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Size: 7442
Comment: feasibility is important
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← Revision 82 as of 2014-04-01 11:39:39 ⇥
Size: 8501
Comment: failure
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| * February 10th: need to be germinating anything like peppers growing from seed * March 1st: cut off window for growing basically anything from seed * April 1st-10th: Last frost date, in theory The garden beds should have soil in them before mid-March (try early March), but not mulched until after the ground warms up. = Seed Propagation = In 2012, seed propagation was an experiment in failure. Major problems: * Attempted to propagate too many things * Attempted to propagate difficult things * Used tiny cells to start, waited too long to transplant many, killed several during transplantation/pruning. * Using an air duct as a reflector hood was only effective at helping to keep them warm. We really need a sheet of mylar or something instead, or nothing. Things that did work: * The seed starting mixture and fertilization regime seemed adequate. * Water procedure (fill tray and allow starting mixture to suck it up) worked well. * Plastic wrap was indeed adequate for germination. Use less water this time around however. Possible solutions: * Germinate fewer things (probably herbs, a few weird peppers) * Have the garden ready early enough to plant things like the melons directly in the beds * Use the medium peat/cardboard pots to start a single seed, and instead of thinning later accept that a few will not survive hardening off. == Process == 0. Staring mixture: 1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite, 1 part spaghum peat moss * 3 Tbsp lime (antifungal properties?) when 1 part = 1 gallon 0. Fill peat trays 1/2-3/4 full with mixture 0. Put 2-3ish seeds per pot to maximize chances of success (ClintonEbadi is perhaps a too-cautious person at times) 0. Cover to the recommended planting depth 0. Fill drainage tray with 3 quarts water (overfilled the first with a gallon, underfilled the second with two quarts, three seems to be enough to keep everything properly moist) 0. Insert and mark seedling trays with business cards (variety + planting date + # of seeds/cell + expected germination date) 0. Wrap the whole thing up in plastic wrap and wait == Equipment == * 7 drainage trays capable of holding 5x10 cell paper/peat starter cell pots (I'm going for easy transplantation here) (GT,,n,, = Germination Tray N, ST,,n,, = Seedling Tray N) * [[http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100010588/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053|Storage rack]] for seedlings and germination trays == Seeds to Acquire == For 2013, it's probably too late now. Marigolds, yarrow, potatoes? == Available Seed == * German Chamomile * Dill * Yellow Summer Crookneck Squash * White Lisbon Bunching Onions * Longstanding Cilantro * Early Scarlet Globe Radish * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=1347|Yellow of Parma Onion]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=394|Borettana Yellow Onion]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=350|Romanesco Broccoli]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=112%28OG%29|Parade Cucumber]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=46%28OG%29|Five Color Silverbeet Swiss Chard]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=607|Christmas Lima Bean]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=1024|SSE Lettuce Mixture]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=245%28OG%29|Waltham Butternut Squash]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=927|Early Hanover Melon]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=40%28OG%29|Amish Melon]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=645%28OG%29|Aurora Pepper]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=269|Anise]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=462|Cumin]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=1289|Sunflower Mixture]] * [[http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=269|Spider Flower Mix]] |
Add dates for getting spring garden stuff in (greens, radishes, bunching onions, etc.) * {x} Februrary 1st: Safe to plant garlic and bunching onions * {x} February 10th: need to be germinating anything like peppers growing from seed * {x} March 1st: cut off window for starting seeds * {o} April 1st-10th: Last frost date, in theory * {o} March/April: Overseed pitiful patch of grass near deck == Current Tasks == Delete as completed. * Dump container media into trash can * Keep tomato media separate? Might be an old wives tale but... blight sucks. * Clean up back yard perimeter * Prepare garden squares for garlic and onions * Test soil if possible (at least pH?), but add 2x suggested compost since they are heavy feeders. Needs to be done about a week before planting. Add media if the squares are looking low. * Buy seeds * Plant garlic * Mix up batch of container media * Mix up 3 gal batch of starter media (or: just use pro mix with maybe a bit of vermiculite + liquid fertilizer) = Log = Log of things that should be remembered, to avoid doing them again too soon or not soon enough. * 2014-01-13: Cleared dead plants from trellis and garden beds = Seed Propgation = See [[/SeedPropagation]] |
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| Easy: * Basil * Dill |
* Fancy pepper varieties * Onions == Things to Buy or Build == * Row covers (at least for trellis beds -- vine borers are evil) |
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| * Bell Peppers * Bannana Peppers * Parsley * Rosemary |
* Peppers (4 cell pack of each, not growing all of them) * Habaneros * Thai ("Bird's Eye" or similar) * Poblano (Mulato Isleno) * Did really well in 2013 * Serrano * Red Bell Pepper (Karma) * Herbs * Basil (6xsweet italian) * Rosemary * Parsley (24+, seriously) * Mint * Juliette grape tomatoes * Extremely good producer, really disease resistant, and it tastes pretty good too. * Slicing tomato * Marigolds (center of garden bed, inside tomato bed) The All-Knowing Internet says chives and tarragon are good companion plants too. == Acquired == |
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| == Pests == * Figure out how to deal with stinkbugs * http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/controlling/stinkbugs/ * http://njaes.rutgers.edu/stinkbug/pesticides.asp (looks like applying "Spectracide" around the deck might work) * Deer and birds were not a problem in 2013 |
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| === Garden CUBE Trellis === Netting: [[http://www.amazon.com/Dalen-Gardeneer-30-Foot-Trellis-TP-30C/dp/B000BZ8FXS/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top|Dalen Gardeneer]], 60lbs breaking strength (looks pretty typical). Installed 2013, survived season and looks fine for next year (leaving it on the trellis because saving a few bucks every N years isn't worth the pain of removing and reinstalling it). See [[http://journal.unknownlamer.org/archives/tag/trellis|Clinton's weblog posts about the trellis]] for details on the construction process. After using the trellis for a season, update wiki or website with general design (don't want to add too much to the "I built a trellis that ended up collapsing but never wrote about that part" noise). ==== Materials ==== * 1/2" EMT Conduit for legs and low-weight supports * 1/2" Rigid Conduit for supports for things like squash and melons * 1" PVC (plumbing, schedule 40) Side outlet elbow junction * Various bushings to adapt pvc junction to 3/4" and 1/2" thread * 1/2" and 3/4" EMT Set Screw to threaded connectors ==== Building It ==== * Measure a square on the ground * Hammer in a piece of rebar in each corner * Put EMT over rebar, decide on a height, and cut all of them to be level. * Build the needed elbows * 1/2" threaded bushing for direct connection of rigid conduit * 1/2" threaded bushing to attach 1/2" EMT set screw connector * 3/4" threaded bushing to attach 3/4" EMT set screw connector, which is used to attach the cut end of the rigid pipe (unless you have a pipe threader, in which case why are you taking advice from amateurs). It's not a super-snug fit, but it seems close enough. * Measure, cut, install horizontal supports * 1/2" EMT seems fine for things like tomatoes; 20lbs of weight results in a bend that you can see if you're looking for it. Attach with two set screw connectors to elbows. * 1/2" rigid conduit doesn't bend before the pvc on the ends starts deforming so if the trellis can handle heavy things, it looks like this is the best bet for squash/melons. Attach one end to a 1/2" threaded pvc connector in one elbow, and use a 3/4" set screw adapter on the cut end. * Stake and tie down elbows * Keep the frame under slight tension so that it does not sway back and forth easily. |
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| Soil: --(http://www.areamulchandsoils.com/mulch%20price%20page.htm ($20.50 per yard^^2^^))-- The minimum order is way more than we need, so it looks like we'll be buying sacks at a garden center (the overall cost is about the same, but we get half the dirt, bummer). | Raleigh will [[http://www.raleighnc.gov/services/content/SolidWaste/Articles/YWProductsForSale.html|sells compost and mulch at reasonable prices]]. Then we just need an equal amount of soil-less media. One truck load of compost was enough for two seasons. |
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| * 10" compost/soil/perlite/vermiculite mixture | * 10" 1:1:1 peat moss:vermiculite:perlite base media, mixed 1:1 with compost |
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| Main garden bed had a small amount of blood meal added with the bottom mulch dug in (blood meal to compensate for nitrogen loss as it composts). Also added recommended amount of bone meal to mixture about halfway down (since the plants will likely need it when their roots get about that deep). |
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| Pending raised bed plans... at first glance, Square Foot Gardening looks like a reasonable framework to sketch things out. | Using Square Foot Gardening as guide for layout. |
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| * '''4''' 5'x16" beds, around a 6' tall garden trellis cube made of electrical conduit (Five 10' boards) * Two are built, two are not (but ends cut). We might want to build only one or zero more, and instead put down weed barrier inside the trellis and setup the teepee thing for squash instead. |
* '''2''' 5'x16" beds, around a 6' tall garden trellis cube made of electrical conduit (Five 10' boards) |
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| Cell 3x5 is the one in the corner closest to the house / next door. ''planned, not yet planted'', normal text is planted. |
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| || 1 || cayenne pepper || cayenne pepper || nil || parsley (4) || marigold (5) || || 2 || onion || bell pepper || cilantro (4) || onion || onion || || 3 || lettuce || lettuce || onion || plum tomato || plum tomato || Cilantro and dill might be better off in a small bed (or buckets) of their own, allowed to self-seed throughout the summer. |
|| 1 || ''garlic'' || chives (currently dormant) || ''bunching onions'' || ''bunching onions'' || parsley (3) || || 2 || parsley (4)|| ... || ''Marigolds (4)'' || ... || ... || || 3 || ... || ... || ... || ... || ''garlic'' || |
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| * Move butternut squash to main plot + teepee and vine eggplant instead? | Probably just live with only two beds, perhaps three. Bed are ~60" long internally, plots are spaced 15". Cucumbers can probably be spaced tighter because of low weight, SFG book says one every 6", so 5" should be fine. Cell 1 is furthest from house |
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| || 1 || crookneck squash || crookneck squash || nil || nil || ''this row is actually spaced 18"'' || || 2 || Amish melon || Amish melons || hanover melon || hanover melon || nil || || 3 || cucumber || cucumber || lima bean || lima bean || nil || || 4 || Slicing Tomato || Slicing Tomato || nil || nil || nil || Squash plants should be a couple feet apart and will need support for the fruit at some point. === Teepee === Kill grasses, level out a bit, and put down weed blocking fabric in the middle of the trellis. Build a 2'x2'x12" bed and a tripod for the squash. Butternut squash? |
|| 1 || .... || ''cucumber'' || ''cucumber'' || ''cucumber'' || ... || || 2 || ''Early Hanover Melon'' || ''Early Hanover Melon'' || ... || ... || The third side has a rubbermaid bin with three or four grape tomatoes. Grow some grape tomatoes and at least one vine of a slicing tomato. |
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| ''Take inventory of available container'' -- ClintonEbadi <<DateTime(2013-01-29T20:24:04Z)>> Onions? More herbs? * Habaneros x 4 * Bannana Peppers x 4 * Overwintered peppers x 1 * New bell peppers x 2 * Aurora Peppers x ?? * Basil x 6 * Overwintered Rosemary x 2 * New rosemary x 3 * New mint x 2 * New catnip x 1 |
==== In Use ==== * Catnip (medium pot) * Rosemary (large pot) * Oregano (rubbermaid bin) ==== Available ==== * 3 Deep rubbermaid bins (suitable for 4 plants) * One is attached to the trellis * 9 12" pots (possibly ten, or eight, need to double check) * 1 Huge pot * 1 Large pot * 1 Five gallon bucket * 3 Shallow rubbermaid bins * 1 Recycling bin ==== Container Media ==== * 5 gal Pro-Mix BX * 1 gal screened compost * 2 cups Plant Tone (recommended amount for 1 cu ft, close enough) * 1/2 cup blood meal for initial fertilization * 1/4 cup bone meal for a bit of extra phosphorous ==== Ideas ==== * Do we want to grow onions in containers? * Can onions, garlic, or bunching onions be grown in containers with e.g. peppers? * Green onions everywhere would be nice. Concerns include resource competition. |
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| * /GardenLog2013 |
Contents
Timeline
Add dates for getting spring garden stuff in (greens, radishes, bunching onions, etc.)
- {x} Februrary 1st: Safe to plant garlic and bunching onions
- {x} February 10th: need to be germinating anything like peppers growing from seed
- {x} March 1st: cut off window for starting seeds
April 1st-10th: Last frost date, in theory - March/April: Overseed pitiful patch of grass near deck
Current Tasks
Delete as completed.
- Dump container media into trash can
- Keep tomato media separate? Might be an old wives tale but... blight sucks.
- Clean up back yard perimeter
- Prepare garden squares for garlic and onions
- Test soil if possible (at least pH?), but add 2x suggested compost since they are heavy feeders. Needs to be done about a week before planting. Add media if the squares are looking low.
- Buy seeds
- Plant garlic
- Mix up batch of container media
- Mix up 3 gal batch of starter media (or: just use pro mix with maybe a bit of vermiculite + liquid fertilizer)
Log
Log of things that should be remembered, to avoid doing them again too soon or not soon enough.
- 2014-01-13: Cleared dead plants from trellis and garden beds
Seed Propgation
See /SeedPropagation
Plants to Germinate
- Fancy pepper varieties
- Onions
Things to Buy or Build
- Row covers (at least for trellis beds -- vine borers are evil)
Transplants
Given the effort required to germinate a lot of things, we'll probably have more success just acquiring transplants for most things.
Needed
- Peppers (4 cell pack of each, not growing all of them)
- Habaneros
- Thai ("Bird's Eye" or similar)
- Poblano (Mulato Isleno)
- Did really well in 2013
- Serrano
- Red Bell Pepper (Karma)
- Herbs
- Basil (6xsweet italian)
- Rosemary
- Parsley (24+, seriously)
- Mint
- Juliette grape tomatoes
- Extremely good producer, really disease resistant, and it tastes pretty good too.
- Slicing tomato
- Marigolds (center of garden bed, inside tomato bed)
The All-Knowing Internet says chives and tarragon are good companion plants too.
Acquired
Garden
Pests
- Figure out how to deal with stinkbugs
http://njaes.rutgers.edu/stinkbug/pesticides.asp (looks like applying "Spectracide" around the deck might work)
- Deer and birds were not a problem in 2013
Construction
Several small raised beds due to limited areas that receive enough sunlight, root infested soil (well, living in a forest does have its disadvantages), crappy soil, large drip lines, etc.
Garden CUBE Trellis
Netting: Dalen Gardeneer, 60lbs breaking strength (looks pretty typical). Installed 2013, survived season and looks fine for next year (leaving it on the trellis because saving a few bucks every N years isn't worth the pain of removing and reinstalling it).
See Clinton's weblog posts about the trellis for details on the construction process. After using the trellis for a season, update wiki or website with general design (don't want to add too much to the "I built a trellis that ended up collapsing but never wrote about that part" noise).
Materials
- 1/2" EMT Conduit for legs and low-weight supports
- 1/2" Rigid Conduit for supports for things like squash and melons
- 1" PVC (plumbing, schedule 40) Side outlet elbow junction
- Various bushings to adapt pvc junction to 3/4" and 1/2" thread
- 1/2" and 3/4" EMT Set Screw to threaded connectors
Building It
- Measure a square on the ground
- Hammer in a piece of rebar in each corner
- Put EMT over rebar, decide on a height, and cut all of them to be level.
- Build the needed elbows
- 1/2" threaded bushing for direct connection of rigid conduit
- 1/2" threaded bushing to attach 1/2" EMT set screw connector
- 3/4" threaded bushing to attach 3/4" EMT set screw connector, which is used to attach the cut end of the rigid pipe (unless you have a pipe threader, in which case why are you taking advice from amateurs). It's not a super-snug fit, but it seems close enough.
- Measure, cut, install horizontal supports
- 1/2" EMT seems fine for things like tomatoes; 20lbs of weight results in a bend that you can see if you're looking for it. Attach with two set screw connectors to elbows.
- 1/2" rigid conduit doesn't bend before the pvc on the ends starts deforming so if the trellis can handle heavy things, it looks like this is the best bet for squash/melons. Attach one end to a 1/2" threaded pvc connector in one elbow, and use a 3/4" set screw adapter on the cut end.
- Stake and tie down elbows
- Keep the frame under slight tension so that it does not sway back and forth easily.
Soil
Raleigh will sells compost and mulch at reasonable prices. Then we just need an equal amount of soil-less media. One truck load of compost was enough for two seasons.
Strata:
- 3" (overflowing top of bed) mulch
- 10" 1:1:1 peat moss:vermiculite:perlite base media, mixed 1:1 with compost
- 1" of mulch
- tilled earth
Main garden bed had a small amount of blood meal added with the bottom mulch dug in (blood meal to compensate for nitrogen loss as it composts). Also added recommended amount of bone meal to mixture about halfway down (since the plants will likely need it when their roots get about that deep).
Layout
Using Square Foot Gardening as guide for layout.
- 5'x3' raised bed
2 5'x16" beds, around a 6' tall garden trellis cube made of electrical conduit (Five 10' boards)
Main Plot
First step: allocate each square roughly so that we can visualize the garden. Unspecific order (easier to perform plant location optimization after we know how many squares of each will be grown).
Cell 3x5 is the one in the corner closest to the house / next door.
planned, not yet planted, normal text is planted.
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
garlic |
chives (currently dormant) |
bunching onions |
bunching onions |
parsley (3) |
2 |
parsley (4) |
... |
Marigolds (4) |
... |
... |
3 |
... |
... |
... |
... |
garlic |
Garden CUBE
Probably just live with only two beds, perhaps three.
Bed are ~60" long internally, plots are spaced 15". Cucumbers can probably be spaced tighter because of low weight, SFG book says one every 6", so 5" should be fine.
Cell 1 is furthest from house
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
.... |
cucumber |
cucumber |
cucumber |
... |
2 |
Early Hanover Melon |
Early Hanover Melon |
... |
... |
The third side has a rubbermaid bin with three or four grape tomatoes. Grow some grape tomatoes and at least one vine of a slicing tomato.
Containers
In Use
- Catnip (medium pot)
- Rosemary (large pot)
- Oregano (rubbermaid bin)
Available
- 3 Deep rubbermaid bins (suitable for 4 plants)
- One is attached to the trellis
- 9 12" pots (possibly ten, or eight, need to double check)
- 1 Huge pot
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Five gallon bucket
- 3 Shallow rubbermaid bins
- 1 Recycling bin
Container Media
- 5 gal Pro-Mix BX
- 1 gal screened compost
- 2 cups Plant Tone (recommended amount for 1 cu ft, close enough)
- 1/2 cup blood meal for initial fertilization
- 1/4 cup bone meal for a bit of extra phosphorous
Ideas
- Do we want to grow onions in containers?
- Can onions, garlic, or bunching onions be grown in containers with e.g. peppers?
- Green onions everywhere would be nice. Concerns include resource competition.
In the yard somewhere
Possibly just mix a bunch of herb seeds together with a bit of sand, toss in a spot near the edge of the yard, and cover with a thin layer of topsoil.
- Chamomile
- Chicory
- Anise
- Cumin
- Lavender
- Rosemary (good hedge for the front!)
