You Plough Garden Update: A Banner Year
Things are warming upward hither inwards Seattle in addition to the flowers are blooming. I exactly planted my start crops of the year-- potatoes in addition to strawberries.
2013 was a banner twelvemonth for my 500-square-foot urban vegetable garden, including my start sense growing in addition to processing a grain. I never got exactly about to posting close it terminal year-- in addition to so hither it is.
Interbay mulch technique
In the autumn of 2012, I tried a novel technique for improving the soil called "Interbay mulching". This is a variation on canvass mulching, which involves placing uncomposted organic affair straight onto the garden soil inwards autumn in addition to letting it compost until the adjacent growing season. To Interbay mulch, yous exactly comprehend your canvass mulch alongside burlap. This keeps everything moist, protects earthworms from plane predation in addition to so they tin munch freely, in addition to suppresses weeds. I used leaves (carbon) in addition to spent java grounds from a local java store (nitrogen) for my organic matter.
When I pulled dorsum the burlap terminal spring, I was initially disappointed. The java grounds had disappeared completely, but at that spot was even in addition to so a lot of leafage affair left on the soil, indicating that it had alone partially composted. However, I afterward decided that it had worked well, because the soil construction underneath was improved in addition to it seemed to live enriched alongside important organic affair equally good equally a large population of fatty earthworms. The mulch suppressed weeds remarkably well, in addition to the beds remained by in addition to large build clean for the balance of the season.
Those observations, combined alongside huge yields from the mulched beds, convinced me that it was worthwhile.
New tools
Another novel improver to the garden was my Vashon broadfork, locally made hither on Vashon island. A broadfork is a large, two-handled garden fork that allows yous to loosen the soil deeply (14") patch maintaining expert ergonomics (as opposed to loosening the soil alongside a regular garden fork or shovel, which is difficult on the back).
The broadfork was expensive, but I actually similar it. It loosens in addition to deeply aerates the soil without turning it or substantially disturbing soil life. This allows found roots to access H2O in addition to nutrients that are deeper inwards the soil. The soil construction is improved inwards the beds that I broadforked, in addition to it goes much faster in addition to easier than loosening or turning alongside a regular fork, shovel, or hoe.
The Vashon broadfork is, inwards my opinion, the highest character fork on the marketplace correct now, by in addition to large because it's virtually indestructible in addition to tin thence live used to loosen dense or rocky soils without fright of damaging the tool. I've cranked on it pretty difficult in addition to it hasn't complained yet. The cast of the tines also improves its mightiness to cutting into difficult soil. It's an expensive tool that may live worth it for serious gardeners who conduct hold a large garden infinite dedicated to annual crops.
One of my greatest gardening revelations happened years agone when I discovered that the weeding methods most people exercise are pathetic. For years, I weeded my garden past times paw in addition to using low-quality hoes from the hardware store. Then I bought an cheap scuffle hoe from Rogue Hoes, in addition to everything changed. If yous move on this thing sharp-ish using a mutual manufacturing works life file, in addition to run it exactly underneath the surface of the soil, it zips through weeds almost effortlessly. Suddenly I could weed all my beds inwards close an lx minutes alongside minimal bending. I supplement it alongside a prissy fiddling Japanese carbon steel paw hoe. The steel on the paw hoe is extremely difficult in addition to it stays abrupt a for long fourth dimension (in fact, it's in addition to so difficult my manufacturing works life file won't sharpen it-- I conduct hold to exercise a diamond stone).
2013 saw ii to a greater extent than additions to the weed-dispatching arsenal: a grape hoe in addition to a grub hoe from Easy Digging. These are wonderful for heavier weeding tasks (grape hoe), in addition to chopping inwards comprehend crops in addition to excavation (grub hoe). They are cheap tools, volition terminal a lifetime if properly cared for, in addition to yous could likely hit most of your gardening alongside exactly ane of them if yous had to. I got the thought of using a grape hoe from Carol Deppe's mass The Resilient Gardener, which is an interesting read.
Crops
I conduct hold a few crops that I ever focus on because they yield good inwards Seattle, they're fun to grow, in addition to I similar to swallow them. These are potatoes, summertime squash, wintertime squelch (delicata), dark-green beans, in addition to kale/collards. Everything else is icing on the cake.
For potatoes, I went to the local farmer's marketplace in addition to picked upward a handbag of small-sized mixed spuds, including High German Butterball, Purple Majesty, in addition to an anonymous pink-fleshed variety. I don't purchase commercial seed potatoes because they're in addition to so expensive it's non worthwhile to grow your own. I also had some Yukon Gold volunteers sprout inwards some other bed, which I didn't conduct hold the view to kill. In the end, I harvested close fifty lbs of potatoes from close fifty foursquare feet of space. The High German Butterballs in addition to Purple Majesties were extremely productive, despite the fact that the Purples died dorsum weeks earlier the Butterballs. Both varieties were quite tasty, specially the Purples (much improve than the All Blue diversity that's also popular). The pink-fleshed diversity fizzled, producing annoying clusters of tiny dark-green potatoes correct on the surface of the soil.
The alone pest trial I had alongside my potatoes were tiny beetles that ate tiny holes inwards the leaves of the plants. They didn't hit much harm in addition to I made no endeavor to command them.
For summertime squash, nosotros planted ii zucchini plants that were extraordinarily productive. I covered the zucchini bed alongside dark-green plastic cinema to warm the soil in addition to suppress weeds. Each found produced ii zucchini per day, for a total of 200 lbs over the course of written report of the season. We ate them every which way, gave them to friends, in addition to dehydrated the rest. We exercise the zucchini chips equally a healthier option to corn chips. My granddad used to say that inwards New Bailiwick of Jersey inwards summertime, you'd conduct hold to move on your motorcar doors locked, otherwise your motorcar would live total of zucchini the adjacent fourth dimension yous got in!
For wintertime squash, nosotros planted Delicata seeds that I saved from the previous twelvemonth in addition to sprouted briefly earlier transplanting. I also covered this bed alongside dark-green plastic film. They grew vigorously in addition to I ended upward harvesting xxx squelch from iv plants, which is phenomenal. They were actually delicious in addition to they lasted us several months.
For dark-green beans, I ever found pole beans because they're to a greater extent than productive, they yield over a longer catamenia of time, in addition to they supposedly sense of savor improve than bush beans (I wouldn't know because I don't grow bush types). I planted my green Blue Lake Pole in addition to Helda apartment beans, equally good equally a newcomer called Monte Cristo, which Territorial Seed states is an improved Blue Lake type. After a weak start owing to slug predation in addition to local cats excavation inwards my beds, all iii varieties produced well. The Heldas ever start earliest, but the Blue Lakes sense of savor better. The Monte Cristo diversity is nice, alongside long, elegant beans, but the yield exactly couldn't jibe my onetime friend Blue Lake. We harvested close xxx pounds of beans, some of which nosotros gave away. In contrast to zucchini, people similar it when yous give them dark-green beans.
I'm non real enthusiastic close growing tomatoes inwards this area, because they exactly don't hit that good unless yous nurse them along alongside a greenhouse, which is a lot of run and/or ugly and/or expensive. I ended upward planting a few tomatoes without using a greenhouse, in addition to they confirmed my expectations.
Another fun experiment this twelvemonth was corn. Seattle isn't actually a corn-growing mecca, but I wanted to seek a hardy, short-season diversity of grain corn called I planted a few of those, along alongside a diversity of early on sweetness corn called Strong Start. Corn is actually fun to grow. It's a beautiful, odd found that gets tall in addition to is topped past times lovely tassles. Painted Mountain plants are scrawny but colorful.
The Strong Start corn grew into large, vigorous plants but the yield was disappointing. We got close ane ear from each plant, although they were delicious. The yield from Painted Mountain was also sub-par, alongside ane ear from each found equally opposed to the ii I expected. It could live because the plants were selected inwards Montana rather than Washington, or maybe because the soil inwards that bed wasn't ideal.
Processing in addition to Eating Grain Corn
The Painted Mountain ears were gorgeous, boasting many dissimilar colors. We hung them on our wall for a long fourth dimension to dry out in addition to display them.
When the fourth dimension came, nosotros removed the kernels in addition to basis them into flour inwards my Vita-Mix blender. Painted Mountain is a flour-type grain corn, important it grinds easily into a fine starchy flour.
We ended upward alongside a pint in addition to a one-half of flour from iv ears (1 ear per plant), which nosotros used to brand gluten-free pancakes on ii lazy mornings. They were quite good, alongside a hearty flavor in addition to texture. Carol Deppe turns upward her olfactory organ at Painted Mountain corn, but I conduct hold to disagree. At to the lowest degree inwards the context of pancakes, it was delicious.
This was my start sense growing, processing in addition to eating a grain from start to finish. It was actually fun in addition to a learning experience. Corn is the most productive grain in addition to also the easiest to harvest in addition to procedure inwards a domicile gardening context. Painted Mountain is an extremely hardy diversity selected for brusque growing seasons. I excogitation to found a larger bed of Painted Mountain this year, giving it a nicer bed in addition to wider spacing betwixt plants. If I conduct hold to a greater extent than terra firma inwards a warmer identify someday, I'll found a larger expanse of corn.
Although corn is the most productive grain inwards price of calories per acre, it even in addition to so can't touching on potatoes inwards the domicile garden, specially hither inwards Seattle. We feasted on garden potatoes for ii months.
Soil
The weather condition was non bad terminal summer, but I holler upward what actually made the departure was my soil. I've been improving it gradually over the course of written report of the terminal iv years, in addition to it's getting actually fluffy in addition to fertile. In grooming for the 2013 season, I focused on adding a lot of organic affair to the soil. I also used comprehend crops inwards some beds in addition to loosened the soil deeply alongside my broadfork. I've been consistently using Steve Solomon's organic fertilizer blend, which I brand using seed meal, os meal, dolomite lime, agricultural lime, in addition to kelp meal. Improving the soil is a procedure that takes time.
Conclusion
2013 was a banner twelvemonth inwards the garden, in addition to I'm looking forrard to to a greater extent than of the same inwards 2014. I eagerly await the twenty-four hours when I conduct hold plenty infinite to grow most of my ain food.
2013 was a banner twelvemonth for my 500-square-foot urban vegetable garden, including my start sense growing in addition to processing a grain. I never got exactly about to posting close it terminal year-- in addition to so hither it is.
Interbay mulch technique
Baca Juga
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| The bed on the correct has been mulched alongside leaves, spent java grounds, in addition to burlap sacks ($1/sack at the local hardware store). The beds on the left were planted alongside a rye-clover-vetch-pea comprehend crop. Paths are mulched alongside forest chips. |
Those observations, combined alongside huge yields from the mulched beds, convinced me that it was worthwhile.
New tools
 |
| Vashon broadfork inwards 3 sizes from the Meadow Creature website. |
The broadfork was expensive, but I actually similar it. It loosens in addition to deeply aerates the soil without turning it or substantially disturbing soil life. This allows found roots to access H2O in addition to nutrients that are deeper inwards the soil. The soil construction is improved inwards the beds that I broadforked, in addition to it goes much faster in addition to easier than loosening or turning alongside a regular fork, shovel, or hoe.
The Vashon broadfork is, inwards my opinion, the highest character fork on the marketplace correct now, by in addition to large because it's virtually indestructible in addition to tin thence live used to loosen dense or rocky soils without fright of damaging the tool. I've cranked on it pretty difficult in addition to it hasn't complained yet. The cast of the tines also improves its mightiness to cutting into difficult soil. It's an expensive tool that may live worth it for serious gardeners who conduct hold a large garden infinite dedicated to annual crops.
 |
| Rogue Hoes "60S" scuffle hoe, an efficient general-purpose weeder. Photo is from the Rogue Hoes site. |
 |
| Grape hoe from the Easy Digging website. |
Crops
I conduct hold a few crops that I ever focus on because they yield good inwards Seattle, they're fun to grow, in addition to I similar to swallow them. These are potatoes, summertime squash, wintertime squelch (delicata), dark-green beans, in addition to kale/collards. Everything else is icing on the cake.
 |
| A few of the butterballs. |
 |
| Potato plants existence awesome. Left, purples in addition to pinks; right, butterballs. Note the straw mulch. |
For summertime squash, nosotros planted ii zucchini plants that were extraordinarily productive. I covered the zucchini bed alongside dark-green plastic cinema to warm the soil in addition to suppress weeds. Each found produced ii zucchini per day, for a total of 200 lbs over the course of written report of the season. We ate them every which way, gave them to friends, in addition to dehydrated the rest. We exercise the zucchini chips equally a healthier option to corn chips. My granddad used to say that inwards New Bailiwick of Jersey inwards summertime, you'd conduct hold to move on your motorcar doors locked, otherwise your motorcar would live total of zucchini the adjacent fourth dimension yous got in!
 |
| From left: lacinato kale, dark-green beans, delicata squash, to a greater extent than potatoes. This was early on inwards the season. |
For dark-green beans, I ever found pole beans because they're to a greater extent than productive, they yield over a longer catamenia of time, in addition to they supposedly sense of savor improve than bush beans (I wouldn't know because I don't grow bush types). I planted my green Blue Lake Pole in addition to Helda apartment beans, equally good equally a newcomer called Monte Cristo, which Territorial Seed states is an improved Blue Lake type. After a weak start owing to slug predation in addition to local cats excavation inwards my beds, all iii varieties produced well. The Heldas ever start earliest, but the Blue Lakes sense of savor better. The Monte Cristo diversity is nice, alongside long, elegant beans, but the yield exactly couldn't jibe my onetime friend Blue Lake. We harvested close xxx pounds of beans, some of which nosotros gave away. In contrast to zucchini, people similar it when yous give them dark-green beans.
I'm non real enthusiastic close growing tomatoes inwards this area, because they exactly don't hit that good unless yous nurse them along alongside a greenhouse, which is a lot of run and/or ugly and/or expensive. I ended upward planting a few tomatoes without using a greenhouse, in addition to they confirmed my expectations.
 |
| Corn! Strong Start middle in addition to right. Painted Mountain are the smaller plants to the left. One has a colorful stalk. Potatoes in the background. |
 |
| Strong Start corn. |
Processing in addition to Eating Grain Corn
The Painted Mountain ears were gorgeous, boasting many dissimilar colors. We hung them on our wall for a long fourth dimension to dry out in addition to display them.
 |
| Painted Mountain corn after harvest in addition to shucking. |
 |
| Painted Mountain corn kernels. |
This was my start sense growing, processing in addition to eating a grain from start to finish. It was actually fun in addition to a learning experience. Corn is the most productive grain in addition to also the easiest to harvest in addition to procedure inwards a domicile gardening context. Painted Mountain is an extremely hardy diversity selected for brusque growing seasons. I excogitation to found a larger bed of Painted Mountain this year, giving it a nicer bed in addition to wider spacing betwixt plants. If I conduct hold to a greater extent than terra firma inwards a warmer identify someday, I'll found a larger expanse of corn.
Although corn is the most productive grain inwards price of calories per acre, it even in addition to so can't touching on potatoes inwards the domicile garden, specially hither inwards Seattle. We feasted on garden potatoes for ii months.
Soil
The weather condition was non bad terminal summer, but I holler upward what actually made the departure was my soil. I've been improving it gradually over the course of written report of the terminal iv years, in addition to it's getting actually fluffy in addition to fertile. In grooming for the 2013 season, I focused on adding a lot of organic affair to the soil. I also used comprehend crops inwards some beds in addition to loosened the soil deeply alongside my broadfork. I've been consistently using Steve Solomon's organic fertilizer blend, which I brand using seed meal, os meal, dolomite lime, agricultural lime, in addition to kelp meal. Improving the soil is a procedure that takes time.
Conclusion
2013 was a banner twelvemonth inwards the garden, in addition to I'm looking forrard to to a greater extent than of the same inwards 2014. I eagerly await the twenty-four hours when I conduct hold plenty infinite to grow most of my ain food.
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