way too cold

It has been so cold this year nothing is growing the way it should. It just can’t get up to 70 degrees. I think it’s going to be a short growing season. I’ll try to get some stuff going in June or July when it warms up.

started seed indoors

Bought some seeds starter kits online and I’ve got some indoor seedlings:

• broccoli
• zucchini
• peppers
• marigolds

Outside I planted potatoes.

snow in the mountains

low of 40 and snow predicted for the mountains.

Still too cold to plant

Frost on the ground the last couple days. Planning on building another raised bed this year, I’ll probably get that going in a week or two in preparation for planting mid-April.

back yard in May

back yard

more back yard

flower garden

patio

more back yard

patio again

redwoods

redwood

May Garden Update

Planted a few more things and stuff is growing…

garden

garden

pepper

summer squash

a row of parsley

lots of leeks

planted a row of onions

I also planted a few more regular carrots to fill in where the other transplants didn’t make it. So here’s what’s planted as of today:

sage, parsley, basil, cucumber, summer squash, peppers, carrots, chives, leeks, melons

peppers

more peppers

getting rid of fungus gnats

they are all over the garden. Here is a great artivle on how to get rid of them:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/House-Plants-721/Little-black-flies.htm

The garden is growing

These were taken to show how green the lawn looks. A little fertilizer goes a long way!

back yard in April

gerbers

more gerbers

these grew back from last year

the path is coming together. those are orage trees along the fence

planted grasses on the side of the garden

planted a row of chives and leeks

fertilized front and back shrubs

attracting beneficial insects

plant near the garden to attract ladybugs, assassin bugs, and hoverflies: grasses, perennial alfalfa, goldenrod, morning glory vines.

drip irrigation

A couple of connector pieces, end pieces, and drip tubing was all I needed to make the drip system. Turned the water on to check it and it actually works! By pure accident the drip holes happen to fall right where the plants are. I’ll expand it along the edge of the garden bed as I plant new rows.

Spring and fall vegetable planting

spring

orange carrots
heirloom carrots
eggplant
watermelon
pepper
onion
chives

fall

lettuces
spinach
squash

carrots (more)

potatoes

eggplant (more)

onion (more)

37 Degrees

April 13, 2009: a low of 37 degrees tonight!! It usually only gets this cold in January!! Everything had to move indoors to avoid being frozen. Next year’s planting gets delayed a month.

Time to move south.

Sunday

Fertilized the back lawn, hooked up a sprinkler for the garden, and sowed some flower seeds…

parsley in the garden

lemon's almost ready

lemon tree

new plantings

sowed seeds for carrots, watermelon, and sunflowers in the garage. Still too cold to put them in the garden since the lows are around 40 tonight and last night.

Also bought some organic peppers to plant in the garden.

heirlooms are planted

back yard in March

24 strawberries

i counted them…

finished garden bed

ready to plant. Some work is needed on the side of the house cleaning up the area around the garden and planting some shrubs along the fence. I’ll plant next weekend.

planted organic strawberries

lots of them…

what I’m planting in 2009

pirat lettuce

thyme

sage

jericho lettuce

sucrine lettuce

cosmo-savoy lettuce

cilantro

onion

carrot

fertilized front and back plants with all-purpose fertilizer. Did not fertilize acid-loving plants yet…

Perfect Raised Garden Bed

http://www.sunset.com/garden/perfect-raised-bed-00400000039550/

Materials:

• One 6-foot-long 4-by-4 ($15)
• Six 8-foot-long 2-by-6s ($75)
• One 10-foot-long 1-inch PVC pipe ($3)
• Two 10-foot-long ½-inch PVC pipes ($6)
• 32 3½-inch #14 wood screws and 16 ½-inch #8 wood screws ($29)
• One 4- by 10-foot roll of ¼-inch-mesh hardware cloth ($15)
• Eight 1-inch galvanized tube straps (semicircular brackets; $3.60)
• 32 cubic feet (1 1/5 cu. yd.) planting mix ($25 in bulk or $100 in bags)
  

Step-by-step:  http://www.sunset.com/garden/backyard-projects/ultimate-raised-bed-how-to-00400000011938/

UPDATE: 1 garden bed is built! 1 more to go!!

companion planting

companion planting tips for herbs 

vegetable companion planting

soil pH stuff

Most garden vegetables, grasses, and ornamentals do best in a slightly acidic soil with a pH between 5.8 and 6.8. Within this range, roots can absorb and process available nutrients. 

see this article for increasing and decreasing soil pH. 

some good information on liquid and solid fertilizers.

garden bed materials

needed for 1 4′x4′ and 1 4′x6′ bed:

1. 6 2″x12″x4′ cedar boards
2. 2 2″x12″x6′ cedar boards
3. 8 metal braces
4. 16 galvanized screws

building garden beds

I am thinking 1 4′x6′ bed on the street side of the house and 1 4′x4′ bed on the same side.

lots of sun on that side, might need some kind of shade for intense sunlight. 

Other thoughts:

• space needs 6 hours of full sun/day, preferably in the morning
• cedar wood is best, naturally rot resistant 
• soil depth should be about 11″
• separate containers for strawberries, herbs, tomatoes