Garden Log

[Sclass]

Caught this guy eating our rose bush. I clamped him to the branch so he could get to know his neighbor better.

[Violets]

My bulbs I planted last fall came up and started blooming in this false spring we're having. Excited to see them, but worried for them at the same time.

[sky]

I have a garden experiment going on that will show results this year. There is a 10 foot x 10 foot area in my backyard that I had kept under a tarp for a few years. Three years ago, I removed the tarp and hand broadcast about a half pound of broccoli seed that I had left over from my microgreen experiments. This is far more seed than would usually be used in a garden this size.

The first year the broccoli grew and crowded out other plants. The white moth and cabbage worm ate most of the leaves in June and again in August, but the plants survived, with some outgrowing the rest of the crowd. I did not harvest or clear the area other than to pull some weeds.

The next year the broccoli came back and once again the worm decimated the leaves in June. The leaves grew back and then the worm came back and ate them all again, but the broccoli had produced large amounts of seed. Last year I cleared the bed, deliberately scattering the seed into the bed.

My strategy this year will be to wait until the young leaves are out, then harvest as many young leaves as I need before the white moth arrives. This will probably be a few weeks after the average day of last frost. I will use the leaves fresh as salad greens, make ice cube pesto or dehydrate the leaves.

I will try to get a second harvest when the second growth of leaves comes out after the worm has destroyed the first leaves.

That is my gardening goal for this year.

[7Wannabe5]

A chicken will eat cabbage worms and turn them into eggs. Also might be fun! This reminds me that I need to figure out where the nearest community garden chickens are to my current location. I've given up on ever owning a chicken myself (sigh.)The first meeting for the community gardening group for the senior center where I am currently residing with my mother is next week. My other options this year are:

1) Guerilla gardening
2) Rent my own small plot down at the local park.
3) Volunteer with local non-profit urban gardening group for which my DD33 was on board.
4) Get my hydroponics going again and integrate with some extended solar-punk.
5) Help my daughter with her home garden.
6) Get involved with children's garden project at school if I decide to teach/tutor part-time at one particular school.
6) Just focus on foraging, scavenging, processing, and preserving.

For better or worse, I already have easy access to more than an adequate supply of soon-to-expire free foodstuffs of all kinds, including imperfect produce, so my motivation will be more towards pure hobby-joy. Some of the free stuff I get is pretty unusual. For example, I am cooking a frozen beef tongue that nobody else was going to take today. Apparently, it is good boiled, shredded, and refried with onion and tomato. I also have a bajillion corn tortillas, so that should work.

[sky]

It is difficult to be a permaculturalist without land. Everything we do is to improve the soil. I don't want to get a harvest and walk away, I want to build up the soil forever.

[7Wannabe5]

@sky:

Well, my friend, all of us will forever be building up the soil in good time. So, I would argue that engaging in community-based permaculture becomes increasingly more appropriate with age. I always had in my mind that my self-owned permaculture project was going to be a model of sustainability that could theoretically support me and one grandchild post-collapse, but now that I am back in my hometown where my still theoretical (but becoming more likely) grandchild will likely be raised (my daughter seems to be somewhat more invested in community than career), just buying a legally stiff boundaried plot for an independent project seems kind of counter-productive. Although, it very well may happen that I will change my mind about this due to the extent that I enjoy gardening as an art form, so once again may crave more of my own blank canvas. It's also possible that I will be somewhat stymied in more community setting to the extent that I enjoy garden as experimental laboratory, but this seems less likely. Anyways, I am currently feeling the need to take a break from calculating whether market value of total tomato production warrants/covers property tax bill, etc. especially since vacant lots are much pricier in my current locale.

[delay]

all of us will forever be building up the soil in good time

And so we will. Amen.

[SouthernAlchemy]

No desire for chickens here, but I did put up a bluebird house last year. Spring cabbage worm population suffered from the constant effort to keep a couple of noisy bluebird babies fed. I'll also admit that squishing cabbage worms between thumb and finger is very satisfying

[jennypenny]

I have to have more surgery in late May, so I have 8 weeks to get the garden set for the summer. I already have the spring garden planted (peas, lettuce, spinach, radishes). I'm simplifying the summer garden as much as possible since I'll be out of commission but it's still a pretty large garden -- 54 raised beds plus upright rows of cattle panels for beans. Given the time constraints I'll direct sow as much as possible, including cucumbers, melon, carrots, zucchini, and beans. I'll start tons of peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and basil over the next couple of days so I can get the seedlings planted before the surgery.

I had no idea when we decided to expand/convert the garden to an 'age in place' garden that I'd be needing the accommodations so soon. If I had a more traditional garden setup I wouldn't be able to do anything at all this year.

[7Wannabe5]

I hear you on the age or health related limitations to gardening ambitions. This is why I am currently focusing on community and extended family/friend level efforts where total fail will not be result simply because I am temporarily down for the count.

[Gilberto de Piento]

I've got two flats of seedlings going. Lots of variety. Some flowers, some veg. Every type of seeds grew except sunflowers. Most seeds came from the local seed swap event or free cycle. A couple packets I bought. Hardening them off now by having them spend increasing amounts of time outside. Soil temp is rising so almost time to plant or give away soon I think (not an expert gardener). Don't have much property so not enough space for 10 zucchini plants for example.

[Stasher]

We have our garden all planted and we will see how the season goes, we keep it very simple and plant items that don't become slug and snail food as they are prolific in our yard. Mostly potatoes and then some squash, cucumber, tomato, carrots and peas. Loads of strawberries & raspberries along with a couple small blueberry bushes.