April 14, 2010: Today in the Garden

The weather was beautiful, the warmest and prettiest day of spring. I wanted so badly to head out to the garden and plant beans, but I'm still trying to follow the Farmers Almanac Moon Planting Calendar, and today was a "Poor Planting Day. Break Ground Or Cultivate " day. Not that I necessarily believe it, but I set that as a goal and I'm determined to follow through with it.

With breaking ground and cultivating in mind, I decided to do a few simple garden chores in preparation for planting day on Friday. I had decided earlier to put four indeterminate tomatoes in the same bed where I grew seven (eight, but one disappeared) last year. This year, rather than plant them right in the ground, I decided to utilize the 5-gallon buckets left over from last years failed self-watering-container experiment. I'd had very good luck planting tomatoes in (nearly) bottomless buckets, just not the self watering ones. The swc tomatoes became root bound and died before giving me a crop. The tomatoes planted in the (nearly) bottomless buckets grew strong and tall, and were bearing quite well when a windstorm toppled two of them over. Those plants didn't survive the uprooting. Lesson learned, provide windproof staking in the future! By planting this new crop in the buckets, the plants would be up high enough from the ground to plant a nice wide row of bush beans along the edge of the bed.

I rounded up the four buckets, and had Mr. H enlarge the holes in the bottom. Then I scrubbed them with a strong bleach solution, and let them soak for several minutes before rinsing them well. I marked their positions in the garden bed, then dug out a bit of the soil so they sat about three inches in the ground. I filled each bucket about half full of good compost, then added a bit of slow release 10-10-10 fertilizer, 1/4 cup of crushed eggshell and a couple of crushed aspirin, then a shovel full of potting mix and compost that had been blended together. The idea was to finish filling the buckets at tomato planting time.

The next chore was to insert one of the large tomato cages in each bucket, making sure they were inserted into the small holes I'd drilled in the bottom of each bucket. But......I had added the compost! I couldn't see the holes! DUH. I grabbed the end bucket, and carefully slid it out of the hole and across the bed, and dumped it into a waiting un-bottomless bucket. I put the empty bucket back in the hole, and inserted the prongs of the tomato cage into the three holes. I pushed down on it, and it slid right into place. Almost. One prong hit a root and wouldn't budge any further, even though it had a good three inches to go to match up with the other two. I turned the bucket a few inches and tried again. And again. And again. To no avail. The tomato bed sits on the site of the former maple tree, the one that blew down in '08 and gave me the sunny spot for my garden. The tree is long gone, but the huge old roots remain, and they were about to become my nemesis.

I finally got bucket number one and its cage positioned almost to my satisfaction, at least the best I could do with the root problem. I poured the compost mixture back into that bucket, and proceeded to empty bucket number two. With cage inserted, I pushed it into position. It, of course, also hit a root with one prong. I tried cutting off a prong with wire cutters, but I couldn't even scratch the surface of that heavy wire. By now I was cursing and sweating, and wishing Mr. H would wake up from his nap 'cause I was needing help! I pulled the last two buckets and emptied them, inserted their cages, hit roots, gave up. I was getting nowhere fast. In fact, I was going backwards, and time was wasting!

We had dumped almost a half yard of compost where my winter squash bed was supposed to go, so I began filling 5-gallon buckets with as much as I could get in them, then formed the remainder into a nice squash bed, with a hill in the center and a trough around the outside for water. I cut a piece of fencing and formed a 1' high ring to place in the center to keep the dogs from using the area to sun themselves. It's all ready for planting a nice hill of butternut squash on Friday. I used some of the compost to fill a large flower pot, which will be filled with cosmos. I then formed an 18' high ring of fencing to hold those flowers and hopefully keep them from drooping out of the pot. The next ring of fencing was made to do the same for the bed of lilies. All the fencing is green, so should visually disappear among foliage.


By the time I finished all the fencing rings, Mr. H was awake. We tackled the problem at hand, and finally decided two of the three legs on the tomato cages would have to be bent and rest on the bucket bottom, and the third leg could go through the hole and find a root-less spot for insertion. It worked. The four buckets were all finally in place, their contents replaced, and everything securely wired together.


Otto probably jumped into that tomato bed a half dozen times while I was working there. Each time, he landed on my lettuce seedlings. He'd already managed to nap on one end of the rows of mixed lettuce, killing a 2-foot swath of them, so I wasn't exactly happy with him. I looked around the garden shed and found enough of that folding wire fencing to put along one side of the bed, but I think I'd better buy some more before I plant beans on the opposite side. In the meantime, Annie spent most of the day standing in my future pole bean bed, barking at the puppy next door. I may regret removing the garden fencing from around this north garden.

I've decided to put my dry pole beans in the three whiskey barrels by the back fence. To prepare them, I pounded in large staples around the top edges, and then put a screw hook at the top of the cedar fence. I'll weave garden twine from the barrel to the hook for the beans to climb. One barrel got done, the other two will have to wait until tomorrow, as will preparation of the green pole bean bed. It all needs to be done for Friday's planting day, so let's hope this gorgeous weather holds.


It seems as though I worked awfully hard for the small amount I accomplished! I was exhausted, so took a relaxing bath before fixing dinner. After we ate, it was back outside to move the seedlings in (and take some photos for you) for the night. That's an easy job now. I put a piece of OSB on my garden cart and turned it into a harden cart! I just push it out the shed door in the morning, and pull it back inside at night.

The tomatoes and peppers get carried to a table behind the shed, which is only about ten steps away, a cinch to move in and out.






Before we came in for the night, Annie found a worm to roll in, and Otto dug a hole in the pathway, looking for a worm for himself.

All in all, it was a pretty good day.


20 comments:

  1. What a clever idea to use the buckets for planting the tomatoes. Sounds like you had quite a busy and productive day. I love this time of year and getting the garden ready for planting, watching the seedings grow, making the last minute orders from the gardening supply catalog and browsing through the local stores. Such anticipation!

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  2. Super cute puppies! I like the tomato idea with the cages... I still need to figure out how to keep the wind from killing mine this year.

    I have lots of fencing in my pots (since I don't have a yard) but it's mostly to keep my rabbit out, not my dog. :)

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  3. All is looking great in your garden. I will be interested to see how your tomatoes do in the buckets.
    I also wonder about all the hard work we do, and it seems we are exhausted with very little accomplished. Then I remember I am now in my 60's and not a spring chicken anymore.

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  4. You were really busy! Next time I will have to do the bottomless method for the buckets. I have really large containers, but I did entertain the idea for awhile, but didn't do it. My next time may come sooner than I thought, since I woke up this morning to a temp reading of 38!!! The forecast for a low of 54 and my tomatoes have been in their containers for a week already! I am very scared to go out and check. I have another generation of seedlings that could replace them if necessary, but those were the ones to give away at my garden party/seed swap! I'll use them if I have to though, since I never really get any thanks for giving them away anyways, lol!

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  5. Whew! I am exhausted just reading this. You sure got a lot done. I like the idea of the tomato buckets in the bed surrounded by other crops.

    LOL! So Annie didn't share her worm with Otto, huh? Dogs are so funny.

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  6. I thought I was the only one that tried to garden with 2 dogs to help ! Seedlings look great.

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  7. Don't you just hate when your nice plans don't work out just right. I had to deal with roots for years in my garden. We cut down a huge crab apple tree to make room for the garden. It kept trying to grow back even though I had the stump ground out. All those roots decided it wasn't time to die. It took me ten years to finally kill it for good. Since it has died the garden has been much more productive.

    Those dogs need some training - or a good fence. They are pretty small even a tiny fence ought to keep them out :> My late dog was well trained for the garden. She understood the difference between the beds and the paths and usually kept to the paths. The chipmunks would make her go off the paths and into the beds. I really didn't blame her for it. I wanted to go running after the evil chipmunks too.

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  8. Lots of work in preparation for the planting days. When you have the greenlight to plant - everything will be waiting and ready for you! I am hoping this weekend gives us nice weather too - as I have a bunch of stuff that needs planting. Weather forecast is all over the board though as we have a strange (rather unpredictable) system swirling around just off the coast. For both of our sakes I hope it heads north and gives us a nice weekend.

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  9. Looking good Gran! Hopefully the tomato plants won't blow over this year.

    I still haven't decided which tomatoe support structure to use-cage, netting or string. Have an opinion?

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  10. So you are feeling better, lol? I hope all that effort turns out a fabulous crop for you.

    One of my dogs has been locked up for weeks. She tore through my seedlings after a fish feed, and this morning I discovered a nely planted blackberry cane torn out and dried to a crisp. damn dog.

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  11. Linda, me too...but now I'll plant early and worry about the weather ;-)

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    Chelsea, most of the buckets will also get 8' long stakes, another tomato cage upside down over the first one, and then attached to something that will keep it upright. The ones around the patio and shed will have the stakes screwed into the eves....that worked very well last year.

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    Keewee, I had several in the bottomless buckets last year, and the roots grew right down into the native soil. They did beautifully.

    If you think sixty is bad, wait for seventy ;-) It's frustrating at time, when I don;t have the strength and stamina I used to have.

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    Erin, 38 shouldn't hurt them. I worry about high twenties! We're supposed to stay in the 40s now, but that's not a given. I won't plant my peppers and tomatoes for another 2-3 weeks.

    What's with these people not thanking you and Ribbit for plants? Don't they realize the amount of blood, sweat and tears we put into our seedlings?

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    Rachel, I don't know how those dogs can find worms like they do. They dig for them! Annie doesn't share with Otto. He can't have her food, worms or toys.

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    Canned Quilter, they love to help. Yesterday they were just annoying, though. All they wanted to do was bark! The neighbor was having her yard work done, and they didn't like having strangers over there.

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    Daphne, that section of garden did have a fence...I'm taking it down! There are only a couple of beds they like to sun in, and I figure I can keep them out of those with some portable fencing. The main garden still has its fence, 'cause that's where most stuff is directly seeded.

    The maple roots are why I have raised beds. The soil itself is good, it just can't be dug with all that underground wood.

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    Kitsap, I had plans for the last two areas in that section today, the bean bed and the area behind the shed. Woke up to clouds and rain.

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    Thomas, there will be securing of the buckets this year!

    I'd opt for those big concrete reinforcement wire cages if I were strong enough to build the darned things. Since I'm not, I go for the heavy tomato cages, not the wimpy little bendy ones. I have never had very good luck with netting or string, 'cause I don't like to prune my tomatoes. If God wanted them to grow on one stem, he'd have given them only one stem ;-)

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  12. Kelly, ya, I'm feeling better! Can't seem to shake this cough, though.

    As much as I love my dogs, they do get annoying at times. I'll probably end up regretting taking that garden fence down. I worry more about the neighbor's new puppy digging under the fence to the main garden. She already let him go through the gate, and he ran through a couple of newly planted beds before I caught him. Annie and Otto are not allowed in that area of garden at all, until everything is up and growing well.

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  13. That's a lot of work. Every time I read your blog, I get new ideas. Love the "X" for the tomatoes -- I may have to do something like that for the cucumbers/tomatillos. I didn't stake them.

    And dry pole beans -- good idea too. I must get my soil amending going so someday I'll have soil as mahvelous as yours, dahlink.

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  14. Stefaneener, the "X" was the only way we could get those posts in for tomato supports. I wanted them down the center of the bed, but we couldn't pound them through the roots. X-ing them and attaching them to the boards gives me a semi-strong structure to tie the cages to, although I have to do some pretty fine juggling to do it ;-)

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  15. That just goes to show, that sometimes it takes a man to get the job done. Haha
    Anyway, you're lucky that you can use the buckets that way, because it would completely become engulfed with weeds in my yard. You'd better get those plants hardened off, because mine are already planted! Hehe...

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  16. EG, the seedlings are already hardened off to a full day outside, and in the cold shed at night (without heat or lights), so they'll be good to go soon. We'll possibly get another freezing night or two in the next two weeks, so I'm in no hurry.

    Mr. H is a pretty good grunt, but he bruises easily ;-)

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  17. I have the North American Biodynamic sowing and planting calender for 2010 (which is planting by the moon also) and it sez that today is a fruit day. So anything that has its produce above ground to be eaten (ie tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas etc. is Ok to sow, but not transplant) I guess it just depends on which on you are following. So far by following it I have had about 99% germination.

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  18. Debbie, if I were going by just the moon phase, today would be for above ground crops. Farmers Almanac throws in those "barren" days, which just gives me an excuse to relax once in a while ;-)

    I have nothing that tells me transplanting days, so I just do it during that plant's moon phase.

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  19. Annie's Granny, Transplanting days for April are April 19 8am to April 30 6pm.

    If you are interested I can give you them month by month. Just let me know. I know what you mean by the rest days. The weather here in Central On is to cold yet to do much planting beyond onion sets, and peas. But in a few weeks we too will be in full swing. Enjoy your days off.

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  20. Debbie, that would be great! You can find my email address if you click on "view my complete profile" in my sidebar. I'll send you the chart I've made up that shows the barren days. Our weather has turned warm and beautiful, I hope it lasts. It's warm enough to day to have the doors and windows open, and I've worked outside in a short sleeved t-shirt for the past two days.

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