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Your plants need your support!
Many common vegetable plants are some sort of vine needing a framework on which to grow, and even non-viney vegetables can greatly benefit from some sort of staking or cage. Staking your plants gives them the support they need to grow, saves on garden space, allows more convenient access for harvesting, and when properly located will increase the exposure of your plants to the sun. The taller your staking, the taller your vegetables can grow, allowing them to produce a better crop! There are many forms of staking out there - too many to talk about them all, but I'll mention a few here and in subsequent posts in order not to go too long at one time.
Sweet peas, runner beans, and the like are the most obvious in need of something to grow on - without it they would just ramble around on the ground in a big mess and eventually find another garden plant to overcome. Their vines send out twirling tendrils in search of something to grab onto, and they will grab onto just about anything! The most common form of staking for these types of plants include some sort of light fencing or trellis, homemade twine runs, and long poles or sticks installed in a teepee formation.
With fencing, almost any sort will do, except for solid wooden privacy fences. Those often don't have enough small spaces for the tendrils to weave through and wrap around. Chain link fencing does fine, chicken wire is great as long as it is well-supported every 6 or so feet. Wooden trellis sections work great and are a little more decorative - just steer clear of those made of pressure-treated lumber as generally you won't want arsenic near where you're trying to grow food. Metal trellis sections are wonderful - just make sure that if using any type of trellis that it is well-anchored. If it were to fall over in a wind, your plants could be ruined.
A twine run is built by installing some sort of post every 8 or so feet, then running some sort of cable between each post along the top and bottom. Then you take jute twine or nylon string and wrap it up and down between the two cables, zigging and zagging down the line. It helps if you give it two wraps at each intersection with the cable, or even tying a simple knot to provide better stability. The "V's" formed by your twin should be spaced, at a minimum, twice the distance between your plants. The post and cable part of your framework can be left for years to come, but often the twine or string is removed at the end of the season and replaced again next year. The advantage here in using jute is that it is biodegradable and therefore compostable, though you can't count on it breaking down in one season.
Bamboo or other poles pushed into the ground and tied at top into a teepee formation work fine and can be a lot of fun for kids - they will usually find a way to make a small doorway to climb inside!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Eat your Weedies!
Most weeds need to just be taken out, like this crabgrass with a little bermuda grass mixed in:
Other weeds... like this dandelion:
You can eat in... as in a salad:
This is one of my favorite salads. Dandelion greens have a strong flavor and so they need a strong accompaniment. Like Powdermilk Biscuits, it "gives shy people [or tired mommies] the strength to get up and do what needs to be done." Recipe:
1. Make sure you are dealing with an authentic dandelion. The leaf should not be fuzzy at all, and the veins should be reddish, not white, at the base of the plant. Look up pictures online if you are unsure.
2. Pick healthy leaves, and wash. Chop finely.
3. Toss with generous amount of olive oil, 1/2 as much lemon juice, 1 clove garlic - minced, and a tablespoon or two of capers. Then sprinkle generously with sea salt.
Other weeds... like this dandelion:
You can eat in... as in a salad:
This is one of my favorite salads. Dandelion greens have a strong flavor and so they need a strong accompaniment. Like Powdermilk Biscuits, it "gives shy people [or tired mommies] the strength to get up and do what needs to be done." Recipe:
1. Make sure you are dealing with an authentic dandelion. The leaf should not be fuzzy at all, and the veins should be reddish, not white, at the base of the plant. Look up pictures online if you are unsure.
2. Pick healthy leaves, and wash. Chop finely.
3. Toss with generous amount of olive oil, 1/2 as much lemon juice, 1 clove garlic - minced, and a tablespoon or two of capers. Then sprinkle generously with sea salt.
If you till it, they will come
We're talking about crabgrass. The relationship of plants to their soil, and the relationship of the local ecology to your garden is a fascinating thing. When ground is disturbed by removing the existing plant material and digging or tilling up the soil, there is a specific order in which a variety of species will sprout, grow, mature, and then be overtaken by another species. This is called natural succession. Successional growth has been mapped out for the different areas of Georgia, and the first thing that will grow on disturbed ground is crabgrass. It is guaranteed. If you dig up a sunny spot and leave it, you will get a substantial cover of crabgrass with a few other things mixed in.
Weeding is one of my least favorite gardening chores, yet it has to be done on a weekly basis to keep the invasives from stealing sun, water, and soil nutrients from your garden plants. The job is much easier if you get at them while they're young - so be vigilant.
Pulling weeds is one of those chores that you might begin to do while you're just out walking your garden - you might not be planning on working that hard as you stoop down to pull a few, and then notice a few more, and then a patch over here... you start to get vindictive, you get this crazy look in your eyes, and then it becomes addictive. Before you know it you'll be down on the ground in your clothes that weren't meant to get dirty with a whole lot of soil under your fingernails! Sometimes it helps to have a spouse around who can forcibly lay their hands on you, hold you back, and talk sense into you.
Sometimes the sense that needs to be talked involves the procurement of a good hoe. Hoeing doesn't involve stooping and for the most part keeps your fingernails clean, but you might want to invest in some light gloves or be okay with some minor blisters that will soon callous over.
Spraying weeds? It can be done. I won't discuss it here. Besides, if you go and do that there is the likelihood of it drifting onto your veggie plants and that's just no good.
As with anything else, prevention is great: mulch your garden. If you have raked leaves leftover from last fall, those will work great. Grass clippings work great too but be aware that they will still contain any chemicals that may have sprayed on your lawn and they are also likely to include some weed seeds. Purchased hay is good but can also contain seeds; pine straw will contain less seeds; wood chips work fine but make sure they have been aged a few months so they won't steal nitrogen from your garden soil during their early decay process. If you have a continuous supply of compost, that will make a great mulch as it will build up your soil. Weeds will grow in compost better than these other mulching materials, so you'll likely still be doing more weeding if you make this choice. Newspaper makes decent weed prevention as well, but if slugs are causing trouble in your garden you might want to skip it as slugs can hide and multiply under a thick cover of paper.
Additionally, if your method of irrigating your garden allows you to water your plants only and not the space in between plants, you'll reduce the amount of weeds that germinate.
Weeding is one of my least favorite gardening chores, yet it has to be done on a weekly basis to keep the invasives from stealing sun, water, and soil nutrients from your garden plants. The job is much easier if you get at them while they're young - so be vigilant.
Pulling weeds is one of those chores that you might begin to do while you're just out walking your garden - you might not be planning on working that hard as you stoop down to pull a few, and then notice a few more, and then a patch over here... you start to get vindictive, you get this crazy look in your eyes, and then it becomes addictive. Before you know it you'll be down on the ground in your clothes that weren't meant to get dirty with a whole lot of soil under your fingernails! Sometimes it helps to have a spouse around who can forcibly lay their hands on you, hold you back, and talk sense into you.
Sometimes the sense that needs to be talked involves the procurement of a good hoe. Hoeing doesn't involve stooping and for the most part keeps your fingernails clean, but you might want to invest in some light gloves or be okay with some minor blisters that will soon callous over.
Spraying weeds? It can be done. I won't discuss it here. Besides, if you go and do that there is the likelihood of it drifting onto your veggie plants and that's just no good.
As with anything else, prevention is great: mulch your garden. If you have raked leaves leftover from last fall, those will work great. Grass clippings work great too but be aware that they will still contain any chemicals that may have sprayed on your lawn and they are also likely to include some weed seeds. Purchased hay is good but can also contain seeds; pine straw will contain less seeds; wood chips work fine but make sure they have been aged a few months so they won't steal nitrogen from your garden soil during their early decay process. If you have a continuous supply of compost, that will make a great mulch as it will build up your soil. Weeds will grow in compost better than these other mulching materials, so you'll likely still be doing more weeding if you make this choice. Newspaper makes decent weed prevention as well, but if slugs are causing trouble in your garden you might want to skip it as slugs can hide and multiply under a thick cover of paper.
Additionally, if your method of irrigating your garden allows you to water your plants only and not the space in between plants, you'll reduce the amount of weeds that germinate.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Now that's more like it
Monday, May 10, 2010
Mother's Day Tomato
What a beautiful weekend we had! With the earliest days of May so unseasonably HOT, it sure is nice to slow summer down and enjoy some lighter temps and most wonderful breezes. And no better time to get something going in that nice, beautiful plot!
I started with transplanting a tomato that I hadi mistakenly planted in a poor spot about a month ago. In a hurry to give it a home, I put it on a corner of my spring garden that I thought would get enough sun, but instead it was just too shady. Though you certainly don't want to plan on transplanting a tomato after it's begun growing, it can happen successfully if you dig a big hole, add plenty of compost, and then dig up as big of a root ball around the tomato as possible. The more roots you get, the better, and those tiny little webs can extend pretty far! Then after planting, water it really well and be prepared to water it a couple times each day. It will also be important to water the leaves as leaves will soak up moisture too. Since you've just set the plant back by disrupting it's roots, you'll need even more watering to make up for what those roots won't absorb for a few days. Once the roots get established again, you'll be back on track.
So... despite all this help I had....
I now have a transplanted tomato:
My best friend will have to remind me what variety this is, but it is an heirloom. It looks a little lonely... hoping to take care of that today.
I started with transplanting a tomato that I hadi mistakenly planted in a poor spot about a month ago. In a hurry to give it a home, I put it on a corner of my spring garden that I thought would get enough sun, but instead it was just too shady. Though you certainly don't want to plan on transplanting a tomato after it's begun growing, it can happen successfully if you dig a big hole, add plenty of compost, and then dig up as big of a root ball around the tomato as possible. The more roots you get, the better, and those tiny little webs can extend pretty far! Then after planting, water it really well and be prepared to water it a couple times each day. It will also be important to water the leaves as leaves will soak up moisture too. Since you've just set the plant back by disrupting it's roots, you'll need even more watering to make up for what those roots won't absorb for a few days. Once the roots get established again, you'll be back on track.
So... despite all this help I had....
I now have a transplanted tomato:
My best friend will have to remind me what variety this is, but it is an heirloom. It looks a little lonely... hoping to take care of that today.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Announcing the Digging Red Clay Demonstration Garden
A good portion of my front yard
+
+
(plus a wonderful husband who was not present in this photo)
and then the heavy equipment moved in to grade it smooth:
and then the heavy equipment moved in to grade it smooth:
= one of my favorite things:
A fresh new garden spot, all ready to plant.
I'm so excited about starting a new garden, and about comparing notes with my friends!
Let's grow some things together, and see what we discover and harvest along the way!
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