Seedlings. Progress report. 4.19.14

Okra 4 months indoors from seed

Seedlings under lights.  Peppers, Mirabilis, and Okra

Seedlings under lights.  Okra and Mirabilis

Seedlings under lights.  Okra and Mirabilis

 Indoor seedlings are at a point where I don't have enough room.  Soon most will be outdoors.

The first of the okra plants continues to be a bit anemic, but now has the 2nd flower.  The first fell off.  I speculate it needed pollinating.  This time I used a q-tip as the bee.  This variety is the more compact growing "Baby Bubba".  I think outside it would be much much larger.

The figs are all outside now.  Next, the pepper plants.  Under lights, the current phase is the last of the peppers, the last of the four o'clocks (Mirabilis), and then new okras.  Easier to type, "Mirabilis".  All of the new okras are germinated, still at the cotyledon stage.   These are on the north side of the house.  They get potential east and west sun, if the sun is shining.  Day by day, they'll move closer to full sun.  Today is raining.

When the rest of the tomato seedlings germinate, there will be room for those, too.

The larger pepper seedlings are moved to the south window, or outside on the North side of the house.  That's the ones that are not in the poly low tunnel.

Pepper seedlings in South window.  Also a ginger plant.

The larger Mirabilis are also moving outside during the day.  Those and the peppers are inside for night, and outside for day.  The figs are outside now 24/7.

This is a nice start for this year.  Making up for losing 2013 for being ill. 

I think that ginger needs repotting.  I will look for a container now.

Outdoor plant starts.  Figs, Peppers, Mirabilis.

Seedlings and Progress Report. 4.12.14

Culinary Ginger Plant 4.12.14

 The ginger is growing rapidly.  Not enough room in the light stand.  Moved to south window.

Fig plants from south window are transitioning to outside.

Seedlings went into ground -
Phacelia, oregano, snowpeas, bunching onions.  The Phacelia was at cotyledon stage so delicate.  I was careful.

Will leave kitchen garden open starting tomorrow but with screening for rabbits and deer.

Two more buddlea starts went into the ground.

Harvested a row of radishes and planted 2 new rows of radish seeds.

Played the bee with Asian pears, Tart and Sweet Cherries.

Montmorency and North Star cherries about in full bloom.  Almaden Duke and the two sweet cherries are almost done.

Seedlings 4.12.14

Kitchen Garden. 3.30.14

Poly Tunnel Raised Bed.  3.30.14

Poly Tunnel Raised Bed.  3.30.14

 Early vegetables are growing nicely in the raised beds with poly tunnel covers.

We got some nice sized radishes today.

The pepper I planted in a poly tunnel still looks very good.

Temperature in the tunnels, 60s.

Ning with fresh radishes from raised bed.  3.30.14

Red Portugal Pepper in Poly Tunnel.  3.30.14

Low Tunnel, Raised Bed. Kitchen Garden Progress Report. 3.22.14

Chinese Chives in low tunnel raised bed.  3.22.14

 The low tunnel raised beds have a soil temp today of 60F, while the outside temp was down to 30.  When I open the tunnels, warm moist air exits.

The Chinese chives were renovated by digging them out of a half barrel this winter.  These are quite a bit ahead of the ones without low tunnel.

The turnips were planted mid winter.  These greens are fresh and tender.  The flavor is similar to spinach, but with a mild peppery taste.   I thinned turnips so there would be more room for the remainder.

Turnip Greens 3.22.14

Garlic and Red Portugal Pepper in low tunnel raised  bed.  3.22.14

I ran out of room for all of the indoor peppers.  Even with the new CFL light, which will be needed for tomato seedlings.  Given the warm soil temp in the raised bed, I planted a Red Portugal pepper into the bed.  If it looks OK in a week I can add more  I have extras of Red Portugal so if it doesn't make it, that's OK.

The garlic in this low tunnel is behind the rest of the garlic.  These were dug late from missed harvest that resprouted.  They were not big sturdy garlic cloves.  I thought the tunnel would give them a head start.  Looks like that did not pan out.  They are still OK.

Kitchen Garden. Raised beds, low tunnel. 3.16.14

Low Tunnel Raised Bed Kitchen Garden.  3.16.14

2nd batch of pepper seedlings.  3.16.14

 The seedlings are growing nicely in the low tunnel raised bed.  I think I  know how to work it now.

The outside temp was mid 50s.  The soil temp was 76.  Big difference.

I hoed weeds but otherwise did not manipulate the plants.  Soon will need to thin.  Planted another row of radishes and another row of spinach.

Meanwhile inside under lights the 2nd batch of peppers is growing nicely.  I separated some seedlings into individual pots.  Not enough room to do that will all.

Some of the first batch of peppers are in bud.  I read it's best not to let them bloom until planted outside.  If the soil temp is really that warm, maybe I can transplant a couple soon.

Okra is growing nicely.  Baby Bubba seems to be the most suited to indoor conditions, so far.

Rhubarb is ready to eat.

Portugal Red hot pepper plant.  3.16.14

Victoria Rhubarb.  3.16.14

Scallion harvest. 3.15.14

Egyptian Walking Onions 3.15.14

We had a few, earlier this week.  The first of the Egyptian Walking Onion scallions are ready to eat.

I say this repeatedly.  I enjoy getting food from the garden before a regular garden is plantable.  Raised bed + fall planting + winter onions / Egyptian Walking Onions means something to eat today.

Kitchen Garden Progress Report. Potatoes. Vegetables. 3.7.14

Potato Well.  Pontiac Red

Potato Well.  White Superior

Today the  temperature was in the mid 50s.  It's still early  to plant potatoes.  I planted some in the "Wells" that I built from tree surround rings.  The wells are dark brick-like material.  They should absorb heat from the sun.  That will warm the soil further.

If a frost is predicted, I can cover the wells to protect the potato plants.

Planted in soil:compost 50:50 mix.

Scallions are growing rapidly.

I planted some additional spinach seeds.

I planted some snow peas in small flower pots.

That's about all.

Kitchen Garden / Raised Bed Garden. Progress Report. 3.6.14

Chinese Chives, rejuvenation project

Garlic Inchelium Red and others

Cilantro, Yellow Potato Onion, and some iris starts

 Haven't done much, due to illness.  It only takes a small effort to do some things in the yard and garden.

Garlic Chives.  These are the ones I dug out of half-barrel bed in Vancouver and planted in raised bed at Battleground.  I've added a row cover to the bed, although it's off today to let in rain.  Probably due to warming effect of row cover, they are more vigorous than other rows of Chinese chives that I established last year.  Here they have more room, and a real local soil/compost mix instead of potting soil.  I hope they will rejuvenate and provide significantly more vegetable.

Garlic bed.  The Inchelium Red looks like corn.  It's big and vigorous.  The German Porcelain is doing pretty well too.  A few plants did not make it through the winter but most are sturdy and healthy appearing.  The row of unknown is a rescue variety.  The starts were smaller and later, so not a fair comparison.

The overwintering cilantro is growing nicely.  I didn't know until now that cilantro could be fall planted.  Good lesson to learn.  The Yellow Potato Onion is less vigorous this year.  I don't know why.  It seems to be growing now, including bulbs that did not germinate before winter started.

Egyptian Walking Onions

 The Egyptian Walking Onions are growing nicely.  Whatever was eating them seems to be leaving them alone now.  We should  have fresh scallions from these in 2 or 3 weeks.  We could now, if we will settle for small ones.  As apparent in the photo, on the left I replanted bulbs that I kept from full grown plants.  On the right are small topsets.  The bulbs have much larger, sturdier plants.  This difference should mean an extended window for harvesting scallions.

Raining - several inches in past few days.  Having prepared raised beds during the winter, no digging is needed to start some seeds.  I planted a row of cilantro, a row of spinach, and a row of Cincinnati Market Radish, a long carrot-like variety.   The spinach and radishes may need protection from animals.  Cilantro does not need protection.

Seeds Planted 3.6.14,  Radishes, Spinach, Cilantro

Not shown, the low tunnel bed has nice onion starts, about 2 inches tall.  The radishes, turnips, and mesclun are nice little rows, with big cotyledons but no adult leaves yet.  I don't know if the cover is protecting from animals - mice/voles - but so far so good.  Rabbits and deer can't get in, I think.

Peas haven't come up yet.  I will plant some in containers.

Overall I am very pleased.  Even though I don't know what I am doing sometimes, some useful and fun vegetables made it through a winter with historic freezes, and are growing earlier than the soil can be worked for Spring gardening.

Late Winter Gardening. Potatoes and Onion Sets. 2.18.14

Today I looked at Fred Meyer for seed potatoes.  They had 2 types.

Seed Potatoes.  Pontiac and White Superior

Onion Sets Red Baron

I think these are standard varieties.  Nothing exotic.  They will make good new potatoes and potato salad.  I will keep them in a cool room for a couple of weeks.  That will move us closer to a good planting time. They will go into raised bed/containers.

Onion Raised Bed

These are Pontiac - red skin, and White Superior - white skin.

From the "Vegetables of Interest" website"  "Pontiac potato was developed in the late 1930s as a cross between an old English potato named “Triumph” and a Maine potato called  “Katahdin.” .... The “Red Pontiac” selection with its bright red skin came out as a mutation found in Southern field tests in the early 1940s.

...In particular, I like its imperfections.  If grown to maturity the tubers vary in size and shape.  They are mostly round but oblong ones show up too.  The surface of the spud is dotted with shallow eyes and subtle nobs that don’t quite become noses.  In short, these potatoes look like they have character in comparison to the perfectly shaped, winkle-free Burbank bakers.

From tuckertaters.com, White Superior:After wide commercial production for more than 50 years, Superior is still a highly regarded variety with well-known performance. It is sometimes used as the standard for early-season white potatoes  "Culinary Characteristics

• Taste/flavor: Good.
• Texture after cooking: Fairly firm, dry. Moist when baked and french fried.
• Uses: Superior mashed. Excellent for potato salads. Good for chipping.

They had some onion sets so I bought a bag  I don't know how the winter onions will do.  We buy a lot of onions.  I think we will eat all that we grow.  A lot will go for scallions.  It was a bit of a waste.  A lot of the sets were moldy or dried out.  These are "Red Baron".

These went into the same bed as I had onions and garlic, then melons, last year.  Better to rotate for nutrition and disease reduction.  With the intervening melon crop I think it's OK.  Plus last fall, I topped the bed with a big dose of soil/compost mix.  I will also give them nitrogen boost when growing.  At the moment it's raining and raining and raining, so any nitrogen boost today would be wasted via washing away.

Red Baron sounds like a good variety.  Long day onion, so good for NW setting.  From organic seeds website:  Dual purpose onion for medium sized bulb onions or purple skinned bunching onions. Deep red outer skin and beautiful inner rings of royal purple with good color throughout. For bunching, harvest at 12-15” tall just before the bulb begins to swell, or harvest for fresh eating bulbs. Long day onion.

The ground is very wet and soft.  If not for the raised beds I could not have planted these onion sets.  The photo shows them before I covered them with soil.

So I got some gardening done today.

Winter Images. 1.5.14

Beehive and Bird Feeders

Fig Trees Frosty Morning

All of the raised beds are built, filled, amended, weeded, and have a layer of compost.

Charlie needs the warm blanket, because arthritis.  Homework for me.  Baigou likes the fire.

Late December Gardening. Seedlings, Kitchen Garden Prep, Raised Beds, Lime. 12.28.13

Okra Seedlings

Seed and Cutting Setup

Today didn't do much.  In winter garden work can be when I feel like it.

Noted the okra seedlings have germinated.  That's 4 days.  See warming mat makes a big difference.  I had soaked them 1/2 day before planting.  That probably also helped.

I don't know how they will do inside.  That's why it's an experiment.

Chili pepper seeds have not germinated yet.

Opened fig cutting bags 2 days ago, and rinsed them.  Anticipate doing the same tomorrow.

Today -

1.  Spread lime in raised beds and around trees and shrubs.  I calculated the amount as 1 pound per 4 X 8 raised bed.  I estimated the area around the trees and shrubs, and orchard trees, and applied similar amount.  Two 25 pound bags.  Will need another later.

2.  There were some garlic plants and perennial onion volunteers that I pulled out a week or two ago when I cleaned up that raised bed.  I had set them aside.  Today I separated them into individual plants, and planted them.  They did not look the worse for wear despite sitting outside a week or 2.

3.  Spread blood meal around onion starts.  Something has been eating them.  Maybe the blood meal will be a deterrent.  The amount is the recommendation of nitrogen supplement.

4.  Cleaned up the strawberry raised bed.  Removed the fencing.  Raked out the deteriorating straw.  Pulled the few weeds.  Did not cut off dead leaves.  That can be later.  Plan:  Mulch this winter with compost.  Later this winter build a better fencing system, maybe a hinged box with chicken wire sides.  Wait until growth starts, to add straw again.

That's about it.  Sounds like a lot, but non of it was difficult and none took very much time.

More kitchen garden planning. 12.28.13

Image source:  vintageprintable.com

This is a table, template originating from about.com.  I edited out the vegetables I don't want, added others, changed for family of 4 to the 2 of us, and made some other changes.

In the raised beds, one row is 4 feet.  A bed is 4ft by 8 ft, a half bed is 4 ft by 4 ft.

Over-planning but have been sick and this makes me feel better.

Beets	1 row	Spring + Fall plantings.  Trying again. Protect.
Bush Beans	1½ beds	Succession Plant.  Experimenting with varieties.
Pole Beans	½ bed	Single Planting.  Northernmost bed due to height.
Carrots	1 row	Succession Plantings.  Experiment with varieties.
Swiss Chard	1 row	Re-Grows after Harvesting Outer Leaves
Sweet Corn	1 row?	If there is room.  Needs deer protection deer.  Needs to be on north side so not shading other plants.
Cucumbers	1 row	Single Planting.  Experiment with varieties.  Pickles + fresh.
Mesclun	1 row	Spring + Fall Crop for greens.
Lettuce	1 row	Succession plantings.
Onions	1 bed	Winter onions already planted for winter growth + scallions. Perennials are June harvest, October re-plant.
Snow Peas	1 row	Succession, Spring and Fall plantings
Okra	1 bed	Multiple varieties, experiments.  Needs soil warming method.
Garlic	1 bed	Already planted.  June harvest, October re-plant.
Sweet + Chili Peppers	½ bed	Multiple varieties, some known + some experiments
Winter Squash + Pumpkins	5 hills	Outside raised beds due to sprawling vines.  Multiple varieties.
Radishes	1 row	Succession Plantings
Summer Squash	½ bed	Multiple Varieties.  3 hills.  Bush types.
Tomatoes	1 bed	Multiple Varieties. 1 to 2 each.
Turnips	1 row	Spring + Fall plantings.

Garden Planning 2014. 12.24.13

From Victory Seeds, average last frost dates:

Average last frost date for Vancouver WA:  May 14
Average last frost date for Battleground WA:  May 21 

Most of my vegetable gardening is in Battleground.  One difference - I may be using water walls and row cover to protect from frost.  That can pus the date forward a little.  

Then from calculator on "The Cheap Vegetable Gardener" - I edited out vegetables I won't be growing and made a few other changes.  Super handy calculator.  The author has most of the vegetables I want to grow.  I used the Battleground last date, May 21.

Vegetable Name	Seed Start Date	Estimated Transplant Date	Estimated Harvest Date
Onion - I'm using bunching	2/19/2014	4/25/2014	6/24/2014
Pak Choi (1st)	3/12/2014	4/6/2014	5/11/2014
Parsley	3/11/2014	5/7/2014	5/25/2014
Lettuce (1st)	3/12/2014	4/6/2014	5/6/2014
Swiss Chard	3/19/2014	4/20/2014	5/8/2014
Cabbage (1st)	3/19/2014	5/1/2014	6/22/2014
Peppers	3/25/2014	5/29/2014	6/23/2014
Tomato	4/2/2014	6/4/2014	6/21/2014
Spinach (1st)	4/9/2014	N/A	5/24/2014
Peas	4/9/2014	N/A	6/13/2014
Turnips (1st)	4/9/2014	N/A	6/8/2014
Watermelon	4/16/2014	6/27/2014	7/15/2014
Basil	4/24/2014	6/14/2014	7/23/2014
Potatoes	4/30/2014	N/A	8/8/2014
Radish	5/1/2014	N/A	6/5/2014
Beets	5/1/2014	N/A	7/5/2014
Carrots (1st)	5/10/2014	N/A	7/24/2014
Corn	5/10/2014	6/7/2014	7/29/2014
Cucumber	5/10/2014	6/16/2014	7/9/2014
Okra	5/10/2014	6/11/2014	7/14/2014
Pumpkin	5/10/2014	6/7/2014	8/28/2014
Winter Squash,	5/10/2014	6/16/2014	8/28/14
Zucchini / Summer Squash	5/10/2014	6/16/2014	7/4/2014
Lettuce (2nd)	5/14/2014	N/A	7/8/2014
Beans	6/4/2014	N/A	8/13/2014
Dill	6/11/2014	N/A	8/15/2014
Carrots (2nd)	6/27/2014	N/A	9/10/2014
Cabbage - Napa	8/24/2014	9/21/2014	11/7/2014
Onion - Bunching	8/24/2014	N/A	11/2/2014
Turnip (2nd)	8/24/2014	N/A	10/23/2014
Lettuce (3rd)	9/3/2014	N/A	10/28/2014
Spinach (2nd)	9/10/2014	N/A	10/25/2014
Garlic	11/12/2014	N/A	3/17/2015

I think radishes could be earlier.  Maybe with peas. The chart is earlier than I've been starting tomatoes.

This year I want to get out the "Wall-o-water" and see if any of them hold water.  Then use them for tomatoes, peppers, okra.

Pink Banana Squash and other seeds. A nostalgia vegetable.

Pink Banana Squash image from wikipedia

Searching the web, I found seeds for pink banana squash.  Cucuberbita maxima. 

My dad's aunt Emma grew these and saved the seeds, which meant I grew them when I was a kid. I remember my mom being overwhelmed with what to do with the yield, cut it up and froze to make pumpkin pies.

I found a few sources, and added one to my seed "burden" for Spring

From www.rareseeds.com
Order Number: 100353504

 

Item Name
Jumbo Pink Banana Item No: SQ138	For nostalgia.   If we can't eat it all, the chickens will like it.
Anise Hyssop Item No: HB122	For the bees.
Shungiku Edible Chrysanthemum Item No: HB129	Something different.
Red Round Turnip Item No: TN112	Ning likes turnips.
He Shi Ko Bunching Onion Item No: ON111	I like scallions.  These will be a change.
Chioggia (Bassano) Beet Item No: BT104	Ning likes beets
Tall Mixed - Marvel of Peru Item No: FL444	I'll compare to the other seeds.

Kitchen Garden Plan for 2014. Revised.

Kitchen Garden Plan for 2014

Here is the revised kitchen garden plan for 2014.  Same raised beds.  The main differences, bush beans were moved into one bed.  I'm accounting for some beds getting 2nd crops.  Again subject to change on whim.

Okra and eggplant are planted last.  Those beds could be used for a late winter / early spring crop as well.

Kitchen Garden Plan for 2014

Kitchen Garden Plan for 2014.

All raised beds are 4 foot by 8 foot, except the bed with Peppers.  That one is 2 foot by 8 foot.

Doubtless this plan will change significantly as I think about it, and on whim.

The Bush Bean / Eggplant bed was this years (1) winter onion and garlic and (2) melons.  The Okra bed is not yet constructed / filled.  The Shallots / Zucchini / Summer Squash bed was this year's tomato with a few okra and cucumber.  So I am working on crop rotations, no vegetable in a repeat raised bed, next year.  All beds save one are constructed and filled.  Two need weeding and a top dressing of compost.   The strawberries need weeding, removal of straw, addition of a compost top dressing, and  a different type of anti-rabbit anti-deer cage. The potato circle will be a 1/2 barrel or similar structure.

With construction of the okra bed, all intended raised beds will be built.   I'm happy to have the infrastructure in place and the soil environment becoming established.  If luck is with us, 2014 gardening will be much easier compared with 2012 and 2013.  And more productive.  Even though this year was very rewarding.

Nearing Completion of Raised Bed Garden

 I bought the wood last week.  This time there will be one 4 X 8 bed and one 2 X 8 bed.  In the location where I want to finish installing raised beds, that is how the spacing works out.

Yesterday I cut the wood.  It's easy on a table saw.  Two 2 X 6 X 8 ft long planks were cut into 4 foot sections, and one into 2 foot sections.  For the corners, a 2 X 4 was cut into 11 inch sections.

 This morning I thought, I'm in no hurry.  I'll see if I can pre-drill the corners.

That wasn't too bad.  So I used 3 inch deck screws to assemble them.  I discovered, it's easier if I remain standing and use something as a workbench, which was the cage that was sitting there anyway.

That wasn't too bad, so I cut woven plastic feed bags and stapled them to the inside, and the bottom edge, for liner.  We've been saving them for that purpose.

 I don't know if the liner will make them last longer.  But that's why I'm using it.  I don't want to use preservative chemicals or paint.  The liner is free and otherwise would have gone into the landfill.

I thought I only had enough for one bed, so completed the narrow one.  Later Ning told me he had more chicken feed bags but I was too tired to work on the other bed.

Last, I cut sections of chicken wire.  In previous posts, I used hardware cloth.  Hardware cloth has smaller holes and is stronger.  It's also more costly.  I might regret it but this time I went with chicken wire again.

I did the construction work next to the house.  It's easier on a level, paved surface.  Then Ning helped me put it on a wheelbarrow and move the bed to its final location.

It's nice having one started now.  I can fill it gradually through the winter, no hurry.  The usual combination of mile hill soil and compost, roughly 50:50 mix by volume.  There are lots of mole hills to collect now.  For the bottom layer, there are sod pieces that will compost in place.  I put those in upside down.  There has not been a problem with them regrowing.   Also some pulled weeds.

The 4 X 8 bed required 6 planks.  The 2 X 8 bed required 5 planks.  For one additional plank, the larger bed has double the growing area.