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Spring Equinox Garden Talk
18 days to spring equinox, just cleaned out the garden beds of winter mulch. Waited for rain to wet the leaves and started a new compost pile for 2015 gardens. Chicken pen is cleaned out and mixed in the like. I pulled the rotting heirloom fruit from last fall and am trying the seeds. We props gated some sage and thyme as we cut them back. I'm saving the salvia officianalis to harvest first spring growth to dry for winter. It's time to make potting soil and clean some prolongation trays. I have some 50 yr old Raspberries to move this week. I need to tak blue berry cuttings from my neighbor before equinox. Gotta rake the Sequoia needles from the lettuce patch. Parsley and lettuce went to seed and is sprouting already. I have new beds being built. It takes 2-3 years to build a solid organic soil balance. We will gather mushroom decomposed logs from the forest to bring organisms and organic matter. The mushrooms popping up under veggies is cool too. I don't use all the different fertilizers the organic industry offers. I buy organic lawn fert and add to it for specialty plants, like acid for berries or lime for broccoli. It's cheaper and the same thing. Anyway, been meeting gardeners, what do you have going or want to?
This week is putting out organic fertilizers and summer mulch on all the beds. Fruit trees are pruned, raspberries moved, and ornamental perineal plants we started in the back yard have been moved up front. Echinacea, Victoria Sage, Digitalis, Lupin, Gayfeather, Obedient plant, Guara, and Stonecrop sedum were planted as $2 plants in the veggie garden last year. This year those plants would be $15 each. We take better care of the veggie gardens, so we can grow our other ornamentals fast and strong to be put in more xeriscape areas. It has been so dry, the soil was only wet 9"-12" deep. I had to water all the beds one good time to kick start spring, it will be easy to maintain the moisture now.
I always dig a hole to check the condition of the soil in spring, organic matter content, ability to hold a ball form when squeezed and fall apart easily as well. We have a decided lack of clay in our soil, it is hard to find clay on a volcano. I will plan to go to the valley and get some sticky clay this fall to help with my soil structure. The clay will he alkali my soil as well, volcanic ash and sand are on the acid side and most our compost is from Oak, pine, cedar, and fir trees. The berries love the acid, but we need to neutralize it in the brassica and lettuce gardens. I have addes some rock phosphate and lyme to help, but without the clay it is hard to maintain any permenant fix on PH.
We usually planted in the past around the last weeks of may or first week of June. The climate has changed, spring has been consistently a month early. I think it is important now more than ever to pay attention to each year, the old patterns of planting and harvesting have changed, at least for organic farmers. Hydroponic and commercial farmers are not as effected yet, but they will be. This West coast drought is showing how fast the impact could come.
Iwill plant my seeds on the new moon of the spring equinox. I found that if you plant too early, the plant doesn't know if it is a last year plant or a new one. The number of daylight hours has more impact on growing plants than the temperature. Once a plant receives 12 hours dark and 12 hours light, summer varieties start to fruit. Long summer days tend to push plant to vegetate and keep getting bigger. Shortly after summer solstice, the days get shorter and the fruit comes on heavier and heaver as 12/12 approaches. You folks near the equator have 12/12 most of the time, fruit is being produced all year round. I love the tropics, it really is as close to Eden as is left on earth.
Happy gardening all, I just look so forward to the coming growth and something meaningful to do with my time.
I always dig a hole to check the condition of the soil in spring, organic matter content, ability to hold a ball form when squeezed and fall apart easily as well. We have a decided lack of clay in our soil, it is hard to find clay on a volcano. I will plan to go to the valley and get some sticky clay this fall to help with my soil structure. The clay will he alkali my soil as well, volcanic ash and sand are on the acid side and most our compost is from Oak, pine, cedar, and fir trees. The berries love the acid, but we need to neutralize it in the brassica and lettuce gardens. I have addes some rock phosphate and lyme to help, but without the clay it is hard to maintain any permenant fix on PH.
We usually planted in the past around the last weeks of may or first week of June. The climate has changed, spring has been consistently a month early. I think it is important now more than ever to pay attention to each year, the old patterns of planting and harvesting have changed, at least for organic farmers. Hydroponic and commercial farmers are not as effected yet, but they will be. This West coast drought is showing how fast the impact could come.
Iwill plant my seeds on the new moon of the spring equinox. I found that if you plant too early, the plant doesn't know if it is a last year plant or a new one. The number of daylight hours has more impact on growing plants than the temperature. Once a plant receives 12 hours dark and 12 hours light, summer varieties start to fruit. Long summer days tend to push plant to vegetate and keep getting bigger. Shortly after summer solstice, the days get shorter and the fruit comes on heavier and heaver as 12/12 approaches. You folks near the equator have 12/12 most of the time, fruit is being produced all year round. I love the tropics, it really is as close to Eden as is left on earth.
Happy gardening all, I just look so forward to the coming growth and something meaningful to do with my time.
I still have snow up to my ash..SO it will take some months before I can garden. BUT all the Berries will do there own thing..lol
Costa Rica has 365 planting days a year. The moon is really all you have to go by as you approach the equator. Hawaii was the same way. The forest and farm thins in winter seasons, but other things are producing in the understory. Oh, how I miss it. We're at 24% of our needed rain so far, that's a huge improvement. I am going strong. Now that the new year is starting, I have to make sure I don't take on too much or get TOO motivated.
It's easier to start with a mud pit than a lawn, and I bet the neighbors won't mind the upgrade. You girls get your short skirts and start around the mailbox or right on the road somewhere. You're not quite ready for the little old lady approach yet. I've been landscaping all my life, just letting you know what I've learned. Also, it's okay to check out that muscle bound young buck as he bends over, drips sweat, and digs up your yard, too many double entendres gets old. I can't tell you how many rich women want to talk all about how their husband is gone for a few months and how she has needs. I said I'll plow the fields and work the drainage, I meant it literally.
No, start watching for the tree trimming trucks that chip the branches. Many of them have to pay to dump it, it makes great mulch and pathways, so you can start walking out there anyway. In the city, you'll probably have to buy some compost. Try to find it by the truck load, not bags, even if it's not as good, you get 5 times as much. Then, ask your neighbors for all their leaves and start piling them up, mine bag them for me. That's fall, but you will have lots of organic matter to dispose of, so pick a spot to start adding over a years time. I don't do the fast 6 week compost. I only need it in spring, so I collect kitchen, garden, yard mater for all year. It's too much work to make compost fast. You won't have to buy any next year.
No, start watching for the tree trimming trucks that chip the branches. Many of them have to pay to dump it, it makes great mulch and pathways, so you can start walking out there anyway. In the city, you'll probably have to buy some compost. Try to find it by the truck load, not bags, even if it's not as good, you get 5 times as much. Then, ask your neighbors for all their leaves and start piling them up, mine bag them for me. That's fall, but you will have lots of organic matter to dispose of, so pick a spot to start adding over a years time. I don't do the fast 6 week compost. I only need it in spring, so I collect kitchen, garden, yard mater for all year. It's too much work to make compost fast. You won't have to buy any next year.
Rained all night. Jungle very happy this morning. We do cuttings in menguante. Lunar cycles. You sound strong, Tony. Happy for you. Maxy
We've gotta find some first! lol My bf is leaving tomorrow for a month (maybe longer). So it's gonna be just us gals. Maybe some of the nice neighborhood boys would help out a couple of old ladies!! ;)
Yes! Got the new place. We have a decent sized yard (it's huge by big city standards!) The only issue is that it's pretty undeveloped. It needs a lot of work. It's a muddy mess right now!
We usually grow tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, beans, peppers, onions, strawberries. Last year we accidentally grew pumpkins and loved it...took over my front yard beds but we had fun with it...the fairytale variety. Apparently we left one out front too long, it rotted, and voila. Then we left a few out on purpose to see if we can do it again.
The past few years though, the cucumbers seemed to stop producing early. And, we climb the cucumbers to keep them up so they don't take up as much space...works well and are easier to pick..we have done this for years.
Again, find it tough to find homemade bug deterrent that works well.
We find one side of our house is perfect mix of sun and shade thru the summer, but the space is limited. I would like to add more around back but need to find something we want to grow that prefers more shade.
I am in awe of somebody with your skills...I truly am.
The past few years though, the cucumbers seemed to stop producing early. And, we climb the cucumbers to keep them up so they don't take up as much space...works well and are easier to pick..we have done this for years.
Again, find it tough to find homemade bug deterrent that works well.
We find one side of our house is perfect mix of sun and shade thru the summer, but the space is limited. I would like to add more around back but need to find something we want to grow that prefers more shade.
I am in awe of somebody with your skills...I truly am.
Trailing rosemary does better than bush rosemary in pots. Sage and basil are easy. Thyme is ornamental, but it's hard to grow enough in a pot. I like Tarragon and perineal Oregano. Herbs are easy. Cilantro and parsley, I think are better outside in the yard, you can container plant them though. Salad greens around the base of the herbs as they mature is always fun.
Yeah, Austin Texas had more snow than amount Shasta. We're a month early here and you guys are slammed. The carbon of the ice caps is escaping quickly. Let's put carbon back in the ground. I'm a born again dirt worshiper. It is the source of all life.
Yeah, Austin Texas had more snow than amount Shasta. We're a month early here and you guys are slammed. The carbon of the ice caps is escaping quickly. Let's put carbon back in the ground. I'm a born again dirt worshiper. It is the source of all life.
First off, it's going to have to warm up and stop snowing to do anything here! I am definitely doing tomatoes. I do them every year that I am home and able to. Probably will do some sort of pepper, maybe bell and jalapeno.I really want to do a small herb garden with parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary, and maybe a few others. I've never grown herbs before, so this will be an adventure! Any recommendations for additional plants, or tips would be greatly appreciated! I see my biggest hurdle being... if I plant outdoors, we have a lot of neighborhood, stray cats around. I'm afraid of them messing with and digging up my plants thinking the garden is a litter box!! Guess I'll have to figure out some sort of deterrent or fencing that keeps them away from my plants. Happy planting all!!
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