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.

Some Old Botanical Illustrations. 12.26.13

These are selected images I liked from vintageprintable.com public domain downloadable images. The illustrate the topics very well.

Onion

Pelargonium, zonal geranium

Peppers

Red Mulberry

Fig

Soil pH for various plants. 12.26.13

Image source - vintageprintable.com

After having the soil tested, and reading the recommendations, I looked up what a number of my garden plants require.   According to the info I could find, many would tolerate soil pH in the range of my soil, pH 5.05.  Which must make sense, because they grew in it last year.  However, if I lime the soil, maybe some or most will be more vigorous, or more productive, or produce earlier.

From this site - the gardenhelper.com  I edited out vegetables I don't grow and don't plan to grow.

Vegetable Optimal pH Beans 6.0-7.0 Beet 5.6-6.6 Broccoli 6.0-7.0 Cabbage 5.6-6.6 Cantaloupe 6.0-7.0 Carrot 5.0-6.0 Catnip 5.0-6.0 Chili pepper 5.0-6.0 Chives 5.0-6.0 Cucumber 5.0-6.0 Dill 5.0-6.0 Eggplant 5.0-6.0 Garlic 5.0-6.0 Kiwi 5.0-7.0 Lettuce 6.5-7.0 Mint 6.0-7.0

Vegetable Optimal pH Okra 6.0-8.0 Onions 6.2-6.8 Parsley 6.0-8.0 Peasmage 5.6-6.6 Peppers 6.0-8.0 Potato 5.8-6.5 Pumpkins 5.0-7.0 Radish 6.0-7.0 Raspberry 6.0-6.5 Rhubarb 5.0-7.0 Rutabaga 5.0-7.0 Shallots 5.0-7.0 Spinach 5.0-7.0 Squash 6.0-7.0 Strawberries 6.0-7.0 Sunflowers 6.0-7.0 Sweet corn 6.0-7.0 Swiss chard 6.0-7.0 Tomatoes 5.5-7.0 Turnip 5.0-7.0 Zucchini 6.0-7.0

From various websites,

Image source vintageprintable.com

Apple - 5.0 to 6.8
Bearded Iris - slightly acidic to almost neutral, about 6.8
Buddleia 5.5 to 6.5, another site states 6.0 to 7.5. They grew like crazy in my ph 5.05 soil. Cherry - 5.5 to 8.0 prefer 6.5; another site state 6.2 to 6.8
Chinese Haw - 4.3 to 7.3
Dogwood 5.0 to 7.0
European Ash 5.0 to 8.0
Figs - 6.0 to 6.5
Ginkgo - 5.0 to 8.0
Golden Chain Tree - 5.0 to 8.0 Iris - 6.5 to 7.0
Linden - 7.0 to 8.0 but another site states 4.5 to 7.5 and prefers 7.0; another site states 5.0 to 8.0
Lilac 6.0 to 7.5 but there is a massive lilac in our soil pH 5.05
Mulberry - 5.5 to 7, another site states 5.5 to 6.5
Okra - 6 - 8 Paw Paw - 5.5 to 7.0 but another reference states 5 to 6
Peach - around 6.5
Pear - 6.0 to 6.5 but tolerate 5.0 to 7.5
Persimmon - 6.5 to 7.5 Plum - 5.0 to 6.5
Quince - 6.0 to 7.0
Red Twig Dogwood - 5.0 to 8.0
Tomato - 6.0 to 7.0 better if 6.5 to 6.8
Weigela 6.0 to 7.0


Acidic, 4.5 to 6.0:
 Pieris, Rhododendron, Azalea, Camellia.

Not related to this topic, but thought about after looking for images to ponder for this post.  The vintageprintable image at the top does not give a source, but the caption states those are 3 year old black locust trees, form seed, in Kentucky.  About 1910.   That's a lot of growth in 3 years.  It makes me wonder - is it because they are from seeds?  Because they are a fast growing black locust?  Because the climate and soil in that Kentucky forest was super good in the 1900s?  All?  I think more people should try to grow trees from seeds.  We would have more diversity, the trees would be free, and if some achieve that size, that fast, then there would be faster biomass accumulation and faster shade.

Soil Analysis. 12.25.13

This report is very helpful. It changes significantly how I am going to supplement my garden and orchard soil this year.

I'm very impressed.  It is a well written, easy to follow report.  They were fast and thorough.  I am happy I sent them a sample and will make use of the recommendations.

The main points-

- My soil is very acidic.  They recommend lime.  That also increases the calcium.
- The iron level is super high.  I thought form the leaves iron was low.  I planned to supplement it.  Wrong thing to do.
- The recommendations include adding trace boron, trace copper.   For that, add a tiny amount of borax, and a tiny amount of copper sulfate.  The recommended amount is so small, I don't know if I will do anything about that.  Better to under-do it than over-do it.  Too much boric acid is toxic to plants.
- The recommendations include adding some epson salts for magnesium and sulfur.
- I thought the soil would need more potassium and phosphorus.  In reality, the potassium is high, and phosphorus is very high.  So just add a nitrogen source.  Fish emulsion might be a good source.

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.