Members of all the crops I direct sowed have germinated except parsley. I actually wasn't too hopeful for them my seeds were three years old. Spinach is in full effect and I am getting a little horny just thinking about eating some when they are ready. Did i say horny? I meant sexually aroused. My carrots are not fully germinated yet but i'm not nervous. Peas just sprouted. Same with beets, swiss chard, turnips, cabbage, and radishes; all sprouted.
As far as the indoor stuff like tomatoes and peppers they are all germinated. In a week or two I will transplant a few plugs into small pots to sell to some farmers.
I know i promised how to calculate nutrient level applications. I plan on doing a post on selecting tomato cultivars too and on attraction of beneficial insects. I 'll have some bathroom reading for you this weekend.
As for now this is your homework for the week.
Last chance to start tomato seeds and pepper seeds
Start marigolds indoors
Start a second round of carrots, beets, radishes etc.
Last chance for peas
Get ready to start beans (all types).
Make friends with that guy who has the rototiller in his garage.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Dirty Minds: The Thinking About Soil Story
I moved to a new house last October (2010). One of my major points I shopping for a house was how much direct sun was available for gardening. I know that's ridiculous but its what I wanted. I needed to convert a poorly maintained lawn into a vegetable garden. This is what I did about a month ago. The area described is the real estate designated for tomatoes, peppers, melons and squash.
I strongly suspect that my lawn was in very nutrient poor and acidic condition. The lawn turf was all crab grass and annual bluegrass meaning that the previous owner just wanted it green for the sale of the house. It couldn't grow anything not even weeds apparently. The lawn is still bad, it needs some attention. My soil is sandy loam that is kinda low in organic material.
1. I measured out the area I want to become my garden and put surveying flags in the ground at the corners, 30 ft x 40 ft, an area of 1200 sq ft.
2. I raked the remainder of the leaves into the plot; about 150 lbs I guess. I mowed the leaves with the mulching mode engaged (it is like a normal push mower but no chute to shoot out the clippings). I mowed them over 4 times until the leaves became a fine mist.
3. I got some grain fed beef cattle manure that had been composting since last fall from my hometown; about 500 lbs. UConn's extension center advises 30 lbs/100 sq ft of beef cattle manure for a moderate application. I know that the soil is low in nutrients and I want to grow tomatoes and melons which are moderate-heavy feeders on fertilizer so I did about 40 lbs/100 sq ft.
4. I spread 80 lbs of dolomitic fast acting limestone to the plot. 80 lbs per 1000 sq ft is the
5. I added about 25 lbs of an 18-5-12 slow release inorganic fertilizer with micronutrients. A heavy treatment of fertilizer is 4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft. I did 3.75 lbs/1000 sq ft with this fertilizer. That does not include the N contribution from the manure I will return to that next blog. I will teach you how to calculate N application rates next blog post also.
6. I proceeded to rototilling. I went over the plot 5 times turning over the top 5 inches transforming it from a dead lawn into a pillowy soft plot of beautifully enriched sandy loam ...mmmnnnrrrrrnnnmmm... I think I need a cold shower. My garden is turning me on.
7. I covered the plot with a large weed barrier. It is a woven black plastic that has a decade lifespan or more. My family has used black plastic sheeting my whole life with good success. We always buy Film-Gard brand 20 ft x100 ft rolls 6 mil black. The black color warms the soil which is crucial for a good crop of curcurbits. The tomatoes and pepper love the heat too but with them it is more of an air temperature thing ... or so it seems.....hmmmm. The black plastic also holds some moisture in but sheds of rain too so it is kind of a wash there. But I love that it stops weeds.
My soil is ready as soon as the last frost date comes. I've got to order my irrigation system. I'll be sure to share the irrigation experience with you. Next time more on fertilizers, organic and inorganic, pros and cons.
I strongly suspect that my lawn was in very nutrient poor and acidic condition. The lawn turf was all crab grass and annual bluegrass meaning that the previous owner just wanted it green for the sale of the house. It couldn't grow anything not even weeds apparently. The lawn is still bad, it needs some attention. My soil is sandy loam that is kinda low in organic material.
1. I measured out the area I want to become my garden and put surveying flags in the ground at the corners, 30 ft x 40 ft, an area of 1200 sq ft.
2. I raked the remainder of the leaves into the plot; about 150 lbs I guess. I mowed the leaves with the mulching mode engaged (it is like a normal push mower but no chute to shoot out the clippings). I mowed them over 4 times until the leaves became a fine mist.
3. I got some grain fed beef cattle manure that had been composting since last fall from my hometown; about 500 lbs. UConn's extension center advises 30 lbs/100 sq ft of beef cattle manure for a moderate application. I know that the soil is low in nutrients and I want to grow tomatoes and melons which are moderate-heavy feeders on fertilizer so I did about 40 lbs/100 sq ft.
4. I spread 80 lbs of dolomitic fast acting limestone to the plot. 80 lbs per 1000 sq ft is the
5. I added about 25 lbs of an 18-5-12 slow release inorganic fertilizer with micronutrients. A heavy treatment of fertilizer is 4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft. I did 3.75 lbs/1000 sq ft with this fertilizer. That does not include the N contribution from the manure I will return to that next blog. I will teach you how to calculate N application rates next blog post also.
6. I proceeded to rototilling. I went over the plot 5 times turning over the top 5 inches transforming it from a dead lawn into a pillowy soft plot of beautifully enriched sandy loam ...mmmnnnrrrrrnnnmmm... I think I need a cold shower. My garden is turning me on.
7. I covered the plot with a large weed barrier. It is a woven black plastic that has a decade lifespan or more. My family has used black plastic sheeting my whole life with good success. We always buy Film-Gard brand 20 ft x100 ft rolls 6 mil black. The black color warms the soil which is crucial for a good crop of curcurbits. The tomatoes and pepper love the heat too but with them it is more of an air temperature thing ... or so it seems.....hmmmm. The black plastic also holds some moisture in but sheds of rain too so it is kind of a wash there. But I love that it stops weeds.
My soil is ready as soon as the last frost date comes. I've got to order my irrigation system. I'll be sure to share the irrigation experience with you. Next time more on fertilizers, organic and inorganic, pros and cons.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Soil, with a Twist of Lime
When it comes to field grown (as opposed to container grown) vegetable gardening, I consider limestone a more important soil amendment than manure.
There are a few things I need to preface in this post. A little couple of definitions to clarify my terminology and a little chemistry for a frame of reference. Acids are chemicals that can donate a proton, frequently bind to metals and can neutralize bases. They have a pH of less than 7 (on a scale from 0-14). A base receives a proton or can donate a pair of protons and can neutralize acids and has a pH of greater than 7. A salt is the result of a acid-base neutralization and are always soluble in water. They have two parts one is an anion, one is a cation. They are separable when they are in a non-neutral pH range and then can react with other ions or can oxidize or reduce other molecules. Fertilizers are salts.
I live in New England (a specific part of Northeast USA). Our soil is very rocky and and acid rich for the lion's share of the region. We have a granite bedrock for the most part. This is unlike most of Europe and other regions of N and S America where many of our vegetable plants are native. Europe has mostly a limestone bedrock that buffers the soil pH. A soil of 6 is a good compromise for the majority of our veggies. Our native plants have developed adaptations to mitigate the affects of acidic soil. I have one example that might put things in perspective. Turf grasses are just about all native to Europe and love limestone rich soil so a foolish landscaper will lime the soil to no end with the old legend that you cannot over lime a lawn. The foolish landscaper will also apply the maximum fertilizer recommendation on the bag he bought at Home Depot as well each spring. The lawn looks great but the hundred year old sugar maple has chlorotic leaves and looks like it is fertilizer deficient because the pH is wrong for the New England native.
So if I put a bunch of fertilizer, maybe a boring old 10-10-10, (4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft is a 'bunch' fyi) into my naturally acidic soil (average acidic is soil is about 5), this is what will happen. The nitrogen will not be affected much but will be slightly less available to the plants than a nice pH 6 soil. The phosphate will bind to metals in the soil like Fe and Al and be much less available to the plant's roots. The potassium in your fertilizer will be in the form of a salt of potash (K2O). Salts of potash, when dissolved in water are basic. Ooo great! that will neutralize my soil! Not quite, potassium will neutralize some of that acid by binding itself to its conjugate acid thus reducing its availability to the plant. And do not even get me started on micronutrients girl, damn. You can kiss those goodbye. They are needed in trace amounts but their availability is very dependent on soil pH. If you are shopping for inorganic fertilizers, make sure they have micronutrients in it, its more expensive but worth it. When we add limestone to our soil, it raises the pH (makes it less acidic) and works as a buffer. In chemistry, a buffer is a chemical that set the pH of a solution and prevents the change of pH with the addition of an acid or base. Another bonus of limestome and proper pH is that if your soil is polluted with heavy metals like lead or mercury, they will be incorporated less into your veggies.
Limestone is one of two things naturally dolomitic or calcitic. Calcitic lime is all calcium carbonate is best for tomatoes since tomatoes are very sensitive to calcium deficiencies ranging from acidic tasting fruits to poor crop yield all the way to blossom end rot. Dolomitic lime is a mix of magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate with varying proportions but are usually listed on the bag. Your local availability of limestone type is governed by your proximity to the nearest mine and what type of vein it is. Here in Connecticut, dolomitic is the cheap and abundant limestone at only $2 per 50 lb bag since the nearest mines in Upstate NY are dolomitic veins. Calcitic lime is available but more expensive; I think most of it comes from the Poconos in Pennsylvania. Quicklime or burntlime is available too. It is kiln cooked to be more soluble in water and acts faster but is almost 5 times the price.
You can get you soil tested from an Ag experiment station or by a decent landscaper and you will be advised with how much lime should add. If you have never limed your garden, you can do 80 lbs per 1000 sq ft and 40 lbs every following year until you get a soil sample. Spread it before you till or plow or you can rake it into the first couple inches after tilling.
If you want to do it really dirty, when you plant your tomato, eggplant, and pepper transplants, add a 1/4 cup of dolomitic lime to the hole and stir it into the soil and plant your plant into it. Though I seriously doubt that it will damage other veggie plants, I can't recommend it for them since I've never tried it. I know that the nightshade family is generally full of calcium junkies. I have done this myself on the recommendation of a former co worker who said the would give his tomatoes to his construction crew and they loved it since it makes the tomatoes sweeter and less acidic. I found they seemed less acidic and I started harvesting many more tomatoes. Now I till the lime into the soil each year. I have recommended the dirty method to a few friends and family, only the ones who are true tomato people. Everyone of them told me the following August that "I have so many tomatoes! I did what you said and now I don't know what to do with them all! My freezer is full, I jarred sauce....."
So the moral of this fable is the addition of limestone adds the valuable mineral calcium to the soil, raises the pH to make it less acidic while buffering the pH from other acids. A soil pH of about 6 is ideal for most plants to access the nutrients in the soil. This makes your time working the soil and your investment of fertilizer more valuable. It saves you time and money and time is money so it saves you money and money.
This is the week we should start our tomato and eggplant seeds. Chile peppers should have been done last week or earlier but its not too late to start them now.
I'll do a post soon on getting our soil ready for the main season crops including our options for fertilizing, organic and inorganic. I'm a little biased toward a hybrid method. I think it might be a multiphase operation for that topic.
I realized my posts so far can be wordy and textbook-like so I bold-ed the parts that are very important if you want the reader's digest version.
I am listening to:
Chillin' by Dirtyloud
There are a few things I need to preface in this post. A little couple of definitions to clarify my terminology and a little chemistry for a frame of reference. Acids are chemicals that can donate a proton, frequently bind to metals and can neutralize bases. They have a pH of less than 7 (on a scale from 0-14). A base receives a proton or can donate a pair of protons and can neutralize acids and has a pH of greater than 7. A salt is the result of a acid-base neutralization and are always soluble in water. They have two parts one is an anion, one is a cation. They are separable when they are in a non-neutral pH range and then can react with other ions or can oxidize or reduce other molecules. Fertilizers are salts.
I live in New England (a specific part of Northeast USA). Our soil is very rocky and and acid rich for the lion's share of the region. We have a granite bedrock for the most part. This is unlike most of Europe and other regions of N and S America where many of our vegetable plants are native. Europe has mostly a limestone bedrock that buffers the soil pH. A soil of 6 is a good compromise for the majority of our veggies. Our native plants have developed adaptations to mitigate the affects of acidic soil. I have one example that might put things in perspective. Turf grasses are just about all native to Europe and love limestone rich soil so a foolish landscaper will lime the soil to no end with the old legend that you cannot over lime a lawn. The foolish landscaper will also apply the maximum fertilizer recommendation on the bag he bought at Home Depot as well each spring. The lawn looks great but the hundred year old sugar maple has chlorotic leaves and looks like it is fertilizer deficient because the pH is wrong for the New England native.
So if I put a bunch of fertilizer, maybe a boring old 10-10-10, (4 lbs N per 1000 sq ft is a 'bunch' fyi) into my naturally acidic soil (average acidic is soil is about 5), this is what will happen. The nitrogen will not be affected much but will be slightly less available to the plants than a nice pH 6 soil. The phosphate will bind to metals in the soil like Fe and Al and be much less available to the plant's roots. The potassium in your fertilizer will be in the form of a salt of potash (K2O). Salts of potash, when dissolved in water are basic. Ooo great! that will neutralize my soil! Not quite, potassium will neutralize some of that acid by binding itself to its conjugate acid thus reducing its availability to the plant. And do not even get me started on micronutrients girl, damn. You can kiss those goodbye. They are needed in trace amounts but their availability is very dependent on soil pH. If you are shopping for inorganic fertilizers, make sure they have micronutrients in it, its more expensive but worth it. When we add limestone to our soil, it raises the pH (makes it less acidic) and works as a buffer. In chemistry, a buffer is a chemical that set the pH of a solution and prevents the change of pH with the addition of an acid or base. Another bonus of limestome and proper pH is that if your soil is polluted with heavy metals like lead or mercury, they will be incorporated less into your veggies.
Limestone is one of two things naturally dolomitic or calcitic. Calcitic lime is all calcium carbonate is best for tomatoes since tomatoes are very sensitive to calcium deficiencies ranging from acidic tasting fruits to poor crop yield all the way to blossom end rot. Dolomitic lime is a mix of magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate with varying proportions but are usually listed on the bag. Your local availability of limestone type is governed by your proximity to the nearest mine and what type of vein it is. Here in Connecticut, dolomitic is the cheap and abundant limestone at only $2 per 50 lb bag since the nearest mines in Upstate NY are dolomitic veins. Calcitic lime is available but more expensive; I think most of it comes from the Poconos in Pennsylvania. Quicklime or burntlime is available too. It is kiln cooked to be more soluble in water and acts faster but is almost 5 times the price.
You can get you soil tested from an Ag experiment station or by a decent landscaper and you will be advised with how much lime should add. If you have never limed your garden, you can do 80 lbs per 1000 sq ft and 40 lbs every following year until you get a soil sample. Spread it before you till or plow or you can rake it into the first couple inches after tilling.
If you want to do it really dirty, when you plant your tomato, eggplant, and pepper transplants, add a 1/4 cup of dolomitic lime to the hole and stir it into the soil and plant your plant into it. Though I seriously doubt that it will damage other veggie plants, I can't recommend it for them since I've never tried it. I know that the nightshade family is generally full of calcium junkies. I have done this myself on the recommendation of a former co worker who said the would give his tomatoes to his construction crew and they loved it since it makes the tomatoes sweeter and less acidic. I found they seemed less acidic and I started harvesting many more tomatoes. Now I till the lime into the soil each year. I have recommended the dirty method to a few friends and family, only the ones who are true tomato people. Everyone of them told me the following August that "I have so many tomatoes! I did what you said and now I don't know what to do with them all! My freezer is full, I jarred sauce....."
So the moral of this fable is the addition of limestone adds the valuable mineral calcium to the soil, raises the pH to make it less acidic while buffering the pH from other acids. A soil pH of about 6 is ideal for most plants to access the nutrients in the soil. This makes your time working the soil and your investment of fertilizer more valuable. It saves you time and money and time is money so it saves you money and money.
This is the week we should start our tomato and eggplant seeds. Chile peppers should have been done last week or earlier but its not too late to start them now.
I'll do a post soon on getting our soil ready for the main season crops including our options for fertilizing, organic and inorganic. I'm a little biased toward a hybrid method. I think it might be a multiphase operation for that topic.
I realized my posts so far can be wordy and textbook-like so I bold-ed the parts that are very important if you want the reader's digest version.
I am listening to:
Chillin' by Dirtyloud
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Stuff you need to plant soon
You should do this soon. I just did a post focusing on the prep work of soil for root crops.
Direct sow:
Cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli
Spinach
Carrots
Parsley
Peas
Start indoors:
Aromatic herbs
Tomatoes
Chile peppers
Eggplant
Optional for attracting predatory insects:
Poppies direct sow
Marigolds start indoors
I'll do a whole post on attracting and repelling insects with plants soon.
Direct sow:
Cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli
Spinach
Carrots
Parsley
Peas
Start indoors:
Aromatic herbs
Tomatoes
Chile peppers
Eggplant
Optional for attracting predatory insects:
Poppies direct sow
Marigolds start indoors
I'll do a whole post on attracting and repelling insects with plants soon.
Messing with the Neighbors
So I finished my rows like I described in my last post. My rototiller can only till the first 4 inches or so. I miss my father's old Gravely with the roto plow attachment. I wish we never sold it. I took my shovel and dug the sides of the row and tossed the soil on top of the rows. I then proceeded to take my rake and loosen all the clods of loam into pillowy soft rows of soil. It is truly beautiful. I made two rows. They area about 50 ft long and about 2.5 ft wide at the base and about 14 inches high.
One neighbor asked me, "Are you building a fence?" I replied, "No, if I was doing that I would make it nearer to my property line. This is a grave for my anaconda. She died last night."
So like I warned you in the last post NO MANURE NO FERTILIZER. This applies to the root crops except potatoes. Potatoes are the exception to everything root crop; its technically not a root crop even. I don't have time to get into potatoes tonight.
So for root crops you need several inches, I say 12", of very loose soil preferably sandy and a spot that never floods. Having a raised row makes this easy. It will never be flooded and you loosen the soil as you pile it on. The reason I said no manure, no fertilizer is because a soil high in nitrogen will be detrimental to your root crop harvest.
The taproots, the part we eat of carrots, beets, turnips, whatever, when exposed to high nitrogen soil will fork and become fibrous. Since the soil is so high in nutrients, the plant does not go into storage mode, it goes into make-as-many-fibrous-roots-so-we-can-have-a-huge-leafy-plant mode.
So this is the week for planting a bunch of stuff. Spinach, cabbage, carrots, parsley, peas. None of them need a ridiculous amount of fertilizer. Average soil is fine. Add a little limestone to balance the pH closer to 6 or so and more of the nutrients in the soil are available to the plant. Compost of food scraps or leaves are fine to add but are often acidic, just add limestone. I didn't get to my peas yet. I need to get some stuff for trellising.
I planted some beets and radishes even though general consensus is I should wait but I figured I would try it. I think they will be fine. We will see. I'll keep you posted. Four weeks until radishes and beets.
I will return to the topic of the importance of limestone. Remind me if I forget.
One neighbor asked me, "Are you building a fence?" I replied, "No, if I was doing that I would make it nearer to my property line. This is a grave for my anaconda. She died last night."
So like I warned you in the last post NO MANURE NO FERTILIZER. This applies to the root crops except potatoes. Potatoes are the exception to everything root crop; its technically not a root crop even. I don't have time to get into potatoes tonight.
So for root crops you need several inches, I say 12", of very loose soil preferably sandy and a spot that never floods. Having a raised row makes this easy. It will never be flooded and you loosen the soil as you pile it on. The reason I said no manure, no fertilizer is because a soil high in nitrogen will be detrimental to your root crop harvest.
The taproots, the part we eat of carrots, beets, turnips, whatever, when exposed to high nitrogen soil will fork and become fibrous. Since the soil is so high in nutrients, the plant does not go into storage mode, it goes into make-as-many-fibrous-roots-so-we-can-have-a-huge-leafy-plant mode.
So this is the week for planting a bunch of stuff. Spinach, cabbage, carrots, parsley, peas. None of them need a ridiculous amount of fertilizer. Average soil is fine. Add a little limestone to balance the pH closer to 6 or so and more of the nutrients in the soil are available to the plant. Compost of food scraps or leaves are fine to add but are often acidic, just add limestone. I didn't get to my peas yet. I need to get some stuff for trellising.
I planted some beets and radishes even though general consensus is I should wait but I figured I would try it. I think they will be fine. We will see. I'll keep you posted. Four weeks until radishes and beets.
I will return to the topic of the importance of limestone. Remind me if I forget.
I'm going to go buy some supplies but I'll be back
I realized that I am in a unique position to share with people how to go from an awful looking lawn to a fully operational vegetable garden. I just moved to a new house in October 2010. I am in the middle of converting my 1/4 acre to a veggie farm. I will be posting google calander events for you join so you do your garden preparations and planting on schedule.
I've got to go to the visit my mom and grab some plastic sheeting from her garage. I'll explain later.
But while I'm gone, you should start turning about 25% of your gardening space about 8 inches deep. Add about 40 lbs dolomitic or calcitic limestone (about $4 for a 50 lb bag) per 1000 sq ft. Then shovel that into raised rows with a depth of 12 inches of loosely piled sandy loam. Do NOT add manure or any fertilizer until I get back. I will explain the limestone when I return too.
P.S. I am assuming you are living in USDA hardiness zone 6. http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html
I've got to go to the visit my mom and grab some plastic sheeting from her garage. I'll explain later.
But while I'm gone, you should start turning about 25% of your gardening space about 8 inches deep. Add about 40 lbs dolomitic or calcitic limestone (about $4 for a 50 lb bag) per 1000 sq ft. Then shovel that into raised rows with a depth of 12 inches of loosely piled sandy loam. Do NOT add manure or any fertilizer until I get back. I will explain the limestone when I return too.
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