Nonetheless, I’d like to grow year round.
With fewer sunlight hours and cooler temps things are most definitely slowing down.

Cooler weather growing options

Greenhouses of course provide the highest level of temperature control. I’m looking for something less expensive… and I don’t have the space for a greenhouse anyway.

There are more flexible, lower cost options.

You can cover individual plants with “clotches”. A clotch is a clear, rigid object you put over the plant. It can be glass – generally reserved for indoor plants. Or it can be plastic. Soda bottles make great clotches.

Clotches keep the heat in, let the light in but are not breathable. You can cut the top off for breathability, or take them off during the day.

Cold frames are built by taking glass or rigid clear plastic and putting it over a frame. People often use old windows. The frame can be wood or even bales of hay. It creates a mini greenhouse.

Garden Fabric (also known as “row cover”) is a finely woven mesh material made of polypropylene. A bit like a sweater, it’s breathable, lets the light through and lets the rain through. It also keeps most insects out. Once it’s on you can leave it be.

I’m opting for plastic sheeting. It keeps the warmth in, lets the light through, but isn’t breathable, nor does it let the rain in. I’ll leave it open at the ends for breathability tho, I’ll need to lift it up during sunny/warm days. I’ll also need to lift it up when it rains to capture the water.

Over the weekend I put up a quicky teepee for the plastic. (Not as quick as I planned… always the way, eh?). It works ok, but not as well as I like.

The plan for this weekend is to visit the scrap pile and pull out some wire fencing. We have chicken wire and heavier wire fencing. I’ll create a “hoop” over the beds by attaching the wire to one side and stretching it up and over to the other side. I’m choosing the wiring because it will hold the oval shape.

The inside height will need to accommodate the plants at full growth… 2-3′ will be ample. I’ll attach clear plastic sheeting to the outside of it with clothes pins. On days I need to lift it, I can roll it up to the top.

A popular way to construct a hoop – particularly if you want it to be standing height – is with PVC. It’s stronger. Here’s a very good how to article.

Over the past three weeks we’ve put in quite a few seeds and seedlings. They’re all doing well. Giving them some extra heat should help them quite a bit.

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Garden beds on vacation

We’ve been spending a good bit of time getting the garden beds ready for…
Vacation. Not our vacation, but their vacation.

We moved a couple boxes and added a couple more.
Boxes #1 and #4 were moved. Boxes #2 and #3 were added.

We set up #4 as a no-dig box. (Right now we have some seedlings sitting on top). Boxes #1, #2 and #3 have been filled with soil and horse manure. They’re covered with plastic keeping the heat in to kill off any weeds.
They’ll be on vacation until spring while the manure composts.

Box #5 (and another box behind it) had been rehabbed and setup with fall/winter veggies – a variety of greens. All that was “sacrificed” to our rodent guests… who apparently don’t like celery – the bushy green there at the left end.

We believe we’re no longer supporting rodents so we planted box #5 over the weekend… chard, kale, mustard, broccoli. We’ll get the rest of the seedlings in this week
We also put a sheet of clear plastic over the box that comes down at night to keep the heat in. This second round of fall plantings is seasonally late. Hopefully we’ll still get some veggies

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Today let’s talk dirt.
Not celebrity dirt. But that amazing substance that’s simultaneously composed of rotting decaying material and vibrantly alive and active micro-organisms. We more properly refer to said dirt as SOIL.

I was recently reading an economic report on topsoil. It startled me quite a bit.

We’ve been witnessing more significant global food constraints over the past couple of years. Public discussion has largely been focused on transferring food resources to fuel use, i.e., ethanol. Which in turn decreased food supply and concurrently led to escalating prices.

Throw in some weather challenges such as droughts here and there and some natural disasters such as floods and it “seemed obvious” to conclude the situation was somewhat temporary.
Not the conclusion I more recently came to.

In addition to all those “challenges”, globally we’re running out of soil. Yep. Seems unfathomable.
So says Lennart Bage, president of a U.N. fund for agriculture development: “Now fertile land with access to water has become a strategic asset.”

The planet has three feet of topsoil. Not dirt, but nutrient rich, fertile soil. What you need to grow food. And we’re losing it faster than we’re replacing it. In fact, according to the National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. is loosing fertile topsoil 10 times faster than replacing it. And according to the U.N. the oss rate is 10-100 times faster on a global basis.
As I said, I was quite startled.

Prior to the 1980’s cultivated land had been increasing. Since then it’s been on the decline… tho globally, the population is still increasing. So more people to feed, less acres to farm.

Iran bought 1 million tons of wheat from the U.S. this summer. Last time that happened was 27 years ago when we were on ummmm, “friendlier” terms. Drought decreased their harvest by a third and the U.S. was the only country that could supply them.

Prior to the 1940’s only Europe imported grain. North America, South America and the former USSR were exporters. Africa was self-sufficient. The only significant exporters now are North America (Canada, U.S., Mexico), Australia and New Zealand.

Countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Libya, South Korea and China are looking to lease or buy farmland in other countries.

Many other countries have instituted export restrictions keeping their harvest within the country.

Is fertile land destined to replace oil as the top global strategic asset?

Go Vertical

I came upon this site some time ago. It takes a real mental shift… at least it does for me.
Vertical farming takes features of greenhouse and hydroponic gardening matched with skyscraper architecture… small footprint, tall structure.

  picture from VerticalFarm.com

Essentially they classify it as “indoor farming”. Indoor = controlled environment. No longer does weather matter. No longer do seasons matter.

Vertical farming is positioned as an extremely environmentally friendly solution:
Vertical farms can be built in urban centers decreasing the distance from “farm” to plate. Less procesesing, packaging, transportation. Greater freshness.
Food is grown organically… no pesticides (no pests), herbicides or chemical fertilizers.
Very water efficient… “runoff” and evaporation are recycled back into potable water.
Superior productivity: 1 indoor acre can produce the equivalent of 4-6 outdoor acres.
Methane is regenerated into energy.

Meanwhile some land currently used for traditional horizontal farming can be re-forested. This stops the decline of rain forests and animal habitats.

Very good arguments for vertical farms. We’ve seen agriculture go through two major “efficiency” evolutions. The first evolution when machinery replaced human labor. The second evolution when chemical fertilizer were used to “overcome” soil deficiencies.

One can look at vertical farming as the next efficiency evolution. It’s more space efficient. It’s more closely located to buyers of the food. It neutralizes weather, season and pest influences. It more efficiently uses water and energy

What do you think?

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Garden Section A

Garden Section B

Garden Section C

We spent last weekend pulling out the tomato and cucumber plants – just about the last of plants.

We then moved a couple boxes and set up a couple new boxes.

The garden is now divided into three section (A, B, C).
Looking back at Guide to Rotating and As the Garden Turns we’ve divided it this way to accommodate different crop families.
We’ve further sub-divided it to accommodate rotation within the families.

So here’s how it will work:

Section A: is for legumes (beans, peas), lilies (onion, garlic, leeks, chives) and carrots.
Crops planted in boxes 1, 2 and 3 will be rotated so what was in box 1 will be planted in box 2 the following year, then box 3 the next year. Box 4 and the bins along the fence are for “overflow/anywhere” plants.

Section B: This section gets the most sun and was the section we redid over the weekend.
Beds 1 and 2 are actually concrete pavers held up with stakes. (I’m going to tidy that up this weekend.) Hard to see in the picture but each of those beds is divided in half with pavers.

We filled them with soil and horse manure. Then covered them with plastic. This is to get the soil very hot to kill off any weed seeds that may be in there.

Bed #3 we set up as a no-dig bed.

Section B is for tomato, melon/cuke/squash and cruciferous – broccoli, kale, collards, mustard. In addition to the boxes, there’s a wide ailse between Section B and C. We plan to park banana boxes at the end of the beds.

We’ll be rotating the four sections of beds #1 & #2. As for the no-dig – we’ll see how that one goes.

Section C: gets the least sun, therefore, we’re putting lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, mustard and beets over there. We had rehabbed those two boxes and had quite a lot planted in them. Unfortunately the only thing unpalatable to our rodent guests was the celery.

One of the beds that was moved over the weekend was parked at the end of those two beds. It’s a narrow bed. We’re planting various herbs in that one.
And there’s a no-dig in the far corner we set up a couple months back. We had some very nice kale going in that one. Apparently a rodent fav. I’m thinking about putting sweet potatoes in there. Now being the time to do that.

We still have a bit more work to do to the soil in a few of the beds.
We also have some seed starts going, tho we’re still not completely clear of the rodent issue. Once that’s clear, we’ll plant them.

Here’s the breakdown of our growing area:
Section A: 86.5 sf
Section B: 95 sf
Section C: 100.5 sf
Out of view…
Lettuce bed: 6.5 sf
Berries: 32 sf
Banana boxes and containers: 9 sf
Total planting space: 330 sf
Fruit trees: Lemon, Apricot, Persimmon, Pineapple Guava, Blood Orange, Fremont Tangerine, Satsuma Tangerine

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Yesterday, we posted on the benefits of rotating your vegetable crops. Today, we’ll cover one way to go about rotating.

First, make a list of the vegetables you like to grow and group them by family. You’ll find a list of vegetables in yesterday’s post sorted by crop family.

Second, divide your garden into plots equal to the number of different crop families that you have. You’ll want a minimum of three plots. This way, as you rotate the crops, each year the crop will be planted in a plot every three years. Some experts say every four years is best.

A few vegetables that I don’t worry so much about following the strict every three year rule are: chard, lettuce, beans and peas.

Third, assign numbers to the plots and record what crops you are planting into each plot. You will want to write this information down so you can remember what you planted where from one year to the next.

Lastly, the following year plant what was in plot #1 into plot #2, moving each crop to the next plot. This is the simplest way to rotate.

What we’ve done in our garden is to divide the garden into three sun exposure zones with each zone having three plots. The sunniest zone will rotate tomatoes with basil, melon/cucumber and cruciferous vegetables. I may plant beans or peas in any or all of these plots as space permits. We’re still working on the details as this is our first year of full on crop rotation.

Of course we can plan for the things under our control but nature can toss in a monkey wrench or two…our vermin problems are still plaguing us- they’ve destroyed two newly planted winter beds and I had to preemptively pull out 20 broccoli and 6 chard plants! We hope to have this solved in the next few weeks. Argh! The full story to come.

In any case, there are many ways to accomplish crop rotation but remember to always amend each plot well after each crop no matter how small or quick the crop. It’s all in the soil…

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We’re familiar with the typical model used by urban gardeners with limited land: construct a number of frames (AKA “containers”, “boxes”) out of durable wood, fill with soil and you’re good to go.
That’s what we did here many years ago and have added to since.

However, that model doesn’t work well for everyone. Some folks aren’t home “owners” and neither have control over the yard space or want to invest in improving the yard space only to leave it behind should they move. Other folks such as condominium dwellers may not have yard space.

Not a problem if you think outside the “box” and focus on a broader definition of “container”.
The purpose of a container is simply, to contain. In this case, growing soil. There’s one additional requirement when you’re growing food which is that the material not leach toxins into the soil.

With our expanded definition, you can now create a garden that doesn’t rely on owning a back yard or long term location commitment.

True, plastics are a bit of an environmental no-no, I know. But they’re durable, moldable and lightweight. This makes them attractive as containers.

Currently we’re using a dozen old rectangular plastic recycle bins. (Our trash collection company switched over to cans on wheels a few years ago and we kept – and re-purposed – our bins. Then we collected more bins from others that had them sitting around without a purpose. “One person’s trash…”)

They work great. Filled with soil, two of us can move them which makes them portable. And the size (2′ x 1.5′) makes them easy to fit in otherwise not used spots and corners here and there.

Additionally, you can sit them on any surface: wood deck, concrete patio… so you’re not reliant on a “yard”.

We have other areas that get sun, but aren’t optimal for a wood frame box such as the brick patio, wood deck, concrete driveway.
So we’ll be taking advantage of these growing areas with containers.

Mobile garden containers

We fetched some 15 gallon nursery containers and some 19 gallon tubs (commonly known as “keg tubs” or “rope handle tubs”).
They’ll be moveable by two people when they’re filled with soil. So they don’t take the level of location commitment a 3′ x 6′ or 4′ x 8′ wood frame container take. And they don’t cost nearly as much.

The keg tubs are generally $7-$14, findable at larger liquor stores, grocery stores and general merchandise stores. They tend to be a seasonal item, around during the summer.
15 gallon nursery pots can be hard to find… at least at a reasonable price. We called around to local nurseries and were able to find some. I’ve also seen them at large garden centers. I recently saw them at Orchard Supply Hardware for around $9.

With black plastic especially, and less so with lighter colors, the pot will absorb heat and not dissipate it easily. Too much heat can basically cook the plant roots. Not a happy outcome. So you want to be careful in sunny areas. You can shade the pot.

With plastic containers such as keg tubs that aren’t designed for plants, you want to be sure to drill/cut some drainage holes in the bottom.

With all containers, the soil dries out more quickly, so they require more frequent watering.

Take a look around. Maybe you already have a “container” you can use to grow some food. Maybe a no longer used little kid plastic wading pool, trash can…

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Here is a view of the main part of our (Patti and Sandy’s) back garden. To the left against the fence and not in view is the recycle bins I set up last week. Those have chard and broccoli seedlings.

In the picture on the left is four raised beds. There is rhubarb, sage, romano beans, parsley, kale, basil, thai basil, dill, four types of peppers, garlic chives and two varieties of summer squash.

The center where the best sun shines is two beds that have romano beans, lettuce seedlings, tomatoes, watermelon, butternut squash, garlic chives, thyme, tarragon, cucumbers, tomatillo, shallots and chives.

To the right are two more raised beds. Those have kale, romano bush beans, celery and potatoes.

Sounds like a lot but the yield has much to be desired because of our happy hazard ways of gardening and the deteriorating health of the soil.

This weekend, we totally rehab’ed one of the beds by digging out all the soil, lining the bottom with heavy plastic and cardboard to keep out the tree roots and returning the soil mixed with about 150 pounds of composted horse manure, some bone meal, potassium and humate. Wow, that was a job and a half! Only five more beds to go!

The new bed was watered down and covered with plastic. Today, I set up a frame to hang our squirrel/bird netting. Tomorrow I will set up a drip line using mini soakers spaced 12″ apart as that bed will be devoted to greens. I also plan to plant the Rainbow chard and Red Sails lettuce seedlings I had started from seed early in July. Of course we will also put down a nice layer of straw for mulch.

This fall when the tomatoes are done we will replace the two center beds with four new raised beds. One of the two old ones will stay in the center area and the other moved to join the ones on the right. This will pretty much max out the space.

With the new planting space, our commitment to growing most all our plant food and all that we are learning about creating healthy soil, crop rotation, companion gardening and optimal planting times we hope to triple if not quadruple our production!

Here’s hoping for a fuller greener view this time next year!

Let us know what you are growing in your garden

In memory of my Dad 8/6/92

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I was on a walk the other day and spied this garden tucked away on a garage roof.

Some folks don’t have space in their yard or even have a yard. As they say, where there is a will there is a way.

If you are considering a roof garden – be sure the roof and the building below is structurally able to handle the extra weight.

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No good reason. Lack of planning really.
The “grocery store” mentality is go fetch it. Planning generally is a week ahead, certainly not 6 months ahead.

If you want the full deal of gardening – seed to harvest – you must plan.
Most of the stuff we’ve grown has been by transplants purchased from a nursery. We’ve done some stuff by seed… but again, not well planned.

We’re doing more planning now…

We’ll be keeping (written) track of what was grown where so we can properly rotate crops.

We’ll be plotting out a calendar so we can grow everything from seed. The calendar will plot out what we have to do when. This is certainly dependent on your growing zone. We’re in zone 9. (You can check your zone here).
This will give us more choice of what to grow rather than being limited to what’s available at the nursery when we happen to go.

And, we’ll be adding more garden boxes.
Currently we have about 240 square feet of beds for mostly vegetables, some herbs, a few berry plants.

There’s also herbs in pots and a number of fruit trees (persimmon, pineapple guava, two tangerine, blood orange, kiefer lime, meyer lemon, apricot, lemon).
The lemon tree is mature and produces well. The kiefer and meyer are potted and don’t produce too much. The other trees and berries are all under two years and not yet productive.

Most of the fruit trees are in the front yard which was “improved” in 2006 by removing a Spruce tree and a bunch of hedges and miscellaneous shrubs.

The front yard is tight, so the trees will be trimmed to about 8′. The three citrus have been planted to form a hedge… an edible and sweet smelling hedge.

The front yard gets a lot of sun. While the fruit trees are still small, we pop a couple melon plants out there during the summer. Last year we got some huge watermelon as well as cantelope and crane melons.
This year we have a watermelon and some other melon. We haven’t had much heat so they’re a bit behind.

After the summer growing season winds down we’ll be re-organizing the beds in the back yard. We’re going to be adding another 120 square feet of beds.

I’ve read people eat about 300 pounds of veggies and fruit a year. (As a vegetarian I’m no doubt on the high side).
I’ve also read you can produce 1 to 3 pounds of produce per square foot with intensive urban agriculture.
There’s two of us, so that would pencil out to 200-600 SF of growing space.

By bumping up our growing space to 360 sf, plus assorted pots, plus fruit trees, we should do fairly well IF we work at optimizing the growth.

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