Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Jan 13, 2013 - 10:19pm PT
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We'll see this week if I can produce an avocado crop this year, or not. It's been pretty damn cold here for a few nights now, with a couple more cold nights to come.
Good thing I held off expansion until later this year! It'd be discouraging to watch a bunch of small trees freeze.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Jan 14, 2013 - 12:32am PT
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Our "weed-like" but tasty Arugula, lasted into late December this year through temps into the teens F.
Once Choss Creek Temps went to near 0 F----The Arugula "froze-down."
Arugula on Dec 6th, loving it!
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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We're well into Spring. Anybody but Fritz got anything going this year?
I finally created enough sunshine to grow some vegetables in my own yard. ( I had to cut down seven good sized shade trees to do it ).
It's a Salsa/Pickle/Stir-Fry/Spaghetti patch. ( it was going to be a Guacamole patch, too, but that was before the Great Freeze Of '013 killed all of my Avocados )
I put up the Deer Fence in February. The deer around here are the size of Pygmy Goats and Cottontail Bunnies, so the deer fence only needs to be two or three feet tall. Chicken wire mesh, but heavily reinforced ( with scrap lumber ) because the Goat will test any fence she sees, espeially if there's something to eat on the other side of it. She's tested this one, and so far it's held up.
The pots were planted last month with Bell Peppers, Hatch Chiles, Poblano Chiles, Jalapenos, Haberneros, tomatoes ( Romas and cherries ), and Italian herbs. So far, so good. Nothing's died.
I got the cucumber trellis framework up last month. Four 12' rows of pickling cucumbers should give me enough to do whatever I feel like doing with them. If the Goat gets lucky, there'll be a surplus. She LOVES cucumbers. Once they get going, I'll be hanging concrete reinforcing wire on the A-frames to give the vines something to climb. If everything works as planned, I'll install a wire "roof" betwen the two A-frames, and create a tunnel of cucumbers.
I'm using weed cloth this year. Never used it before. It can't hurt. Maybe it'll cut down on the ammount of water needed.
( this evening, about 6:00 pm ) ( I used a kite to fly the camera )
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Had Asparagus from the Obamagarden tonight.
The cool spring so far has been good for the tomatoes, but bad for the Satsuma sweet potatoes.
I'll probably plant sweet corn and green beans this weekend.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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I guess we need to try planting bananas in Idaho.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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I'm tired of paying a DOLLAR for a shrivelled Bell Pepper with a dried-up stem, or a DOLLAR for a little Zuchini that's only about the size of my own ... well, not very big. Used to be, the time of year when your garden was cranking out the produce, the prices at the market went DOWN, but not anymore. So it makes more sense than ever to plant today.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
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I dig my little garden. Put in seeds, some compost, & a bit of Love and VOILA!!!!
Big results. Like free, but better.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 4, 2013 - 05:09am PT
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Had Asparagus from the Obamagarden tonight.
Awesome. Your bitterfruit should be coming along nicely as well!
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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It was sweet!
I get the Bitter Mellon from the Viet next door neighbor.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Bugs are under control, so far.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Not doing too badly here in LaLa Land.
About 7" diameter...(jess sayin') ;-)
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Dr. F.
Big Wall climber
SoCal
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I'm growing succulents in my garden
I just toss out the seeds on to the soil
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khanom
Trad climber
Greeley Hill
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Well we've been enjoying greens from our cold frame all winter. Not sure why I don't have any recent pics. But mainly it's a jungle as we divert attention to this:
Currently we have in garlic, onions, potatoes, spinach, chard, scallions, and strawberries. Of course much more still to go in, but this year we're using only a small part of our usable area for row crops. Elsewhere the apples, peaches, blueberries and raspberries are coming along well.
Right now up close it's mainly dirt... but I'll post more photos later as things get going and if I remember.
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khanom
Trad climber
Greeley Hill
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Apr 22, 2013 - 01:37pm PT
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Ok, I just remembered...
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Michelle
Social climber
1187 Hunterwasser
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Apr 22, 2013 - 01:59pm PT
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So this year I will be experimenting with a mostly container garden. I have a little strip of soul on my patio as well that is currently overgrown grass. Any suggestions on how best to prep the soil for food crops? Unknown origin or previous treatment. I was thinking I might just haul most of it out, line it and plop some good soil in. I'm sick of food costs and love gardening.
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WyoRockMan
climber
Flank of the Bighorns
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Apr 22, 2013 - 02:02pm PT
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My garden was looking great. Now I can't find it.
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Tami
Social climber
Canada
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Apr 22, 2013 - 02:36pm PT
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Michelle - it really depends on what your region is like, what you wanna plant, what your microclimate is like, et'c et'c.
Since you have to get soil for your planters, you might as well get rid of the grass & soil it's in and start again. Grass can be a friend or a pain in the bum.
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khanom
Trad climber
Greeley Hill
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Apr 22, 2013 - 03:31pm PT
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I have a little strip of soul on my patio
If you've only got a little soul, you probably don't want to haul it away.
Any grass buried deep enough will die, so if you are building a raised bed you can just get compost etc and dump it in on top. Depending on how high the bed is and what you are growing, you don't need to do anything with the grass -- it'll just decompose and provide organic matter. If it were say 12" and you wanted to grow tomatoes, you might want to cultivate some but unless it's rock-hard clay it probably won't matter.
When I was doing raised beds in Joshua Tree I got a big load of horse manure and composted it down. I supplemented with purchased compost mix and steer manure. Any decent nursury should be able to sell you better compost and/or soil mix for cheaper than the crap at the big box stores. Of course the best plan is to be composting all year.
I do it now on a bigger scale -- about five yards of horse pooh a week, to which I add chicken pooh, wood mulch, grass clippings, etc. I just turned the pile and man do I smell... of... freedom.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Apr 22, 2013 - 03:39pm PT
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Any grass buried deep enough will die,
Unless it's Bermuda Grass
Then get out the Roundup.
Repeatedly.
Check and see if your state has an agricultural extension program, or check with a local, small nursery / garden shop.
Soils and requirements can vary widely and if the area you want to plant is right up next to the house there's a good chance that construction leftovers have changed the soil composition radicaly from what's just a few weet away.
Just don't get suckered into buying sacks of "garden soil"
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