At last! Some rain. 11mm on Friday evening, and another 11.5mm last night. A reasonable looking forecast for more rain on Wednesday -- should be great queueing to vote in the rain ;-) -- and maybe some more next weekend.
Does this mean the drought is finally over? The ground is still terribly dry, and the dams remain empty. Still, we remain optimistic, so I ran out and planted some stuff, just in time for last night's rain: a salad planting, and some Onions interplanted with Peas. I'm still not taking a chance with anything that's valuable or where I have very small seed-stocks. So things like Spelt and the new Chickpeas are going to have to wait until the water situation looks a little better.
I'm trying a little variation on my standard salad-planting... The normal pattern is about 1.5m of bed containing 3 rows of loose-leaf lettuces, all mixed-up, densely sown, and harvested with the sheep-shears. In between those rows go a row of Rocket and a row of Red Mustard -- we love the flavour combination. In the past I've tried to squeeze Radishes in, too, but in truth it doesn't work too well; the Radishes grow at such a different pace to the leaves that they're better off in their own space. This time I've cut down to 2 rows of Lettuces, a row each of the Rocket and Red Mustard, and put the Radishes into the middle row. We should get a better Lettuce/Rocket/Mustard ration that way, and the Radishes should just be separate enough. We're trying a Black Radish brought back from France by my parents... can't wait to taste it!
The Onions came out of their seed-tray just in time! I've only planted 3 rows so far, and put in another row each of shelling Peas ("Greenfeast") and yellow Snow Peas. The Peas should be long gone by the time the Onions want more space, and hopefully the Onions will be able to steal a little N from the Peas in their early days. It's a good theory anyway...
Its good to have some moisture on the ground again! Let's hope this is not just a flash in the pan.
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
20 April 2009
03 January 2009
'Tis the Season to be Hoeing
Actually everything is pretty-much all hoed at the moment. I confess that I've seldom had the veggie garden so well organised at this point in the year. I even have the "leisure" to break new ground!
It's almost time for the Hopi Black beans to get harvested. They're looking pretty good, despite not having had water in over 6 weeks, now. I always treat drying-beans as a dryland crop, and we've not had decent rain since mid-November. Curses! The total rainfall for December was a mere 25mm (1 inch) and this month doesn't look like being much better... no reasonable probability of rain in the next two weeks. The dam is looking pretty empty right now, and I don't suppose I have enough water left for more than another 10 days or so, and, at that, I'm reserving the water for the highest-value crops -- the Tomatoes, Chillis and Squashes. After that I'll have to look into hiring a pump to move water from the Bottom Dam up to the Garden Dam. And buy 150m of pipe... :-(
The Squashes -- baby marrows and baby Yellow Crooknecks -- are producing nicely, as are Kohlrabi and the first of the Tomatillo. We're eager for the first Tomatoes, though.
The season's Mystery Tomato (in the 2nd pic down)... who knows? I'm very happy, though, since I've been longing for a larger-than-cherry-sized salad tomato, and this looks like fitting the bill nicely. The bush pictured here is a volunteer in amongst the beans, so my best guess is either Black Cherry (though I got none of them last year) or some random cross between something like Gold Nugget and maybe Tigerella -- based in the stripes. Or Red Cherry and Tigerella. Trouble is, there's another bush not far away, so that argues against a cross. Time may tell...
At least the Brandywines are looking good (pic 3.) and flowering nicely, if a little later than usual.
At the opposite end of the garden, we have OSU Blue Tomatoes (pic 4) -- seed kindly sent by a fellow denizen of Alan Bishop's Homegrown Goodness board. The seed arrived just yesterday, so I've banged a few seeds (3 to be exact) directly into the ground. It might be too late in the season for any good to come of it, but... nothing ventured, nothing gained!
The season has been so strange to date that there's no predicting what may happen with the weather, come May. November was quite "normal" with good rains, as should be! December has been very weird. Tiny, useless driblets of rain causing more harm than good, pretty high humidity (which usually doesn't hit us until at least mid-Jan) and lots of cloudy, overcast days. The result is that everything is growing quite slowly -- especially the Chillis. Thankfully no signs of Blight (yet!) Everything gets a good watering twice a week. As long as the water holds out.
At least the dry conditions mean that the lawn has stopped growing. No mowing! Yay!
It's almost time for the Hopi Black beans to get harvested. They're looking pretty good, despite not having had water in over 6 weeks, now. I always treat drying-beans as a dryland crop, and we've not had decent rain since mid-November. Curses! The total rainfall for December was a mere 25mm (1 inch) and this month doesn't look like being much better... no reasonable probability of rain in the next two weeks. The dam is looking pretty empty right now, and I don't suppose I have enough water left for more than another 10 days or so, and, at that, I'm reserving the water for the highest-value crops -- the Tomatoes, Chillis and Squashes. After that I'll have to look into hiring a pump to move water from the Bottom Dam up to the Garden Dam. And buy 150m of pipe... :-(
The Squashes -- baby marrows and baby Yellow Crooknecks -- are producing nicely, as are Kohlrabi and the first of the Tomatillo. We're eager for the first Tomatoes, though.
The season's Mystery Tomato (in the 2nd pic down)... who knows? I'm very happy, though, since I've been longing for a larger-than-cherry-sized salad tomato, and this looks like fitting the bill nicely. The bush pictured here is a volunteer in amongst the beans, so my best guess is either Black Cherry (though I got none of them last year) or some random cross between something like Gold Nugget and maybe Tigerella -- based in the stripes. Or Red Cherry and Tigerella. Trouble is, there's another bush not far away, so that argues against a cross. Time may tell...
At least the Brandywines are looking good (pic 3.) and flowering nicely, if a little later than usual.
At the opposite end of the garden, we have OSU Blue Tomatoes (pic 4) -- seed kindly sent by a fellow denizen of Alan Bishop's Homegrown Goodness board. The seed arrived just yesterday, so I've banged a few seeds (3 to be exact) directly into the ground. It might be too late in the season for any good to come of it, but... nothing ventured, nothing gained!
The season has been so strange to date that there's no predicting what may happen with the weather, come May. November was quite "normal" with good rains, as should be! December has been very weird. Tiny, useless driblets of rain causing more harm than good, pretty high humidity (which usually doesn't hit us until at least mid-Jan) and lots of cloudy, overcast days. The result is that everything is growing quite slowly -- especially the Chillis. Thankfully no signs of Blight (yet!) Everything gets a good watering twice a week. As long as the water holds out.
At least the dry conditions mean that the lawn has stopped growing. No mowing! Yay!
06 October 2008
Hopi Black
Hooray! The Hopi Black Beans are finally up. It's certainly been a long wait... I'd almost given them up as a write-off.
In truth, though, it has been a late, cold Spring so far. Nights are still cold, and that also means that Chilli germination is exceedingly slow. So slow that I am worried that seeds may be rotting in their trays. So worried that I replanted a new batch of the Most Wanted Chillis last weekend.
The only chillis that are actually Jumping Up in their trays are the Habaneros. Far more than I can reasonably cope with. The other Big Surprise is the Hot Bananas -- a random cross between Sweet Banana and something hotter -- probably Jalapeno or Serrano. So what I have are the F1 children and we shall certainly have some surprises in store.
So here's an idea: Take a bunch of fresh Habaneros and chop their stem-ends off so that they're pretty-well opened up. Drown them in a jar of Honey. Leave alone for a few weeks. Hot Habanero Honey, anyone?
In truth, though, it has been a late, cold Spring so far. Nights are still cold, and that also means that Chilli germination is exceedingly slow. So slow that I am worried that seeds may be rotting in their trays. So worried that I replanted a new batch of the Most Wanted Chillis last weekend.
The only chillis that are actually Jumping Up in their trays are the Habaneros. Far more than I can reasonably cope with. The other Big Surprise is the Hot Bananas -- a random cross between Sweet Banana and something hotter -- probably Jalapeno or Serrano. So what I have are the F1 children and we shall certainly have some surprises in store.
So here's an idea: Take a bunch of fresh Habaneros and chop their stem-ends off so that they're pretty-well opened up. Drown them in a jar of Honey. Leave alone for a few weeks. Hot Habanero Honey, anyone?
09 September 2008
Winners in the Tomato All Comers Stakes...
First of the Tomatoes to germinate this year: Brandywines, (yay!) Cherokee Purple and Striped Roman.
In the seed-Lettuce departments we have the mysterious variety identified only as "Lettuce K" to this point, and -- this just in -- a couple of cells of "Merlot" -- a small, curly leafed variety, with the most intense deep-marron colour I have ever seen. The few plants I was keeping for seed last season got Take Out at the last minute by a dastardly Porcupine (or so I guess) so I was fearfully low on seed. Hopefully the current planting will rescue the situation.
I also noticed the very first couple of Dragon's Lingerie beans popping their heads out of the ground. Time to get the Hopi Black beans in, too, then (barring disaster) we'll be set for a year's-worth of dry beans. I'm pushing things a bit with the DL beans -- they're actually occupying a bed marked for Chillis in the rotation, but I'm betting I can plant the young Chillis out between the Beans, and then whip the Beans out before the Chillis need the space in any serious way.
No Chillis are up yet, but that's expected. We won't see them for at least another couple of weeks.
In the seed-Lettuce departments we have the mysterious variety identified only as "Lettuce K" to this point, and -- this just in -- a couple of cells of "Merlot" -- a small, curly leafed variety, with the most intense deep-marron colour I have ever seen. The few plants I was keeping for seed last season got Take Out at the last minute by a dastardly Porcupine (or so I guess) so I was fearfully low on seed. Hopefully the current planting will rescue the situation.
I also noticed the very first couple of Dragon's Lingerie beans popping their heads out of the ground. Time to get the Hopi Black beans in, too, then (barring disaster) we'll be set for a year's-worth of dry beans. I'm pushing things a bit with the DL beans -- they're actually occupying a bed marked for Chillis in the rotation, but I'm betting I can plant the young Chillis out between the Beans, and then whip the Beans out before the Chillis need the space in any serious way.
No Chillis are up yet, but that's expected. We won't see them for at least another couple of weeks.
28 August 2008
Hands in the Soil
What a great day it's been! I spent the entire day (well most of it, anyway) in the veggie garden. Planted a bed full of Dragon's Lingerie beans -- a great bean for drying. Cleared another bed for Carrots and Beets. Cleared weeds and thinned Beets. Cleared pathways and re-surveyed several of the beds that have "wandered" from years of being dug over using the Mark One Eyeball Edge Estimation Technique.
The weather was not brilliant -- windy with a not-so-subtlehint menace of chill, but better than the forecast for the weekend. That means I'll likely have be trapped indoors over the weekend, with plenty of time for my course-preparation work then, and I decided that I'd rather take advantage of my current happy-clientlessness and the half-decent weather to get preparations underway for the new season.
I really must build a compost heap, if only as a way to provide some bottom-heat for getting Chillis germinated. I have seed-trays planted out, but temperatures are certainly not what Chillis would really like, yet, so any help I can give them sounds like a good idea.
Even though I'm pretty out of shape from 9 months of deskwork and my lower-back and arms ache a bit, its a good ache! A much healthier feeling. I feel much, much better for having had my hands in the soil all day than I've ever got from having my hands on a keyboard all day.
The image of self-sufficiency as a life of pure drudgery and unremitting toil is just plain wrong. I can't imagine anything more drudgeful, unremitting and draining than a day of office politics, meetings and drearily coding CRUD1. The human mind, body and spirit are not made for that; we need variety. We need quiet time. We need non-thinking time. We need contact with the Earth; with the soil. Gardening gives us all these and more.
I recall reading that physical contact with the soil has been proven beneficial: Soil contains bacteria and fungi that stimulate endorhpin production and so literally makes us feel good! (Wish I could find the reference, but I can't. Anyone who does, please drop me a line.) I guess this assumes that your soil is healthy and free of toxic concoctions...
Whatever the reason... a Good Day!
----
[1] For non-computer people, that's a technical acronym for "Create Read Update Delete" -- the most boring, mindless and tedious kind of programming there is. And a whole bunch of what's wanted out of corporate software.
The weather was not brilliant -- windy with a not-so-subtle
I really must build a compost heap, if only as a way to provide some bottom-heat for getting Chillis germinated. I have seed-trays planted out, but temperatures are certainly not what Chillis would really like, yet, so any help I can give them sounds like a good idea.
Even though I'm pretty out of shape from 9 months of deskwork and my lower-back and arms ache a bit, its a good ache! A much healthier feeling. I feel much, much better for having had my hands in the soil all day than I've ever got from having my hands on a keyboard all day.
The image of self-sufficiency as a life of pure drudgery and unremitting toil is just plain wrong. I can't imagine anything more drudgeful, unremitting and draining than a day of office politics, meetings and drearily coding CRUD1. The human mind, body and spirit are not made for that; we need variety. We need quiet time. We need non-thinking time. We need contact with the Earth; with the soil. Gardening gives us all these and more.
I recall reading that physical contact with the soil has been proven beneficial: Soil contains bacteria and fungi that stimulate endorhpin production and so literally makes us feel good! (Wish I could find the reference, but I can't. Anyone who does, please drop me a line.) I guess this assumes that your soil is healthy and free of toxic concoctions...
Whatever the reason... a Good Day!
----
[1] For non-computer people, that's a technical acronym for "Create Read Update Delete" -- the most boring, mindless and tedious kind of programming there is. And a whole bunch of what's wanted out of corporate software.
24 August 2008
Sproing
Spring seems to be springing up on us again. Comfrey is making new leaves, Apple trees are blossoming, and various birds are growing their mating plumage.
Time to get a-planting! Sowed trays of Tomatoes -- 14 varieties, despite my solemn promise to myself to focus on fewer varieties this year -- and Chillis -- 10 varieties so far, but I still have to sow the "large quantities wanted" varieties: Jalapeño, Serrano, Cherry and Habanero.
Also managed to get some Squashes into the ground, in a bed close-by where I can cage and guard them closely against the dread Pumpkin Flies -- If I can just get 2-dozen undamaged squashies off that lot we'll be set for a year's supply. Black Futsu and some anonymous Japanese-origin winter squash already planted; must still get come Butternuts and Gems (Acorn Squash) into the ground. According to local weatherlore, I'm 10 days late with Squash sowing! Summer Squashes will come and go as space and fancy permits. Cucumbers will have to share space with the Grapevines and Granadillas -- I don't have the time to give them their own dedicated space.
I'm also way behind on compost making, so its going to be a chaotic and challenging season this year. Mostly due to my being chained to a desk this year. Though its been good for the bank-balance, I'mvery glad relieved beyond belief that my contract comes to an end on Monday and I can gleefully fire the bunch of halfwits I've been working for, and get back some balance and garden time.
Sorted out the Lettuce seed stock, so now I have a clear idea of which Lettuce varieties need propagating-up to get the volumes healthy. It's pretty challenging keeping 16 varieties of Lettuce all going at once.
Sadly the Mangels I was growing for seed (they're biennial, so need two years to produce seed) were taken out by Rats during the Winter. Fortunately I still have enough seed to start again.
Mustn't forget to sow Basil, Lemon Basil, Parsley, Coriander, Bok Choi, Tatsoi (sp?), sundry Cabbage Tribe, get some Sweet Potato runners,... oh! and beans for drying are wanted in Significant Measure this year. It is not very difficult to get self-sufficient in Beans for a year, even though I like Beans (A Lot!) as they're such a trouble-free crop. Not to mention that, last time I checked, prices for dried Beans and Lentils were over 150% higher (globally!) than last year. Then, too, I'm keen to try my hand at growing Sorghum for feeding to the chooks.
Lots of work ahead to get beds prepared... that old Spring Panic again!
Time to get a-planting! Sowed trays of Tomatoes -- 14 varieties, despite my solemn promise to myself to focus on fewer varieties this year -- and Chillis -- 10 varieties so far, but I still have to sow the "large quantities wanted" varieties: Jalapeño, Serrano, Cherry and Habanero.
Also managed to get some Squashes into the ground, in a bed close-by where I can cage and guard them closely against the dread Pumpkin Flies -- If I can just get 2-dozen undamaged squashies off that lot we'll be set for a year's supply. Black Futsu and some anonymous Japanese-origin winter squash already planted; must still get come Butternuts and Gems (Acorn Squash) into the ground. According to local weatherlore, I'm 10 days late with Squash sowing! Summer Squashes will come and go as space and fancy permits. Cucumbers will have to share space with the Grapevines and Granadillas -- I don't have the time to give them their own dedicated space.
I'm also way behind on compost making, so its going to be a chaotic and challenging season this year. Mostly due to my being chained to a desk this year. Though its been good for the bank-balance, I'm
Sorted out the Lettuce seed stock, so now I have a clear idea of which Lettuce varieties need propagating-up to get the volumes healthy. It's pretty challenging keeping 16 varieties of Lettuce all going at once.
Sadly the Mangels I was growing for seed (they're biennial, so need two years to produce seed) were taken out by Rats during the Winter. Fortunately I still have enough seed to start again.
Mustn't forget to sow Basil, Lemon Basil, Parsley, Coriander, Bok Choi, Tatsoi (sp?), sundry Cabbage Tribe, get some Sweet Potato runners,... oh! and beans for drying are wanted in Significant Measure this year. It is not very difficult to get self-sufficient in Beans for a year, even though I like Beans (A Lot!) as they're such a trouble-free crop. Not to mention that, last time I checked, prices for dried Beans and Lentils were over 150% higher (globally!) than last year. Then, too, I'm keen to try my hand at growing Sorghum for feeding to the chooks.
Lots of work ahead to get beds prepared... that old Spring Panic again!
13 July 2008
Blissful Winter's Day
What a beautiful day! Perfect warm sunshine after a couple of weeks of cold and dreary -- shorts 'n' T-shirt weather.
Just the right sort of day for starting to clear up the Wintering beds and begin preparing for Spring. Things have gotten pretty wild, what with me being otherwise occupied in Babylon earning Monkeys. Kikuyu grass has crept into several of the beds... weeds mulching all the empty spaces that now -- some of them at least -- needing to be cleared.
Planted another length of salad-mix -- direct sown, mixed, looseleaf Lettuces in three rows, interspersed with a row each of Rocket and Red Mustard. The combination works perfectly; once the plants are all up to a harvestable (but still baby) size, I can just snip a swathe across the bed for a supper's salad, and get the perfect mix of leaves that we love best.
A "length" of bed perhaps needs some explanation. All of my deep beds are 1m wide by 11m long. 1m of the length is taken by plantings of insect-attracting herbs at each end of the bed, leaving me with 10m2 to work with. (Close enough to 100sq.ft. for the metrically-challenged.) Very convenient if I ever get around to keeping yield records1. The "length" to which I refer -- the usual "unit of planting" for many things like salading, Beets, Swiss Chard, Carrots -- is the length of my rake handle -- about 1.5m. It is a pretty convenient length for successive sowings. I lay the rake down along the bed and draw a drill with the hoe. The width of the rake-head gives me a guide for spacing rows... works perfectly for me.
Next month starts the busy season -- seed plantings... I really must get around to checking the seed stocks, but I'm pretty sure that I've got everything we'll want. I do need to get some new strains of Jalapenos and Serrano peppers in, but apart from that, I should be able to plant entirely from my own seed-saving. A small but critical step in our goal of self-sufficiency.
All-in-all a great day! It was just so nice to be out in the garden instead of stuck behind a monitor.
[1] i.e. Bloody unlikely!
Just the right sort of day for starting to clear up the Wintering beds and begin preparing for Spring. Things have gotten pretty wild, what with me being otherwise occupied in Babylon earning Monkeys. Kikuyu grass has crept into several of the beds... weeds mulching all the empty spaces that now -- some of them at least -- needing to be cleared.
Planted another length of salad-mix -- direct sown, mixed, looseleaf Lettuces in three rows, interspersed with a row each of Rocket and Red Mustard. The combination works perfectly; once the plants are all up to a harvestable (but still baby) size, I can just snip a swathe across the bed for a supper's salad, and get the perfect mix of leaves that we love best.
A "length" of bed perhaps needs some explanation. All of my deep beds are 1m wide by 11m long. 1m of the length is taken by plantings of insect-attracting herbs at each end of the bed, leaving me with 10m2 to work with. (Close enough to 100sq.ft. for the metrically-challenged.) Very convenient if I ever get around to keeping yield records1. The "length" to which I refer -- the usual "unit of planting" for many things like salading, Beets, Swiss Chard, Carrots -- is the length of my rake handle -- about 1.5m. It is a pretty convenient length for successive sowings. I lay the rake down along the bed and draw a drill with the hoe. The width of the rake-head gives me a guide for spacing rows... works perfectly for me.
Next month starts the busy season -- seed plantings... I really must get around to checking the seed stocks, but I'm pretty sure that I've got everything we'll want. I do need to get some new strains of Jalapenos and Serrano peppers in, but apart from that, I should be able to plant entirely from my own seed-saving. A small but critical step in our goal of self-sufficiency.
All-in-all a great day! It was just so nice to be out in the garden instead of stuck behind a monitor.
[1] i.e. Bloody unlikely!
19 December 2007
Best Laid Plans, Plins, Plons, Ploons
So the Summer garden is suffering badly from neglect, the brewing project is going much, much slower than desired, and I've left this blog alone for far too long. In part I can blame the weather: its been quite wet so far this season. Not that we're complaining about having plenty of water...
After the very early start this Spring, everything ran to a standstill for quite a while. I thought perhaps it was just me doing something odd, but after a couple of other local gardeners made similar comments I have to conclude that there's been something odd going on with the weather.
But the excuses aside! I've been hacking away in front of a computer. I landed some paying development work, and decided to take it on in the interests of Earning Money -- something of a novelty after almost three years of Living By Our Wits! There are a few things I'd like to do that will benefit from some cash injection from the Evil Empire... solar panels, (electrical ones -- we're already more-than-well set up with hot water panels!) paying for Dale's University Sojourns, (so far he's doing it in far better time than I did, so I'm not in a position to criticise!) fixing the Rotovator so that I can nail the Kikuyu and get going with grains, wire bins for more compost heaps, plus some for mushrooms, a wood stove... there's A List.
We've been reaping the benefit of earlier work -- scapes and giant "Garlic", beautiful Cabbages and Kohlrabi, beans ready to be harvested for drying,... but some of the harvest is certainly going to take a knock!
Oh well, Needle, Nardle, Noo, and on we Goo...
After the very early start this Spring, everything ran to a standstill for quite a while. I thought perhaps it was just me doing something odd, but after a couple of other local gardeners made similar comments I have to conclude that there's been something odd going on with the weather.
But the excuses aside! I've been hacking away in front of a computer. I landed some paying development work, and decided to take it on in the interests of Earning Money -- something of a novelty after almost three years of Living By Our Wits! There are a few things I'd like to do that will benefit from some cash injection from the Evil Empire... solar panels, (electrical ones -- we're already more-than-well set up with hot water panels!) paying for Dale's University Sojourns, (so far he's doing it in far better time than I did, so I'm not in a position to criticise!) fixing the Rotovator so that I can nail the Kikuyu and get going with grains, wire bins for more compost heaps, plus some for mushrooms, a wood stove... there's A List.
We've been reaping the benefit of earlier work -- scapes and giant "Garlic", beautiful Cabbages and Kohlrabi, beans ready to be harvested for drying,... but some of the harvest is certainly going to take a knock!
Oh well, Needle, Nardle, Noo, and on we Goo...
09 September 2007
Catching Up (A Little)
Whew! Busy times mean less blogging. Consider this a quick catch-up, and I'll try and fill in the gaps in a couple of weeks' time.
Veggies
Despite the Wounded Knee (still troubling me, forcing me to move slowly and carefully, but steadily getting better, thanks!) I've managed to dig eight new beds so far, with another 5 to go before I reach my goal. I don't expect too much out of the new beds -- they still need a couple of years of composting before they reach a good level of health.
The Tomatoes have come up. The first were already showing their heads last Friday, only five days after they were sown. This is out in the open , mind-- no greenhouse, no glass, no bottom heat. Only the Tigerellas are being tardy. (Uh Oh!) Tomatillos are up, alongside Radicchio, Lettuce mix, Endive, some of the Squashes and Artichokes, and even a few of the Chillis. (That was quick!) I'll follow-up with yet another sowing of most of these again towards the end of the month.
So What's Been Happening?
So what has kept us so busy, you may wonder... Older Son is getting married next weekend, so we're having family from both sides descend on us for the coming week :-O Bride's family are all from Pietermaritzburg, Groom's from Cape Town. Don't expect much in the way of farm news for the next couple of weeks.
During a couple of rainy days early last week I managed to get closer to the finish line with a software project I've been working on sporadically for a couple of months. More when I'm closer toreleasing unleashing it on the unsuspecting world! A hint: it's to do with my main passions and predilections -- gardening, seed-saving and tilting at corporatist/ globalist windmills.
The Mushroom Book arrived, Hooray! Paul Stammets' Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms. Wow! Everything from A to Z. So lots to learn. Already I'm trying to figure how and when to incorporate fungal growth into my soil improvement efforts.
Veggies
Despite the Wounded Knee (still troubling me, forcing me to move slowly and carefully, but steadily getting better, thanks!) I've managed to dig eight new beds so far, with another 5 to go before I reach my goal. I don't expect too much out of the new beds -- they still need a couple of years of composting before they reach a good level of health.
The Tomatoes have come up. The first were already showing their heads last Friday, only five days after they were sown. This is out in the open , mind-- no greenhouse, no glass, no bottom heat. Only the Tigerellas are being tardy. (Uh Oh!) Tomatillos are up, alongside Radicchio, Lettuce mix, Endive, some of the Squashes and Artichokes, and even a few of the Chillis. (That was quick!) I'll follow-up with yet another sowing of most of these again towards the end of the month.
So What's Been Happening?
So what has kept us so busy, you may wonder... Older Son is getting married next weekend, so we're having family from both sides descend on us for the coming week :-O Bride's family are all from Pietermaritzburg, Groom's from Cape Town. Don't expect much in the way of farm news for the next couple of weeks.
During a couple of rainy days early last week I managed to get closer to the finish line with a software project I've been working on sporadically for a couple of months. More when I'm closer to
The Mushroom Book arrived, Hooray! Paul Stammets' Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms. Wow! Everything from A to Z. So lots to learn. Already I'm trying to figure how and when to incorporate fungal growth into my soil improvement efforts.
25 August 2007
The Battle of Wounded Knee
Why does Bad Stuff always, always choose the worst possible time to happen? Spring is almost upon us; I am expanding the planting space quite a lot -- from the 13 beds that we already have, to at least 26. (For the first time ever I'll be making beds in sizes other than 10m2. Gosh! Adventure!) I have already dug 6 of the new beds. I also have to get compost heaps going to feed all those new beds, otherwise they'll be quite useless.
Work was coming along quite nicely, when it all came to an abrupt halt. About a week ago I managed to do Something Evil to my right knee. Now, I have quite a high tolerance for pain, so, in my normal fashion, "just lived with it", apart from trying to move in ways that don't agravate the pain or stress my knee. I figure that pain serves a function. But alas! It's no good. I keep doing Bad Things, like kneeling down to pull some weeds, or cut some Lettuce for a salad. Yesterday I gave in and resorted to anti-inflammatory tablets. Trouble is, right now, faced with the busiest time of year, I can't do much of anything.
Just as well we had rain for the last few days -- a nice, soft, soaking rain -- not much in volume, but it has done a world of good for the soil and seedlings. That kept me indoors and quiet (and frustrated, and cabin-fevered) for most of the week, and now the soil is far too wet to work for at least a couple of days (except I could be hauling horse-shit and making compost heaps, and spreading wood-shavings in pathways, preparing insect-netting, building a greenhouse...) Still, happy to have had the rain, though.
The Tomatoes and Chillis I planted last month have started showing-up in their trays. Some of them are still MIA, but I'm quite surprised to see anything of them at all. This weekend will see the start of serious planting of Tomatoes, Chillis, Basil, Tomatillos and Tamarillos in seed trays. Pole Beans, too, if The Knee holds out, since that means bending down. Last weekend was the Squashies.
I always have a great deal of difficulty with the Squash Tribe as they fruit just when Fruit/Pumpkin Flies are at their most prolific, and we frequently lose close to 100% of the crop. Last year I partially solved the problem with a very light-grade shade net -- 12% shading -- and got a decent harvest. Trouble is its a damn expensive way to cover a very small area. We've only last week eaten the last of the stored Squashes. Black Futsu proved themselves quite hardy to the Fruit Fly stings, with about 40% of the crop getting by without any netting at all. Then I heard a secret from the largest ("conventional") veggie farmer locally. "Sow seed on the 14th of August." By the time the Fruit Flies are rampaging, the Squashes and Pumpkins are hard and thick enough to resist the stings.
So that's what I did. Here's hoping it works even a little bit!
Work was coming along quite nicely, when it all came to an abrupt halt. About a week ago I managed to do Something Evil to my right knee. Now, I have quite a high tolerance for pain, so, in my normal fashion, "just lived with it", apart from trying to move in ways that don't agravate the pain or stress my knee. I figure that pain serves a function. But alas! It's no good. I keep doing Bad Things, like kneeling down to pull some weeds, or cut some Lettuce for a salad. Yesterday I gave in and resorted to anti-inflammatory tablets. Trouble is, right now, faced with the busiest time of year, I can't do much of anything.
Just as well we had rain for the last few days -- a nice, soft, soaking rain -- not much in volume, but it has done a world of good for the soil and seedlings. That kept me indoors and quiet (and frustrated, and cabin-fevered) for most of the week, and now the soil is far too wet to work for at least a couple of days (except I could be hauling horse-shit and making compost heaps, and spreading wood-shavings in pathways, preparing insect-netting, building a greenhouse...) Still, happy to have had the rain, though.
The Tomatoes and Chillis I planted last month have started showing-up in their trays. Some of them are still MIA, but I'm quite surprised to see anything of them at all. This weekend will see the start of serious planting of Tomatoes, Chillis, Basil, Tomatillos and Tamarillos in seed trays. Pole Beans, too, if The Knee holds out, since that means bending down. Last weekend was the Squashies.
I always have a great deal of difficulty with the Squash Tribe as they fruit just when Fruit/Pumpkin Flies are at their most prolific, and we frequently lose close to 100% of the crop. Last year I partially solved the problem with a very light-grade shade net -- 12% shading -- and got a decent harvest. Trouble is its a damn expensive way to cover a very small area. We've only last week eaten the last of the stored Squashes. Black Futsu proved themselves quite hardy to the Fruit Fly stings, with about 40% of the crop getting by without any netting at all. Then I heard a secret from the largest ("conventional") veggie farmer locally. "Sow seed on the 14th of August." By the time the Fruit Flies are rampaging, the Squashes and Pumpkins are hard and thick enough to resist the stings.
So that's what I did. Here's hoping it works even a little bit!
24 July 2007
"Oh the Climate She Is a' Chaaaangin'"
(Apologies to Bob Dylan)
Something unnatural's going on. Its Winter. The very middle of Winter. And yesterday I harvested a (Lime Green Salad) Tomato off a plant left over from last Summer.
A Japanese White Eggplant has just fruited. Normally Eggplants don't make it through the Winter, here. The climate is just that much too cool for their liking.
Normally seedlings are safe from cutworms at this time of year.
The volunteer Tomatoes popping-up all over the veggie patch never make it as far as growing their true leaves. This year I have some that have reached 10cm tall and look ready for permanent homes. Whilst I can (and will!) "make hay whilst the Sun is (briefly) shining", I find the whole thing deeply worrying.
There's a small beetle I call the Cabbage Bug, since the Brassica tribe are their favourite food, along with Beets and Chard. My reading seems to indicate that they are a sub-family of Laybug, but, unfortunately, one that eats plants. "Dormant in Winter." I would advise the Neophyte Gardener. Oh! How they would laugh at me now, as I daily watch my Beets, Turnips and Chinese Cabbages -- even Lettuce -- getting shredded by these small beasts. They look something like Ladybugs -- about the same size and shape -- their colours run to red-and-yellow on black, and they seem to have lack any form of predator. Oh the Sin of Hubris! It is soooo tempting to get out some sort of Spray to sort them out. Presumably whatever birds or bugs normally keep them in check are sleeping through the alleged Winter.
Oh well, we will be Powerless for most of the day. The electricity company will be replacing a transformer and improving insulation on the cables upstream from us to prevent birds electrocuting themselves. I'm happy to be powerless for a day in the cause of bird-preservation, even if they are merely the Bloody Noisy Hadeda. I shall spend the day planting Very Early Tomatoes, Chillis, Eggplants and Tamarillos.
(For those of you who may have been following the Saga Of Autumn-Sown Chillis: The Chillis have survived handily so far. My seed-tray mix tends to be a bit heavy and airless, being almost-pure compost, so the seedlings are all a bit yellow and pale, and they really want moving out into better homes. I shall attempt to oblige tomorrow.)
Anybody who claims that there No Such Thing As Global Warming[1] has, I think, probably been eating some of those odd, spotty fungi. I am deeply worried and frightened by the coming Summer. Last Summer we saw the "Hole in the Ozone Layer" larger than ever in recorded history. The Ozone Layer might not be getting the press coverage it was a few years ago -- seems that Al Gore and Peak Oil are stealing the limelight -- but it's still there. And growing. I fear the effect on our crops of ever-higher UV levels. This is part of the reason I am consciously choosing to plant red- and purple-coloured varieties of vegetables where practical; the anthocyanins that cause the red/purple colouration also impart a UV-tolerance. So I'm told. We hope.
Already I'm trying to figure out how to erect shadecloth barriers to protect plants through the heat radiation of the coming Summer's afternoons to avoid sun-scalded Tomatoes and Chillis!
And it is only July.
----
[1] Alright, alright: It's really "Global Climate Change" and not "global Warming". But shorthand works!
Something unnatural's going on. Its Winter. The very middle of Winter. And yesterday I harvested a (Lime Green Salad) Tomato off a plant left over from last Summer.
A Japanese White Eggplant has just fruited. Normally Eggplants don't make it through the Winter, here. The climate is just that much too cool for their liking.
Normally seedlings are safe from cutworms at this time of year.
The volunteer Tomatoes popping-up all over the veggie patch never make it as far as growing their true leaves. This year I have some that have reached 10cm tall and look ready for permanent homes. Whilst I can (and will!) "make hay whilst the Sun is (briefly) shining", I find the whole thing deeply worrying.
There's a small beetle I call the Cabbage Bug, since the Brassica tribe are their favourite food, along with Beets and Chard. My reading seems to indicate that they are a sub-family of Laybug, but, unfortunately, one that eats plants. "Dormant in Winter." I would advise the Neophyte Gardener. Oh! How they would laugh at me now, as I daily watch my Beets, Turnips and Chinese Cabbages -- even Lettuce -- getting shredded by these small beasts. They look something like Ladybugs -- about the same size and shape -- their colours run to red-and-yellow on black, and they seem to have lack any form of predator. Oh the Sin of Hubris! It is soooo tempting to get out some sort of Spray to sort them out. Presumably whatever birds or bugs normally keep them in check are sleeping through the alleged Winter.
Oh well, we will be Powerless for most of the day. The electricity company will be replacing a transformer and improving insulation on the cables upstream from us to prevent birds electrocuting themselves. I'm happy to be powerless for a day in the cause of bird-preservation, even if they are merely the Bloody Noisy Hadeda. I shall spend the day planting Very Early Tomatoes, Chillis, Eggplants and Tamarillos.
(For those of you who may have been following the Saga Of Autumn-Sown Chillis: The Chillis have survived handily so far. My seed-tray mix tends to be a bit heavy and airless, being almost-pure compost, so the seedlings are all a bit yellow and pale, and they really want moving out into better homes. I shall attempt to oblige tomorrow.)
Anybody who claims that there No Such Thing As Global Warming[1] has, I think, probably been eating some of those odd, spotty fungi. I am deeply worried and frightened by the coming Summer. Last Summer we saw the "Hole in the Ozone Layer" larger than ever in recorded history. The Ozone Layer might not be getting the press coverage it was a few years ago -- seems that Al Gore and Peak Oil are stealing the limelight -- but it's still there. And growing. I fear the effect on our crops of ever-higher UV levels. This is part of the reason I am consciously choosing to plant red- and purple-coloured varieties of vegetables where practical; the anthocyanins that cause the red/purple colouration also impart a UV-tolerance. So I'm told. We hope.
Already I'm trying to figure out how to erect shadecloth barriers to protect plants through the heat radiation of the coming Summer's afternoons to avoid sun-scalded Tomatoes and Chillis!
And it is only July.
----
[1] Alright, alright: It's really "Global Climate Change" and not "global Warming". But shorthand works!
17 July 2007
Next Summer's Crops
So here's what I'm planning for the Summer. As usual I don't have enough bed-space for them all, so I'd best get digging! I'm also getting the rotovator fixed so that I can clear some "field" space for the more broadscale stuff. My focus is threefold:
Throw in an assortment of herbs, and that's about it!
- First, and most important, is our food supply -- the self-sufficiency thing. Dried beans, sunflower-seed, grains, winter squashes for storage.
- Second, I am strongly leaning towards selling some produce, hence an eye towards visually appealing varieties, unusual and unique stuff, and things that will appeal to gourmet chefs. My thinking is to sell and exclusive range to just a few upmarket restaurants.
- Third, seed-saving; keeping all the varieties going, plus enough to sell seed.
The List
Salad mix -- more-or-less a year-round thing; the only time it slows down is in Dec/Jan, when high temperatures inhibit germination of the Lettuces. Easily solved with a bit of shadecloth, or by putting the seed-trays in a cool, damp place.
| Squashes & Pumpkin:
Chillis:
Tamarillo Snap Peas - Golden Sweet, Sugar Snap Sweet Potato Potato Sorghum* (for chook feed) Wheat* (maybe, depending on space, energy) Artichokes -- Purple of Romagna Cabbage (a bit neglected in Summer, but coleslaw is always nice on hot evenings) Kohlrabi - Early Purple Vienna (or maybe not) Watermelon - Moon & Stars* Leeks (just a few) Sweet Pepper - Cosmic Purple*, California Wonder* (maybe) Carrots Swiss Chard - Luculus Parsley (plain, flat-leaf kind -- much more flavoursome!) Coriander/dhanya (we eat a lot of curries and Indian dishes) |
10 July 2007
Organic Growing vs. Organic Growing
Over on The Back Forty blog, Robbyn asks, "Are Organic Pesticides Safe?
The short answer could be, "Yes. They degrade rapidly in the environment, and so pose no long term threat."
Another, equally valid, short answer could be, "No! So-called Organic Pesticides, like any other disruptive measure, break the links and cycles in the local ecosystem, so, in the long term, they simply aggravate the problem you're trying to solve, albeit slightly more safely than do conventional pesticides."
As anyone who has taken a more-than-cursory glimpse at our farm website will have figured, I place my self firmly in the latter camp. If I use a poison (of whatever nature) to kill off the aphids presently attacking my Broccoli1, then I disrupt the food supply for the Ladybugs that make a meal of Aphids. Consequently the Ladybug population is going to decline for want of food. Then, come Summer, when I get a real Aphid infestation, I'll surely want for more Ladybugs. But they won't be there, due to my interference. Much better to leave things largely alone.
If the Aphid attack gets too severe -- unlikely, as the weather forecast is for a bit of cold front in another day or so -- I will resort to blasting the Aphids off with the hose, where they will remain as prey to the Ladybugs, but not on my soon-to-seed Early Purple Broccoli.
Remember that the term "Pesticide" still contains the root "-cide": death. It is a paradox to me that so many growers are trying so hard to grow stuff -- to make plants live, so that we in turn can eat and live, live and be healthy -- but spend their time running around trying to kill everything else. Surely the answer to vibrant life, exuberant life-liness, cannot lie in death!
Keep in mind who benefits most from pesticide use!
"But What Is Lurgy?"
All this begs the question, "What is the meaning of the term 'organic'?" I think the "Certified Organic" labels are pretty-much3 a load of crap (depending where in the world you are to some extent.) The range of practise that can legitimately be called "organic" is so wide as to render a single blanket label meaningless. At one end of the spectrum, all a grower has to do is replace the existing fossil-fuel-based fertilisers and pesticides with equivalents acceptable under some-or-other certification regime. At the other end are more "hardcore" practices that shun all such artificial interventions, and aim to build up a vibrantly healthy ecology, especially in the soil, and then rely on the natural health of plants to cope with whatever comes along.
Whilst I consider that my own growing is pretty much towards the "hardcore" end of the spectrum4, I am not knocking the other choices. There have to be paths for "conventional" growers to transition to a more sustainable practise while coping with the realities of the supermarket-oriented supply chain, the bank-beholden, joyless, tractor-enchained existence of industrial agriculture. (I cannot find it in myself to call that "farming", and, evidently, many agro-industry growers I have met agree, shunning the label "farmer".)
I would propose a three-level organic certification scheme. Something along the lines of "Green Label Organic" for the conventional-using-alternative-chemicals approach, "Silver Label" for somewhere in-between, and "Gold Standard" for the hardcore non-interventionist approach. It would take some working out, some marketing to educate consumers about the differences, but would enable price-tiering to the benefit of all. Maybe. It all sounds a lot like working in an office to me, and part of a way of thinking about the world that is soon to pass.
Mike's Answer to Robbyn
So, to answer Robbyn (if you've made it this far!) I would give the Stinkbugs a Round Of Applause. Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap! around the bugs, leaves and all. Damage to the leaves is minimal; you get Squashed Stinkbug all over your hands, but that washes off easily enough; the bugs you don't squash will fly away or get knocked off your Tomatoes, and you'll give predators some time to get going. Worst case, the crop will take a knock, but look upon it as a long-term investment in your garden's health.
Longer term, the Big Deal -- what defines "organic" for me -- is to build up your soil. Lots of compost, even if its pretty rubbish compost; as long as you're adding lots and lots of organic matter to the soil, sooner or later things will improve. As the soil becomes healthier -- and plenty of fungal activity is a good sign -- the biodiversity of your garden will improve. Everything derives from the soil/Earth itself, all plant health, all the predators, and ultimately our own wellbeing.
Tolerate the pests. You cannot cultivate a healthy garden without them!
----
1Aphids! In July, no less. I thought the buggers were all in bed for the Winter!
2Trying to remain polite and maintain a "Family" rating, here.
3But not totally! And sometimes very necessary as a way to reassure buyers.
4Even though I have violated the principle myself, on occasion, before anybody calls me out for lying!
The short answer could be, "Yes. They degrade rapidly in the environment, and so pose no long term threat."
Another, equally valid, short answer could be, "No! So-called Organic Pesticides, like any other disruptive measure, break the links and cycles in the local ecosystem, so, in the long term, they simply aggravate the problem you're trying to solve, albeit slightly more safely than do conventional pesticides."
As anyone who has taken a more-than-cursory glimpse at our farm website will have figured, I place my self firmly in the latter camp. If I use a poison (of whatever nature) to kill off the aphids presently attacking my Broccoli1, then I disrupt the food supply for the Ladybugs that make a meal of Aphids. Consequently the Ladybug population is going to decline for want of food. Then, come Summer, when I get a real Aphid infestation, I'll surely want for more Ladybugs. But they won't be there, due to my interference. Much better to leave things largely alone.
If the Aphid attack gets too severe -- unlikely, as the weather forecast is for a bit of cold front in another day or so -- I will resort to blasting the Aphids off with the hose, where they will remain as prey to the Ladybugs, but not on my soon-to-seed Early Purple Broccoli.
Remember that the term "Pesticide" still contains the root "-cide": death. It is a paradox to me that so many growers are trying so hard to grow stuff -- to make plants live, so that we in turn can eat and live, live and be healthy -- but spend their time running around trying to kill everything else. Surely the answer to vibrant life, exuberant life-liness, cannot lie in death!
Keep in mind who benefits most from pesticide use!
Excursion
One of my favourite memories is of a Saturday Morning Gardening show on TV, presented by a well-known local gardening "expert". Mainly the show is a thinly veiled advert for selling more gardening stuff2, as are most of these things.
By his own admission, he knows next-to-nothing about "organic" methods. One particular occasion, he was scripted to shill for a company launching a new range of "organic pesticides and fertilisers", and ended up chatting to an organic veggie grower. (Well, he looked pretty organic!) At the key product-placement-point in the programme, the presenter looks over at the veggie grower, and says, "So what would you use if your crops were attacked by X?" (Some pest; can't remember.)
The grower looked completely blank, frowned, mumbled something along the lines of, "I don't know. Never happens 'cos of the Wasps."
Exit Stage Left.
One of my favourite memories is of a Saturday Morning Gardening show on TV, presented by a well-known local gardening "expert". Mainly the show is a thinly veiled advert for selling more gardening stuff2, as are most of these things.
By his own admission, he knows next-to-nothing about "organic" methods. One particular occasion, he was scripted to shill for a company launching a new range of "organic pesticides and fertilisers", and ended up chatting to an organic veggie grower. (Well, he looked pretty organic!) At the key product-placement-point in the programme, the presenter looks over at the veggie grower, and says, "So what would you use if your crops were attacked by X?" (Some pest; can't remember.)
The grower looked completely blank, frowned, mumbled something along the lines of, "I don't know. Never happens 'cos of the Wasps."
Exit Stage Left.
"But What Is Lurgy?"
All this begs the question, "What is the meaning of the term 'organic'?" I think the "Certified Organic" labels are pretty-much3 a load of crap (depending where in the world you are to some extent.) The range of practise that can legitimately be called "organic" is so wide as to render a single blanket label meaningless. At one end of the spectrum, all a grower has to do is replace the existing fossil-fuel-based fertilisers and pesticides with equivalents acceptable under some-or-other certification regime. At the other end are more "hardcore" practices that shun all such artificial interventions, and aim to build up a vibrantly healthy ecology, especially in the soil, and then rely on the natural health of plants to cope with whatever comes along.
Whilst I consider that my own growing is pretty much towards the "hardcore" end of the spectrum4, I am not knocking the other choices. There have to be paths for "conventional" growers to transition to a more sustainable practise while coping with the realities of the supermarket-oriented supply chain, the bank-beholden, joyless, tractor-enchained existence of industrial agriculture. (I cannot find it in myself to call that "farming", and, evidently, many agro-industry growers I have met agree, shunning the label "farmer".)
I would propose a three-level organic certification scheme. Something along the lines of "Green Label Organic" for the conventional-using-alternative-chemicals approach, "Silver Label" for somewhere in-between, and "Gold Standard" for the hardcore non-interventionist approach. It would take some working out, some marketing to educate consumers about the differences, but would enable price-tiering to the benefit of all. Maybe. It all sounds a lot like working in an office to me, and part of a way of thinking about the world that is soon to pass.
Mike's Answer to Robbyn
So, to answer Robbyn (if you've made it this far!) I would give the Stinkbugs a Round Of Applause. Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap! around the bugs, leaves and all. Damage to the leaves is minimal; you get Squashed Stinkbug all over your hands, but that washes off easily enough; the bugs you don't squash will fly away or get knocked off your Tomatoes, and you'll give predators some time to get going. Worst case, the crop will take a knock, but look upon it as a long-term investment in your garden's health.
Longer term, the Big Deal -- what defines "organic" for me -- is to build up your soil. Lots of compost, even if its pretty rubbish compost; as long as you're adding lots and lots of organic matter to the soil, sooner or later things will improve. As the soil becomes healthier -- and plenty of fungal activity is a good sign -- the biodiversity of your garden will improve. Everything derives from the soil/Earth itself, all plant health, all the predators, and ultimately our own wellbeing.
Tolerate the pests. You cannot cultivate a healthy garden without them!
----
1Aphids! In July, no less. I thought the buggers were all in bed for the Winter!
2Trying to remain polite and maintain a "Family" rating, here.
3But not totally! And sometimes very necessary as a way to reassure buyers.
4Even though I have violated the principle myself, on occasion, before anybody calls me out for lying!
02 July 2007
The Clock of the World
Keeping Track
Tactics is extension in space. Strategy is extension in time.
Gardening teaches both Tactics and Strategy to the attentive student, though the emphasis tend to be on Strategy.
Tactics: Laying out garden beds. Which hoe to use for a given weed-challenge. The pointy shovel or the straight-edged shovel for lifting that particular pile of manure? Spade or fork for digging that bed?
Strategy: Right now, in the middle of Winter, I have no more than another month before all considerations of next Summer's crops will be before me. Already I weigh up whether I have enough seed of the varieties I would like to grow, and seed orders take form. Time to buy the crop netting I will need to keep Pumpkin Fly from the Cucurbits, come mid-January. Compost heaps are a-cooking in anticipation of the Spring Rush. It's already late to be digging new beds to increase the area under cultivation.
I usually end-up getting it wrong somewhere along the line. Don't we all?
I guess that everyone has their own strange and unique ways to keep track of what-to-do-when. Of course you have to remember to actually look at the damn wall-chart/spreadsheet/book/diary.
Hedgewizard describes, in a hilarious post, the soggy and disastrous end to one such system.
Detour
I have quite a few friends who subscribe to Rudolf Steiner's ideas on cultivation, summed up, codified and dogmatised as Biodynamic Growing. Most are not Deeply Committed Members Of The Movement, merely dabblers who apply an eclectic handful of biodynamic potions and techniques -- a pinch of some or other weird concoction kept in a cow's horn added to the compost heap while dancing clockwise at full moon; Yarrow stored in a deer-bladder pouch. A bit challenging, that last one, since the Red Deer fail utterly to be found in South Africa.
No! I sound like I'm dissing the biodynamic ideas, and really, I'm not! I just have trouble believing that these homoeopathic treatments of seed, soil, water and compost can have any significant effect on the growth of plants when its simply a case of not getting enough water, nitrogen or calcium, or when the soil pH is way out of whack. In other words, the effects of macro-nutrient deficiency or imbalance vastly overshadows whether the moon was in Scorpio or Leo when you planted the seed. Personally I don't believe I am that good a gardener that I have those large-effect inputs well enough under control for the subtle effects of biodynamic preparations to manifest.
One of the key ideas of biodynamic gardening is Sowing By The Moon. In broad outline, we should sow leaf crops in the First Quarter of the moon -- that period from New Moon to Half Moon during the waxing phase -- fruit crops (Tomatoes, Chillis, Squashes and so on) from the Waxing Half to just before Full Moon, and root crops from Full Moon until the Waning Half. The last quarter of the moon is no good for planting anything, and should be kept for digging beds, weeding and mulching. Of course this is only the very crude outline; there is much, much more subtle detail; attention to astrological effects and their interaction with the nature of various plant varieties.
Whether you buy into this stuff or not (and I make no comment or commitment either way, myself) there is one very useful idea.
The Moon
The Moon gives us the perfect clock we need. Every Moonth, sometime in the First Quarter, I know I need to plant Lettuce. Every Half Moon its time to sow Radishes.
No need for fancy systems. Just going outside of an evening to take a look at the sky.
The Sky
Number One Son bought an imposing reflector telescope, so we've been having lots of fun learning to use it. Our triumph was getting good views of Jupiter, Saturn (it's awsome!) and Venus (blindingly bright) all on one evening's perfect viewing a couple of weeks ago. Consequently we're learning a whole lot about the constellations -- the patterns of the heavens. The Clock Of The Year.
Then, too, I would dearly love to learn more about how to read Nature's clocks. Bits of folklore like, "Plant your Potatoes when the Apple trees blossom." Anybody have some pointer to that sort of knowledge? I imagine that huge swathes of that sort of lore has already been lost; how do we relearn it? Reinvent it?
Yet more ways to reconnect ourselves with the Universe. Actually, we've never really been disconnected; only in the tiny space inside our own heads have we thought so.
Tactics is extension in space. Strategy is extension in time.
Gardening teaches both Tactics and Strategy to the attentive student, though the emphasis tend to be on Strategy.
Tactics: Laying out garden beds. Which hoe to use for a given weed-challenge. The pointy shovel or the straight-edged shovel for lifting that particular pile of manure? Spade or fork for digging that bed?
Strategy: Right now, in the middle of Winter, I have no more than another month before all considerations of next Summer's crops will be before me. Already I weigh up whether I have enough seed of the varieties I would like to grow, and seed orders take form. Time to buy the crop netting I will need to keep Pumpkin Fly from the Cucurbits, come mid-January. Compost heaps are a-cooking in anticipation of the Spring Rush. It's already late to be digging new beds to increase the area under cultivation.
I usually end-up getting it wrong somewhere along the line. Don't we all?
I guess that everyone has their own strange and unique ways to keep track of what-to-do-when. Of course you have to remember to actually look at the damn wall-chart/spreadsheet/book/diary.
Hedgewizard describes, in a hilarious post, the soggy and disastrous end to one such system.
Detour
I have quite a few friends who subscribe to Rudolf Steiner's ideas on cultivation, summed up, codified and dogmatised as Biodynamic Growing. Most are not Deeply Committed Members Of The Movement, merely dabblers who apply an eclectic handful of biodynamic potions and techniques -- a pinch of some or other weird concoction kept in a cow's horn added to the compost heap while dancing clockwise at full moon; Yarrow stored in a deer-bladder pouch. A bit challenging, that last one, since the Red Deer fail utterly to be found in South Africa.
No! I sound like I'm dissing the biodynamic ideas, and really, I'm not! I just have trouble believing that these homoeopathic treatments of seed, soil, water and compost can have any significant effect on the growth of plants when its simply a case of not getting enough water, nitrogen or calcium, or when the soil pH is way out of whack. In other words, the effects of macro-nutrient deficiency or imbalance vastly overshadows whether the moon was in Scorpio or Leo when you planted the seed. Personally I don't believe I am that good a gardener that I have those large-effect inputs well enough under control for the subtle effects of biodynamic preparations to manifest.
One of the key ideas of biodynamic gardening is Sowing By The Moon. In broad outline, we should sow leaf crops in the First Quarter of the moon -- that period from New Moon to Half Moon during the waxing phase -- fruit crops (Tomatoes, Chillis, Squashes and so on) from the Waxing Half to just before Full Moon, and root crops from Full Moon until the Waning Half. The last quarter of the moon is no good for planting anything, and should be kept for digging beds, weeding and mulching. Of course this is only the very crude outline; there is much, much more subtle detail; attention to astrological effects and their interaction with the nature of various plant varieties.
Whether you buy into this stuff or not (and I make no comment or commitment either way, myself) there is one very useful idea.
The Moon
The Moon gives us the perfect clock we need. Every Moonth, sometime in the First Quarter, I know I need to plant Lettuce. Every Half Moon its time to sow Radishes.
No need for fancy systems. Just going outside of an evening to take a look at the sky.
The Sky
Number One Son bought an imposing reflector telescope, so we've been having lots of fun learning to use it. Our triumph was getting good views of Jupiter, Saturn (it's awsome!) and Venus (blindingly bright) all on one evening's perfect viewing a couple of weeks ago. Consequently we're learning a whole lot about the constellations -- the patterns of the heavens. The Clock Of The Year.
Then, too, I would dearly love to learn more about how to read Nature's clocks. Bits of folklore like, "Plant your Potatoes when the Apple trees blossom." Anybody have some pointer to that sort of knowledge? I imagine that huge swathes of that sort of lore has already been lost; how do we relearn it? Reinvent it?
Yet more ways to reconnect ourselves with the Universe. Actually, we've never really been disconnected; only in the tiny space inside our own heads have we thought so.
10 May 2007
Vegetable Garden in Autumn
Finally: a little rain! After weeks without a drop, we finally got 8mm of rain yesterday. Not nearly enough, and things are looking a bit grim. We have not had "decent" rain since March -- only a few half-arsed showers in April. To my mind, anything less than 15mm does more harm than good, and a rain only really qualifies as "decent" when it hits 25mm or more.
The dam that provides irrigation water is nearly empty, and, unless we getgood rains soon -- at least 30 or 40mm -- I shall have to investigate ways to pump water from the Big Dam at the bottom of the farm. Renting a pump isvery expensive; local equipment-hire places demand R300 and up for a day's pump-hire. You can buy the damn thing for around R1200!
On the upside, the year's Garlic (pictured left, though the plants are barely visible) is doing really well, and I managed to get a full bed of Onions transplanted before the rain, so they're all looking good, and starting to stand upright again after their move. Broad beans and Lentils haven't shown-up yet (no surprise there, though), but Turnips (Golden Globe), Carrots, Beets and Mangels have! I've never grown giant Beets before, and am mainly doing so now to get experience with them, and to save some seed as a bit of "future-proofing" insurance. Broccoli (Early Purple) and Cauliflower also got transplanted just before the rain, so they're also quite happy. All of these are Winter crops around here, as are Peas (still to be planted.) Lettuce is an ever-ongoing story, here; the only time of year we have trouble with Lettuce is in December and January when temperatures get high enough to inhibit germination of Lettuce seed, though shade-cloth over the flats does help a bit.
I've also put in a few Potatoes. People around here give me funny looks for planting Winter Potatoes, but they have been reasonably successful (if not terribly prolific) on the few occasions I've done so in the past. It means that come Springtime, we're eating homegrown new Potatoes at a time of year when the shops are charging more for them than their weight in gold. If I can free-up a bit more space -- and I think I can -- I can perhaps get another 1/2-dozen plants in. All good provided the Porcupine doesn't find them!
All we need now is a lot more rain!
The dam that provides irrigation water is nearly empty, and, unless we getgood rains soon -- at least 30 or 40mm -- I shall have to investigate ways to pump water from the Big Dam at the bottom of the farm. Renting a pump isvery expensive; local equipment-hire places demand R300 and up for a day's pump-hire. You can buy the damn thing for around R1200!
On the upside, the year's Garlic (pictured left, though the plants are barely visible) is doing really well, and I managed to get a full bed of Onions transplanted before the rain, so they're all looking good, and starting to stand upright again after their move. Broad beans and Lentils haven't shown-up yet (no surprise there, though), but Turnips (Golden Globe), Carrots, Beets and Mangels have! I've never grown giant Beets before, and am mainly doing so now to get experience with them, and to save some seed as a bit of "future-proofing" insurance. Broccoli (Early Purple) and Cauliflower also got transplanted just before the rain, so they're also quite happy. All of these are Winter crops around here, as are Peas (still to be planted.) Lettuce is an ever-ongoing story, here; the only time of year we have trouble with Lettuce is in December and January when temperatures get high enough to inhibit germination of Lettuce seed, though shade-cloth over the flats does help a bit.I've also put in a few Potatoes. People around here give me funny looks for planting Winter Potatoes, but they have been reasonably successful (if not terribly prolific) on the few occasions I've done so in the past. It means that come Springtime, we're eating homegrown new Potatoes at a time of year when the shops are charging more for them than their weight in gold. If I can free-up a bit more space -- and I think I can -- I can perhaps get another 1/2-dozen plants in. All good provided the Porcupine doesn't find them!
All we need now is a lot more rain!
02 May 2007
Garden Update: Autumn Planting
At last I've got the Garlic into the ground, and it's up and looking healthy after only a few days. I managed to get about 180 cloves planted; if I find more bed-space after everything else is in I'll try for another 200 cloves or so. We use a hell of a lot of Garlic :-)
Recently sown: Carrots in succession, Turnips, Beets. Lettuce, Red Mustard and Rocket are ongoing. Onions -- I've kept it down to four varieties this year -- are all showing-up in their seed-trays and will want planting out in a few weeks, along with Cabbages and Broccoli. Thinks: I must get more Kohlrabi in -- we really, really like them, plus I must also put in a patch of them for seed. Kohlrabi seed is almost unobtainable here, so I'm quite lucky to have a nice Purple Kohlrabi, and I really have to save seed or lose it.
Still to do: Broad Beans. What the hell am I doing leaving it so late? Peas! I never manage plant enough of them. And this year I would like to try growing Lentils. We use lots of them for Lentil-burgers, in Curries and Chilli-Bean dishes. Leaks -- I have a tray of them approaching transplanting, but really need to get more of them going.
The Great Winter Chilli Experiment seems to be working so far... Chillis have germinated well (except, for some mysterious reason, the Cherry Peppers, which are among my favourites) and are looking great. They should be decent-sized little plants before everything stops growing in mid-Winter -- Late July and August. As long as I put them into beds or pots by then, they should get off to a flying start when the weather starts warming-up again.
Hmmm... Mustn't forget Parsley (I prefer the flat-leaf kind) and Dill. And more Broccoli. And more Asian greens. Damn! It's nearly as busy as Springtime!
Recently sown: Carrots in succession, Turnips, Beets. Lettuce, Red Mustard and Rocket are ongoing. Onions -- I've kept it down to four varieties this year -- are all showing-up in their seed-trays and will want planting out in a few weeks, along with Cabbages and Broccoli. Thinks: I must get more Kohlrabi in -- we really, really like them, plus I must also put in a patch of them for seed. Kohlrabi seed is almost unobtainable here, so I'm quite lucky to have a nice Purple Kohlrabi, and I really have to save seed or lose it.
Still to do: Broad Beans. What the hell am I doing leaving it so late? Peas! I never manage plant enough of them. And this year I would like to try growing Lentils. We use lots of them for Lentil-burgers, in Curries and Chilli-Bean dishes. Leaks -- I have a tray of them approaching transplanting, but really need to get more of them going.
The Great Winter Chilli Experiment seems to be working so far... Chillis have germinated well (except, for some mysterious reason, the Cherry Peppers, which are among my favourites) and are looking great. They should be decent-sized little plants before everything stops growing in mid-Winter -- Late July and August. As long as I put them into beds or pots by then, they should get off to a flying start when the weather starts warming-up again.
Hmmm... Mustn't forget Parsley (I prefer the flat-leaf kind) and Dill. And more Broccoli. And more Asian greens. Damn! It's nearly as busy as Springtime!
10 April 2007
On the Nature of Research Gardening
Days are beginning to draw in; night comes a little too early, and Summer's really over. Winter crops – onions, garlic, cabbage tribe and a few other odds and ends – are coming up in seed trays, and I've finally made a start on clearing and composting the (ex-)Tomato beds.
Somewhere sleeting through the Universe for æons, minding its own tiny business, comes an Idea Particle...
A couple of years ago I stopped treating Chillis1 as Annuals, although that's how most people grow them. "After all," I thought, "they're true Perennials, and since we don't get any frost here, why am I ripping them out fo the ground each Autumn, and starting new plants every Spring?" Sure enough, it works brilliantly. It means I get Chillis as much as six weeks earlier than new-season plants, and its well worth it, even though the fruit gets a bit smaller each season, and the plants produce somewhat less. One Jalapeño bush is reaching the end of its third season, and still prolific enough to be worth hanging onto. So now I have Chillis on a 3-year rotation, but...
Still not satisfied. I generally sow Chillis in September, placing the seed-trays atop a warm compost heap. Chillis like a bit of bottom heat to get going, but I have on occasion cooked the seeds with my over-enthusiastic hot compost. With September sowing (I've tried August, but its a bit too early for them) I generally start harvesting around the end of January or mid-Feb. What would happen, though if I sow Chillis now -- in April!
In theory the weather is still warm enough for them to germinate and put in a bit of growth before they shut down for Winter in about mid-June. Without frost they should be fine until the weather warms up (and plants can tell these things much, much better than we!) Then they should get off to a flying start and be fruiting by early December, but with all the advantage of being "new-season" plants.
So we'll see... Remind me to report back in October or November (unless some other disaster strikes.) Today I planted a couple of dozen each of Jalapeño, Habanero, Serrano and Cherry Peppers -- all favourites of mine.
Parting Shot
One shot good quality Vodka, well chilled in the freezer.
One Serrano pepper, quartered lengthwise, but not all-the-way.
Drop the Serrano into the Vodka. Leave alone for 3 to 5 minutes if you can. Sip.
But slowly!
[1] I know that lots of people spell it "Chile" or some other baroque monstrosity, but I can't get the hang of that.
Somewhere sleeting through the Universe for æons, minding its own tiny business, comes an Idea Particle...
A couple of years ago I stopped treating Chillis1 as Annuals, although that's how most people grow them. "After all," I thought, "they're true Perennials, and since we don't get any frost here, why am I ripping them out fo the ground each Autumn, and starting new plants every Spring?" Sure enough, it works brilliantly. It means I get Chillis as much as six weeks earlier than new-season plants, and its well worth it, even though the fruit gets a bit smaller each season, and the plants produce somewhat less. One Jalapeño bush is reaching the end of its third season, and still prolific enough to be worth hanging onto. So now I have Chillis on a 3-year rotation, but...
Still not satisfied. I generally sow Chillis in September, placing the seed-trays atop a warm compost heap. Chillis like a bit of bottom heat to get going, but I have on occasion cooked the seeds with my over-enthusiastic hot compost. With September sowing (I've tried August, but its a bit too early for them) I generally start harvesting around the end of January or mid-Feb. What would happen, though if I sow Chillis now -- in April!
In theory the weather is still warm enough for them to germinate and put in a bit of growth before they shut down for Winter in about mid-June. Without frost they should be fine until the weather warms up (and plants can tell these things much, much better than we!) Then they should get off to a flying start and be fruiting by early December, but with all the advantage of being "new-season" plants.
So we'll see... Remind me to report back in October or November (unless some other disaster strikes.) Today I planted a couple of dozen each of Jalapeño, Habanero, Serrano and Cherry Peppers -- all favourites of mine.
Parting Shot
One shot good quality Vodka, well chilled in the freezer.
One Serrano pepper, quartered lengthwise, but not all-the-way.
Drop the Serrano into the Vodka. Leave alone for 3 to 5 minutes if you can. Sip.
But slowly!
[1] I know that lots of people spell it "Chile" or some other baroque monstrosity, but I can't get the hang of that.
16 January 2007
Addendum to my Previous Post
You know that Spring has turned to Summer when the halcyon days of lush, vibrant growth come to an end, and the pests catch-up with you. 4mm of rain last night washed much of the Bordeaux mixture off the Tomatoes, so... take a wild guess what I've been doing this morning.
Time to start thinking about, and sowing, the Winter crops.
Time to start thinking about, and sowing, the Winter crops.
15 January 2007
Summer Woes
Blight -- the fungal disease that killed an estimated 2 million of some of my ancestors -- has hit the Tomatoes. First to succumb were the Cherokee Purple, and, being in the bed next to the Lime Green Salad Tomatoes, have passed it on. The Lime Green seem naturally quite resistant, so there is still some hope. Also threatened are the Taxi (big yellow tomato, good for cooking, not so great raw) and Tigerella.
I took a calculated risk this year in planting the number and variety of Tomatoes that I have -- some nine varieties, in all -- and several of them, Cherokees included, are no more than days away from first harvest. Luckily more than half the plants (and most especially the prized and beloved Brandywines) are situated down in the veggie garden -- almost 100m away from the blighty ones, and no signs of Blight down there yet.
Normally if we get a touch of Blight, it only comes around mid-Feb -- our humid season -- but this year has been exceptionally humid exceptionally early, so no real surprise.
As loath as I was, I could see no alternative, and sprayed all the Tomatoes and Potatoes with Bordeaux mixture. I hate the thought, and it is the first time in over ten years here that I have ever had to resort to such drastic measures, but many of these Tomato varieties are "first timers" for us, and heirlooms that I have gone to considerable trouble to source seed for, So I really, really need to save seed from them. The Bordeaux mix seems to have checked the Blight quite successfully for now, but rain is forecast for tonight, so I guess I'll need to spray them all again tomorrow.
We don't have the "luxury" here of a sophisticated "organic growing" supply chain, such as enjoyed in more first world circumstances, so I was not able to simply go out and buy Bordeaux mix. Actually it is really simple to make, and very much cheaper than commercial preparations:
I hate this solution! I firmly believe that the soil-resident fungi are key players in liberating nutrients for plants, and always take an active soil-fungus population as a sign of good soil health. Bordeaux mix can only affect these badly.
Interestingly, though, the Blight struck in very new beds -- first developed last year -- where the soil is still very heavy, cloddy and way out of balance. In the veggie garden, where beds are much better established and much more mature, even quite Blight-prone varieties are still healthy and strong. Evidence that the soil is supporting their needs much better than the new beds?
I took a calculated risk this year in planting the number and variety of Tomatoes that I have -- some nine varieties, in all -- and several of them, Cherokees included, are no more than days away from first harvest. Luckily more than half the plants (and most especially the prized and beloved Brandywines) are situated down in the veggie garden -- almost 100m away from the blighty ones, and no signs of Blight down there yet.
Normally if we get a touch of Blight, it only comes around mid-Feb -- our humid season -- but this year has been exceptionally humid exceptionally early, so no real surprise.
As loath as I was, I could see no alternative, and sprayed all the Tomatoes and Potatoes with Bordeaux mixture. I hate the thought, and it is the first time in over ten years here that I have ever had to resort to such drastic measures, but many of these Tomato varieties are "first timers" for us, and heirlooms that I have gone to considerable trouble to source seed for, So I really, really need to save seed from them. The Bordeaux mix seems to have checked the Blight quite successfully for now, but rain is forecast for tonight, so I guess I'll need to spray them all again tomorrow.
We don't have the "luxury" here of a sophisticated "organic growing" supply chain, such as enjoyed in more first world circumstances, so I was not able to simply go out and buy Bordeaux mix. Actually it is really simple to make, and very much cheaper than commercial preparations:
Into 9 litres water, dissolve 100g Copper Sulphate. In a little water (a cup or so) dissolve 100g quicklime (a.k.a. "builders lime" -- very cheap at building-supply stores.) Be careful to add the lime slowly to the water, and not the other way around, as the reaction when they mix generates considerable heat. Pour the lime-water mix into the Copper Sulphate mix and stir well. That's your Bordeaux mix. Spray it thoroughly onto the affected leaves, stems and fruits. Any badly affected leaves/fruits should be removed from the plant and burned immediately. Also avoid planting Blight-prone plants in the same place again for a few years -- which leaves me with very few options next year!
I hate this solution! I firmly believe that the soil-resident fungi are key players in liberating nutrients for plants, and always take an active soil-fungus population as a sign of good soil health. Bordeaux mix can only affect these badly.
Interestingly, though, the Blight struck in very new beds -- first developed last year -- where the soil is still very heavy, cloddy and way out of balance. In the veggie garden, where beds are much better established and much more mature, even quite Blight-prone varieties are still healthy and strong. Evidence that the soil is supporting their needs much better than the new beds?
10 December 2006
Enlightenment
Once there was a well known philosopher and scholar who devoted himself to the study of Zen for many years. On the day that he finally attained enlightenment, he took all of his books out into the yard, and burned them all.I am often asked by people, "What do you do?". As if the job defines the person, somehow made more mysterious by my living in the countryside, trying to be slightly self-sufficient.
-- from "Zen and Taoist Stories"
A few weeks ago, on a whim, I answered, "I am a Research Gardener."
The look of confusion and perplexity on peoples' faces is worth it, since mostly they know me as a computer geek.
Last week I was in Cape Town, visiting friends, among them a Master of organic market gardening. He was describing how he constantly questions the conventional wisdoms of the organic movement. Applying simple logic, experimentation and observation to achieve astonishing results. I said to him, "Ah! So you are a Research Gardener, too!"
Perhaps one day soon I shall burn my gardening books.
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