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.

Fig Cuttings and Okra & Pepper Experiment. 12.24.13

It's very early to do this.  But what harm does it do.

Prepped cuttings a nice guy sent me for Maccool Fig and more that another nice guy sent for Dominick fig.  Both are family propagated figs that family members made available for others.  Can be searched on figs4fun forum.

Washed the cuttings.  Trimmed to right size about 4inches. Thoroughly clean tools betwen varieties.

Used sharp knife to make vertical incisions near base.  Roots often grow much faster from the cambium layer exposed by the incisions.

Dipped in Dip-and-Grow at 1:5 dilution.  This is from last year.  I hope it's still good.

Labeled- very important!

Then wrapped in wet but not soggy paper towel.  Place into plastic food bags.  Seal.

Also set out seeds of 2 okra varieties to soak.  Plant them tonight.  Baby Bubba and Long Green Dwarf.  Those because both are sold as more compact or dwarf so if the grow indoors I might have room for them.

And 2 pepper varieties.  Tabasco and Red Portugal.  Planted seeds directly in seed starter medium.  I will cover with plastic in a while.

I will grow them under lights, on a heating mat.  If the grow, that's very interesting.  If not, it wasn't much effort.  My coworker told me she starts okra plants before now and grows them all winter.  I read peppers can make nice houseplants.

Sauerkraut Day 2. 12.22.13

It's been a day and a half after mixing up the sauerkraut.  The bubbler is putting out about a bubble a minute.  The airlock has pushed all of the water to the exit side. Much faster than the first batch.

The second jar is also bubbling.  Has not spilled over yet.

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.