Raised Beds with Pallets

You say that you are not so good with tools.  You say that you don't have money for wood and screws.  Well, you can still have a nice raised bed garden - and you'll even have a little help with weeds growing between your rows!

This concept is so simple, it merely requires a trip to your local warehouse row.  Pallets accumulate behind most any business that gets goods via truckload, and they often stack them out back for any takers to take.

Just staple some garden cloth on the underside to hold the soil in place (plastic with holes for drainage would work as well), fill with soil, and you are good to go.

Thanks to Josh Sczepanski for posting this on Facebook today and getting my mind stirred!

Gardening Word of the Day: Cotyledons

Tomato Seedlings after 1 week

After only one week, we have Tomato sprouts that are nearly to the top of the Jiffy Seed Starting Kit clear plastic cover.  Each has a pair of leaves that are nothing like the rest of the leaves it will produce.  They are called Cotyledons or "seed leaves", and they are the solar power panels to allow the roots to start to dig deeper, and to help generate the first real pair of leaves.

From Wikipedia:

"A cotyledon (pron.: /kɒtɨˈliːdən/; "seed leaf" from Greek: κοτυληδών kotylēdōn, gen.: κοτυληδόνος kotylēdonos, from κοτύλη kotýlē "cup, bowl") is a significant part of the embryo within the seed of a plant. Upongermination, the cotyledon may become the embryonic first leaves of a seedling. The number of cotyledons present is one characteristic used by botanists to classify the flowering plants (angiosperms). Species with one cotyledon are called monocotyledonous ("monocots"). Plants with two embryonic leaves are termed dicotyledonous ("dicots") and placed in the class Magnoliopsida.

In the case of dicot seedlings whose cotyledons are photosynthetic, the cotyledons are functionally similar to leaves. However, true leaves and cotyledons are developmentally distinct. Cotyledons are formed during embryogenesis, along with the root and shoot meristems, and are therefore present in the seed prior to germination. True leaves, however, are formed post-embryonically (i.e. after germination) from the shoot apical meristem, which is responsible for generating subsequent aerial portions of the plant."

In the next few days, we will be removing the cover, and allowing these sprouts to start spreading their leaf pairs.  We will keep them under the gentle LED light for at least another 2 weeks, before starting to put them under stronger Metal Halide lights.  This is an indoor version of hardening off the plants.

Once they have several leaf pairs, and maybe even some true branches, we will then transplant them into 2"x2" plastic starter pots, which fit neatly into trays.  They will remain in these until we transfer them to #1 pots (aka 1-gallon pots, although they aren't really 1-gallon) which is where they will remain until they are strong enough to be hardened off outside, then eventually planted under Wallowaters outdoors.

Sunset Magazine's Perfect Raised Bed Garden

Sunset's design is 8 feet long and 4 feet wide with
the middle is easily reachable from either side.

Sunset Magazine has posted a great article to make a simple raised-bed garden box.  I like the design overall, and they give excellent instructions on the materials as well as how to put them together.  I think it is a perfect design for those who look to get started quickly, cheaply, and with an emphasis on function.

The only thing I would say is a challenge with this design vs. the one we have used The OctoGarden is the positioning of the posts.  In this design, the posts are on the interior of the box, and the outer boards are screwed into it.  This makes for a very easy project to put it together vs. the metal angles we have used.

My concern is that I've seen the boards (particularly when purchased from Home Depot/Lowe's warp considerably in the first two years.  You can either hope the inevitable does not happen, or plan for it.  In this design by Sunset, I predict that some of the corners will start pulling apart after 2 seasons, and as a result the boards will no line up to create a crisp corner.

The OctoGarden's design (which is now in it's 5th season) allows for the warpage, but it occurs between the corner posts.  And, the galvanized metal angles on the interior flex to accomodate the warpage.  As a result, the boxes themselves retain their right-angle corners, and the wood between actually looks like we may have bent it for aesthetic appeal.   In reality, we've not tried to change the nature of what cheap wood does outdoors, but instead allowed and accounted for it in our design.

Whether you choose to go with Sunset's or our design, the most important part is the plants that go inside.  And, in that regard, you really can't go wrong either way.  The wood will hold the dirt, and your plants will thrive in raised-bed gardens.

See Sunset's design here: http://www.sunset.com/garden/perfect-raised-bed-00400000039550/

Tomatoes & Peppers from Seed vs. Store-Bought

Huge Soldaki's from 2012

Every year, we go through the same thing: Should we plant seeds for our Tomatoes and Peppers, or just wait around for the plants to start showing up at the Nurseries & Big Box Stores?

The decision, most often, depends upon our schedules, the weather, and whether we've done a good job at saving and/or sourcing seeds.  I've written in detail about that last year, but I wanted to point out that saving seeds is really easy once you've found varieties that you like.

In 2012, we had been given a Polish heirloom, Soldaki, from a friend, and we planted just one of them in a new area of the garden that had not previously been planted with tomatoes.  Well, that plant produced some of the largest tomatoes we've ever grown, and in abundance all the way until the first frost - and we picked dozens of green ones that were at all stages of development that lasted a full month after that frost!

Our schedule this year has been hectic, to say the least.  So earlier in the winter, we had decided that 2013 might just be a year we leaned on the Nurseries for our supply of tomatoes.  But, as we got to thinking about the Soldaki's in particular, we just couldn't bear the thought of missing out an all that salsa, marinara, and pico that we enjoyed all last summer - and even the frozen stuff we have in the freezer to enjoy today!

So, the process of saving seeds is easy.  While there's lots on the Internet showing you the "proper" ways, we've simply taken the gooey insides of the tomato that include the seeds, and put them onto a wax paper or a paper towel sitting on a paper plate.  After a few weeks, we bundle that up in a plastic bag, and put them in a cool dark place till spring.  They come off the wax paper more easily, but even with a little paper towel residue, they should germinate just fine.

This is, by the way, how to obtain heirloom seeds that you can't seem to find anywhere local or online.  We've all been to Farmer's Markets and Nurseries that have varieties that seem unobtainable elsewhere.  Well, just buy one plant, and save some seeds from the fruits - and voila, you've got those heirlooms in abundance to plant, harvest, and even share with others.

For seed starting, we recommend using Jiffy Self-Watering Heated Greenhouse.  It sounds fancy, but it's just 70 pellets in a plastic tray, with a clear-plastic top that keeps the moisture inside to cycle back and keep the peat moist for germination.  A heater pad goes underneath to keep the temperature optimal, and sprout those seeds quicker than they would on a drafty window sill.

We also use an indoor gardening light to keep the light on the seedlings regulated.  We use an LED light from Sunshine Systems (called a UFO) that gives the seedlings a mix of red and blue light, while only using 90 watts to output about the equivalent of 400 watts of light from other types of indoor growing lights.  Once they have several pairs of leaves, we start to harden them off with a stronger Metal Halide indoor light.

Generally, you can start seeds indoors about 5-8 weeks before you want to plant outdoors.  The stronger they are when they see the real sun and wind, the more likely they are to survive.  I can't emphasize enough that you need to put them out for small amounts of time each day (maybe 30 minutes the first day, graduating up to a few hours) until they seem strong enough to withstand spring breezes.

Also, Wallowaters are extremely helpful when planting outdoors, as they give tomatoes much warmer temperatures to vegetate.  You want a big healthy plant with lots of vine branches before it starts flowering to maximize your harvest.

Well, hoping that everyone puts on their gardening hats and gets their seedlings started, or starts looking for their seeds for a bountiful 2013!

Preparing the Asparagus Bed

We are now in our 3rd season since planting Asparagus.  And, since we planted starts that were already through a complete season, it's technically season number 4 for these plants.

Last year, we got enough sprouts for one meal.  Yes, it was quite tasty, but clearly just a tease for what is to come.  We look forward to the years in the future when this Asparagus bed will feed us multiple meals each spring.

While we debated how many of the sprouts to harvest last year, it's my opinion that we were a bit too conservative.  In order to get the bed to mature, it's important to let some go to fern - but I think we may have taken that a bit far.  It was an Asparagus jungle!

On 3/10/13, I finally decided to look up a bit more information about when and how to trim back the ferns from the prior year.  It can be a bit confusing, as much of this information is derived from various message boards, where any yahoo can voice their opinion.  After a bit of research, I concluded that a majority of gardeners recommend clipping the ferns down at the end of the season - after the plants have turned brown and dried.

But, what do you do in Colorado, when we were still harvesting Lettuce and Spinach until December 7 last year?



Arguably, the Asparagus seccumbed to the frosts in November, but we really didn't have a good hard freeze until well into December.  And, by that time, we were busy with many other things unrelated to the garden.  It wasn't until March that I thought about it again!

So, I clipped the stalks down to about 6" above the soil line, and called it good.  Looking at the stalks, there wasn't any green in them.  They were completely dried out, and rather stiff.  I used clippers usually reserved for trimming small bush and tree branches to get through it, as bypass clippers were not doing the job well.

At this point, we are just watering the bed once a week to help these Asparagus sprouts find their way to the surface as soon as possible.  We just can't wait for some tasty Asparagus this spring!

Where do you get seeds?

Every spring, we get the question: Where do we buy our seeds?

Still germinating 5 years later!

Over the past 13 years, the answer has varied quite a bit.  Like most, we started at our local nurseries, which often have a good selection of the basics.  Some only have one brand of seeds, which may not seem like that big of a deal because they generally have a wide variety.  However, over time, our desire to grow heirloom and exotic varieties tended to make our searches go beyond our local geography.  Not necessarily because it could not be found, but simply because it was time-consuming.

We search for both organic varieties when we buy our seeds, which are almost always more expensive.  But before saying "I can't afford that", lets break down the costs in a logical manner.

1.  While there may be a difference in the package price between organic and non-organic, it's generally along the lines of $1.89 vs. $2.39.  Yes, in percentage terms, that is large.  But, you aren't growing acres of crops either.  It's an extra 50 cents, and you are getting many plants - often more than you have room for in your garden.  Try to think of the cost in terms of cost per plant.  It's pennies, if not fractions of pennies.

2.  You can purchase larger quantities.  The Spinach seeds we have been using recently are $2.39 for 3 grams.  However, if you buy the 12-gram package, the price is $3.99.  Don't worry about extras - see the next point.

3.  Most seeds will keep for multiple seasons.  And, even though they have expiration dates or germination predictions/deadlines on the packaging, we have found some to germinate just fine 3-5 seasons after the packaging would have you think you should try.  Our most famous example is some Sweet Basil we got from Seeds of Change in 2007, due to expire in 2009.  It was about 5000 seeds, and we probably have 1/3 of them still left in 2012.  They germinated just fine last year.  And we freeze at least 50 packs of pesto each winter.

Pepperoncini's are hard to find!

So here are the three main sources of seeds for us:

Seeds of Change: They are all organic, have excellent service, and we never worry about our orders arriving.  Unless, of course, we wait too late in the season for some varieties to be sold out.

Seed Saver's Exchange: We stumbled upon this source when trying to find Purple Pole Beans.  They are a great source of hard-to-find varieties.

Botanical Interest (also at Vitamin Cottage & Whole Foods in CO): A great source of unique types of seeds.  We like to grow lots of peppers, and we tried Pepperoncini - a pepper we know from our Chicago days eating Italian Beefs. It's one of the few companies we've found this variety. Both food store chains have excellent stock of these heirloom and exotic varieties, so a great place to shop if you don't know what you want ahead of time.

Bounty Beyond Belief: We recently got some purple and red carrots from this company at Bath Nursery in Fort Collins.  It's a new brand for us, but we were excited to see these unique varieties.

Because no garden is complete without purple and red carrots!

Planting Onions with Respect

In year’s past, we’ve always planted Onions in the inbetween places in our garden.  Frequently, this is the perimeter of some planter where they tend to get shaded out by whatever plant we’ve squeezed it in next to.  We are notorious for jamming as many plants into our planters as possible, often ignoring the recommendations for spacing.  

And, we also broke another cardinal sin – Onions have shallow roots that spread out wide from the plant.  They don’t like to have their surrounding soil disturbed.  We planted them immediately next to things that needed to be harvested earlier, or required a late-season replanting, we were interrupting their peaceful growth.  Head-slap.

Onions 2011, sharing with Cucumber Trellis space

Our Onion crops definitely have been weak, as a result of both of these factors.  It's a simple matter of respect.  If you want them to be filler around other plants, they won't be getting the full nutrients and attention that would make them the lead vs. second fiddle.

This year is the year for our Onions to graduate and take the lead.  So, we decided to rotate crops in our planters a bit, and take advantage of the new planters in our Berry Garden.  We consulted the Vegetable Gardner’s Bible to make sure we were not following incompatible crops.  That book is such a timesaver, because you can just look up any vegetable, and it will tell you what is safe to follow, and what is not.  No guesswork at all.

Small Onions near harvest time 2011

We decided that after 3 seasons on the front entrance to our garden, it was time to move Sweet Basil to a different 4x4 box in the OctoGarden.  Onions would now take their place.  This time, they would be spaced right, and we already have the drip irrigation in this box – a trend I will convert the rest of the garden to this season.

We removed the remaining Sweet Basil stalks and root balls from the prior season by using a pitchfork on the soil first to loosen it up.  We then turn the soil over more vigorously, breaking up the larger clumps by hand.  Once the old soil is broken down to a homogeneous fine granular state, then we mix in some compost until the color is even.   

Onion Box, divided into 4 sections with Plant Bundles

Using a Yardstick for spacing the planting

Finished planting with drip irrigation

There are two types of Onions you will generally find at your local Nursery or Farmer’s Market: Sets and Plants.  Basically, Sets are teeny weeny little baby plants, all wrapped in a bundle.  Plants are simply larger.  And, there’s a wide variation in both bundles.  But, as you can imagine, you get more plants in the Sets Bundle (usually 50-100) than the Plants Bundle (usually 20-30).

I went shopping for the Onions this year all on my own.  Deb said Sets, but of course I spaced out and bought Plants.  In the end, I think we actually come out better with the Plants, and here is why:  We always end up wasting Sets, as we want to have more than one variety, but it’s just way too many at once in the small spaces we’ve allowed.  So, while you pay less per Set than you pay per Plant, in the end you can spend slightly less by getting the right number of Plants with no waste. 

Not to mention the plants are weeks farther along so a bigger chance to get larger Onions.

We divided the garden into 4 sections, and then within each section measured out spacing to keep the onions 4 inches apart.  We used a wooden yardstick from Home Depot to measure, and just used our forefingers to poke holes in the soil.  The Onion Plants are narrower than a pencil, so a hole the size of your finger is plenty to get their roots into the soil.  Remember that they grow mostly out of the soil, with only their butts and the shallow roots into the soil, only a few inches at best.

We alternated the 4” spacing in 5 rows of 5 Plants, to create 4 sections with 25 plants each.  We planted Red  Zeppelin, Walla Walla,  Candy Apple Red, and Spanish Yellow Onions this year.  100 total Onions in our box that is approximately 40” by 40” on the inside.

We hope that by giving them the peace of having their own box, and a consistent soil that won’t be disturbed, we can get some full-sized Onions this year. 

OTHER PICTURES 

Alternating spacing between rows

Make the holes first, plant later