Tree Leaves and More Tree Leaves.

This sounds like work but isn't bad. Plus it will save a lot of labor, plastic, and garden food. Here are where the second and third truckloads of leaves went - Half of the bed where I raised sweet corn this year, will be squash next year -

Most of the bed, where I raised squash this year, to be sweet corn next year and some former lawn to expand that bed a bit.

Here, the thick layer of leaves will kill all of the weeds and grass, and prevent them from growing next Spring until I work the soil to plant those crops. The lower layers of leaves will decompose and add humus, and make it easier to work, more fertile, and absorb / release water better. Any leaves that remain when I want the garden beds, will be mulch. I could hire someone to rototill instead, in the Spring, for weed management, but that doesn't improve tilth. I could buy compost, but the leaves are free. Also people need to get rid of their leaves, so it's win/win. I could lay down black plastic to kill weeds, and will in some areas. But the leaves work just as well and have those benefits. I do this every year. Collecting and using tree leaves have improved the soil so much - fertility, earthworm populations, moisture managenent, tilth.

Raised Bed Project, Continued. 11.22.21

Here is the second raised bed so far. I leveled the ground, placed wire fencing and plastic mesh on the ground to frustrate moles, built the sides, and filled most of the way, 2/3 full with the new top soil.

I waited to build the end wall, so that I could haul in most of the soil using a shefl barrow. Then I built the end and finished the first 2/3 layer of topsoil.

Then I added a few inches layer of leaves to build up organic matter a bit during the winter.

Next I'll add some compost, then top the bed with enriched soil from the bed where I raised garlic, then green beans, this year. Then top it off with leaves and add the occassional mushroom or earthworm as I find them. This is too much work. I'm glad the worst is over, although those last layers are still needed and then rehab / rebuild the bed that moles destroyed. That onechas plank sides, and isn't as tall, so maybe not as much hard labor.

Holiday Cactus (Schlumbergera) Blooming. 11.19.2021

Some of these started blooming a few weeks ago, others just started. I repotted these last winter. They are about three years old, maybe four.

This one is much older. Maybe ten or fifteen years.

These are cuttings Im took last winter from the older red one and a salmon colord one that is not blooming yet. They may need another year to start blooming.

Raised Bed Progress. 11.13.2021

Today I topped off the first raised bed with a layer of tree leaves. During the winter, earthworms should pull some of those underground and start their composting. I thought about buying a soil inoculum, since the topsoil was processed by the recycler and probably devoid of much life. Instead, I've added my own compost, and added a top layer of soil from my existing garden bed. That should give it life. Also, I collected mushrooms of various sorts and added those on top of the soil, prior to the leaf layer. To an organic gardener, soil is a living community of microorganisms. Whenever I happen to see an earthworm, usually a result of digging, I re-home them in the new raised bed. Earthworms are nature's tiny farmers. They tunnel through the soil, aerating it. Their mucous binds soil particles together. Their castings make minerals available to plant roots. They till organic matter from leaves and roots, into the soil. Meanwhile, the other raised bed is about 20% built now. Not bad. Rain is expected tomorrow.

A Very Good Pumpkin Pie. 11.13.2021

This was one of my best pumpkin pies ever. I used puree from Galeux d'Eysines pumpkin. It's basically the Libby's pumpkin recipe, except I used light coconut milk for baking, instead of evaporated milk. I also rolled sesame seeds onto the crust before transferring it to the pie plate. I blind baked the crust, leaving the aluminum foil on the crimped edges throughout baking. Definitely grow Galeux d'Eysines pumpkins next year.