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← Revision 82 as of 2014-04-01 11:39:39 ⇥
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| * {X} February 10th: need to be germinating anything like peppers growing from seed * {X} March 1st: cut off window for growing basically anything from seed (didn't happen this year...) * (./) April 1st-10th: Last frost date, in theory (theory is fact, and the garden was ready to go April 7th) --(The garden beds should have soil in them before mid-March (try early March), but not mulched until after the ground warms up.)-- The garden beds ended up with media in them in early April. |
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 |
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| * Buy deer fencing | * 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) |
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| * 2013-06-01: Fertilized Banana Pepper Bucket (started setting first flush of fruit) * 2013-06-01: Fertilized Garden Bed Peppers * 2013-06-16: Fertilized individual container peppers, habanero/thai/serrano bucket, deck tomato, trellis tomatoes * 2013-07-11: Fertilized garden bed peppers (+ extra nitrogen to help with regrowth / serious deficiency) * 2013-07-17: Fertilized Banana pepper bucket, hot pepper bucket, deck tomato, trellis tomatoes, all container peppers * 2013-07-23: Sprayed all peppers, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and melons with fungicide * Treatment of active early blight infection in trellis tomatoes, preventative treatment for others (squash, cucumber, and melons are near the tomatoes; plants on the decks had a bit of leaf dying that could either be natural or the early signs of early blight) * 2013-07-29: Sprayed all plants with Bacillus Thuringeniesis * 2013-08-06: Sprayed all non-herb plants with Fungicide (tomatoes still suffering blight, others to prevent as it seems to have possibly spread to the melons) * 2013-08-09: Sprayed all non-herb plants with Bacillus Thuringeniesis * 2013-09-08: Fertilized non-herb plants * 2013-09-10: Sprayed non-herb plants with Bacillus Thuringeniesis |
* 2014-01-13: Cleared dead plants from trellis and garden beds |
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| MISERABLE FAILURE (oh well) | * Fancy pepper varieties * Onions == Things to Buy or Build == * Row covers (at least for trellis beds -- vine borers are evil) |
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* Rosemary * Tarragon The All-Knowing Internet says chives and tarragon are good companion plants too. == Acquired == |
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| * Poblano | * Poblano (Mulato Isleno) * Did really well in 2013 |
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| * Red Bell Pepper | * Red Bell Pepper (Karma) |
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| * Thyme * Sage * Oregano * Roma tomatoes * Marigolds |
* 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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| * Deer fence * Birds * We have a stream so puncturing things like tomatoes for water isn't ''as'' likely, but maybe we should get them a water source near the garden anyway to be nice people. |
* Deer and birds were not a problem in 2013 |
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| 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). | 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). |
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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. Raleigh will [[http://www.raleighnc.gov/services/content/SolidWaste/Articles/YWProductsForSale.html|sell us compost and mulch at reasonable prices]]. Then we just need an equal amount of soil-less media. |
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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| 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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| * Two were built, two were not. Unfortunately, the ends sat out in the rain and are a bit warped and there's already a lot of garden happening. | |
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| || 1 || radishes || ''cilantro'' || beets || ''chives'' || parsley (3) || || 2 || parsley (4)|| swiss chard || Marigolds (4) || lettuce || arugula || || 3 || red beauty bell pepper || red beauty bell pepper || Poblano || Karma Bell Pepper || Karma Bell Pepper || |
|| 1 || ''garlic'' || chives (currently dormant) || ''bunching onions'' || ''bunching onions'' || parsley (3) || || 2 || parsley (4)|| ... || ''Marigolds (4)'' || ... || ... || || 3 || ... || ... || ... || ... || ''garlic'' || |
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| || 1 || crookneck squash || cucumber || cucumber || cucumber || crookneck squash || || 2 || Early Hanover Melon || Early Hanover Melon || Amish Melon || Amish Melon || An additional bed could be used for more summer squashes (e.g. pâtisson, zucchini). |
|| 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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| * Rubbermaid bucket of 4 Sweet Banana Peppers * Rubbermaid bucket of hot peppers (2x Habenero, 1x Serrano, 1x Thai Chile) * Serrano Pepper * Red Beauty Bell Pepper (2) * Karma Bell Pepper (2) * Poblano + Red Beauty Pepper (large pot) * Poblano * Small bucket of Basil (8x, will thin to 4 or 6 and plant 2 Thai Basil) * Mixed bucket of herbs (oregano, thyme, cilantro, sage) * Repotted Rosemary * Repotted Catnip * Parsley (2, each with three plants) * New Mint * 2 Rubbermaid buckets for lettuce * 12" pot for Origanum syriacum ==== Media ==== Not sure... 2:1:1:1 peat:vermiculite:perlite:compost mix, relying primarily upon slow release fertilizers ("plant tone" for now, possibly osmicote later) rather than relying entirely on organic media culture (because it's not possible in a container to supply all nutrients that way). Several failed attempts were made at producing media of varying proportions and even using pine park fines as a base; the problem turned out to be a lack of surfactant in the mix. Watering each pot with ~1/4tsp Seventh Generation Dish Detergent (basically sodium lauryl sulfate) dissolved in two gallons of water --(seems to allow the media to fully hydrate and drain without clogging)-- (or not, I think that batch was bad because dried peat moss aggregated around chunks of perlite). The surfactent may or may not have been the problem. All attempts at making media with available components failed... I'd wager that the peat moss was too fine or something. Gave up and just grabbed a bale of Pro-Mix BX and made the following blend: |
==== 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 ==== |
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| Idea with compost/plant tone (basically chicken poop)/bone+blood meal is to get fertilizers from a variety of sources. Possibly going to end up switching to slow-release chemical fertilizer granules mid-season. |
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| ''Take inventory of available containers'' -- ClintonEbadi <<DateTime(2013-01-29T20:24:04Z)>> Onions? More herbs? * New rosemary x 2 * Poblano + bell pepper in the large bucket * 5 gal bucket for tomatoes * 18 gal rubbermaid bin with 3 tomato vines for trellis |
* 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!)
