Off & On Weather!

Hello again!

The week has been busy in many ways, so there's been little time for the garden. And, of course, the weather has been difficult. The spring tornadoes that pounded the areas south of Lancaster moved through south central PA with some touching down in York and Lebanon counties, but caused no problem here. Wednesday was pleasant so I was able to get some garden chores done, but Thursday was stormy with heavy rain. Today was overcast and cool so I was able to get out and do some work that didn't involve playing in the very wet dirt.  But there's great hope for excellent gardening weather Saturday (tomorrow) only to be followed by another rainy spell beginning Sunday.

Today is the last day for the seedlings outside the window. It's time for them to get into the bed where they'll spend the summer. There's cucumbers, squash, peppers, and tomatoes. The beans planted last week have already begun to sprout. The peas have gotten to a height that I had to put up the poles and twine for them to grow on. I'll get the pole bean seeds in the ground tomorrow, too.

The radishes in a container seem to be thriving. I've planted the seeds in containers due to the fact that the garden soil seems to contain radish maggots which feed on the radish roots. But, they did well in containers last year, soooooo...

The picture above is the debut of our Japanese Red Maple.  Like many things in the garden, it is in a container.  The fun thing about this beautiful tree is how it came to be here. Five years ago, I was out in the yard near the house when my eyes caught a glimpse of something red next to the sidewalk. When I looked closely, I saw that it was a sprout with two tiny red leaves. It was no more than two inches tall. I carefully dug it out and placed it in a flowerpot. The odd part about this is that there are no Japanese Maples in our neighborhood that I'm aware of, and certainly none in the yards adjacent to ours. And it survived and grew. Each year since then it's moved to a bigger container. Today it stands five feet tall and is a really wonderful gift from mother nature!  Always keep your eyes open when you're out in your garden. You never know what you might find! And hopefully it wont be poison ivy.

Perhaps next week won't be quite so busy & I'll have more time here.  See you soon!

Singin' In The Rain

Hi!  Welcome back. Just remember "April showers bring May flowers!"

                  Gene Kelly is widely remembered for "Singin' In The Rain" in 1942

Bah, humbug!  Yes, I appreciate rain, but it seems like we're in the midst of a "rainy season" similar to that of India, but without the monsoon winds driving it. Since the first day of spring in Lancaster, PA (US Zone 6) we've had a measurable rainfall on 13 of 34 day or 38% of the time. And many of the days in between the rains were overcast and threatening rain. In addition, the temperatures have remained fairly low on a consistent basis with just a few days when the thermometer rose above 50 degrees F. The ground has had little opportunity to dry out and it's always difficult to plant anything in mud!

This type of weather pattern, however normal it may be for this time of year, definitely slows down the planting process.  There are many plantings that work well with the temperatures still in the 40's. Spinach and lettuce have been thriving in our garden for over a month now. The snap peas, shown in the picture above, are coming along nicely as well. (You may remember that we had to cover these peas and other plants during the late March freezing spell.)  But there are many varieties that rely on warmer trends. For example, the pole beans we will be sowing directly in the soil require a regular nighttime temperature of 55 F or more before they should be started. So, they probably wont be planted until mid or late May. If seeds are planted too early, they will not sprout, get too wet and then rot underground. Always read the package directions or other sources to learn when it's best to put your seeds directly in the ground.

Another difficulty created by the cool wet weather has to do with pollination. Last year, the cherry tree bloomed in a warm spell with syrphid flies and bumble bees swarming all over it. As I watched this year, there have been far fewer pollinators visiting the tree's blooms due to the cloudy, damp, cool days. Whether this will have a negative effect remains to be seen, but I'm hoping it will not.

The garden tries to teach me patience, but sometimes "mother nature" just tries my patience!  How about "Rain, rain go away....come again sometime in May!"

I hope to see you again in a few days!

Odds n' Ends

Thanks for stopping back!

Today was a little breezy, but, all-in-all, a pretty day with lots of sunshine.  Remember the picture (March 29) of the little red peony sprouts just breaking out of the ground?

Well, here they are three weeks later, just about two feet tall in spite of the cool wet weather! 

And there's the chives that seemed to be the only plant turning green as spring started.....

They have absolutely thrived in this weather!  I'll have to snip a few tomorrow morning and toss them in with some scrambled eggs.

The Oregano, marjoram and thyme are doing well, too.....

even though they got flooded in heavy rain earlier in the week.  And you may recall that I had a picture of the raspberry runners a few weeks ago. 

Well, they've really taken off this past week. If anyone would like a few starter plants, let me know soon.  Otherwise, I'll be yanking them out next week before they take over!

And, finally, the strawberries in the main garden area have really taken off this week. The ones nearest the house are in full bloom now. These should begin to flower in the next week.

Today, we started a mixed row of green and wax beans and also transplanted the spinach plants in peat pots into the main garden. They're considerably smaller than those planted in March, so it will be a nice succession planting as spring moves along.

I hope all's well in your garden and hope to see you again soon!

In Just

The dreary, rainy weather that seems to continue on absolutely forever reminds me of a few lines from the poet e.e. cummings.....

In Just

spring      when the world is mud-
lucious
          ******

when the world is puddle wonderful

Sorry, e.e. but I've had just about enough. Someone bring back the sunshine!  You can't garden in  mud puddles!

I'll be back soon with new gardening stuff!

Compost - Your Garden Gold, Part 3

Hello again! I'm always happy to see you here.

The truly great thing about a compost heap is that you can safely add so many things to it!  And the things you add to it are generally things that you might normally have thrown away with your household and lawn "trash".  Your compost pile will be a miniature recycling center right in your very own yard! BUT...

....not everything can be tossed into your compost pile. Let's start with things that can go into the heap. Something Lois and I do everyday without even thinking is to put kitchen waste into the compost heap. Starting with the brewed morning coffee, the first thing that can go to the pile is the paper coffee filter and the used coffee grounds. (Tea bags, too.) The finished ground coffee and the paper filters disappear quickly in the pile. In the course of the day, a variety of scraps, such as stale bread, orange and banana  peels, apple and potato skins, or the ends of carrots all go to the heap. And, don't forget that bag of onions or potatoes that you pull out from the pantry, only to find they've gone bad. Out to the heap with them once they're sliced up! In the event of bad weather, the same things can go into a small container we keep just outside the kitchen door to be taken to the pile another time.

                 As you can see, some of the coffee grounds missed their intended target!

For convenience, if you don't have a door leading directly out of  the kitchen  (I'm thinking apartments, etc.) there are many decorative "kitchen compost buckets" which allow you to store some of your waste until it's convenient to get it outdoors. (The price range for these indoor composters runs from under $20 to upwards of a $100.) If you go this route, follow the directions to insure you don't raise a real "stink" inside your home.

You can also add paper towels and the cardboard tubes, shredded or torn junk mail paper and envelopes  (I avoid "glossy" paper due to the inks), plain cardboard cartons - but not "frozen food" and other similar glossy cartons - the gloss on many of these is actually a type of plastic. Newspaper can be placed in the compost heap, but if you receive a daily paper and the Sunday paper, you will be tossing in as much as 10 pounds of paper weekly, which will overwhelm your pile very quickly. I've also read that putting newspaper in the normal recycling stream is of more value than putting it in the garden.

Most of the things coming from your kitchen work well for the compost heap. Things to avoid putting in the pile would be dairy products, raw or cooked meats and fish , as well as vegetables or other dishes with sauces. These foods will attract troublesome wild animals - dogs, cats, skunks, raccoons, opossums and so on, as well as  provide a breeding ground for house flies. (I hate maggots!)

Outside the kitchen, your garden area will provide plenty of material for your pile. Lawn clippings* and leaves will be the most common. But, you will also have a healthy supply of plant waste as the seasons come and go. The caution here is to avoid putting any diseased plant waste in your heap. You can also put woody material from fallen tree branches and your pruning work. The key to adding these materials is to chop or cut them into small pieces to accelerate the composting process. Smaller items become compost much more quickly than larger items. A good pair of garden hand shears is a great investment!

Other items that can go into the heap include: wood ash in moderation (ash is acidic), sawdust and wood chips, egg shells (pulverized - I rinse them to remove the remains of clear albumen, let them dry, and crush them with a rolling pin. They're a great source of calcium. I put a tablespoon of ground egg shells in each hole dug for a tomato plant to help avoid blossom end rot.)

               Easter egg shells with natural dyes are a good source of garden calcium

Other items to avoid in your garden compost heap:  chemicals, medicines, manufactured products that do not biodegrade such as plastic, rubber, coal ash, etc.. I also avoid manure and urine of any sort whether animal or human. I just don't think the risk of contracting salmonella is worth the trouble. And, of course, there's the odor problem that your neighbors might find unpleasant. There are plenty of folks advocating the use of animal & human manure and human urine. You can look it up if you're interested.

*Lawn clippings - I say this with some reservation. Green stuff supplies nitrogen to the compost heap. The problem is that when material with lots of nitrogen rots it can become quite smelly as it breaks down and compacts. Grass clippings are fine when mixed in with the rest of the heap. However, if you're in a situation when it's been rainy and the lawn hasn't been mowed for two weeks, the sheer quantity of  "clippings" may overwhelm the composting space which can  cause an odor problem. Trust me...I know.

I hope you stop back in a few days!

Compost - Your Free Garden Gold, Part 2

Hello again, and thanks for stopping back!

The really nice thing about starting your own composting operation is that you can choose to start small and slowly, or you can dive right in and start larger heap. (See below for ideal home garden size.) Just about any vegetation you put on the ground is going to rot whether it's a few leaves or a fat tree stump. And rotting is what composting is all about, but a tree stump is going to take a lot longer! And when you think of "rotting", substitute the word "cooking" or "heating" because that's what is really happening in your compost pile.

So, first decide on the spot you're going to use. Keep in mind, though, a smaller pile will "cook" down into compost much more slowly. Also, you do not want a spot that pools rain water which can lead to a stinky swampy area. And finally, a shaded spot with just some sun will work well to keep solar heating from drying out the heap. You want heat, but moist internal heat, not drying heat. Balance, like so many other things in your garden, is the key to where you put the pile.

If the place you choose for your compost pile already has grass, weeds, or other growth, you may want to mow or chop the growth down and lay down newspaper over the spot to a depth of four or five sheets. A layer of cardboard (with no ink on it) will also work. This will kill off weed seeds and other unwanted material that might try to pop up before you have good even depth in your heap. If the spot is basically barren, no newspaper will be necessary.

Our compost pile suffered a lot of easily fixed damage due to heavy snow this past winter.

So what's the best size for your compost pile? Our heap is approximately 2.5 feet wide, 4 feet long, and 3 feet high. Five years ago, when we decided to create a compost pile, we placed it where it just seemed to be "right". It's at the end of a flower bed, that, due to our lilac bush and a neighbor's oak tree, is fairly well shaded. The area is not well suited for growing flowers or vegetables. There's a fence behind it and a concrete block wall at the one side. It's out of the way, well shaded, and well drained, but within a very convenient 30 feet of my kitchen door. It was all guesswork on my part, but it pretty much meets all the needs for the pile. I later read that a simple home garden compost pile would be approximately 3 feet wide, 3 feet long and 3 feet deep. At this size, the central core naturally heats up very nicely which speeds up the entire process.

After we chose the spot, we used old galvanized pipe to serve as posts. I bought a small roll of 3 foot wide plastic construction fencing or "fabric". The material is "woven" to allow light and air through it. The fencing is pliable and was easy to attach to the metal posts using plastic coated wire "twist-ties".  The "ties" are important. If you use wood posts and nails or staples to secure the fencing, you will be limiting your ability to "turn" your heap. Turning is an important action you must take regularly to insure your pile is maturing evenly. The twist ties allow you to easily move a length of your fencing out of the way allowing you to churn the pile. The alternative would be a hinged gate of some type.

Your compost heap is easy to construct, practically maintenance free, and a GREAT source of balanced organic material to improve your garden at no cost.  Plus, it's a wonderful way to recycle, rather than tossing useful material into the waste stream. So, get outside soon and start scouting out the best spot for your "garden gold mine"!

One final note: Some localities have placement (setbacks) restrictions on compost heaps. Check yours if you think that may be the case.

Next time: What To Put In Your Compost Pile...And What Not Put To In It!

Compost - Your Free Garden Gold!

Hello again!  With the help of mild pain killers, and the passage of time, I'm able to sit up straight enough to type for short periods of time. And for that, I am very grateful!

You may have purchased bags of commercially produced compost in the past to feed any or all of your garden plants. But compost is an excellent all purpose plant food and soil conditioner that you can produce on your own in or near your garden area.  There are two primary ways for the home gardener to make compost. The first is to buy any of a large number of "compost tumblers" available at garden centers, through catalogs, or via many, many websites. They come in various sizes to fit your needs. The picture below shows what might be an average size model that a neighbor of ours uses. I believe it's a 37 gallon model. Some models can be as large as 90 gallons. 

Kitchen scraps and organic yard waste such as leaves and grass are put into the tumbler. Do not put meat scraps or vegetable dishes with sauces, etc. into the compost mix. Ideally, you will have a mix of 1 part green (kitchen waste & grass clippings) materials and 2 parts brown materials such as dried leaves. This mix will keep a good ratio of nitrogen to carbon in the finished compost. The gardener then turns the tumbler on a regular basis to mix and speed up the process of turning the waste into "garden gold".

Most gardeners who use tumblers also use a "compost starter".  These starters are helpful bacteria which greatly speed up the process. Another good starter is a shovel full of good soil from your garden because it has those helpful bacteria, too - and it's a lot cheaper than buying commercial starters.  If done correctly, when the materials in the tumbler have rotted sufficiently- into a fine, dark soil like substance -  your compost is ready to be applied to your garden. The composting process generates heat when working properly. You may notice that warmth when adding to the tumbler or when emptying it. If you choose to buy a compost tumbler, it will come with full instructions on its proper use.

The other method of making your own "garden gold" is to build your own compost heap somewhere out in your yard. That's what we've done. Its simple and cheap! Over the  past five years now, we've probably harvested several hundred pounds of good, dark, worm filled compost. As an example, even though I had pretty much emptied the heap in the spring, last fall I dug five 5 gallon buckets of compost out of the heap and poured it back onto the asparagus and tomato areas so it could be assimilated into the soil over the winter. As you can see in the picture above, we've been tossing stuff in ours all winter - garden stuff, kitchen scraps, Christmas greens and so on. Now that the heap has thawed out, I'll be turning it regularly.

Next Time - Build Your Own Low Cost Compost Heap!

Ohhh! My Aching Back!

Well, at least it's not garden related! The weather's been to miserable to get much done out there.

I normally would have posted something new today, but my back is just killing me right now. I've recently been assisting a local non-profit organization obtain cost estimates for painting and roof work they need to have done. On Thursday, I spent 30 or 40 minutes standing and walking around a huge, steep roof and have been suffering ever since. Sitting here typing is just toooooo painful.

I'll be back soon!

Rabits and Cats and Slugs, Oh My!

Hello again and .....whew! The weather has been a real roller coaster ride for the past few days. The good news is, that through all the ups and downs with sun and rain, the temperaturues have remained above freezing here and to the south of Lancaster, PA.

                                             Not the Easter Bunny!

Being an urban gardener, I really enjoyed this comic panel by Hilary Price (April 6, 2011)http://www.rhymeswithorange.com. I was going to post the panel here and requested permission, but the $35.00 fee from King Features seemed a little steep. Rabbits are always a pest in gardens because they are infinitely creative in finding ways to outwit humans (which Ms. Price captures perfectly).

 The rabbit population in my particular urban neighborhood seems to be zero. I attribute that to the many cats in the area in the past. We seem to have taken care of the feral cat problem.....but Mica, The Semi Stray Cat, has kept the situation in hand without the help of his wild brethern. (Don't ask me how I know!)  I completely sympathize with any gardener who has rabbit or deer problems. Without eight foot walls or extreme measures (tactical nuclear weapons, etc.) I don't know of any foolproof solutions to thwart them. I have a theory about squirrels.... I'll have to share it with you sometime.

*  Many plants are toxic to cats. Daffodils and hyacinths are two of those plants.  Because we have two cats, we can't put these freshly cut flowers on the kitchen table. However, we still get to enjoy them in the morning sun, and the rest of the day as well, just outside the kitchen window! This picture was taken today from inside the kitchen through the storm window glass.

 *  If you're starting seeds indoors, be sure to water them and put them outside on these slightly warmer days. Not only is the extra light good for them, but being in breezes helps their stems to strengthen and become used to some swaying around before they are finally transplanted outside.

                                    Ewwwww, part 2

Reader Beth L. has suggested that fine sand (purchased at building supply stores, etc.) can be used to thwart snails and slugs around plants, as well as the diatomaceous earth I suggested. She uses it around her hostas, which are very attractive to both of those slippery soft bodied creatures.

*  The strawberries closest to the house are beginning to flower. Those out in the large garden area will bloom later. The warmth the brick stores from sunshine outside and the heat inside brings them along a few weeks earlier.

*  Early spring planting continues here. We started radishes outside in a planter box April 2. Succession plantings will follow at two week intervals for awhile. Radishes do well early and, under ideal conditions, will be ready to harvest in as few as 30 days!

On April 4 we planted a patch of red beets. Beets can also tolerate some cold, but really don't like heat. They will mature in about 60 days. I want to make reader Meg B. very jealous again this year!

We now have all of the seeds we wanted for planting in the new garden plot we have at Lancaster County Park. April 15 will be the big day when we get to begin work on our second garden!

I hope to see you again in a few days!  Comments and questions are always welcome!

Spring Things

Hello!

Well, it looks like we'll get some moderation in temperatures this coming week, but there's a chance of rain on Tuesday and again on Friday. Our lettuce and spinach plants survived the cold very well, but they sure could use some good bright sunshine to perk them up! There was definitely some damage to the exposed bulb plants. Our daffodils and hyacinths suffered with spotted leaves and burned tips. The cold in the City of Lancaster was not as severe as that in the western suburbs

Reader Nadine K. sent pictures of her suburban hyacinths and asked if they might die from the icing they received last week. Although I thought they might be damaged, I felt they would not be completely ruined and "die". They are, after all, bulb plants and the bulbs survive in the frozen ground over the winter, only to pop up right on time each spring. And I recalled the fact that citrus growers in FL spray water on their orange trees when there's danger of frost. The ice actually provides some insulation from below freezing temperatures.  At the worst, the leaves might be badly damaged. In that case it would be a good idea to feed them some "bulb food" or bone meal in order to insure the bulbs get enough energy stored up for next winter/spring.  After the thaw, Nadine reported that the plants had survived without a great deal of damage. Hooray!

Leggy seedlings?  This is a term used for seeds gardeners try to sprout at home, perhaps in peat pots, that tend to grow tall and thin, but never develop more than those first two leaves.  This problem is caused by a lack of sunlight (or a very pricey indoor lighting system generally used to grow....nevermind). In order to prevent this, plants must be moved outside on a daily basis as long as temperatures allow. If temps are too low, the plants must be moved from sunny window to sunny window as needed during the course of a day.

The spinach seedlings above show the long primary leaves that develop at sprouting. In the center of the seedlings, the secondary leaves are developing which indicates the plants are receiving adequate sunlight.

                         Ewwwwwww!

The warming this coming week will bring out the slugs and snails. They will be foraging for a meal. Right now, however, there's little in your garden they can damage. It certainly won't hurt to put out some diatomaceous earth in the appropriate spots, or spread some of the slug bait I mentioned in the March 23 post "Infamous Garden Guests, Part 2".  Better to get them now than it will be later when they've had time to lay the eggs for a future generation!

If you didn't do it last fall, it's time to sharpen shears and trim dead wood from roses, trees and bushes. Also, the same should be pruned as needed if you didn't in the fall. Rake up dead leaves and other vegetation debris and add it to your compost heap. Do not put any plant debris in the compost heap that may have been diseased during last year's growing season. Also, avoid putting any debris that might contain weed seeds in the heap.

And after you get done all that work, take a nap wherever you feel comfortable. A sunny spot on the courtyard table works well for Mica! He does get a bit tired after following me around all day.

I hope to see you again soon!