Winter Solstice Gardening. 12.21.13

It was a nice day.  40s and 50s, sunny.  I slept very late.  Needed to, Ive been sick.

Today I did some kitchen garden chores....

Added one wheelbarrow of mole-hill soil to the last raised bed.  It's about 1/3 to 1/2 full now.  Covered half of that with leaf compost which after other chores was all I had left.

Added 2 wheelbarrows of 50:50 mole-hill soil:leaf compost mix, to the original first raised bed built late summer 2012.  It had settled several inches.  Covered with a couple of inches of leaf compost.  At one end is a 6 inch wide row of chinese chives.  I covered those with compost too. 

Cleaned up the 2nd bed from last year.  It has grown garlic, onions, and Chinese chives at one end.  Then pole beans last summer.  I raked out the weeds and largest pieces of straw mulch, filled in some low spots, then covered the rest, including degrading straw mulch, with a couple inches leaf compost.  This bed also has a 6 inch wide row of Chinese chives at one end, which I covered with an inch of compost.  Those are fully dormant, not at all visible exceot a few drued flower stalks.  No tilling, not needed and causes loss of soil structure and organic matter.  Now that bed is ready for next Spring.

Planted 3 rows of Egyptian Walking Onion sets I found in the garage.  They were pretty dried out but look viable.  Those went into a raised bed that has a low tunnel row cover for protection.  It is an unusual time to plant but the soil was soft and easy to plant in - raised beds are wonderful.  

Found a plum seedling and a ginkgo seedling in that last raised bed.  I remember planting those seeds fall 2012.  moved to where I have other tree seedlings heeled in until I figure out where to plant them.

Using the ipad photo blog function for the first time.  Here is my fire.  Off to shower and rest.  It sounds like I did a lit but none of these chores was difficult.  The ground was soft, the compost was dry and light, the weeds pulled wth almost no effort.

Orchids. 12.21.13

Cymbidium hybrid

Oncidium hybrid

Some of the orchids are blooming nicely.  This is a great thing to have on the gloomy winter days.

Today is Solstice, the day when the Northern Hemisphere starts facing the sun again, bathing us in the star's radiation.  Longer days will follow, then warmer and ultimately Spring will come.

Meanwhile, it's nice to have some flowers blooming in my room.

Each plant summered outside with minimal attention.  They are so beautiful, this year I should give them some TLC.  They are all several years old.  So that means I can grow orchids.  Cool.

Sauerkraut. 12.21.13

Making Sauerkraut

It's not gardening outside.  But making sauerkraut is a way to grow something - lactic acid bacteria ferment the cabbage and juices to make the sauerkraut.

These are 5 pounds of organic cabbage, finely sliced with 3 tablespoons of coarse seasalt.  Pounded a bit in a big bowl, packed firmly in the jars.  The airlock was via the internet.  I think it's not necessary, having read about other ways to seal the fermenting concoction.  So the other jar has a plastic bag filled with water to seal the top.  I placed in on a plate in case there is overflow.

I miked in a few spoons of kraut and a few spoons of liquid from the last batch, to jump-start the fermentation.

Now it sits for a few days or few weeks in a cool place.

If I can protect them from cabbage worms, rabbits, slugs, and deer, I want to grow cabbages and use my own to make sauerkraut, next year.

Arbor Day Foundation Trees. 12.19.13

Crepe Myrtle

White Dogwood

Golden Rain Tree

Eastern Redbud

Last summer I joined the Arbor Day Foundation.  As a  bonus, they sent a tree package, which arrived yesterday.

The package contained 6 to 12 inch seedlings of:  Eastern Redbud, Golden Rain Tree, Crepe Myrtle, and White Dogwood.

I heeled them in, in the vegetable bed, pending actual planting.

These were all 6 inches to a foot.  We will plant them along the edges of the property.  Given the small size, they will be movable for a few years if we don't like those locations.

(All images source:  Commons.wikimedia.org)

Soil sample sent off for testing. 12.19.13

I sent the soil sample to "Simply Soil Testing".    Since the raised beds are collected from mole hills, I went around the yard collecting soil from multiple mole hills, let it dry for a couple of weeks indoors, then packed in zip-lock bag.  Tues I went to the post office and mailed the sample.

WA State extension doesn't test soil for gardeners, so I went with this commercial firm.

This is their instruction:

 How to Test Your Soil

1. Print out the Soil Submission Form

2. Collect soil samples from the areas to be tested. Follow the simple recommendations in our Sampling Guide to obtain soil samples that are truly representative of your soil.

3. Choose a soil test option (see table below).

4. Fill out the submission form and send it together with your soil samples and a check to the address listed on the form.

Now it's just a matter of waiting a week or two for the results.

Testing for organic content, pH, phosphorus, potassium, and major and trace minerals.  They don't test for nitrogen, which varies too much.