Early Spring - Getting Started

Today, a couple of friends were in from out of town and came to see my garden.  They noticed that I haven't blogged for quite a while.  So, they inspired me to do so!  Rather than worrying about all of the things that I should have posted about and am behind with, I figured I would just start from the present rather than trying to go back.

The weather has been a bit frustrating this early spring.  It has been very chilly and rainy.  We have one nice day, then quite a few that are very cold and very wet.  All in all, the garden is coming along--slowly but surely.  We have dug, tilled, and amended the soil in my new plots.  Several of us rented a truck to make repeated trips for compost and manure.  The raised beds are formed and the paths are made.  A few beds are planted.  Most of the space in my old plots is planted.  Only part of one bed is left for planting more eggplant and pepper plants.

I am just starting to see the rewards of all of the hard work.  The asparagus that I planted a couple of weeks ago is starting to pop up.  That was pretty cool to see!  I was actually able to see the growth taking place throughout the day.  I noticed the spears yesterday, and every time I walked by the bed during the afternoon, they just kept getting taller and taller as the day went on!  Unfortunately, it cannot be harvested this year as all of its energy needs to go into growing strong roots for the coming years.  The same goes for the strawberries and rhubarb I planted this year.  But, how nice it will be next year!  After all, my grandma's rhubarb I planted last year is up and growing beautifully this year -- ready soon to be harvested for the first time.  My other perennials are also budding and blooming - blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. 

While grocery shopping last week, I was disappointed in how terrible the produce looked.  It really made me realize how glad I am to be growing my own food.  I bought very little produce from the store this past year. We enjoyed a delicious spinach salad for dinner last night from the bed that I planted in the fall.  I can't wait for the other veggies to be ready for harvesting. 

I have been experimenting with growing my own seedlings this year (a hundred--or maybe two hundred?).  This has proven to be a juggling act - 16 hours under the grow lights, 8 in the dark - rotate the next set, on and on . . .  I am keeping a journal of what I would do the same or differently next year, i.e., I started too many tomato plants too early this year.  Many of them are so big and really need to get into the ground.  Some of the leaves are starting to dry around the edges - too wet, too dry, poor drainage??

I am also experimenting with the Wall o' Water season extenders.  They allow you to plant warm weather crops 6-8 weeks earlier than normal.  I have seven tomato plants, two eggplant, and two peppers planted in them.  When I put my hand down inside, it is "toasty warm" in there!  So far, this has been successful.  We'll see if I can get my first tomatoes in June or if the other plants just end up catching up.

My first planting (3/22) of broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage was met with an unexpected cold snap (temps in the 20's).  At first I was very upset that I lost the beautiful seedings that I started from seed and nurtured for weeks.  But then I reminded myself that it's all part of gardening - no big deal - just go out and purchase some nice seedlings from the nursery, which I did.

Planted out in the garden so far this year are potatoes, peas, garlic, onions, shallots, fava beans, chard, beets, arugula, baby romaine, salad mix, buttercrunch lettuce, Napa cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sweet peppers, eggplant, asparagus, strawberries, rhubarb, carrots, radishes, green beans, wax beans, royal burgandy beans (a little early for planting beans - another experiment).

I also decided to mix my own organic fertilizer this year. It consists of 4 parts soybean meal, 1 part bone meal, 1 part kelp meal, 1/4 part agricultural lime, 1/4 part gypsum, and 1/2 part dolomitic lime.  Many of these ingredients can be purchased at agricultural stores (such as Southern States) for a fraction of the cost of what you would pay for a small quantity at a nursery.  For example a 4 lb. bag of kelp is typically $17.99 -- a 55 lb. bag at a feed store is $75.

My two new plots can be described as "saturated".  Basically, they sit at the bottom of a slope and tend to be very wet after the heavy rains.  I had planned to plant my asparagus there, but was worried that the crowns would rot.  I am hoping that this will prove to be a good thing during the summer months when it is so dry - especially if we have the drought conditions we had last year.  Time will tell . . .

My friend Gale and I were interviewed at our community garden for a Montgomery County TV show featuring the South Germantown Park.  I really don't like being filmed, but it actually turned out to be a fun experience.  Hopefully, any "unbecoming" shots will be edited out!  Carly was horrified when I told her.  She said, "OMG, how embarrassing - I'm going to be known as the gardener's daughter".  I told her she really didn't need to worry, her friends don't watch this TV show! 

A few lessons learned so far -- turn lots of shredded leaves into beds in the fall again.  This kept my soil from freezing and compacting.  It also attracted TONS of worms.  Sow several beds of spinach again next fall for overwintering -- this has been very easy, successful and rewarding.  Start only a few tomato plants in early February next year.

When I feel stressed and burned out from the chaos and routine of everyday life, it really is therapy working in the peacefulness of the garden.  I really enjoy spending time and chatting with the friends I have made there.  We can so relate to each other - like when Gale said she wasn't staying long the other day -- only stopped by to do a few things.  Two hours later, she was still there!  Latoya who is crazy like me -- started with one plot and added four more!  Laurie, who I've been dragging with me on my gardening adventures for the past year and finally got to garden next to me.  As we say, we are all "cut from the same cloth"!

Debi and Leah -- this post is for you - thanks for taking the time to visit my garden and inspiring me to get back to my blog!  I'll post some pictures soon!

CALL ME CRAZY

Okay, call me crazy -- the new section of our community garden opened for applications on February 1st.  I anxiously awaited midnight to get on the computer to claim the third garden plot I had my eye on that is closest to my others.

The evening before, after thinking about all of the different vegetable varieties that I want to grow this year and the seeds that Laurie, and Brenda, and I have ordered, I wondered where in the world I was going to put everything.   There is something that every gardener hates -- not being able to grow something due to lack of space.  I called Laurie and told her that I thought I needed a fourth plot.  She told me I was crazy and asked if I had told Dan yet.  I told her what I really wanted was a really, really small farm, and if I couldn't have that, who could deny me four garden plots?  BTW, Dan was out of town and didn't really care the next day when I told him which two plots I got (I just acted as though that was the plan all along!).  After all, I do 99% of the garden anyway, although I may ask for a couple hours of his help when tilling and forming the beds to speed things along.  I think the kids will also be helping a little with watering this year if we have weather anything like last year.   (P.S. Laurie also succumbed and got a garden plot right next to mine!!)

My desire for gardening isn't just about how many organic veggies I can grow for our family and friends to eat.  It is about my love for starting these plants from a seed and watching them grow and thrive and produce beautiful fruits and vegetables.  It's about experimenting with all the different varieties of various shapes, colors, and tastes.   I check on them each day and try to give them what they need.  I enjoy chatting with the friends I have made there who share my love for gardening.  I love the peacefulness of the garden.  I can go there planning to work for about an hour and realize that four hours have passed.  It is my sanctuary.


Here are some of the varieties that I plan to grow this year:

King Richard Leeks
Baby Primor Leeks (B)
Jersey Knight Asparagus
San Marzano Tomatoes
Celebrity Tomatoes
Big Beef Tomatoes (B)
Valenciano Heirloom Tomatoes
Italian Pompeii Tomatoes (B)
Cuor Di Beu (H) Tomatoes (L)
Riesentraube (H) Tomatoes (L)
Red Brandywine (H) Tomatoes (L)
Bilko Napa Cabbage
Da Cheong Chae Pak Choi
Cherry Belle Radishes
Eight Ball Round Zucchini
Flying Saucer Patty Pan Squash
Zephyr Summer Squash
Sunburst Scallop Squash
Black Beauty Zucchini
Trombetta Squash (B)
Early Prolific Straightneck
Honey Bear Acorn Winter Squash
Butternut Winter Squash
Sungold Tomatoes
Sweet Gold Tomatoes
Supersweet Tomatoes
Yellow Pear Tomatoes
Rotonda Bianca Sfumata DiRosa (H) Eggplant (L)
Nadia Eggplant (B)
Beatrice Eggplant (B)
Rosa Bianca Eggplant (B)
Black Beauty Eggplant
Bright Lights Swiss Chard
Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard
Georgia Southern Collards
Tyee Spinach
Arugala Rocket
Butternut Crunch Lettuce
Black-Seeded Simpson Lettuce
Allstar Gourmet Lettuce Mix
Red Sails Lettuce
Sweetie Baby Romaine (B)
Pontiac Red Potatoes
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Kennebec Potatoes
Georgia Jet Sweet Potatoes
Touchstone Gold Beets
Detroit Dark Red Beets
Chiogga Beets
Sugar Snap Peas
Wando Peas
Snow Crown Cauliflower
Waltham 29 Broccoli
Pixie Cabbage (B)
Windsor Fava Beans
Goldrush Wax Beans
Royal Burgandy Beans
Blue Lake Beans
Romano Italian Beans 
Hutterite Soup Beans (H) (L)
Harwig's Belgium Beans (H) (L)
Dragons Tongue Beans (H) (L)
Straight-Eight Cucumbers
Endeavor Pickling Cucumber (B)
Boston Pickling Cucumber (J)
Sugarsnax 54 Carrots
American Purple-Top Yello Rutabaga
Admiral Garden Bell (B)
Vidi Crimson Bell (B)
Orange Valencia Bell (B)
Ace Sweet Bell Peppers
Japanese Yubari King-Type Cantelope (L)
Gallery Galia Melon (B)
Solid Gold Melon (B)
Earlidew Honeydew  (B)
Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe
Crimson Sweet Watermelon
Strawberries

Now can you understand why I need a fourth plot?~  Oh my, after looking at this list, I'm wondering if I need a fifth?

AKA The Eggshell Lady??

Well, a little background here -- I have four outdoor compost bins.  I have two in the backyard, and two over at my community garden plots. I have been working very diligently to produce the fastest and most nutritious compost that I can to use in my garden this spring and summer.  This has involved runs to various Starbucks to get LOTS of coffee grounds (high nitrogen which heats up the pile, and the worms love them), shredding tons of bags of leaves from my neighbors, and last week - a trip to our local microbrewery to get spent grains (again, high nitrogen which heats up the pile).  This has also brought me a great deal of teasing by my family!

Yes, that is STEAM that you see in my compost.  And, yes, it was only 18 degrees out today when I took the picture. 

So, I was thinking last week about how much wasted food, etc., goes so unnecessarily into our landfills.  My girlfriends and I often have breakfast at a local deli.  So, last night when they did their weekend prep for omelettes, pancakes, and waffles, they saved their eggshells for my compost bins (they go through about 30 cases of eggs per week).  Eggshells are an excellent source of calcium for compost (which then feeds my plants).  And, worms love them!

 After I brought the eggshells home (and closed up the bag after taking this picture), I stepped all over the bag to crush them really well.  They are now distributed throughout my two backyard composts bins. 

When I picked up the eggshells this morning, the owner acknowledged me as I was speaking to an employee, lifting his hand, and saying, "Ah, the eggshell lady"!  Hmm, it makes me wonder what other names I may have been given by employees of those other businesses!

I LOVE MY WORMS!!

My latest endeavor this week -- starting a vermicompost bin (in simple terms -- indoor worm compost bin).  I am very fortunate to have a wonderful friend that I can talk into doing pretty much any of these crazy things with me!  We started talking about it last Friday -- read, researched on-line, met with the wormlady (an experienced worm composter), and shopped for our supplies.

Our red wigglers arrived on Thursday afternoon.  Laurie and I set about making their new homes.  After much contemplation (most commercial worm bins run $60+ - we wanted to keep the costs to a bare minimum to start), we decided on 5-gallon Rubbermaid containers (on sale at Walmart for $1) and drilled holes in the side  and top for air circulation.  We used plastic 1 1/2" "washers" covered with pantyhose nylon (to keep fruit flies out) on the sides, and I used an upside-down canning ring covered with pantyhose nylon on the top.  We layered pieces of cardboard and shredded newspapers for the bedding, along with shredded leaves and a bit of garden soil.

Then came time to add the worms.  We ordered them on-line from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm for $20/lb.  We ordered 2,000 worms (2 lbs.)  - 1 lb. for each of us.  He was supposed to send them in two separate bags so that we would not have to divide them.  Well, he must have forgotten . . .

 Next, we dumped the worms in.  We then added about a pound of food to each bin, i.e., coffee grounds, tea bags, crushed egg shells, veggie and fruit trimmings (lettuce, tomatoes, banana peels, blueberries, etc.)  We then covered them with torn, moist newspaper, and popped the lids on. 

Red wigglers will consume their weight in food each day (i.e., 1 lb. of worms will eat about 1 lb. of food each day).  They will also reproduce and double their population in about 90 days. The worm castings/fertilizer/compost that they produce is one of the best fertilizers you can use on your plants.  It will take several months to produce the first amount which I will be saving to use in the planting holes when I put my tomato transplants in this spring.

I have checked on my worms several times each day and they look to be very happy and thriving in their new home!  By the way (I know what you are thinking), they will NOT even try to get out of the bin.  They love to burrow down in the moist bedding with their food.  As long as the environment and temperature are right, they won't want to go anywhere!  My friend Leah who lives out in Kingston, Washington, told me in a recent e-mail that she loves her worms.  Now I know what she meant!

STARTING MY GARDENING BLOG

Well, I finally did it.  Several people have told me this past year that I should start a gardening blog.   Of course, I will be learning as I go because I have NO IDEA whatsoever what I am doing -- only that I have a passion for gardening that I love to share. 


Don't expect anything fancy, but I can probably guarantee that the undertakings that I tell you about will bring you some good entertainment and maybe some belly laughs.  As my brother Joe called and told me earlier this week, everything that I do here is worth it for the entertainment that it brings my family.  He said (while laughing hysterically) that he has to give it to me, that whatever I do, I really do it right.  I have been told this before by many people.  I guess it's just my personality -- nothing in moderation!  We say it's  "the Kostial way" -- we all have it to some degree or another -- okay, maybe me more than most of the family -- I can't just do things in a small way!  My mom insists that they aren't laughing at me, only wondering just what I will come up with next. 

When I decided to start this blog, I tried to rally support for name ideas from my kids (okay - teenagers are NOT interested in this -- it's just weird to them).  I finally decided on my first choice, "Beyond Basil".  I finally made my decision (these don't come easily or quickly) and sat down all ready to get started, only to find out that the name was already taken.  I solicited the help of my creative quilt group to help me decide on a name.  So, I must credit my clever friend Kathy Fraeman with this name -- "Till It Like It Is".  I have to say, I do like it!