I fed Scott some breakfast and a couple of cups of coffee, and as soon as the outside temperature got up to 50F, we headed outside. He unloaded the compost, a garden cart at a time, and piled it on one side of the garden, where it will be handy for me to access as I need it.
Since I had a strong guy to help me, I decided we'd go ahead and disassemble the east garden boxes. I wanted to try to preserve the good wood, so we could rebuild a couple of them and put them in the north garden. First we tried the power screwdriver, but the heads of the deck screws were so full of paint or stripped out, they wouldn't budge. We had no choice but to use a sledgehammer, and knock all the boards loose. I'll salvage what I can, which should be plenty for an 8' bed for the north garden. In the meantime, I sure have a big mess of mangled wood in my back yard!
After Scott left, the weather was still pretty nice so I decided to go ahead and amend one of the north beds with the fresh compost, then plant some seeds. I cleaned up the indeterminate tomato bed, added a couple of inches of compost to it, worked it into the top 6" and raked it all smooth. Then I planted pre-made seed mats of spinach and turnips, two 8' rows of each, and direct seeded another two 8' rows with some leftover radish seeds that I had mixed together from three varieties. Those will be my "surprise" crop, as I'll not know the varieties until they are harvested. I set three clean 5-gallon tomato buckets in place for the indeterminate tomatoes. Yes, I'm only putting three plants in that bed this year. Last year it was too crowded with four plants.
The indeterminate tomato bed, all cleaned up. The trellis structure for the future tomato plants still has to be reassembled. Radishes are planted to the left of the buckets, turnips and spinach are planted to the right. I think those are volunteer Bachelor Buttons on the edge and in the planter. Either that or I'm nurturing weeds.
The raspberries have all been pruned, and the leaf buds are swelling. The posts have to be repaired, and all of the boxes will get a fresh coat of paint, just as soon as it warms up enough.
A future bed for the north garden. Hopefully I can salvage another half dozen boards to finish it, or it will have to be only 6" deep. That would be OK though, as there is good soil underneath, so extra depth really isn't needed. The remaining compost is piled next to this new bed, and another new bed can be seen behind the shed. The lettuces will go in that one, as it will have the bird netting attached and it doesn't get the hot afternoon sun back there.
The big mess. I have a real job ahead of me, salvaging the good wood and using it for the new boxes, as well as redoing the beds in this east garden. I'm hoping for some good weather ahead!
It looks like you had a full day of gardening Granny!! Everything is coming along nicely.
ReplyDeleteThe weather here has been nice too! We are supposed to have good weather for awhile!! Those plots will be ready before you know it.
It's about time we can get something done, weather permitting. I'm chomping at the bit! I'm going to have me a hoop bed for my peppers this year come Hell or high water!!..Sometimes I have to put a fire under hubby to get what I want (when good meals don't work:o)...I really need another box, maybe by the time we get to planting he'll see that and I can save my rant for another time :o)
ReplyDeleteAlways have to love having "the boy" around to do things, regardless of his own age. Childhood is one train of indentured servitude in my opinion. More reason to sell that AZ house!
ReplyDeleteWell, Robin & Ginny, I got my buns outside and got all the wood picked up from the yard and stacked, ready for either building boxes or hauling to the dump. I found enough good ones to make the 4' x 8' bed, but it will be a split level. The back side will be a foot deep, the front only 6". Then I got one of the west garden beds constructed, and hauled the extra dirt over to the new box. Now I'm plumb tuckered out and ready for a soak in a hot bath. After I cook dinner.
ReplyDeleteRibbit, I think I wore him out, so it might be a while before he's willing to return.
ReplyDeleteGot an email from the realtor today. She showed the AZ property, says they were very interested but no offer yet. I'm not holding my breath this time.
I'm in awe.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing what you get done in one day! Wish you were here.
ReplyDeleteGranny, Hoping that you will get another offer for your place in AZ. I love watching your plans come together for your garden.
ReplyDeleteYou are one busy lady and an inspiration to us all!
NellJean, I'm in pain ;-)
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Dianefaith, I wish you were here! It would be fun to have an enthusiastic gardener to help me. If that failed, and you were less than enthusiastic, at least you could sit and tell me stories while I worked ;-)
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Debiclegg, oh I do hope so!
The planning is easier than the actual work. My body feels very old tonight! I have the granddaughter tomorrow, so I'll have a day to rest up.
well that's about as much work i do the whole season! and i like that mushroom planter. very cute.
ReplyDeleteKelli, I kept wondering "What mushroom planter?" I don't have a mushroom planter!" Then it dawned on me...oh, the planter with the mushrooms painted on it! LOL! It was an old carpenters tool tote that I painted years and years ago. It is so weathered, the inside is rotting out and I don't know if it's worth trying to redo it. Maybe I should build a new one!
ReplyDeleteCan you please tell more about the buckets? I must not be following along well enough. Are you going to plant the tomatoes in buckets that are set in your raised bed?
ReplyDeleteJimmycrackedcorn, I use the five gallon sized BOTTOMLESS buckets for my tomatoes, simply to raise them up off the ground. That way I can plant crops (like lettuce, spinach, carrots, bush beans, etc)in the same bed, and they're not smothered by tomato foliage. In other areas of the yard, I use them to raise the tomato plants high enough that they aren't hit by the lawn sprinklers. I do fill the buckets with fresh compost rich soil and several amendments before planting my home grown plants. The buckets also make the plants really easy to hand water with the hose. I do build a trellising system for them, as the buckets alone would topple from the weight of the mature plants.
ReplyDeleteThere are buckets of tomatoes behind the bush beans here:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Di5FEUV8sqI/TC1U6BVWKpI/AAAAAAAAFu0/G9SoALyy2UQ/s1600/2010-06-29+Garden+%2802%29.jpg
Here are a few more photos of how well the buckets work, but notice how well they are staked. Some of the stakes are actually screwed to the eves of the buildings to keep them from toppling.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Di5FEUV8sqI/TFkAnLUqgCI/AAAAAAAAGEI/zjJB9w_dA78/s1600/2010-08-02+North+Garden+%2803%29.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Di5FEUV8sqI/TFkGLno8tsI/AAAAAAAAGEY/5NCTvmPNCVw/s1600/2010-08-02+Shed+Garden.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Di5FEUV8sqI/TFkMyG1rqWI/AAAAAAAAGE4/QpNLtohNYPc/s1600/2010-08-02+Patio+Tomatoes+%2801%29.jpg
You are off to the races with the 2011 garden projects! :D I am going to be disassembling an 8x4 foot bed located behind the greenhouse - because I am going to use the area to plant some dwarf apple trees and another variety of bush cherry. Like you, I am hoping to salvage the timbers to rework them into some smaller beds elsewhere in the garden.
ReplyDeleteKitsap, I was surprised at how many of those redwood timbers had rotted after only two and a half years. The two year old pine looked like new.
ReplyDeleteLooking good, Granny! Progress at last!
ReplyDeleteWas going to start planting my tomato lasagna bed, but now I'm undecided again. Hubby is house-hunting again with a vengeance, going to look at 2 tomorrow night. Don't know whether to continue or not! Sigh...he needs to make up his mind. I get tired of not knowing what to do.
Wow! Were you ever busy. I feel like such a slug compared to you and your wonderful son. Great to have family nearby, isn't it. Best of luck with your new and old garden. Boy do I wish we had better weather right now. I've got tomatoes that need to be planted out... hehe. Happy St. Patty's Day!
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of work for 1 granny for 1 day! GLad to hear there were no injuries involved! ;-) Looks like a really great start to the season. Can wait to see what you do with the old beds now!
ReplyDeleteI'm really hoping I can find some manure compost around here to get delivered. But the only compost people I know do leaf and twig kind of compost. It's not nearly as good.
ReplyDeleteKitsap, I wish I had room for a fruit tree, but I need all the sun I can get, what with the neighbors walnut and sycamore trees shading practically my entire yard. I used to have a dwarf Elberta peach that I loved, but Mr. granny cut it down *sigh*. It did have borers doing damage, but it was still giving us delicious peaches.
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SB, I think you need to just put your entire garden in containers this year!
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Sinfonian, I need a little more warm sunshine! Most days it has been too bitterly cold to work outside.
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Barbie, I'm anxious to get them done! I got one of them started yesterday, but the wind came up and I was freezing.
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Daphne, the leaf and twig is more expensive, so I assumed it was better. NOT! I think that's why my garden didn't do as well last year. I'm back to the good old cow poop this year.
looking good Granny... do you think i could borrow your son?? i got to help my granddaughter's highschool football team this year..they sell aged cow manure every year.. loaded up on 10 40 pound bags... now to distribute them... is your son free next week?
ReplyDeleteSorry, Roasted, I'm going to overwork him again this afternoon (if it doesn't rain). Gotta keep him in shape for Granny's garden.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, he doesn't volunteer all that often, I have to nag him. And promise him future tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, beans, etc. Then give him multiple jars of canned foods. In other words, I think he gets more than he gives!
Bottomless! Can I just say that the idea of using bottomless 5 gallon buckets to raise the tomato foliage is completely brilliant?!! That's definitely the best gardening tip I've seen this year. The soil will be so warm in the spring, plus that taproot will find it's way down to the water down below by the hot days of late July and August.
ReplyDeleteWhen does your book come out? :)
Jimmycrackedcorn, LOL! Sorry, no book, the blog will have to do.
ReplyDeleteI must repeat though, make sure the buckets are completely secured. Even with the long taproot, it doesn't take much wind to topple a mature plant and rip that tap root right out of the ground. I lost two that way in 2009, so I learned my lesson well.
Where do you get your cow manure from? I've always gotten the compost from the commercial compost place- leaf and twig compost, that is. Will try cow manure this year(as per your advice:), if I can find some locally. Looking forward to great produce as you mentioned (from cow manure)!
ReplyDeleteRandom, I buy mine from a local nursery. It's very well composted, no stinky odor, and gentle enough that I can plant in straight compost if I want. It costs me $13 for 1/2 yard, but that's cheaper than buying steer manure by the bag, and much better stuff (not so high in salt).
ReplyDeleteEverything is looking good. I don't envy the wood sorting project though. Can't you con Mr. Granny into doing that for you---I'm sure you can reach into your bag-o-tricks and lure him in with some pie?!?!
ReplyDeleteLove how neat you have the raspberries looking. My gosh, I have the WORST tangle going.....I guess I just don't understand them!
:(
Sue, no pie for Mr. Granny, I have him on a diet.
ReplyDeleteSon didn't show up two days in a row, so I got my butt out there today and got quite a bit done. I'm feelin' it, girl :-(
Granny, I love the bucket idea, but wouldn't they be more stable turned upside down, top on bottom?
ReplyDeleteOh my that is a lot of work! I can't wait to see everything in production again, the prep chores are a bear but isn't it nice to stand back and have all that work DONE?! Looks great!
ReplyDeleteSpiderjohn, the buckets don't have enough taper to make a big difference in the stability. If you could see the bottoms, you would see that I've left a bit of solid rim around the outside edge where I've drilled holes. I use the cone shaped tomato cages (large heavy duty ones) and poke the wires down through the holes and into the ground below. Another heavy duty cage is wired upside down to the top of the first cage. Then I put an 8' 1x2 down into the bucket, right up to that rim and pound it into the ground below. The tops are then either screwed into the eaves of the building, or screwed into a horizontal 1x2 that has been wired onto steel post crossbars. Last, the wire legs of the top tomato cages are lashed to the stake like a tepee. Those tomatoes aren't going anywhere! It's actually a more difficult process to take everything apart in the spring, so I can dump and clean the buckets.
ReplyDeleteErin, if I ever change my mind on the layout of the gardens again, STOP me! I chew off more work than needs to be done, just because I can never leave well enough alone.
ReplyDeleteGot It! Thanks Granny
ReplyDeleteWhat did you fill your boxes with? I'm going to start a square foot garden and I'm a little overwhelmed with thinking that I have to do the "Mel's Mix" to fill it with? Please give me some pointers.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Kimberly
Kimberly, those boxes were filled with straight dairy compost, purchased by the yard at a nearby nursery. Some other boxes were a combination of about 1/2 native or purchased topsoil, and 1/2 dairy compost, with just a bit of peat mixed in. I have good soil under those boxes, but they sit where a large tree was removed, making raised gardens necessary....can't dig down through the big tree roots.
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