I started harvesting some cucumbers this evening. I gathered a Poona Keera, Market More and a Straight Eight cucumber, I also harvested a Cocozella squash. This is the first year I have grown this summer squash. Some of the snap beans were also ready. I cannot wait to add these vegetables to the summer plate.
When I was out side looking at the garden I did notice some tomatoes. They were still very small but at least I got some now. I noticed a couple of pumpkins starting. This year I did not have a major problem with squash bugs. I am thinking because it has been so wet but really not sure why. The cucumber beetle population has been a major problem this year.
The rain garden is behind schedule due to travel and rain. The rain garden is collecting water as it was designed as you can see in the picture. The brown color is from the wood mulch. I only have three plants planted so far. It is not that easy to find the native plants for this bed in the local community so I will have to take another road trip soon. I ended up making the depression deeper, around 4 " because it was filling up too fast. and you can see it is still filling up from the storm today and yesterday. I can see in the future I will have to do some rain barrels and maybe another rain garden in another location.
This weekend was a busy one. I tired to get caught up with the garden with all of the rain we have been getting it has been difficult. I did got a lot of hours on Saturday and we were able to get the T-Frames up for the pole beans and tomatoes. It will be nice to have something in place to hold the weight of these plants and pressure from the wind.
The basic plans for this T-Frame can be found in the Mittleider Method Garden Yahoo Group file section in a file labeled Gledhill Tools and Doc . We came up with a modified way using those hangers used in constuction for an even stronger frame. The post use 4x4's. You can use strong wire across but I wanted 2x4's so I can throw plastic, netting or what ever I need over the top with PVC making a hoop.
It rained but I got the squash, pumpkins, cucumbers and tomatoes in. They were looking a little sad when I got home today since it got rather warm. They should all make it. The is one good reason to use the peat blocks. You do not grow the plants in a pot so they do not get root bound.
Check out more of the garden: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lakenvelder/sets/72057594114641553/
The weather has not been very good today. It has been very windy and stormy. I have not yet able to go outside to finish the irrigation for the garden and all trellis for the pole beans.
I woke with a rather bad headache but I did manage to can 5 1/2 pints of Dandelion Jelly and freeze some extra celery to use later in soups and stews and make some egg salad..
I got rather warm today in the Flint Hills. I told a walk around the house to check to see what is in flower today. Can you guess yet what is one of my most favorite spring flowering plants.
My bird area is looking very good this year. The shrubs have gotten large enough for the birds to be safe from the cat. The cedars there are only about 4 feet tall but I am hoping they will grow quite a bit this year. As soon as I receive my other cedars This are will be more secluded.
I have been trying to find a way to fertilizer my garden adequately but using a cheaper alternative to commercial fertilizers or at least reduce the amount I will need to purchase. The only way to find a decent source of organic potassium is to purchase it online and have it shipped to my place. I will still have to purchase the other minor ingredients using the Mittleider Method but that is only for a small amount.
Pear Blossom
This weekend I found directions for non-commercial alternatives directed towards residents of rural Alaska. The source of nitrogen could be possible it I found a source of fish but I do not think it would be an advisable method here on the plains. The river and pond fish are too full of heavy metal that would likely build up in the soil and could possibly contaminate my water table. The source of phosphorous could be possible if I was able to find a source of organic bones to burn. Phosphorus does not seem to be too much of a problem around here but I will keep the idea on the back burner if things get really tough around here. Potassium is the ingredient I have not been able to locate locally. However, Phosphate of Potassium is 60%. A small amount could be purchased without too much cost. This would be the easiest to produce since I could use wood ashes. The chemical analysis they have is 8 % potassium.
Apple Blossom
Another project I was working on was to create a Vegetable crop rotation plan for my garden. Even in a large garden like mine crop rotation does not work for every type of pest and disease but it will help to keep some at lower levels.
I found Eliot Coleman’s Vegetable Crop Rotation diagram. It is basically an eight year plan and easy to follow. My vegetables are almost placed in the same areas as the plan and but I will need to make some some adjustments. It is just way easier than the spreadsheet I started that seemed to grow out of hand making it too complicated and so not useful. The problem I see with the plant is it does not have lettuce and other greens. Check it out and see if it can work for you.
Original formula for around 25 pounds of fertilizer (calculated to add Mittleider Method mix)
Fertilizer: 16-8-16
Blood Meal 15 lbs
Bone Meal 6 lbs
Sulfate of Potash 3.6 lbs
Make you Own
N P K Wt Unit
Fish Emulsion 10 0 0 9.75 lbs
Bone Ash 0 22 0 2 lbs
Wood Ash 0 0 8 13 lbs
I have been gardening for years but it seems a lot more people are into the garden spirit. I jsut finished reading an article in the Wall Street Journal calledHow Much Green Can Growing a Vegetable Garden Save You. This area covers a couple of my concerns that peole do not realize the start up costs involved. It you have a neighbor or have the abilibty to use one of those Tool Librarys. Just as try not to get over anxious and keep your garden to the small size. The garden can become a lot of work when the weather gets warm and the weeds are trying to over take your effort.
Today was such a wonderful day. There were so many flowers in bloom, from tulips and lupines to the wild plums. I am just in awe in how beautiful the weather was outside. It did not start out that way and was overcast and wet outside when I woke up. The clouds never went away but the temperature stayed got to around 78 degrees F with very little wind. The bees and birds were out in full force. It was so nice to see them.. It was so nice to see all of the robins and woodpeckers.
I got the main part of the fence around the orchard completed. I just need to get the chicken wire on the bottom to keep out rabbits and some plastic fencing to keep the geese only in the orchard. I am sure the geese and turkeys will be elated when they can go back to grazing in the orchard again.
I checked on all the fruit trees planted this year and they are all growing very well. It will be a few years before I get any fruit from but I look forward to the day I do get more fresh fruit.. The Gala apple and Asian pear tree were in bloom today.
The peas in the garden are now an inch tall and germinated great this year. I am not sure why. I though with the snow and extra rain they had rotten in the soil and was surprised when I saw them growing. The potatoes have now started to grow too. I saw about ten or so popping growing out of the soil today. I fertilized the rows so I am hoping this will encourage the others to follow suit. I got to business with planting today. I planted 60 feet of pole beans (Contender & Kentucky Wonder), 20 feet Nantes carrots, 10 feet Danvers # 126 carrots, 10 feet Rainbow Carrots, 5 feet Detroit Dark Red beets, 10 feet Purple Top White Globe Turnips, 5 feet Choggia Beets, 5 feet and 10 feet Sparkler Radishes. I can’t wait until I get fresh vegetables again.
It has been so very nice the last two day. A little on the overcast side but that is because of all of the burning. The Flint Hills are all on fire this time of year. I am thinking about burning a couple of piles myself on Saturday. I have so much to do. The cold weather has really put my planting behind. I really need to get that greenhouse build so I have more space.
The hen are laying quite well. Actually all of the poultry are. The turkeys had a lot o eggs in a nest they had build. I will have to remove them in the morning. I have collected 8 decent Welsummer eggs and started the Brower going to get the temperature up so I can try hatching some eggs again. The ball bearings had gotten rusty so I had to replace them. Now that I have it running it seems to be working great. The temperature is around 97 and needs to get to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit (37.5 degrees Celsius).
I am hoping that Saturday will not rain so I will be able to plan and do some weeding. This is the time of year when I start to lose the battle with the weeds.
It took a big leap of faith to try this experiment but I did not remove my cold season vegetables from cold frame when we just had this latest winter storm. Using information I have seen on the Eliot Coleman Four Season Garden website I decided to see if my lettuce and other vegetable would make it. I did remove my pumpkins and squash back into the house. The lettuce did get a little damage but I did not see any damage at all to the cabbage and onions so I was very pleased. I was nervous because the lost would had set me back a few weeks. The plants in Coleman's cold frames and greenhouses are planted in the soil which gives the plants a little more protection from the elements. This is one reason I was worried it would fail. He grows them in the greenhouse I just did not want to move them all back inside for a few day.
It was really quite simple to do. I placed some floating row cover over the plants that were in the cold frame. The plants were out of the wind so I did not have to put any thing in the cold frame to keep the cover off of the plants. It I had to keep the cover on for longer periods of time I would had done so to keep the weigh off the plants.
I am never quite sure what I will find when digging around here. Today when digging up the soil for my 15' x 10' Rain Garden I found the typical stones, bones and some metal objects but usually mostly stones. I commonly find some glass and a tractor part here and there. I usually find the large tractor or tool parts with the rotor tiller so I get a broken pin. I think that large metal object (door lock) is what broke it today or it was a large rock or both. I am not sure if you can see them in this picture but I found three square nails.
It is starting to green up here in the Flint Hills. I have already planted potatoes and peas and have some of the beds prepared for planting.
I worked a little on my herb garden. I had moved it last fall and still need to plant the herbs. I planted some strawberries yesterday and will plant the others today or next week sometime. I have started one of my rain gardens. The first one is for drainage from the house. In the future I will plant one in the bird garden and one south of the barn.
Collecting water in a rain garden allows the water to slowly filter into the ground. This means less water runs down the storm drains and more water into our underground water reservoirs. Rain gardens can also help prevent flooding and erosion in our streams.
The best place to locate your water garden is where it will collect the most amount of rain water. Placing your rain garden down hill from structures and pavements where the natural flow of water occurs will make the garden more efficient. However, you really do not want to place your rain garden in a place where you get standing water. You goal is to create an area were water will be slowly “perc” but not create a pond.
How To:
A water garden is simple! There are just three easy steps to create a water garden:
1) Start by digging a 4-8” depression that has gradually sloping sides. The rain garden can be as large of a garden you will like. The formula they usually use for a rain garden is that it should be 30 percent of the area of the roof you will be collecting water from. So if you have around a 1,800 square foot home the garden should be about 54 sq. feet or about 10 feet x 5 feet. This is about the size of the rain garden
I am currently creating. I am planning to use rain barrels and also let excess “perc” into the soil.
You want the depression to be 4’-8 inches deep so it collects water but in most cases be able to dry out between rains. If you want it to hold water in drier times you can make it more of wetlands garden by digging it deeper, up to 18”, and installing a plastic liner were you want the pond type environment.
2) Plant native recommended in your area. The plants in my garden design can grow almost anywhere in the United States. Natives plants are the best for this type of garden because they reduce long term maintenance are hardier and tolerate a wet soil and then dry soil environment.
Check with your local nursery or extension office for the best native plants in your area. Dave’s Garden has a huge database that allows you to search plants, sources and their cultivation.
3) Add untreated, shredded hardwood mulch to a depth of 3” on all the bare ground around the plants to prevent erosion while you are trying to get the plants established.
I started the planting the vegetable garden today. Cabbage, lettuce, and chard were planted in Soil blocks I produced this year. This is a newtechnique for me. In years before I used containers to plant seeds for the production of transplants. Before I departed home on a plane flight from Los Angeles to Kansas City I purchased the New Organic Grower by Paul Hawken, In this book I rediscover soil blocks. I was first introduced to them while living in Germany. The technique has been used for at least 80 years in the Netherlands but it goes back 2,000 years or more. In Germany were a common way to purchase plants for your garden. They have not seen to have caught on in the United States and I suppect it is becasue of transportaion reason. Very few nurseys grow their own but purchase them from huge plant nurseys. I have gotten tired of the yearly storage of pots and the need to clean them so this year I purchased a soil blocker that make 4 at a time. I really did not see the need to get a smaller size and then going up in size but I suppose it works for some. Some people may think with all the material you use for the soil block it is a waste of potting soil. An advantage of using soil blockers is that you will be adding to the soil each time you plant. This first time I used potting soil I had from last year but the suggested mix is in Hawken's book or with the soil blocker instructions. I found the blocks to be quite easy to produce and they really did not seem to take that much longer than using pots.
I wanted to keep track of how much it costs to grow my garden produce so I have already produced a spreadsheet for this purpose. Maybe people are convinced that it cost more to grow your own vegetables. I discovered one website where the cost was around $300 and they grew $600 dollars worth of vegetables. That is a substantial amount and I suspect it will be the same or every better this year with the cost of everything going up. I also plant to start saving seeds so I will not have to purchase so many each year, Maybe just a a hybrid for two I want to grow. I am planting four grape vines this year and I also planted some fruit trees but I will not have anything form them for a couple of years.
I am also planning to keep track of how much I have spend each month to grow the fruits and vegetables.. I will not count the cost of labor until I pay someone else. So far I have spend $285.10 for seeds and the soil blocker. The potting soil was left over from last year so it was not included.
Sometimes you end up with a stump on your property because of disease, insect damage, or in my case we had an ice storm that killed or damaged trees. After you get the tree cut down you are left with a stump. I am in that predicament right now getting rid of a few stumps. It seems that every time I dig I find something. Today was no exception so while working on the tree trunk I dug up another piece of metal, what looks like to be a part of hemmed pants and pieces of pots or red brick.
When you decide to remove that stump you have a number of choices. Some can be costly and others just take time, will power and muscle.
1)You can hire one of those tree services with a grinder that will grind the stump down. This is one of the more costly ways but might be the best option.
2)Have some one equipment come in and dig it out. This is one of the best options if you do not mind a huge hole. It is fast and you will be almost guaranteed there will not be any roots left to grow back.
3)Y you can purchase at nurseries and big box stores a chemicals to remove stumps. The stump will take at least one year to break down. Read the directions especially if using the land later to plant a vegetable garden.
4)Make it part of the landscape. This is an option I see quite often. Use the stump as part of the landscape. If the stump is hollow in the center you can also use it as a planter.
5)Just let it decay naturally. This can take 5 years or so but it does not bother you
6)Throw some fertilizer in the rotted center to drill a few holes and fill. This will help the truck decay at a faster rate.
7)Burn it out. This really depends where live. In most cities you cannot burn but if you live in an area that does you can go this route. Some people put a burn barrel without a bottom on the trunk. You can dill holes and use lighter fuel letting it set for a few hours before lightning. If you go this route just be very careful and make sure you are following zone laws. We are not allowed to burn within 150 feet of a structure around here.
8)Drill some holes and add corn and pigs. The pigs will chew the stump to get to the tasty kernels.Warning they may not just chew on the stump.
http://free-stock-photos.com/
9)Dig it up using a space and Polanski. This is how I am trying to get rid of stumps in the area I am expanding the vegetable garden. Dig around the trunk cutting the roots until you get to the root tap. Cut it and then back fill.It is rather had work and time but one of the cheapest options. I tell people that the land is my gym and that is where I go for a workout. I came up with that after learning that
Well Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators declared six more weeks of winter. I on the other hand forged ahead on Saturday and began preparing the soil to make beds. Last year the grass got out of hand and eventuality took over a major part of the garden. I am going to try to out fox the weeds this year by getting a head start on the season. It was a bit windy but other wise a wonderful day to be outside. One advantage I found by staring the beds this early was that I did not harm any earthworms. They must be still far below to avoid the winter harsh temperatures. It was only a snake I chopped and not sure why it was out in the area. Well, I hope it was not eating all of the earthworms which may be why I did not find any. I still have to burn and get the roots removed from where the old apples trees stood.
This month I plan on building a greenhouse using wood to prepare the seedlings. I was tempted to use PVC to build on but with the strong wind I figured it may not hold up very long.
The row of wild plum I planted for a wind break to protect the garden and also provide fruit for jam looks very promising. Last year a few began to fruit and they have grown to about 3 – 4 feet high. The wind is detrimental factor I discovered in the Flint hills.
Every year I see evidence of families trying to garden and then give up after the weeds overtake the prepared land. I am hoping to be able to be a positive influence on gardens here and be able to assist others. When I moved here I was actually told I would not be able to have a garden here.
Today again it was spring like in temperatures. It got into the lower 40's creating a yearning to begin the new garden. I know from experience and research that this is only a short term warming period. It is way too early to expect the temperature to remain warm enough to plant and be successful. Last year we had a strange spring. Actually, it was more like a real spring. The spring of the Four Seasons with all the seasons divided evenly, more or less, in the year. The springs here seems to be about two short weeks.You will get a few weeks of mild semi warm and then “poof” the south winds warm up the plains very quickly. The seed packages I just purchase are just urging me to do something with them but I will wait and go with the garden plan. The time will be soon enough . I need to enjoy the quiet stillness of winter and savor the slow pace.
This year I am considering getting bees. I cared for bees a long time ago before there was the two varieties of parasitic mites, the sudden decline syndrome, African bees and now the disappearance of bees. Bee keeping seemed simple back then. I remember the biggest concern while learning the skill from a master beekeeper was preventing the hive from swarming. There was a little discussion of mites but they had just started taking a foot hold in the United States and were only a slight distance concern.
As I was researching what was happening in the current beekeeping scene I discovered the Top Bar Hive. This hive is an exciting alterative to regular bee keeping.
This hive has intrigued me in a number of ways. It is less expensive hive to build, although it does produce less honey and more wax. I do not believe more wax would be a horrible result since I could start producing wax candles rather than the type of candles I make now.I found out that the hive is not as heavy. A large super can weight at least 80 pounds full and I know I will be largely on my own with this endeavor so this is another benefit. Langstroth-type frames are build so there is a space for bees to come up but the top bar hive is build with the bars tightly together. This is why when you open the Langstroth-type hive you will be smoking like crazy to pacify the bees. When you lift a bar of a top Bar you will free only some ofthe bees so you have only a few to pacify and if I ever got Africanize bees in my colony I would not get a whole hive of angry, nasty bees attacking me. Believe me I am all for that. After you have had the bees for a year I will likely want some honey. This method of bee keeping is well suited for the crush and strain method of honey extraction. All I would have to do is put the honey in a nylon socking or a jelly bag and crush. This would save quite a bit of money because I will not have to purchase a heated knife and extractor. Those can be rather costly.
So the planning now begins because of the one main disadvantage of the Top Bar is that you will have to build the hive yourself. I have only found one source to purchase it from and it is even more expensive than a Langstroth.
For more information of the Top Bar Hive on good site to check out is www.biobees.com
I generally add a few trees in my orchard every year. Last year I added a Winesap Apple and a Medley plum tree. This year I have decided to add some more dependable cultivars (varieties) and a couple that will be iffy in this area, zone 5/6 with Kansas winds.Your selection should always be more deliberate rather than on impulse. A good local nursery or your cooperative Extension Service would be able to guide you on the process of deciding what cultivars would work the best for you.
1)Potomac, European Pear-
The cultivar was released in 1993 by the USDA. It is a cross between Moonglow x Anjou, It is one of the highest quality fireblight resistance cultivars available. Great fresh market pear. Self-pollinating.Zones 5-8
2) Bing, Cherry-
It is one of the finest commercial cherries available. The cherries are good for cooking as well as eating out of hand. They do require cross-pollination and I am hoping my Tartarian cherry will work well. Zone 5-9
3) Aprium, Flavor Delight-
This hybrid fruit that is ¾ apricot and ¼ plum is good eaten off the tree or made into dishes. Flavor Delight is a safer choice for my climate than the others. Zone 5-9
4) Apricot, Chinese-
This is an early bearing, heavy producing cultivar that is good for difficult climates prone to late spring frosts. Mild flavor. Zone 4-7
5) Apple, Spitzenberg-
It is said this was Thomas Jefferson’s favorite apple. It is not widely used for commercial purpose because it ripens unevenly so you have to harvest it over a two week period. It produces a yellow-orange fine texture apple and is considered a dessert apple. It ripens from September –October. Requires a pollinator. Zones 4-8.
6) Apple, Belle de Boskoop-
This apple
originates from the Netherlands. It is a large, lumpy red apple that is usable for dessert and cutlery uses. It keeps its shape when cooked so it is good for pies and cobblers and is considered a very good applesauce variety. It is not considered suitable for snacking because of its large size but can be served in slices. It has a tendency towards russeting so it would not always make a good apple for selling at market except for value added products such as apple sauce, apple butter, etc. Pollinator required. Zones 4-8.
7) Peach, Indian Free-
This is a midseason that comes in later than Redhaven so I am hoping for a longer peach season. It is very resistance to leaf curl, is free stone, has red flesh and is a good keeper. Needs a pollinator, any variety.
8) Almond,All-In-One-
This self-fruiting almond has heavy crops and produces soft-shell nuts with sweet flavorful kernels. It is also hardy with winter frosts. It needs a hot summer to produce.Zones 5-9.
9) Plum, Late Santa Rosa-
This was not what I had planned and had ordered the Imperial Prune. I really wanted a prune plum so when I had to do a
substitute I went with the Santa Rosa, I already have a Methley plum that should start prodcing this summer but this is a larger plum. This common plum is found in Supermarkets because it is juicy, flavorful and tangy. Self-pollinating.Zones 5-8.
It's easy to remember when to spay your home orchard: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine's Day.
Dormant sprays will help you combat disease and insects all years if done correctly. Spraying 3 times a year will prevent and stop coddling moth and peach leaf curl. There are two types or categories of oils to control mites, insects, eggs, and some fungal problems. Fungicides kill the fungus and diseases.
Geese discovered the forbidden fruit
For best result for your home orchard use an oil and a fungicide. Lime sulfur can be combined with oil only during the dormant period. Cooper needs to be sprayed separately from oil.
Caution: With all pesticides you should read the entire label prior to use and only buy what you need for one season. Remember just because you use an organic pesticides does not mean it cannot be toxic. Wear proper clothing and be careful.
Cut some firewood yesterday. Had part of the house burning very early this morning. Not sure why. It was were they used to have a stove connected to the chimmey. Now I will have to remove the paneling they had put on it and figure out how to seal it before I use the stove again.
We got the hay and straw into the barn. What a task with around 1200 pounds. Two huge bales were delivered and we had to break them into thirds so we could use a hand truck.
We also picked around fifty pounds of apples and will make apple sauce and apple sliced tomorrow to store in the pantry.
I like this time of year when the wild sunflowers are blooming. They are not very large but still pretty.
This blog is primary about my activities on my farmette. Currently I am the caretaker of 2 goats, 3 dogs, 2 cats, ducks and chickens.I have a varitey of chickens but my two favorite breeds are Welsummers and Lakenvelders. I garden using the Mittleider Method Gardening which I have a lot of success using.
Cherry Tree planted when it was only a foot tall.
Orchard
Geese first day in the Orchard
Row of Wild Plums
Tulip
Geese discovered the forbidden fruit
This blog is primary about my activities on my farmette. Currently I am the caretaker of 2 goats, 3 dogs, 2 cats, ducks and chickens.I have a varitey of chickens but my two favorite breeds are Welsummers and Lakenvelders. I garden using the Mittleider Method Gardening which I have a lot of success using.
