Thursday, December 05, 2013

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.


Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Looking Back. June 1 2013

Heritage Iris Bed #1

Pallida variegata
Looking back at June 1 2013.  Most of the heritage irises and some off the others were blooming.  Most of the heritage irises were in their first season here, so had not established.  This gave me a chance to view the flowers.  I think in their second year most will have more flowers, and they will be larger.  I think some will be clusters of flowers, instead of one stalk per rhizome.

The colors are very impressive.

Looking back, I didn't realize the NOID was so brilliant yellow, and the NOID plicata was so beautiful.


Honorable vs. Sans Souci

Quaker Lady

Caprice
 Gives me something to look forward to as we move into winter.
Iris flavescens

Iris pallida dalmatica


Pink Bubbles

NOID Yellow from Battleground WA


NOID plicata

NOID plicata

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Can Okra be Grown in the Pacific Northwest?

Okra is one of my holy grail plants.  For some reason I just want to grow my own.  The frozen or canned stuff is not as good as fresh.  I did manage to get a few pods this year.  There is the start of a knowledge base to build on.   I also learned that my friend at work also grows okra.

 Okra seeds were planted 5/26 in raised bed.  The only variety I tried was Clemson Spineless.  I chose that variety due to its reported short season capability.  I also planted okra seeds in newspaper lined containers on 5/26.  Those germinated faster than the ones in the raised bed.

Okra seedlings 6/4

The ground was still fairly cool.  I did not take the temperature.  I should have.  It was warm enough for tomato plants, which I already had growing in this same raised bed.

I read that okra can't be transplanted.  That's not true at all.  The plants that I started in containers grew faster and more vigorous, compared to the ones planted directly in the ground.  The container-started ones were the only plants that bore pods for me.

8/10

8/10
This was the first flower.  The plant was about one foot tall.  The leaves look unhealthy - fungal or bacterial spots.
8/10


Below are other okra plants started at the same time, and a bit of a closer shot of the flower.  Behind it are ripening tomatoes.

The first pod was elongating on 8/24.

I harvested the first pods on 9/4.  I harvested a few more 1 and 2 weeks later.  After that the plants deteriorated in the cooler days and nights.

Lessons learned.

1.  They did better as container starts.  So plan to start that way again.

2.  Clemson may or may not be the most suitable variety.  So plan to trial several varieties next year.  Possibly also Clemson Spineless if I have seeds and if they keep a year.

3.  They need more warmth than I can get in the unprotected raised beds.  Use a row cover or poly tunnel, patterned after the rebar / PVC pipe method I used this year for other plants.  I should use a lower, removable version for easier access and more workable.  Place the cover at least a few weeks early to warm the soil, leave in place until days and nights are warm.  Replace it again in September when days and nights cool off.

4.  Take the soil temperature.


Okra Varieties to try 2014:

Baby Bubba  From Burpee, a hybrid, dwarf variety.  53 days.  Can be grown in containers as well - warmer soil.  3 to 4 feet tall.

Emerald Okra From Victory Seeds.  55 days.

Dwarf Green Long Pod Okra.  From Victory Seeds.  52 days.  Plant heights 24 to 30 inches tall, and reported to grow in Northern gardens.  I want the shorter size in case they do well, but need cover later in the season.

Clemson Spineless.  Again.  55 days, grow 3 to 5 feet tall.


8/24
9/5
The main info I find on okra, from multiple sites, is okra is fairly drought tolerant, but does not tolerate cold. One site discusses growing okra in Wisconsin.  From that site:  " In northern areas, start seeds indoors in peat pots several weeks before the soil warms up. Or direct seed through black plastic and cover the rows with plastic tunnels to hold in the heat. To hasten germination, soak seeds overnight in tepid water or freeze them to crack their coats. Sow seeds 1/2 to 1 inch deep, 3 to 4 inches apart. Set out transplants to stand 1 to 2 feet apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart."

Link to "All about okra"  

Oregon State University suggests a plastic mulch and wind protection.  I can do that.  They also state "Night temperatures should be above 55 F for good growth.
Minimum soil temperature for germination is 60 F. Optimum soil temperature range is 75-90 F.

In addition, OSU article states:  " Sow seeds in 2-inch pots or cell-packs, 3 seeds per pot, 1/4 inch deep, 4-5 weeks ahead of transplanting. Thin to 1 plant per pot or cell."  So the not-transplanting info is not accurate.

On mulch, they state: "Black plastic mulch may increase soil temperatures, will control weeds, and conserve moisture, increasing yield and earliness... it is critical...the soil surface be smooth and...the plastic adhere to the soil surface. ...Clear plastic mulch is very effective at increasing soil temperature but does not control weeds."   Other plastics are discussed.  Black or clear aplastic mulch might help tomatoes and peppers too.  They discuss using row cover or other options for tunnels:  "...row covers may be used for 4-8 weeks immediately after transplanting...removed when plants begin to flower to permit proper pollination. Row covers can increase heat unit accumulation by 2-3 times over ambient...Soil temperatures and root growth can also be increased under row covers as are early yields, and in some cases total yields."

So with some research, and the raised bed infrastructure in place, I hope to have a better okra crop next year.




Sunday, December 01, 2013

Final Seed Order for 2014. Seedsavers.org

File:Ataman museum Lob 56.JPG
Wikimedia commons photo





It's only Dec 1.  I know how much room I have.  There's not much to do in the kitchen garden.  So I planned for late winter / spring.  Might have bitten off more than I can chew.  Seeds are easy to plant.  The raised beds are in place.
The squashes can go into the wild area, with some compost for food.  Worked for 2013 with Butternut and Zucchinis.  This way I can see which squashes work in my climate and yard.  If they all produce it will be some to give away.  The chickens like them and the orange pumpkin types might enrich the egg yolks.

This time from Seedsavers.org.




Herb, Lettuce Leaf Basil

Herb, Flowering Chinese Leek

Swiss Chard, Five Color Silverbeet

Radish, French Breakfast

Radish, Cincinnati Market

Cucumber, Bushy

Cucumber, Japanese Climbing

Carrot, Paris Market

Carrot, Danvers

Melon, Noir des Carmes

Squash, Amish Pie

Squash, Golden Zucchin

Squash, Patisson Panaché Vert et Blanc

Squash, Winter Luxur

Squash, Waltham Butternut 

Wood Ashes / Sustainable Gardening

File:Log in fireplace.jpg
image via commons.wikimedia.org


One of these days I need to get the soil tested.  I could not identify a WA State agency that tests soil.  On a WSA website there is a list of private companies that test soil, but it was so complicated I gave up.


Meanwhile, I don't want to waste potential soil nutrients.  I think compost is generally well balanced, if it comes from kitchen and garden waste.  The raised beds contain a mixture of local soil - mole hills I collect from the 2 acres of lawn, finely ground by the little animals - and commercial compost by the truckload. Somewhere around 1/2 to 1/3 commercial compost.  The lower part of the raised beds is inverted sod, obtained from planting trees and shrubs around the yard; and weeds or rotting straw mulch.  I let the worms and fungi compost that in situ.

Meanwhile, on weekends we heat the house using a wood stove.  In general terms, the resultant ash consists of most of the nutrients a plant needs to make wood, at least, in concentrated form.  Oregon State University Extension site states wood ashes contain the 13 most needed minerals.  Nitrogen and sulfur are lost as gases.  With acid rain, sulfur is not usually in short supply but could be supplemented using epson salts.  Nitrogen could be supplemented using fish emulsion or, if the situation permits, fresh urine, 10:1 dilution in water. This last - saves on groundwater waste (flushing) - from this website, "Many toilets use between 50 and 100 litres of water a day to flush approximately 1.5 litres of pee. The average person has five wees a day and the average flush uses eight litres of water - that's 40 litres.".  I understand that last may be off-putting, but that's water I can use in the summer for watering vegetables trees fruits flowers shrubs; saves on groundwater and reduces salination of the drainage field and nitrogenous pollution of groundwater.

According to the OSU site, " The fertilizer value of wood ash depends on the type of wood. According to Sullivan, hardwoods produce about three times the ash and five times the nutrients per cord as softwoods. A cord of oak provides enough potassium for a garden 60 by 70 feet. A cord of Douglas fir ash supplies enough potassium for a garden 30 by 30 feet."  Areas to consider ash include  "As a general rule, acid soils that would benefit from ash application are usually found in those places in Oregon that get more than 20 inches of rain per year.  I could add to that, the effect of watering the raised beds through the summer, would also leach soluble nutrients, and nutrients are lost from the soil via vegetable harvests and plant materials that are removed.  Those plant material nutrients do get returned to the garden as compost.

According to the Ed Hume website,  Phosphorus content usually ranges between 0.8% - 3%, potassium from 2.8% - 8.6%, calcium from 14%-28%, magnesium from 0.8%-2.8% and sulfur from 0.3%-0.5%.  I imagine softwood ashes are at the low end of that, so N:P:K roughly 0:1:3 or something like that, with additional Ca and Mg.  I was thinking about adding Mg via Epsom Salts but with the firewood ash, that would not appear needed.  The Purdue website states trace minerals include " micro-nutrients such as iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc. Trace amounts of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, nickel and chromium also may be present."  I figure the bad ones, if present in cordwood, are everywhere else as well, so are not a concern for me.

I really should get the soil tested.  I may try this siteOr this one - maybe better.

They also comment that " One-half to one pound of wood ash per year is recommended for each shrub and rose bush"

We use locally available wood, which is mostly softwood.  I doubt that we go through 1/4 cord in a winter.  The 30 X 30 ft calculation is 900 sq feet  My raised beds when completed will be approx. 12 X 4 X 8 = 384 sq feet.  The rest of the 2 acres is orchard, grass, and bushes and trees.    So for the raised beds, roughly 1/3 of the winter's ashes could go on the beds, with the remainder spread around the wider area of the orchard and grass/trees/shrubs.


In practice, I can't calculate it closer.  What I'm doing now is spreading a weekend's ashes on each unused raised bed, once for the winter.  The woodstove season extends more than 12 weekends, so I think that's safe.  The rest is scattered in a different area of orchard, or around bushes and trees, a fine dusting, each weekend.  Not around acid loving plants like conifers, blueberries, rhododendrons, camelias; or around potatoes.  I like that the atoms from trees, burned in the fireplace, can become atoms it the trees I'm growing.

Random thoughts, on a chilly rainy late fall morning.