Suburban Permaculture Project

Today, I did a lot of work on the garden. I'm very proud of myself, and also quite pink and sore. :)

I had planned to be up by five thirty this morning, so I could take advantage of the cooler temperatures. My body had different plans, however, so I slept in till eight thirty.

Despite my late start, I did get my entire list of chores to be done in the garden cleared away. I've earned my afternoon/evening off!

I loosened the soil in the EarthBoxes in the driveway. Then I emptied the three that are missing pieces (the irrigation tube, and some of the underpinnings for the grate system in the bottom), mixed their soil with more sand, and rebuilt them. I used some PVC from a section of the sprinkler system in the backyard that we're taking out to replace the upright irrigation tubes, and set bricks in the bottoms to hold up the grate. I mixed compost into all the boxes, and then mulched them all with 5 inches of leaf litter.

I raked the leaf litter I used for mulch from the kidney shaped bed in the backyard -- the one we haven't done anything with yet. We still need to clear that bed out, and take out the giant honeysuckle of doom, and its leaning half rotted T post support. However, that wasn't on the list for today, and can wait for another massive gardening spree.

I worked up two beds on the North, North-East side of the house (and found another buried flagstone, while I was at it.) I used some of the lovely black rich dirt from there to fill 11 peat pots, and repotted the tomato seedlings.

Side note on tomato seedlings: tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers are all in the Nightshade family, and they all have one characteristic in common. They will all root from the stem, if buried, or in contact with soil. Gardeners use this characteristic to their advantage, when growing potatoes, and if they're wise, when growing tomatoes. For potatoes, as they grow, you 'hill up' the plants -- bury them, leaving the top six inches unburied. Every bit that you bury will become roots, and the roots will produce tubers. And it's the tubers that we eat!

Same deal with tomatoes, only, we don't eat the roots. When you start tomatoes from seed, before you set them out in their final location, you need to repot them. Move them from their little seedling trays into larger pots (not too much larger, just a bit will do). As you move them up, position them so that only the top with the leaves is above the soil -- bury the stem. Do this (according to Earl at the gardening class) twice before you put them out. Bury the stems to promote strong root systems. In harsh climates (and ours is harsh, especially right now), strong healthy root systems will support the plants better, creating healthier plants in general, and an increased yield.

So, today I potted up 11 tomato seedlings. I've got 3 Cherokee Purple, 4 Arkansas Traveler and 4 Bush Celebrity.

Also, if you're using the peat pots that you fill yourself with soil or potting mix, when you repot or transplant your young plants, peel off the peat pot. Yes, they will break down and biodegrade, eventually. However, it's the 'eventually' part that is tricky. I've set out plants from the home improvement store in those, and been able to get the peat pot back out of the ground at the end of the season. Peel the pot off so the roots of the plant can expand into the surrounding soil. It's what roots do, so why discourage them?

Lest you think I set up two garden beds and then did nothing with them, let me assure you that I did indeed make use of them. They now each have one cucumber seedling, and two okra seedlings in them. I'll let those get a good start, then in August, I'll set garlic out around them, and if I'm feeling frisky, some bush beans as well.

The EarthBoxes are ready and waiting for their tenants! By next weekend the tomatoes should be big enough to go into them, and the week after that will be pepper and bush bean time. Also in two weeks, I'll be setting up the bean tripods, and starting pole beans in the backyard. I still need to prep the beds they'll be in, and when it comes time to plant, I'll need to set aside space for the spinach, later in the season.

The garden is changing, on a daily basis, and it's so much fun to watch all the young plants growing! (The spaghetti squash is up to six inches tall already, and the first zucchini hill is 4 inches tall!)

Here's hoping everyone's fall gardens are healthy, productive, and fun!

I went out into the garden today, to see that over the past three days the broccoli bloomed. Yep, little yellow flowers. So I've harvested 6 out of 9 plants, leaving three on one end that have been lagging behind all season. Those three have got little bitty heads on them, so I think I'll leave them a couple days more, but the six that I've harvested are, I think, done.

The poor brussels sprouts didn't produce at all for me. I think I planted them way too late. February first is really a bit after their ideal plant by time. I'll start some for the next winter season at the end of October, and see if I can overwinter them and get them to produce. I think it's just too hot for them.

I also need to find out what eats the (expletive deleted) worms that have been chewing them to bits. I left the brussels sprouts in the ground, even after it became obvious they weren't doing well, because I wanted the worms to eat them, instead of my broccolis. Sadly, the worms have finally found the broccoli, and gone to town on them. :(

In other news, the tomato seedlings I planted out (was it two weeks ago?) are doing well. I've noticed that the ones in the ground are noticeably taller and healthier looking than the ones in the earth boxes. Phooey. I think it's the microorganisms in the soil, possibly earthworms, too. The earthboxes don't have worms, the soil is different in them... Sigh. I've got one Arkansas Traveler in a box, and one in the ground, and the ground one is a good two inches taller already.

I think I may start a couple more tomatoes, for an extended harvest (and cause I like tomatoes.) Besides, both my Rutger's tomatoes are in a box, and I soo want some to eat! I'm sure they'll produce, I just feel greedy.

Oh, I know, I'll make some compost tea! With molasses and apple cider vinegar. mmm. Plant yummies.

Waiting for me to make room for them are 6 okra plants, 6 (or 12, if I don't thin them) zucchinis, a basil, a marjoram, and an oregano. I need to pick up a pot for my lemon thyme (I already know better than to try to grow thyme outside). Also coming along, I started some zucchini seeds last week, and they're poking up too. Yay!

It occurs to me to wonder where I think I'm going to stick all these plants...