be ready for a early spring planting. Why start now? Being prepared spreads the cost out, spreads the work load out over seasons, and your soil will be prepared and ready to plant when the time is right. You will be ready to produce food for your family from early spring til fall. I'm including two chore lists. One for the beginning gardener and one for the gardener already using raised beds.

There are basically 3 things you want to accomplish in the fall whether you are a first time or experienced gardener.

For the first time gardener:

First: Choose your garden site
Second: Build your raised bed boxes, fences, and install a water source
Third: Prepare your soil

For an existing garden:

First: Clean out your existing garden beds
Second: Build any additional raised bed boxes
Third: Prepare your soil

Herbs are great to incorporate into the garden to attract pollinators and beneficial insects.

#1 The Garden Site

For the First Time Gardener

Choosing your garden site

Gardens do best when they get 6-8 hours of sunlight. Late afternoon shade is fine.
Consider a site with protection from the wind
You need easy access to water in the garden
Choose a site close to your house with easy access. Nobody likes to hike to the garden.
Avoid micro climates... planting in a hole where cold air sinks or where too much reflective sunlight exists from a fence, windows, or nearby structures
Avoid any area with heavy clay or poor water drainage which is a sign of clay. If water pools and drains slowly after a rain avoid these areas
If deer or rabbits are a problem in your area consider a fence
Pick a place where you can visually see your garden from the house and will be able to enjoy it
Since you just might love gardening, choose an area that can be expanded

For an existing garden:

Clean out your existing garden:

Fall clean up is very important. Pests and disease overwinter in debris

Remove all spent plants and debris. It's very important to get diseased plants out of the garden and in the garbage not the compost pile

Add 1 - 2 inches of compost to to top of your bed. Bare soil is not beneficial to the health of your soil. Cover crops planted late summer that will winter kill are another option.

Late in the fall, a layer of compost is your best option

Use healthy plant material like dried corn stalks or fall leaves to start a compost pile. Mix equal part brown and green material. Wet it until it feels like a damp sponge. Turn the pile every couple of weeks to keep it decomposing aerobically. Make your pile 4x4x4 feet so it heats up sufficiently.

Drain water from existing water systems

Organize all your garden supplies and put up trellises and cages

#2 The Raised Bed

Building a raised bed box

4'x8' or 3'x 8' or 10' is a good size for a raised bed. The boxes can be any length but the width should be no wider than 4 feet. If you have back issues 3' wide is a more comfortable reach You need to be able to access the box from the sides without stepping into the box. We don't want to compact our soil.
I like to use 10" or 12" high boxes. You can build the boxes taller but you need to be able to fill the box with good soil and it will require more soil amendments. Taller boxes are easier on the back.
To build one bed that is 4'x8', buy three 2x12x8's. Two boards make up the sides and one board cut in half will provide the two ends
Use screws to join the sides together
Build the box away from the garden so you can prepare the site for the box
There are fancy raised bed plans online. When your garden is mature, your plants will be the focus not the box. I think if you have limited funds use whatever lumber you have available and put your money into building your soil.

Preparing to Install the Raised Bed

Be sure to think about the layout of your garden. You will be so excited about the success of your garden box next year you will want to add more.
Be sure to allow wide enough paths between the boxes to get a wheel barrow around but not so wide you spend more time weeding paths than the garden
I like to line garden paths with a high quality weed block and cover with bark so my time is NOT spent weeding paths.
Rototill the ground where you are going to put the box
If you have a broad fork which has 18 inch tines you can use that instead of a rototiller to loose the soil up. It actually gets down deeper and doesn't not destroy soil structure.
If you have nothing else, a shovel also works to turn the ground over and loosen the soil. Compacted soil is an enemy to good, healthy gardens
Remember do NOT put your garden in an area of heavy clay
Remove all rocks.
Level the ground and place your box on top
Do not put a cover on the bottom. Trust me you'll regret it. It inhibits root growth. It's better to have a gopher hole you can put a trap in than a hole down under the box that you can't get to.
You can paint the box with a boiled linseed oil. I have never done that. I just replace old beds.

Raised Bed Rule: When you are done, do NOT walk on your beds!

Chinese Cabbage from an early spring planting

#3 Preparing your soil

Building healthy soil is what makes organic gardening successful!

The study of soil is fascinating. When you hold a handful of healthy soil, you are holding a microscopic world teeming with life. Healthy soil is composed of air water, minerals, organic matter, and microbes. All of these elements are essential to fertile, healthy soil. Isn't that fascinating?

Components of Soil

Air

Creates pore space
Roots require oxygen

Water

Needed to transport nutrients
Transpiration

Minerals

Gives soil its texture
Does not determine soil fertility

Microbes and Soil Life

Decomposers
Holds nutrients in the soil
Makes nutrients available to plants
Builds soil structure
Indispensable to the organic gardener

Organic Matter

Builds soil structure
Increases water holding capacity
Adds nutrients
Increases microbe activity

We are now going to turn ordinary dirt into extraordinary garden soil!

#3 Preparing the Soil

Evaluate the texture of your soil. Is it mostly sand, silt, or clay? Sandy loam is the ideal garden soil.

If you have more than 40% clay or sand it will behave like clay or sand. Huge amounts of amendments would be required to change the texture.

If the soil is adequate, then fill the box about 1/2 full

If your soil has too much clay I STRONGLY suggest you find and bring in a better soil. You will not have very good results and gardening will be a huge frustration in clay.

Add 2 bags of finished compost. I like Nutri-mulch which is composted turkey manure and bedding.

Do not add any dried fertilizer at this time.

Add a bag of peat moss

Be careful with bulk manures and composts. Sometimes they are very high in salts.

Incorporate the compost and peat moss into the box with a shovel. Level it. Water the bed.

Congratulations! You are now prepared for spring with a box all ready to plant in.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Planting Spring Bulbs

Nothing gives the promise of spring more than tulips, daffodils, other spring blooming bulbs. Fall is the time to plant if you want to enjoy these early spring treats. Many gardeners tend to use the term "bulb" rather liberally referring to any plant with an underground storage structure. True bulbs are modified leaves attached to a basal plate that surrounds the following years buds. The roots grow down from the basal plate. Some bulbs like tulips and narcissi (daffodils) have a papery tunic surround the bulb. Others bulbs like lilies and fritillaries have scales covering the bulbs.

Using Bulbs in the Landscape

Bulbs are one of the first flowers of spring. This makes them very adaptable in the landscape. They can be planted in full sun or under a deciduous tree. The bulbs will bloom before the tree leafs out. Any soil is acceptable; however, adding a compost and organic fertilize at planting time makes for happier healthierbulbs. They can also be planted in containers. This is a great option if you love tulips and have deer that love them too. Containers of tulips on a porch may not be bothered by deer unless they are overly friendly.

Bulbs are at their best planted in groups rather than scattered or planted in rows. Medium sized bulbs like tulips, narcissi, or hyacinths look nice planted in groups of 7-10. Small bulbs such as crocuses, or Siberian squalls can be planted in groups of 12 or more. Leave spaces between clusters of bulbs to interplant ground covers, annuals, or perennials. By early summer bulbs leaves will fade and the spotlight will be on other flowers.

Stacked Planting of Bulbs

This technique will give you succession of blooming bulbs. Plant tall growing bulbs such as late tulips. Add a layer of soil mixed with compost and plant a midseason hyacinth. Add another layer and plant an early blooming small bulb such as crocuses.

Types of Bulbs

Bulbs are classified according to their blooming season. There are late winter flowering, spring flowering, summer flowering, and fall flowering bulbs. Then within each season group (ei. spring flowering) there are early, midseason, and late bloomers. Bulbs are also classified as hardy, semi-hardy, and tender bulbs. This post will focus on hardy bulbs which include: cyclamen, fritillary, grape hyacinth, snowflake, striped squill, tulips, crocus, and narcissi.

Late Winter Flowering Bulbs: snowdrops, Iris reticulate

Early Spring Bulbs: crocus, Siberian squill

Midseason Spring Bulbs: tulips, narcissi

Naturalizing Bulbs

Naturalized plantings are one of the benefits of bulbs. Choose bulbs that are hardy and appropriate for your soil. Planting methods can be as simple as tossing the bulbs in the air and planting them were they land or lay out a garden hose in a meandering path and then plant in that path.

Propagating Bulbs

Bulbs multiple on their own without your intervening. You can dig up a bulb and find numerous bulbs of various sizes. The larger ones can be replanted and will bloom the following the year. The smaller bulbs will need to be grown out until they reach flowering size.

Planting Bulbs

When you receive your bulbs in early fall for hardy bulbs and early spring for tender bulbs. Prepare a planting hole a few inches deeper than the recommended planting depth. Add compost and a dry organic fertilizer to the soil you removed. Add enough soil to bring to the appropriate planting depth and plant the bulb. Space the bulbs a few inches apart. Water well.

Planting Depths

Narcissa 10 Inches

Tulips 8 inches

Crocus 4 inches

Allium 6 inches

Hyacinth 6 inches

Maintaining Bulbs

Hardy bulbs require little care. Water throughout fall until the ground freezes. In the spring you can fertilize as the bulbs begin to bloom. I use fish emulsion. The flowers will begin to fade. If they develop any seed pods cut them off. It is best to leave the foliage as long as it is green. It provides energy to the bulb and roots. When the leaves turn yellow they can be cut back.

Since you intend for your bulbs to be a permanent planting, little care is needed during the summer months when the bulbs are actually dormant. The hardest thing for me in the summer is to not accidentally dig them up when planting annuals .

Notice the pollen covered bee in this tulip.

Lifting Over Crowed Bulbs

As bulbs become overcrowded flowering will diminish. This is the time to lift the bulbs. Do this as the leaves begin to fade in early summer. Let the bulbs dry for a few days. Then remove the faded leaves. The bulbs can be stored in a warm dry place until fall planting time.

Winter Issues

Bulbs are planted deep enough that they have no problem with winter cold. If you live in an area with freezing and then thawing you may have problems with newly planted bulbs heaving. If this is the case an extra layer of mulch will help.

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Saving Heirloom Lettuce Seed

You wouldn't think tennis balls, Thomas Jefferson, and lettuce have anything in common but Tennis Ball lettuce is an heirloom variety Thomas Jefferson grew on his farm at Monticello. Visiting Monicello and Mount Vernon are high on my bucket list. Not only do I respect these statesmen and their role as Founding Fathers I also admire their role as Founding Farmers.

Tennis Ball

Tennis ball is a cultivar still available today to plant in your garden. This can be your own piece of history to continue cultivating and saving seed from! Tennis Ball is a butterhead lettuce of "small rosettes of light green leaves measuring 7" in diameter." (Seed Savers) This lettuce was often pickled in the 17th and 18th century in a salt brine. Who would of thought you could pickle lettuce?

As odd as it may seem lettuce is one crop I love to grow. Lettuces culinary uses are limited to salads and it cannot be preserved, yet there is something fascinating to me about the varied colors, leaf shapes, and textures. When I come to lettuce in the seed catalog, I slow down and enjoy reading the history of heirloom varieties. Some just speak to me and must be planted in my garden.

Heirloom lettuce is a good place to start your adventure into seed saving. I think sometimes we take it for granted that our favorite varieties will always be around and available in the seed catalogs. Sadly that is not the case. One loose leaf lettuce, Bronze Arrowhead, has always had a place in my garden. It has beautiful arrow shaped leaves that have bronze tips and edges. I shared these seeds with my daughter-in-law and both of us have grown them repeatedly in our gardens. This year when I went to re order this seed it is no long available through the catalog. Fortunately I can still get it off the seed exchange, but it's a reminder that we should all be saving our favorite open pollinated and heirloom varieties.

Bronze Arrowhead

Flowering

Lettuce is in the asteraceae or sunflower family. With perfect flowers that self pollinate, it is a good crop to save seed from. Flowering is triggered by long days and/or high summer temperatures. The flower stalks can be quite beautiful reaching 2- 5 feet tall. Lettuce that forms heads may need a nudge to induce flowering. Do this by cutting one to two inches into the head as it reaches maturity. The trick is to not cut so deep that the growing point is damaged.

Lenox lettuce flower stalks

Isolation Considerations

If saving seed for yourself, isolating is not a concern. There is very little outcrossing with lettuce. To be extra safe you can separate varieties by 20 feet or plant a tall crop in-between varieties. What is a concern is the weed prickly lettuce which may grow near your garden. It's always a good idea to know the weeds in your area. This weed will cross with garden lettuce. (The Complete Guide to Seed Saving. Robert Gough and Cheryl Moore-Gough) Also if you are saving seed to preserve genetic diversity isolation is suggested.

You can see the flower stalks and flowers buds forming.

When to Harvest Seed

The type of fruit a plant bears is the key to how and when seed should be harvested. Lettuce fruit is an achene. These fruits are a single seed attached to the ovary at only one point. (The Complete Guide to Seed Saving) Flowering in lettuce occurs over an extended period of time. Terminal flowers open first followed by the lateral flowers. The seeds are ripe for harvest 10-24 days after the flowers shed their pollen. Lettuce seeds develop pappus, the white, feathery dandelion like structures which carry the seeds in the wind. When half the stalk is in this stage you can begin harvesting seed.

Merlot Lettuce developing a flower stalk

How to Harvest Seed

There are several methods to harvesting. You can shake the seed heads into a bag as they begin to dry. A seed bag can be placed over the entire flower stalk prior to flowering to avoid losing seed to shattering. Bagging is also an isolation method. With the final method, the entire plant can be pulled up, hung upside down to dry for about a week and then the seeds are harvested.

Lenox lettuce with it's beautiful oak leaf burgundy leaves developing a flower stalk.

Seed Care and Storage

Lettuce seeds are dormant when you harvest them. After a couple of months they can be planted. Lettuce seed is sensitive to temperature at all stages of handling. If the seed is exposed to temperatures above 77F, whether in storage or in the ground, a second dormancy will be induced. Cold is needed to break this dormancy. (The Complete Guide to Seed Saving)

This temperature induced dormancy, mimics nature's seasons and protects the seed from germinating immediately after harvest only to experience winter kill. It allows the seed to be dormant through winter or a cold season and then germinate in the spring.

Light is also necessary for germinating lettuce seed. The seeds are usually pressed into the soil surface or only lightly covered with soil.

The pvc pipes and row cover were used in early spring to protect the lettuce seedlings to allow early transplanting and then as the weather warmed us I used it as a shade in late afternoon.

Storing Seeds

Store the seeds in paper envelopes in a cool, dry, dark room. Lettuce seed stores up to 6 years.

Recommended Heirloom & OP Lettuce

So now I get to share with you some of my favorite lettuce cultivars. Some are heirloom with fun histories but all are open pollinated so I can save seed. Every year I plant a growing list of favorites and try a few new intriguing cultivars.

Rossimo a loose leaf frilly lettuce

Lunix a red burgundy oak leaf that can be harvested with the cut and come again method or simply harvest the outer leaves.

Grandpa's Admiral a butterhead with a fun history.

In 1977, 90 year old Chloe Lowry gave this family heirloom to Seed Savers Exchange. It is named after her grandfather, George Admire, who was a Civil War veteran. (Seed Saver's Exchange)

Mascara gorgeous curly frilled oak leaf shaped leaves! Beautiful
maroon leaves.

Merlot my personal favorite. A beautiful loose leaf lettuce easy to grow, slow to bolt, and high anti-oxidant levels.

Bunte Forellenschluss which can be either a romaine or butterhead type. "Bunte" means colorful in Germon. The leaves are splashed with maroon. (Seed Savers Exchange)

A French heirloom describe in Vilmorin's The Vegetable Garden 1885. (Seed Savers Exchange) Merveille Des Quatre Saisons is a French heirloom butterhead.