D-Day for Weeds

Gnarly weeds in Garden Plot 105

To be a weed in Garden Plot 105 is to be at risk of removal. Above average rainfall in the region has led to an explosion of gnarly, unwelcome weeds in the plot--many with deep roots of 4 inches or longer. They have to be dug out by hand, while being careful of our earthworm friends.

Update Week Two

We've found that starter trays for seedlings work wonders

Update Week Two: 

We've got Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and peas. Still waiting on the bell peppers  : (

The luck of the Irish is with us

It's Saint Patrick's Day today, which means the luck of the Irish is with us as we start our garden seedlings.  It's true we did just get snow dumped on us yesterday, but with a forecast of temperatures in the 50-60 degree range for later this week, the mere 3-5 inches of snow that arrived this very morning does not concern us much.

So today we broke out two seedling trays (and realized we need at least 3 more trays available) to start our longer range plants in.  According to expert sources (my brother with gardening experience), you want to start off with indoor plants for those vegetables that take a good 6-8 weeks plus to mature. So not your lettuce and such, but the Peas, Beans, Tomatoes and Peppers.  We did get a few going today just to practice up, and will plan to acclimate them to the outdoors and transplant in about 6-8 weeks, depending on how they do.  I dream of planing strawberries and blueberries, but wonder if that's not too ambitious for our first year garden.  Then again, nothing ventured, nothing gained!  Why not take a bit of a risk eh?  At least the blueberry bushes, in the 3 standard varieties of course.  We have so much to do yet.  Getting stakes and netting (if we are to plant any berries), and preparing the boarder with organic animal deterrents such as Marigolds and Garlic.  In addition, prepping with an anti-but recipe I've read about which is a concoction of lemon soap and ammonia water spray.  I've no idea if it works or if it will actually poison us instead (ammonia?!) if we actually use it, so I think a little more research is warranted on that one.  Then there are the rest of the supplies (pitchfork, watering can, bucket, fertilizer/compost, supports, and trellises.)  And not to mention the herb garden (mint, dill, rosemary, basil, chives, and can one plant lemon grass I wonder??).

Anyway, Spring is such an exciting time for gardeners.  I've witnessed the other seasoned community gardeners out there already puttering about.  Some gardeners are growing things year round, which makes us look pretty lazy by comparison.  Our plot looks ready and able, if not a bit on the barren side of things.  Never fear - that will be changed soon enough.  I hope you brought your galoshes and gloves, because we're off to the races!

Soil pH: Moderately Alkaline

After some delay, we tested the pH of the soil in Garden Plot 105 which came in moderately alkaline, which apparently is better for growing vegetables than is acid soil. It's the end of November and we're busy planning the layout of the garden, which will be planted in early April 2014 with butter lettuce, green leaf lettuce, spinach, red and green peppers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, basil, beans, melon,  and a variety of flowers. 

Leaf Grow

Today was a crisp and cool October day and we were totally motivated to work in the garden.  The soil is much looser after being rototilled but looks, at least to us, as though it could use some compost.  We went to our favorite local garden supply store to look for a compost system that would enable us to turn our coffee grounds and egg shells into natural bug repelling fertilizer.   At the store, a compost bin was priced at about $100 for a basic compost bin.  The store was also sold out of all its compost related systems.  They did sell "Leaf Grow" for about $5 a bag, and this being a local product consisting of organic leaf matter, we decided to by several bags to mix in with our soil.  After comparing the various composting solutions, we will likely either construct our own compost pile/box/system or just make a pile and surround it with chicken wire.  

We also discovered why everyone else is planting garlic.  Not only is it good for adding flavor to foods and oils, but it also repels animals apparently as an added benefit.  Having also read that marigolds serve to repel animals and wanting to have fresh flowers in addition to herbs and vegetables, we will try planting a combination of flowers and garlic around the boarder of our garden plot.  In addition, planting bulbs is also a good thing to do this time of year, so we may throw some of those in a section of the garden as well.  

Working That Soil

Three passes with a rototiller can make all the difference in the soil. And what a difference a day or two makes in the garden!

And now, decisions...decisions.  Do we plant winter rye or do we perhaps use a leaf mulch on the soil (not wood - just chopped leaves) and perhaps leave a small section unaltered for growing winter lettuce? Hmm...we'll have to decide soon.

In the meantime, the mid-October weather has been quite mild with daytime  highs of 75°F and evening lows of 50°F.  It's a picturesque fall season here in Northern Virginia, with a perfect full harvest moon and the leaves changing color and falling gently and slowly towards the bare limbs of winter. Halloween is just around the corner and we are already sampling pumpkin pie and apple cider...Life is good!

Great Job With That!

In just a few hours we were able to make strong progress cleaning up the plot, collecting eight to ten 30 gallon bags of 'yard waste'--in landfill speak.

We've met five neighboring gardeners to-date, and hope to meet all of the plot owners before the end of our first year.  The few that we met commented on our progress, saying "great job!" and I have to admit it felt good to be encouraged after a tough first day. Now that we can see the ground and the layout, we've diagramed the sunnier spots of the garden, and listed out the plan for the crops that will be included.  Our plot runs north to south and gets great morning sun and partial shade in the afternoon (at least this time of year which is early October).  Our next steps will be to test the soil and rototill, preparing the plot for winter gardening and for resting till April when we plan to plant the majority of our crop.

After two trips to the transfer station with eight of our bags, we were ready to call it a day.  Its times like these I wish we had a small (or large) truck instead of a four-door, but that's a purchase for another day.