Spring 2010

Spring is here, we might get one more spring snow but for the most part the cold days and nights are over for now.
I harvested some asparagus yesterday, about 3 lbs. Made some wonderful soup with it. It is looking like this year will be good for my asparagus. I have three rows they are 1, 2, and 3 years old so I should get just enough for us.
The elephant garlic has nice leaves on them now, and I have some table garlic that I must have missed last year coming up, so we should get some garlic. The onions have started to show along with some of the raspberry. I have decided to only plant ½ the garden in vegetables this year and the rest in herbs and flowers. I planted some field flowers in a area about 20 x 20 I hope that they come up it should be really nice.
I have planted carrots, beats, Swiss chard, and kale. I hope today I can get the beans, peas, and cabbage in the ground. (I know I am running late on that but that is my life right now)
I had a class on trough making, I think it went well. It looked like everyone learned something and had a good time.
Now I have some troughs that I will have to plant up. I will but flowers and herbs in my troughs. I think that troughs just mix up the garden enough to make it fun. If you haven't made a trough yet you may want to give it a try. Troughs are a fun way to garden.



Till next time

Happy gardening

More Troughs

I have written and put up videos on you tube (http://www.youtube.com/user/HighPlainsGardening ) and it seems that people can't get enough of them. (I think that is just great)
The troughs are made out of hypertufa, that is a mixture of Portland cement, peat moss, sand, and perlite. (That is the most common ingredients) They are lighter than stone or concrete. It is durable and once it is weathered and cured will hold up to the weather just fine. To make a trough you just add one part of each Portland cement, peat moss and perlite add just enough water tell the mixture is like cottage cheese but will hold together when pressed. Let stand for 10 or 15 minutes, this step is very important. After your set time check to see if the mixture is still holding together. If it is to dry add a little water, if to wet add some peat moss. For a mold you can use two boxes one smaller than the other. But the larger box in a trash bag with the opening on the out side of the box but mixture about 1 to 2 inches thick in the bottom and tamp down. Take the other box put in a trash bag with the opening on the inside of the box but smaller box in side toe larger box fill with play sand now make sure the smaller box is the same distance away from all the sides. Fill the sides with mixture tamp down. Let set for seven days to dry and cure. Remove sand, open bag remove box, remove bag. Now carefully tip your trough and box up side down and remove. If it wont come out you can tare the box to get the pot out. You can set the pot out side for a few weeks than put plants in your mew trough. For more information go to my you tube channel for videos of how I have made my troughs.
I hope you give this a try.
I give classes through the Pueblo County Master Gardeners program once or twice a year. Taking a class on hypertufa is fun and ease than doing it on your own. Classes run form $20.00 to $75.00 per person depending on where you take the class. Some classes are filled up a year ahead of time.


Till next time
Happy Trough Making / Planting

Bees are in Big trouble.

We need to do whatever we can to help out the bee hive population. I will post the latest news release on CCD (colony collapse disorder) at the end of this blog.
Just some of the ways we can help is to stop using pesticides. I believe that pesticides are a major factor in the reduction of the honey bees.
Another way I am going to help and do what I can is I am going to plant more plants that attract more bees. If they come to my place for there pollen they are less likely to go someplace where pesticides are used.
The “experts” claim “many causes, including parasites, viruses, bacteria, poor nutrition and pesticides.” I wonder if it is the same batch of experts that got us in this mess. Without the honey bees we as a human race are in for starvation. Bees pollinate about 1/3 of the food we eat. The question is how much of the plants that need pollination that the livestock eat? (that we also depend on for food ) Now lets not just include domesticated animals but wild ones as well.
We each need to do our part to help out the bees if we can. If you have any ideas please leave your comment below. Thank you.



Here is the link;
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100324/ap_on_sc/us_food_and_farm_disappearing_bees
or click on title this link is for Yahoo news so I dont know how long this will be up.


Till next time
Happy Planting

First planting of 2010

 

Okay I planted the three bags of last years onion sets that I had leftover, I don't know how many of them will come up but they are in the ground now. I planted a total of 180 hopping that 40 will come up we'll see. I am going to plant another 180 or so of this years sets just so I have some onions for next year. I have my bag of Yukon Gold potatoes, I hope that the weather holds out over the weekend so I can get them in the ground.

I need to get some seeds started in doors as well. So it looks like I have some work ahead of me for the next few days. How I love this time of year.

I will be sending out a bag of my worm castings to a friend of mine tomorrow, he is putting together an in door garden. Good luck my friend and have fun.

 

Until Next Time

Happy Planting

Closer to spring every day

I worked out in the garden yesterday, it is amazing how much damage voles and prairie dogs can do in such a short amount of time. That's not to mention the rabbits and some of the birds we have.

I dug out the rototiller and went after it. After 4 hours of guiding that thing around I have only tilled up ½ of last years garden. I normally don't like to till this early in the year, but I have a lot of compost and organic mater to work in this year. I am also finding out that the clay soil I have is harder to work with than I thought. So on we go. I also don't think I will be planting dent corn any time soon, the root system on the corn I planted last year is dug in and will take some time to get out.

So my plan for this year will be to change the rows from north to south, to east to west, this will do two things I hope will help out. The first is that the rows will be shorter and easier for me to work. The second is when I irrigate I will have gravity working with me, and I hope that the ground will level out some.

I have decided to put in buckwheat and some other cover crop on ½ of the garden. (I'm still thinking what I would like with buckwheat.) The ground needs more nitrogen and the organic mater won't hurt anything.

I now have my seed order in to Baker Creek, and after my order I may have to extend my garden a few 100 feet.

Till Next Time

Happy Planting

Not Spring Yet

 

One more day and February will be over. It should be snowing but it was a wonderful day out side. We are suppose to get snow tomorrow night and in to Monday (the 1^st of March.) so it looks like planting will have to hold off. Welcome to Colorado. I have been thinking of putting up a hoop house this year, I will be posting it on my blog if I do. I would like to plant kale and some other cold crops.

I have a question for this blog. How would you react if your neighbor started raising chickens?

Would it even bother you?

The reason I ask is the Home Owners Association will not let any one raise chickens where we live. We are zoned agriculture and all lots in our area are 1 acre or more. Please leave your thoughts in the comment area. Thank you

Till Next Time

Happy Planting

Up-Side down planter

The up side down planters have made a big splash in the last few years. They are a fun and easy way to grow plants. However, there is some things that you need to take in to consideration, the soil will dry out quicker than from a pot and or from the garden. Also if you live in a high wind area they are easy to get knocked over, so you will need to find a place where they are protected from high winds. Your larger tomatoes like Beef Stake and Better Boy's have a tendency to break off the vine. The smaller tomatoes like the cherry do great, even cucumbers and some squash do very good. The plants are also less likely to get diseases then their counter parts growing in the ground or in pots. One theory for this is that the plant doesn't touch the ground or gets splash from watering so less contact less chances of contracting any thing.

Now with that said, you don't need to go out and spend $10.00 to $40.00 for one on the market, you can make your own I have made them from 5 gallon buckets, 1 gallon buckets, to even a juice bottle. (See my You Tube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/HighPlainsGardening ) I up loaded a video making one.

All you need to do is to cut a hole in the center of the bottom of your container, about 2 to 3 inches round. Use a coffee filter (or two double them up) cut it to the center of the filter(s) Do Not cut in half. This will hold the soil in when you are filling your container. Pick your plant place stem through the filter place in the hole you cut in your container fill with potting soil. Keep well watered, place in a safe sunny spot, you should have fresh vegetables in a month or so. Give this a try if you have limited space to grow plants.

Till Next time

Happy Planting