Early early early planning for next year

I ordered the following seeds from http://www.victoryseeds.com/.

3270021	Dwarf Green Long Pod Okra		$1.95		1		$1.95
3270071	Emerald Okra		$1.95		1		$1.95
3250351	Minnesota Midget Melon		$2.25		1		$2.25
3030061	Roma II Bush Green Bean Size Options: 1 ounce - $2.25		$2.25		1		$2.25
3310141	Cayenne Long Red Hot Pepper		$1.95		1		$1.95
3310171	Hungarian Yellow Wax Hot Pepper		$1.95		1		$1.95
3370211	Dark Green Zucchini Summer Squash		$1.75		1		$1.75
3300011	Oregon Sugar Pod II Pea		$1.95		1		$1.95

It's early.  Planning ahead gives me something to look forward to.

Some of the choices are proven performers for me.  The zucchini, Roma bean, Minnesota Midget melon, and the peppers have all done well.  Some are my standards.  The Okra varieties have potential due to their short season - the okra.  Some are shorter growing, so may work OK in a covered bed.  So far I held back on tomatoes.  I have lots of tomato seeds from previous years.

I also placed this order from Burpee.  Except for the compact Okra, all are heirloom varieties.

YOUR PURCHASE INFORMATION
NAME	SKU	DESCRIPTION	QTY	PRICE/ITEM	TOTAL ITEM
Okra, Baby Bubba Hybrid(54114A - 1 Pkt. (35 seeds))	54114A	This dwarf variety is only half as tall as other okras and perfect for large containers.	1	$4.95	$4.95
Borage(61481A - 1 Pkt. (200 seeds))	61481A	Young leaves for salads and lemonade.	1	$4.95	$4.95
Pepper, Hot, Lemon(54320A - 1 Pkt. (30 seeds))	54320A	HEIRLOOM. From Ecuador, as hot as any Cayenne, but with a truly unique flavor.	1	$5.25	$5.25
Pepper, Sweet, Banana(62976A - 1 Pkt. (125 seeds))	62976A	HEIRLOOM. An All-America Selections Bronze Medal winner for 1941 and still extremely popular.	1	$3.95	$3.95
Pepper, Hot, Tabasco(53275A - 1 Pkt.)	53275A	Small, very hot peppers that lend the kick to the famous hot sauce.	1	$4.95	$4.95

I want  to use1/2 of a a raised bed entirely for peppers.  Foraging in the vegetable garden for them was fun this year.  They added a lot of flavor to many meals.  They need some extra animal protection.  Maybe a chicken-wire fence.

The plan for okra is to raise plants indoors.   Then transfer to a covered raised bed, for warmer growth.  If last years' seeds grow, I may also have Clemson spineless.  Which didn't do great, but were my first attempt, ever, at growing okra.  It was nice using a few pods in soups.

A raised bed is 4 X 8 feet.  A half bed is 4 X 4 but one will be 2 X 8.

Thinking about it - 

1/2 bed for okra

1/2 bed for tomatoes.  Maybe a whole bed.

1/2 bed for peppers

1/2 bed for bush beans.
1/2 bed for pole beans.
1/2 bed for Zucchinis.
1/2 bed for butternut squash.
1/2 bed for melons.

This totals to 4 raised beds for summer / fall vegetables.

1/4 bed for snow peas. These are early, something can replace them in June.

Currently I have 1 bed planted in garlic.  Done in June so can be used for warm season vegetable.
1 bed for onions.  Also done in June so reusable.  That worked well this year for beans.
1/2 bed is shallots.  Those are done in July so can be used for a late vegetable.
1 bed is ready for winter or fall growing.  Maybe greens, radishes, scallions.

There are 11 1/2 raised beds, or will be when I finish the 1 1/2 currently pending.  3 are flowers, 1 is strawberry, leaving 7 1/2.  Other thoughts:  Eggplants.  have been a challenge, maybe1/2 of a covered bed would be warmer.   Chinese cabbages.  Those get eaten by cabbage worms. Even one with a row cover disappeared. 

The last 1 1/2 raised beds.  I have the wood.  It is cut.  Half of the holes are pre-drilled.  Maybe I'll assemble the sides this weekend.  I need to check on whether I have liner and hardware cloth or chicken wire to annoy the moles that want to tunnel into the beds.

The pics are all from Commons.wikimedia.org.

Raised Beds. Renovated One and Added a New One. Multiplier Onions.

Kitchen garden, from the west

 I cleaned up one raised bed.  There were some plant starts I no longer wanted.  I saved the row of Egyptian Walking Onions to clean up, divide, and replant.  I planted some at the same time last year with good result.  The cleaned up bed will be Ning's Chinese Cabbage bed.

Egyptian Walking Onions, before planting

Egyptian Walking Onions, cleaned and arranged

 After carefully digging out the onion bulbs here is what remains.  It's enough for about 50 starts.

Egyptian Walking Onions Large plants in place, now for the sets.

I cleaned them up, cut off the tops, split apart the topsets, and planted into rows.  They are about 4 inches apart.  We'll pull out every-other-one for scallions, leaving them a reasonable 8 inches apart.

Now they are planted and watered in.

This raised bed is another "molehill gardening" bed.  All of the added topsoil originates as mole hills.  I go around the yard with the wheelbarrow and a shovel, removing the mole hills.  I keep them in a pile and when constructing a new bed, that is the source of topsoil.  I mix with about 30% compost.  The compost is "yard waste" compost from H&H recycling.  I'm suspicious, some of that yard waste is really demolition waste - they grind up old wooden waste - but I think that's OK.

The molehills are finely ground, light, no clods, no stones, no plant matter.  Since they originate fairly deep, using them brings minerals back to the surface level.  They are very easy to remove and haul to the garden.   I'm not worried about the lawn sinking - stomping down the molehills would not help with that anyway.  

Kitchen Garden

Watermelon

Pepper Barrel

 I think this is the Idaho-developed Cougar Mountain watermelon.  Watching closely for signs of ripeness.

Minnesota Midget Canteloupe

Fruit harvest

Container-grown Peppers

The pepper barrel grew great this year.  It always does well.  I'm happy with these.  The reds are "Italian Roaster".  The little red is "Thai" pepper.  There are others.

Also watching closely for the "Minnesota Midget" canteloupe.

Loved the fruit harvest.  That was from the Vancouver back yard.  Lattarula figs, Hawaiian Pineapple tomatoes, Italian Roaster peppers, various Asian pears, and a few peaches - forget the variety.  Genetic dwarf peach.  Was surprised to get any.  The tree has quite a few more, not ripe yet. 

Those "Hawaiian Pineapple" tomatoes are really good.

"Hawaiian Pineapple" Tomato

Cherries and Berries.

Surefire Cherry

Surefire tart cherries

This was a good day for fruit.  Sweet cherries, tart cherries, raspberries, and strawberries.

Sweet cherries tart cherries, strawberries, raspberries.

Kitchen Garden. Strawberries and Snowpeas. Planting zucchinis and squash.

Strawberries and Snowpeas

Getting more strawberries and snowpeas.  The individual harvests are small but good enough for two.  We have had several harvests of both, for 2 weeks.

Also a broccoli spear.  I wondered if it was worthwhile to grow my own broccoli.  It is.  More tender and flavorful than grocery store broccoli.

Zucchini seedlings

I planted zucchini seedlings, yellow and green varieties.  Also a butternut squash.  These are seeds I started about 2 weeks ago.  Covered with chicken wire.  Loose.  They grow fast.  I'll have to come up with better protection in a week or two.

I didn't have the ambition to build another raised bed.   So they are in the native soil, plus some steer manure compost.   I have been collecting molehill soil from around the yard.  There should be enough for one or two raised beds, in a couple of months.

Kitchen Garden

Here is the kitchen garden now.  Yesterday I added a raised bed.  As usual bottom is lined with chicken wire to prevent mole damage.   I planted tomatoes.  This time the deer/rabbit fence is vertical.

 There is space in this format for 2 more raised beds.  Then it will be three by three.  It does not have to be that formal.

I planted the tomatoes deep, as is the recommendation.

 Instead of a gate, the chicken wire on one side is looped over screws and held in place by clothes pins.  The fence posts are screwed to the sides of the bed using deck screws.

On the sides that do not open, the chicken wire is stabled to the frame.  To frustrate and annoy rabbits.

I don't think the deer will jump in.  I read they don't like confined spaces.

The lighter-green tomato was in the raised bed with radishes and snow peas.  I don't know why it's lighter green.  Maybe not enough nitrogen.  The other plants in that bed are quite green.

This soil is 50/50 compost topsoil mix from recycler.  That might green it up.

I have some seedling tomatoes at home that will also be added.  Maybe next week.

Raised beds. Progress report.

Iris raised bed. Growing nicely.Potatoes. Barrel, technically not a raised bed, but close enough.Onions, shallots, garlic, chinese chives. Very pleased.Various vegetables, bok choy, chinese cabbage, lettuce, beets, swiss chard, minimal snow pea growth, and odds and ends.

Raised Beds. Kitchen garden and irises.

Vegetable bed.  I temporarily added a couple of irises, I didn't want in the one iris bed so far.  Also some raspberries from home.  If I can build another bed in a couple of months, they will move to that.

The black wooley-looking stuff  is fur trimmed from Charlie.  Purpose is to deter rabbits and deer.  Might help.  Might not.  Bok Choy,  chinese cabbage, radishes, turnips, spinach, have all sprouted.

Allium vegetable bed.  Looking great.  We are getting lots of scallions.  Garlic chives are growing the thickest and sturdiest I've ever seen them grow.  They will be ready to harvest in 2 weeks.

Iris bed.  Some wooleys on here too.  Even though deer are said not to like irises.  The locations for the heritage iris  order are laid out and labeled, in case they come in the next couple of weeks.

I won't be posting for a week or two.  Maybe something on fig cuttings tomorrow.  Likely wont do much in the garden for a month or two.  We will see.  Having these progress reports to look at, will help.

Winter Gardening for Spring Vegetables

This is a start for gardening for the year.  The raised bed is the standard 4ft by 8ft raised bed that I've been building.  This is the 4th one so far.  The difference now is, I wanted a cover, to warm it up a few degrees.  Pus, protection from deer and rabbits once the cover is in place.

The cover consisted of:
6 2ft rebars.
12 copper brackets with nails
3 10ft long vinyl pipes
2 sections of 4 ft wide chicken wire
row cover.

All but the row cover came from the big orange home improvement store.  The row cover is from Johnny's Selected Seeds.  The chicken wire is held in place by plastic bale twine, recycled.

With row cover in place.  It looks like a conastoga wagon without the wheels.  The row cover wasn't quite wide enough, but I'll get some clothes pins to hold it to the chicken wire.

The rebar is easily removed, in case I don't want to keep this arrangement in place.

The tallest portion of the hoops is about 4 feet tall.  That height will be plenty tall enough for most vegetables, including tomatoes and okra.  But those are for May or June planting.  Here, I planted Oregon Giant snow peas, which grow 3  or 3 1/2 feet tall.  The packet states sow as soon as ground can be worked, so here we are.  Before planting, I sprinkled Plant Success mycorrhyzal inoculant on the surface and worked it in.  Probably more important, I used legume Rhizobium inoculant from Territorial Seeds - made a slurry in water, swirled the seeds around in the slurry, let them soak 10 minutes, then planted and watered in with the rest of the slurry.

Also planted, after adding Plant Success as sort of a "good wishes":
Boston Red Beets 1/2 row
Mini Bok Choy, from New Dimension seeds. 1/2 row
German Giant radish, 1/2 row.
French Breakfast radish, 1/2 row.

There is room for a row of spinach and a row of mesclun.  Room fills up fast.  May need to build a second raised bed for more winter vegetables.

As always this is an experiment.  I don't think it's too early.  I planted radishes and other cold tolerant vegetables in late January, 2011, and they grew nicely.

Kitchen Garden / Raised Beds

Today I built a raised bed for late winter seed planting.  Prep for Spring keeps me in a good mood.

It's easier to build the raised bed on a flat surface, in a sheltered location.  So I built it in a shed.  The wood is already cut, I planned ahead.  So it's like putting together a kit.  Except I made the kit.

This time I stapled chicken wire to the bottom to protect the bed from moles, but I did not apply cardboard to the bottom.  I've used cardboard ot prevent growth of perennial weeds up through the bed.  I don't think that's required with this depth.  The lining, to protect the wood a bit / slow degradation due to the enriched organic soil, is made from big woven-plastic dog food bags.  Rugged.  Free. Reused.

Filled a bit more than half way with soil I dug in Nov or Dec, and yard waste compost I bought then as well.  Not too muddy.  Next weekend I can mix a little better, and add soil/compost mix to the top.  Will use better quality leaf compost for the top portion.

I also added 5 pounds of coffee grounds.  Feed the soil.  The soil will feed the plants.

This will have a little time to settle, then  ready for radishes, brassicas, spinach, scallions.  Cold weather vegetables.

The garlic is frozen.  Taking a photo is good for reference for next year.  It always looks dead at this time, then revives in a month or two.

Hard to see here, but this is the Ixia experiment.  I noticed they grew a few inches. The question now:  Will they survive freezing.  Maybe.  Maybe not.

Planting & Garden Calendar for my Maritime NW Kitchen Garden

Kitchen Garden Calendar for 2013. 
I feel more connected to nature this year.  I hope that continues.  It's a rewarding feeling.
This calendar may be changed as I add more info.  It gets me off to a start.

This info from the book "Seed to Seed" by Suzanne, Ashworth.  The focus of the book is growing for kitchen garden, with seed saving in mind.  The organization is by plant type.  I've taken the info on kitchen garden plants that interest me, stuck the the Maritime Pacific NW, and organized as a Calendar for planning.  Since the chart is based on planting for seed saving, I may vary widely from it to plant for kitchen use.  The book gives planting times for each region of the US.  There can be variability based on local micro climates.

I also added:
Info in Italics from Oregon State University Extension Service.
Info in blue is from Rodale "Gardener to Gardener:  Almanac and Pest Control Primer" for Zone 8.  I'm not sure I agree with the info, but these are just guides.  Also, Zone 8 in one place is not the same as Zone 8 in another place.
Some sources contradict with others.

Here are some frost dates from climate-charts.com for Battleground WA:

First Frost			Last Frost
10%	50%	90%	10%	50%	90%
SEP 27	OCT 13	OCT 29	APR 07	APR 24	MAY 12

Also from Humeseeds.com
Average last frost date is May 2.  Safe date, when there is only 10% change for frost, is May 23

Battle Ground

May 2

May 23

January.
Take hardwood cuttings of shrubs or trees for propagation.
(Also collect scion wood for grafting.)
Sow beets carrots radishes bok choy and garden peas directly in garden, cover with dark compost to keep them warmer.
Sow seeds of herbs such as dill or parsley.

February.
Plant seeds of cole crops indoors.
Plant seeds of snow peas and garden peas outdoors.  Is this why they are snow peas?
3rd week of Feb, plant potatos 4" deep in dark soil.
Start sowing seeds for leaf lettuce and other greens every 2 weeks.
Plant alyssum seeds.
Mid Month.  Prune roses. 
Apply compost to trees and shrubs.

March.
When soil is consistently above 40F, can plant onions, kale, lettuce, and spinach.
Divide hostas, daylilies, mums.
Graft fruit trees and ornamentals.
Plant carrots, beets, broccoli, leeks, parsley, chives, rhubarb, radish.
Mid to late March:  Plant seeds for corn, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers.  (This must be indoors.)
Plant marigolds, petunias, snapdragons.(unclear if this is plants or seeds)

March 20 to April 1.
Plant pepper seeds indoors.

March 20 to April 10: 
Plant chive seeds
Plant garlic chive seeds
Plant broccoli seeds.  Row cover needed for pest control.
Plant cauliflower seeds.  Row cover.
Plant Chinese cabbage.  Row cover.
Plant radish seeds.  Row cover.
Plant Lettuce seeds.
Plant pea seeds and snow pea seeds.
Plant potato eyes,.
Plant dill seeds.
Plant Jerusalem artichokes.  Book states, seeds at this time.  I will have roots to plant.

April.
When soil temp is consistently above 60F, can plant beans and sweet corn.
(I don't think that's likely)
Plant okra, sweet potatoes, squash, melons, cucumbers, corn, basil, 

April 1:
Plant spinach seeds.

April 1-20:
Plant tomato seeds indoors.
Plant basil seeds indoors.

April 20:
Plant sunflower seeds.

May 5:  Average last frost date.

May:  (Unsure, but this may be when to take softwood cuttings for some shrubs or trees.  Some references state June or July)

May:
Plant tomatos, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, squash, okra, beans, sweet potatoes, melons.
Plant daisies, coreopsis, marigolds, sunflowers.

May 10-20:
Plant corn seeds.

May 20:
Plant cucumber seeds,
Plant bean seeds.

May 15 to June 15:
Plant parsley seeds.

May 20 to June 1:
Plant tomato plants outside.
Plant Pepper plants outside.
Plant basil plants outside.

May 23:  Frost "safe date".

June:
Plant geraniums, marigolds.
Plant iris, cannas, dahlias, daylilies.
Continue planting cantaloupes, corn, cucumbers, okra, summer squash, sweet potatoes, bush beans.
Thin fruit on fruit trees
Mulch fruit trees with compost and organic mulch.

June 1-10:
Plant watermelon seeds.
Plant other melon seeds.

July:
Continue planting tomatoes, peppers, eggplants.
Don't overstimulate plants that need dormancy, with water or feeding.
Keep plantings mulched to retain water.

June 15-July 15:
Plant carrot seeds.

July 15:
Start Beet, Cabbage, Kale, Kohlrabi, or Collard seeds.
Plant Scorzonera

Sept 5:
Plant turnip seeds.

Sept 15 to Oct 1:
Plant spinach seeds to overwinter.

This covers the majority of our vegetables. 

According to the book, sweet potatoes and okra cannot be grown in maritime NW.  I will try short season varieties anyway.

Garlic Harvest. Container gardening.

Garlic did very well in containers. Sine one container garlic was falling over and drying out, I pulled up about half. Here they are:

I left in the still-firm plants, only pulling out the drier looking ones. This is Inchelium Red.

Interesting variation of size. I really don't think so many could be grown in this size space in the ground. This is half of the container's plants. This method works very well for me.

Two grocery store garlic heads, average size, are shown for comparison. I'm amazed at the size of these garlic heads. This may be variety and technique. I think they are larger than last year's crop. They've had successive generations to adapt to my conditions - I think I've been growing them about 8 years. I will leave these in the shade and out of rain to dry out for a week. It's in the 80s outside. I'm not putting them in the sun - one ear when I did that, they cooked. They will be stored in the cool dry basement in a single layer, in a cardboard box.

Kitchen Garden

The containerized beans are growing great, and now have their first flowers. I guess I didn't start them too early.

Ning set up this raised bed. The potatoes were volunteer - I don't know what type they are. They are so vigorous. He used compost that came from the chicken bedding.

The tomatoes are starting to bloom. The first is Better Boy. I guess I didn't start these too early either. Despite the rain and rain and rain and rain.

Kitchen "Before"

I"ve been planning the kitchen renovation for 10 years. The original plan was to do it myself. There isn't time. It's going to be faster and less long term hassle to contract out.  The extra shifts I am working will help with the extra cost.  Silver lining on a cloud.

The layout will change. Charlie is demonstrating the dining room. The wall dividing dining room from kitchen will go. It will be brighter and more roomy, but less formal.  We don't need, and don't use, formal.

There will be a small counter on the right.  I'll use a lighter color.  The original dining room was traffic signal red.  We painted it lime green.  That was ugly too, so I painted it this earthy brown.  I like the brown but it's too dark.  One thing about paint, it can always be repainted.

The old kitchen will go, but we'll keep the current dogs.  The floor will no longer match the dogs - it will be the same oak as the rest of the house.  I know, it will need to be kept clean.  I'm hoping that the better kitchen will keep me inspired to do a better job.  It worked with the bathrooms so I think it will work here.

We'll keep the cabinets and counter for the garage workshop / workbench.  That will be a big improvement too.  Recycle is good.

The mudroom will go. The wall, dividing current mudroom and kitchen, will go. I'm not sure where Baigou will sleep. He likes the basement family room.  That is an option. More likely the laundry room.  That will be downstairs in a formerly finished basement room, current junk room.

Charlie is demonstrating the Northern aspect of the kitchen.  It's better in the photo than it is in reality.  The sink will face the North-facing window instead of being in the corner.  There will be a real gas range, where the current dishwasher stands. 

It looks bright in the photo but is really cramped, difficult to maneuver around, and not so pleasant for cooking.  I like cooking and I think I will enjoy the change a lot.  It's really for Ning but it will be a real luxury for me too.

Baigou is sitting in the approximate location of the planned island.  That currently non-working oven will be replaced with a free-standing gas range with oven.  I've been waiting to replace the oven for 3 months.  The current oven quit working, but was never completely predictable.  The wall behind refrigerator and oven will go, that is the wall that divides kitchen from mudroom.

The fridge will be in a similar location, but in what is now the mudroom.  Also against that wall, a second, small sink for coffee machine and smoothie station.  Those are my luxuries.  I use them several times daily.  The smoothie blender is also the coffee grinder.  Having their own sink will be a nice touch.

Piña Colada Smoothie:  Start with one cup frozen pineapple chunks.  Full the cup to the top of the frozen pineapple with orange juice.  Add a couple tablespoons of flaked coconut.  Add 1/2 cup of silken tofu.  Blend about 10 seconds.  Check for big chunks and blend a few more seconds if they are too big.  I like small chunks.  It's like a piña colada ice cream or milkshake.  The exact amounts of ingredients don't matter.

Kitchen Garden. A mess but there is hope.

This is Petite negri fig. Quite a few brebas, plumping up. This is another tree that attracts birds, so is covered with a net. Net on top, and the tanglefoot on the trunk for ants. There are lots of brebas on Lattarula, a few on Desert King, a few on Vancouver / Brunswick, and quite a few on Petite negri. Hardy Chicago lost its brebas but if last year is any indication, could be the most productive main crop.

I have 'pinched' all of the new growth at 3 to 5 nodes. Some area already producing embryonic main crop at the nodes.

I wondered if this mulberry would really start to grow. Maybe with the onset of sunny weather, it will take off. We'll see.

Sad looking peppers. Very sad. Rain and rain and rain and rain. They are blooming. Will they perk up?






Tomatoes, looking sad but now we are into sunny days again. I still hope they will perk up. Some have flowers. I've added stakes and started to tie them into place. I removed a few suckers.

The potatoes are lush and green in their barrels.

Some of the peas took off and grew. I better harvest a few tonite.



Peaches. The thinning worked well! Some are affected by leaf curl due to the extended rains, but overall they look good.





Lettuce looking nice in the barrel.





Cherries. Not in such great shape, but we should get some. They had a fantastic start, but those rains! Now covered with a net to keep out the birds.

It all looks quite messy. No time for weeding. Next weekend I guess.