Getting down and dirty
So
Kim it seems as if the grey days and
cold are giving way to a little more sunshine and warmer days, gardening is on
my mind. We learned a lot from the first questions posed to you about gardening- so here is round 2.
How
do you set up your garden?
We have set our gardens up around our property. Growing food is
really important to us, so we try to use as much space as we can for food
production.
When setting up your garden, sun exposure is important. I often
suggest new gardeners take some time to track the sun where they want to grow
food to make sure it gets enough sunlight. It is definitely time well spent;
you really don’t want to get all the set up work done to discover later that
the spot you choose doesn’t get enough sun.And then you have to decide what kind of beds you will have. You can certainly prepare the earth, and plant a lovely garden plot, but I much prefer raised beds, and they take a little prep work.
After all that you need to decide what you will plant where, and with what. Some plants do well growing with others and some don’t mix well. You also need to consider crop rotation, how will your crops move from space to space with each season so that your soil does not become depleted and so that harmful bugs, who can overwinter in the soil, won’t take out your crop the following year. It isn’t an easy process, but it is worth it for the best growing conditions.
There are a lot of resources out there, so take some time to research, ask questions, and then give it a go. The best lessons come from getting your hands in the dirt.
We have never officially tested our soil. We have, over the years, done an at home test to determine acidity or alkalinity. It is pretty simple, and while it doesn’t give you a definite answer it is a starting point, and it’s free. If the test shows high on either side, then I would consider an official test, but as of yet we haven’t had to do that.
If you want to check the acidity or alkalinity of your soil simple at home, here’s an easy way.
Grab two mason jars and fill them with a cup of soil. Add a little water to thoroughly soak the soil. To one jar add a cup of vinegar, to the other add a cup of baking soda. You may find that one of the jars bubbles. If the vinegar jar bubbles your soil is alkaline, if the baking soda jar bubbles your soil is acidic. If neither of the jars bubbles your soil is neutral.
I
see that you have raised beds- is there a reason?
For us that starts in the fall, we add compost and/or composted manure and then a good layer of leaves. In the spring I work the leaves into the soil, and then we are ready for planting.
I do have plans this year to do a little work with cover crops. Cover crops are basically green manures that feed the soil and all the lovely creatures that live in our soil. Through the process of growing the cover crop and then turning it over into the soil before it goes to seed nutrients are returned to the soil that may have been depleted during the growing season.
We don’t till, not something you really need to do with raised
beds. When we built them, we basically covered the grass with cardboard and
newspaper and then filled with compost, some composted manure, and once it was
planted we added some mulch.
Most of our raised beds have been created in the spring, but a
few have been created in the fall and it makes the spring gardening season so
much nicer to have all that work done, not to mention all the little creatures
that create healthy soil will have had time to move in.
We add compost and/or composted manure yearly to the beds, again
usually in the fall, and cover them thickly in leaves. This spring we have had
to amend the two beds that we tunneled for the winter before planting spring
crops.
Fertilizer, I use an organic kelp fertilizer, applied throughout
the season as needed to help promote plant growth, fruit set, disease resistance and resilience to
environmental stressors. It's also a great soil conditioner.I also grow comfrey, and while my main reason for growing it is to infuse it in oil to make salves, the leaves also make a great fertilizer, when the leaves are soaked down into a “tea” and then applied to the garden.
I have a bit of a phobia for seeding- not sure when or how to start.
One year I was very successful and started them on the sunny porch in egg cartons and reused milk cartons...but it was so much work.
How do you do it - any tips would be helpful.
- Most seed starter soil is sterilized but doesn't have any nutrients for the seedlings growth. You need to use worm castings, liquid starter food or make a compost tea. Don't use a powdered fertilizer, it will often create mould on the soil.
- Keep your
seedlings watered but don't overwater. The dampness will be a breeding ground
for fungus (especially with the lack of air flow). Dampening off is a very
common problem from a fungus and can cause all your plants to die
overnight.
- Lights
aren't necessary if you have a bright window but otherwise the light and heat
is useful if you don't have a window. We've invested in the Sunblaster lights
that use 50% less electric than standard fluorescents. We've never bothered
with heat matts but we have a little indoor greenhouse.
- I've
personally found that the heat loving plants like tomatoes and peppers to be
easier to grow than the brassicas or cool weather plants like lettuce. Maybe
the house is too warm.
- If your
plants are too far away from the light source they will get 'leggy' with a big
long thin stem and won't be strong. You can re-pot your plants up to the first
leaf if this happens but try and put some wooden planks or something to move
your trays closer to the light source.
Do you use cold frames or the little starter boxes they offer at the garden center or do you plant seed directly in the dirt outside?
We use cold frames to extend our growing season in the fall, and
then again in the spring to get a jumpstart on the season.
As I stated earlier, pretty much everything we grow is direct
seeded right into the dirt. Do you have any tips or pointers when the right time is.
For the most part, that is our rule here too, nothing before the
Victoria Day weekend (as we call it in Canada). But there are always exceptions
to the rules. Cold hardy vegetables can be directed seeded as soon as the soil
can be worked…kale, Swiss chard, lettuces, and peas. I experimented this year
with some beets in the cold frame, so I will let you know how that works out
soon. I also threw in a row of marigolds in our tunnel, just as a little
experiment.
We rely on Mother Nature for most of our watering, either
through rainfall, or from water collection in our rain barrels. If she isn’t
cooperating we use the hose. We do have a drip irrigation system in the plans
for the garden this year, and will hopefully get it all laid out in the next
few weeks. Fingers crossed.
My pleasure!
I am really enjoying this series, it's fun to learn how gardening is done in other parts of the country.
ReplyDeleteIt's really interesting to read about gardening in other parts of the world. Being further North 54.5° I have to start almost everything in seed trays in our polytunnel. I plant out in June. It is a lot more work but it works for us!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tracey... this series is going to be great. Happy gardening Camilla
ReplyDeleteGreat post, such a weath of information, Kim has a wonderful enthusiastic way of talking about gardening, makes me want to get outside right now and dig my hands in the ground despite the fact that it’s pouring down here.
ReplyDeletewill be doing that soil test with my kids tomorrow.
Happy gardening to you in Montana, Hope your getting better weather than us.
It's so wonderful to read more of Kim's gardening and special thanks for including me :)
ReplyDeleteI'm new to this blog, it's lovely! I'll be back for sure.
Oh I love this series - our garden operation is tiny by comparison - well it's tiny full stop - but I've picked up some great tips, thank you :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome tips Kim, you make it sound so simple. You know, I've never tested my soil. I might try that basic test.
ReplyDeleteWe have started working out in our garden - and like you said above started some cold hardy vegetables (lettuce) already, before Victoria day! Here's my blog post if you are interested http://theplaceunderthepine.blogspot.ca/2015/05/garden-2015-update-2.html
I really love Kim's gardening and loved this insight into her growing methods!! Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteOh I can't wait to watch your garden grow! Oh and mine ;)
ReplyDeleteI am in the process of setting up my garden and am making boxes to grow veg in. I have never thought about testing my soil but after reading your article I think it is something I would consider. Your garden looks great. Thanks for all the top tips about how to get seedlings to grow. I hope my garden does as well as yours this year.
ReplyDeleteBert Aguilar @ Rainfill Tanks and Curved Roofing Supplies