by Catherine Haug
During the discussion about deer fencing at our Root Cellars, Greenhouses & Gardens slideshow in June, Keith mentioned his “non-fence” system, and agreed to forward information on his system for our website. What follows is from the text of his email: (more…)
by Catherine Haug
Our June 24 gathering featured a 42 minute slideshow video produced by ESP. Most of the photos were taken by Edd Blackler; layout and video production by Catherine Haug. This summary includes some, but not all, of the photos used in the slideshow.
Locations featured:
Also included are a few ideas and recommendations from Root Cellaring by Mike & Nancy Bubel, and group discussion the night of the gathering.
See Gathering Summary: Gathering Summary: Root Cellars, Gardens & Greenhouses Slideshow, 062409, for complete printable pdf file of the event summary (496 kb, 10 pages).
See also EssentiaList Handout: Storage of Produce (128 kb pdf) including tips for storing fruits, vegetables and grains, and cold storage options for root veggies.
See also Motion-Activated, Non-Fence for Deer & Other Critters, with information from Keith B.
by Catherine Haug
Published June 8, 2009;
As a first time gardener, I keep my eyes and ears open to tips on gardening. Here are a few I’ve picked up this last week. If you have any gardening tips to add, send them my way and I’ll add them to the post. (more…)
by Catherine Haug
Fran and I are both documenting our garden progress on our ESP website. For Fran’s posts see: Gardening at Senior Housing, and Gardening at Senior Housing – June 1, 2009 Update. For my earlier post, see A Beginner’s Garden.
I’ve completed my first plantings, and most things are already growing or at least sprouted. Last fall I planted spinach and lettuce seeds, garlic cloves, and flowering allium in my main raised bed. All came up this spring, much to my delight! (more…)
by Fran Wade
This is an followup to my earlier post, Gardening at Senior Housing.
Had a little trouble rounding up my layering material for my lasagna garden plot, but 5/22, I finished it and planted my seedlings. Back 20 years ago when I had stock, it seemed there were always a few rotten bales laying around to use on a garden, but I hunted high and low before I located some. For reference, anyone looking for “used straw”, North Valley Ag, out on Hwy 2, beyond the airport, has a big stack of loose straw for the taking.
So I built up my 5’X5′ bed, about 15″ high. Would have liked to make it bigger, but ran out of materials. I think this Fall, I may add some more layers and let it cook over the winter. I made a small trellis for the snow peas, put in the kale and bush beans, and scattered some seeds for chard and salad greens.
Anne Guerrant, bless her industrious soul, and her green house, has some extra cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower starts she graciously shared. She also gave me a couple of heirloom tomato plants, I am going to put into a hanging planter. After everything was in the bed, I sprayed the leaves with some of that critter repellant made from habanera peppers. So far, so good, but I’ll cry “Success” at the end of the season if I have a garden to harvest. My okra plants are growing slowly and I’m still babying them, taking them in on cool nights.
The Senior Complex has sprouted about 4 more tomato planters. If they all bear well, everyone should get their lycopene this year.
by Catherine Haug
I’m just a first-time gardener, but I know that I’m a bit lazy. So the idea of allowing garden plants to reseed themselves, year after year, has it’s appeal for me. And also because as times get tougher, I may not be able to afford new seeds each year.
Reseeding is an interesting concept to which we may not give much consideration, as we eagerly peruse the seed catalogues each year, deciding what to plant for the coming year. I mean, most plants will naturally proliferate by seed, if we allow them to do that. It is Nature after all.
Perhaps the reason we don’t consider allowing them to reseed, is that we have no control over where the seeds will land and germinate. All our careful planning for crop rotation, gone to seed (as it were).
But as Gene Logsdon points out in his May 20, 2009 Energy Bulletin post, The gentle art of non-gardening, regarding his favorite bibb lettuce that he allows to re-seed, this practice produces hardier, faster growing vegetables: (more…)