What do you do when you are supposed to be in the dormant period of your gardening but the weather is acting like it's late fall? That question came to me today as we reached the low 70's today. Yes, it was 70 degrees on Christmas day here in Baltimore. I walked out to take a quick survey of the garden between downpours and I must say that the winter rye crop has grown quite a bit since we started this unusual run of warmer weather. I am not complaining mind you. The extra rye will help in the spring. But who would have thought we'd be in the 70's at this time of the year. Crazy eh?
I began mentally listing what I could do with the time I have off from work. Usually, I have stopped most of my work and am looking over my seed stock to see what - if any - seeds I need to get to be ready for early March. But, given the extra bonus period of nice weather, seeds are the last thing I will be spending my time looking at this weekend.
The first thing I am going to do is walk my garden to see if I need to do any maintenance and general pick up around it. It was a crazy fall so I think I may have left a few things to Spring. Guess I'll get to that now. Cleanup would be a top priority. I have some leaves from last year that I should probably throw in the couple of composters I have since they are still actively working. That would also clear up the area behind my garage and set it up for next year.
The second thing I am going to do is remove any leaves remaining in the beds so that I can just cut the rye in the early spring. That will give me a leg up on the whole process. Not a bad bonus considering it's winter. At least I guess it's winter.
And the third thing I am going to do is get my weeder out to trim the grass around the bed borders. The grass has been growing the last couple of weeks. That has resulted in a blush of growth around the borders which looks unsightly and is a possible source of bacterial growth in the spring. If I leave the grass and probably embedded weeds to the Spring, the first cut I do of them will broadcast weed seed and any bacteria in them into the garden beds. If I cut them now, the cold of winter will kill off the bacteria and probably most of the weed seeds too. So, my choice is to address the issue now when I can let nature do the dirty work for me. Always a plus.
Given that the forecast is for intermittent rain tomorrow, I will have to pick and choose times to get these completed. But, get them done I must. If you have a garden that is currently laying dormant, you too may want to consider doing a few maintenance items to save yourself time in the spring. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and I will respond as soon as possible. Here's hoping you had a wonderful Christmas. Until next time, Happy Gardening!
Friday, December 25, 2015
Sunday, November 29, 2015
My passion for gardening
I often am asked by friends and business associates why I am so passionate about my gardening. It's a good question and I often contemplate why I do actually garden. It's certainly not because it is an easy to do activity. It's not because I love the forever battle against the elements either. There is nothing more deflating than to go out to the garden and find that a wave of leaf miners has let loose on your various plants. Neither it is fun to survey your garden after a wicked summer thunderstorm to find your Peppers and/or Tomatoes have been severely damaged after they have set fruit. Nor is there anything more disturbing than to have to cover your plants in the garden due to an impending later than normal frost in the Spring. Or worse yet, when you go to pick a prize tomato and find out the squirrels have had a bite of it. No, those aren't the reasons I garden year in and year out.
No, despite all these obstacles to actually garden, there are many reasons to garden. I like the challenges that a growing plant represents. Unlike mass producing farmers, a backyard garden does not provide the luxury allowing for some loss. Each plant is important in the scheme of the garden. That's one of the core challenges of a garden in my mind. To nurture that plant to it's final fruit despite the many problems you and it face throughout the seasons.
I also like the fact that I am solely responsible for the garden. My efforts produce the results that are attained. What I do and don't do, when I do it and how observant I am directly impacts the plants. From what I do to prep the soil in the fall and spring, what specific plants I plant, how I space them and what fertilization methods and inputs I use all affect the output of the garden. It is all up to me for the most part.
Growing what I love to eat is also a big plus. I don't see myself as a food snob but it would be rare for me to eat a store bought tomato, cucumber or pepper. I grow only Heirloom tomatoes, specific types of cucumbers and peppers due to their taste. There is a huge difference between a store bought tomato and a Brandywine fresh off your vine. There is nothing like home grown taste.
The last and probably most important reason I have a garden is it is my "go to" place for peacefulness. When I am in the garden working on the plants or spying possible issues, I am actually quite calm. It's where I can get my mind to let go of the day and this world we live in. When I see a bee busily hopping from plant to plant or a butterfly doing likewise, I can watch them going about their business and forget the day and the world. I can breathe again and just be in the moment. One moment this year that I can remember is when I found a frog in my garden. It was so out of the ordinary. It was so tiny that a pepper leaf covered him. I watched him for a short time and just released the leaf so it covered him back up. I never expected to see it there, but for some reason, I just stopped and watched for a short time not worried about what was "next" on my list. That kind of moment, while not important in the scheme of things, still resonates with me.
So, you see, gardening has it many benefits that far outweigh the risks involved. You too can do this and feel the same one day too. All you have to do is just take the first step. I guarantee you won't regret it. Until next time, Happy Gardening.
No, despite all these obstacles to actually garden, there are many reasons to garden. I like the challenges that a growing plant represents. Unlike mass producing farmers, a backyard garden does not provide the luxury allowing for some loss. Each plant is important in the scheme of the garden. That's one of the core challenges of a garden in my mind. To nurture that plant to it's final fruit despite the many problems you and it face throughout the seasons.
I also like the fact that I am solely responsible for the garden. My efforts produce the results that are attained. What I do and don't do, when I do it and how observant I am directly impacts the plants. From what I do to prep the soil in the fall and spring, what specific plants I plant, how I space them and what fertilization methods and inputs I use all affect the output of the garden. It is all up to me for the most part.
Growing what I love to eat is also a big plus. I don't see myself as a food snob but it would be rare for me to eat a store bought tomato, cucumber or pepper. I grow only Heirloom tomatoes, specific types of cucumbers and peppers due to their taste. There is a huge difference between a store bought tomato and a Brandywine fresh off your vine. There is nothing like home grown taste.
The last and probably most important reason I have a garden is it is my "go to" place for peacefulness. When I am in the garden working on the plants or spying possible issues, I am actually quite calm. It's where I can get my mind to let go of the day and this world we live in. When I see a bee busily hopping from plant to plant or a butterfly doing likewise, I can watch them going about their business and forget the day and the world. I can breathe again and just be in the moment. One moment this year that I can remember is when I found a frog in my garden. It was so out of the ordinary. It was so tiny that a pepper leaf covered him. I watched him for a short time and just released the leaf so it covered him back up. I never expected to see it there, but for some reason, I just stopped and watched for a short time not worried about what was "next" on my list. That kind of moment, while not important in the scheme of things, still resonates with me.
So, you see, gardening has it many benefits that far outweigh the risks involved. You too can do this and feel the same one day too. All you have to do is just take the first step. I guarantee you won't regret it. Until next time, Happy Gardening.
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Leaf composting dilemma
Well, last weekend I had to address the abundance of leaves in my backyard lest I have no grass next year. Leaves are an essential item in my composting endeavor so I had to get them collected for next year. As seen in the picture below, our tree blessed us with a much greater yield than last year.
The key to this is that you have to wet down the leaves in the bags and then close them. I decided that the best way to do this was to fill the bags a third at a time and then water each third as I go. The water helps bacteria grow and break the leaves down. What I should have, if this works, is leaf mold in the Spring. This can be used as a direct amendment to the soil or as an additive to my compost. So, for about 2-3 hours, I bagged and wet down the leaves and tied them up. One more step has to be followed. Once the bag is full and tied, you need to poke 4-6 holes in the bottom so excess moisture can escape. Then you can set them out in your yard and let the leaves decompose.
I was faced with quite the dilemma for sure. So, I gathered them altogether to see just what I was dealing with exactly. Using a rake and my blower, this is the abundance I had.
It stood about 3 feet high and 4-5 feet round. As you might be able to see, I stuck my rake in the middle of it just for perspective. I have read about composting leaves in bags so I decided to give it a try. The first thing to know is that you have to use heavy duty garbage bags. I prefer construction grade bags that I can get at Home Depot. Normal bags will rip over winter.
The key to this is that you have to wet down the leaves in the bags and then close them. I decided that the best way to do this was to fill the bags a third at a time and then water each third as I go. The water helps bacteria grow and break the leaves down. What I should have, if this works, is leaf mold in the Spring. This can be used as a direct amendment to the soil or as an additive to my compost. So, for about 2-3 hours, I bagged and wet down the leaves and tied them up. One more step has to be followed. Once the bag is full and tied, you need to poke 4-6 holes in the bottom so excess moisture can escape. Then you can set them out in your yard and let the leaves decompose.
After everything was finished, I ended up with 7 very full bags of leaves. I decided that I was going to use them as wind breaks in my garden as seen in the picture below. This will help minimize the drifting of snow over my one bed. In real bad snowstorms, the drifts can get pretty big.
My goal is to minimize the damage that snow can cause to soil. It's an experiment and if you've read any of my other posts, I do favor a little experimentation in my gardening. It keeps the juices rolling and the gardening fresh. I will have to report back in the spring so we can see what all this labor has wrought. All I have to do at this point, is sit back and wait. If you have any questions regarding this, please feel free to leave a question and I will respond as soon as I can. Happy gardening everyone.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Winter is afoot
Well, maybe it's just starting actually. I've been incredibly busy with the construction of our new front porch and handling a full time job. Add to that a newly sodded front yard to attend to and you get the idea. My time is very limited right now. It can get stressful and I have done what most gardeners who do it for a hobby do - I have ignored my beds. As I posted earlier though, the winter rye is in the beds and everything else has come to a stop. I am still mulling winter crops but time is seemingly just slipping by. So, my lack of attention to the gardens is my cheat to get through these demanding times. As I write this, I am relaxing on a very subdued Sunday evening as result of a very hectic Halloween Saturday complete with a half day of work, some construction work on the front porch and some time hanging out with the neighbors and seeing all the kids in their costumes. Phew!! But it is all good as we really don't see the neighbors a lot as winter approaches so that was nice.
Here is a little proof that the gardens are doing just fine without my daily visits.
The two pictures on each side are the beds where the seeds were planted two weeks ago. I took these pictures on the 25th so they are about a week old as of today. Pretty good growth so far. The center one is the new bed that had been planted three weeks ago. The object here is not to get great growth above ground, but to get a solid root system in the ground. We probably have about a month to go before we start seeing any snow so, with a little bit of fair weather, these plants will grow and spread their roots into the soils.
I have many projects to get accomplished before the snow flies so I will be giving these beds cursory attention. I am sure they will be fine. That's all I have to report at this time. Happy Gardening everyone!
Here is a little proof that the gardens are doing just fine without my daily visits.
The two pictures on each side are the beds where the seeds were planted two weeks ago. I took these pictures on the 25th so they are about a week old as of today. Pretty good growth so far. The center one is the new bed that had been planted three weeks ago. The object here is not to get great growth above ground, but to get a solid root system in the ground. We probably have about a month to go before we start seeing any snow so, with a little bit of fair weather, these plants will grow and spread their roots into the soils.
I have many projects to get accomplished before the snow flies so I will be giving these beds cursory attention. I am sure they will be fine. That's all I have to report at this time. Happy Gardening everyone!
Sunday, October 11, 2015
One week later
It's been a week since I started the winter rye in my two established beds. The weather was mainly dry so I had to augment mother nature. I took a look at the beds on Wednesday and there was no signs of life. I have to admit that I was a little concerned in that I really hadn't had the time to water the beds heavily. Life does get busy at times and this week was no exception. I watered them with a heavier soaking Wednesday and followed with a lighter soaking on Thursday. There were still no signs of life on Thursday evening so I began to think that I would have to seed the beds again. That is, until Friday night when I came home from work.
While there wasn't a huge amount of growth, when I was watering the garden I saw the beginnings some growth. I watered the beds in the face of a severe thunderstorm warning Friday evening. My wife thought I was a little odd in doing this even though there were very dark clouds rolling in from the west. I watered enough to get the top of the beds wet. It poured here Friday evening and I was again questioning my choice to water the beds. I mean, did I over do it?
I went out to the garden this afternoon and the pictures below show what I discovered.
The picture to the left is the one week old seedlings in one of my established beds. The one on the right is from the two week old seeding I did in my new bed. It's hard to see the seeding's with a picture, but it won't be long before they look like the ones in the right picture. They will get maybe two to three feet tall, all depending on the weather. It tolerates lower temps so hopefully it will stay a little moderate for the upcoming month or so. I will let mother nature take over at this time only watching the weather to maybe augment some watering. This is how you grow your own green manure and limit the amounts weeds you will have in the spring. Plus you don't have to worry about carbon leeching as the roots of the rye will fix the nitrogen in your soil over the winter. It also reduces damage to your soil that occurs in winter such as erosion or pest infestations.
Well, that's all I have for today. If you have a question, please feel free to leave a comment. Until next time, Happy Gardening!
While there wasn't a huge amount of growth, when I was watering the garden I saw the beginnings some growth. I watered the beds in the face of a severe thunderstorm warning Friday evening. My wife thought I was a little odd in doing this even though there were very dark clouds rolling in from the west. I watered enough to get the top of the beds wet. It poured here Friday evening and I was again questioning my choice to water the beds. I mean, did I over do it?
I went out to the garden this afternoon and the pictures below show what I discovered.
The picture to the left is the one week old seedlings in one of my established beds. The one on the right is from the two week old seeding I did in my new bed. It's hard to see the seeding's with a picture, but it won't be long before they look like the ones in the right picture. They will get maybe two to three feet tall, all depending on the weather. It tolerates lower temps so hopefully it will stay a little moderate for the upcoming month or so. I will let mother nature take over at this time only watching the weather to maybe augment some watering. This is how you grow your own green manure and limit the amounts weeds you will have in the spring. Plus you don't have to worry about carbon leeching as the roots of the rye will fix the nitrogen in your soil over the winter. It also reduces damage to your soil that occurs in winter such as erosion or pest infestations.
Well, that's all I have for today. If you have a question, please feel free to leave a comment. Until next time, Happy Gardening!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)