The Master Plan 2011

Layout

Instead of rows this year, I'm doing beds and making them densely packed.  I'm also doing a smaller garden this year.  A total of 4 beds side by side, 2 feet wide by 12 feet long, with 3 feet of hardwood mulched path between each bed and around the garden.

Watering

This year, instead of soaker hoses, I'm using sprinklers.  The soaker hoses break and leak too easily, don't lay exactly where you want them, and only water a narrow area.  Some parts get soaked, some stay dry, and it takes just long enough to water that you forget to turn the water off in time to avoid flooding the garden.  Soaker hoses beat hand watering, but I wanted to try an alternative this year.  Since a single sprinkler doesn't quite cover the full garden area, I'm using 2 sprinklers.  One between the first two beds and the other between the last two beds.  It seems to be quick, easy, and effective so far, with the only downside being that the placement of the sprinklers needs to be adjusted based on wind speed and direction at watering time.

Fencing

So I thought the fence didn't do much last year because the rabbits could squeeze through and hop over.  However, since the peas, spinach, and lettuce have already been decimated this year and I've been forced to replant, I am seriously rethinking my no fence decision.  Stay tuned.

Companions

In Bed 1 we have a double row of peas (1/2 pound Early Frosty, in keeping with tradition) climbing a 12 foot long section of (ironically) rabbit fencing.  On either side of this double row is spinach, planted about 4" apart in each direction to fill the bed, and with beets and turnips interspersed.  I planted this year's Bloomsdale Longstanding (one packet was not enough) on one side of the fence and last year's Melody Hybrid on the other.  Beets are Baby Ball and turnips are last year's Purple Top White Globe.

In Bed 2 we have half the bed devoted to zucchini (Garden Spineless) to be interplanted with nasturtium, and the other half of the bed reserved for bush lima beans.  I went with Fordhook 242 (1/2 pound), although it was a close call between those and the Burpees Improved Bush variety.

Beds 3 and 4 each have two rows of corn (Argent, rows 1 foot apart), intermingled with head lettuce and leafy greens.

Bed 3 includes Paris Island Cos Romaine (transplanted) and Swiss Chard (Large Ribbed Dark Green, direct sown).

Bed 4 includes Buttercrunch (transplanted) and Mesclun Salad Mix (1500 seed packet containing arugula, endive, buttercrunch, black seeded simpson, grand rapids, and prizehead lettuce), with a few feet devoted to last year's collards instead of mesclun.

And in the flower bed out front, surrounding the trees, I planted strawberries.  24 plants of the Everbearing Quinault variety.  Purchased cheaply as roots from Wal-Mart.

Spring Planting Timeline 2011

The spring planting season has only recently begun and I'm already behind on recording the details.  Here's a recap so far.

March 21:  Planted peas, spinach, turnips (experimenting with earlier than recommended), and beets (earlier than recommended) in a single 2' x 12' bed.  Started first batch of Romaine and Buttercrunch head lettuce indoors.

April 9:  Peas were sprouting.  Filled in gaps in peas, beets, and turnips.  Transplanted first batch of head lettuce.

April 21: Spinach and peas were ravaged by rabbits.  Replanted both.  Sowed leaf lettuce, swiss chard, corn, and zucchini.  Still early for corn and zucchini but extended forecast calls for no frost between now and May 1.

April 23: The rabbits moved on to devour most of the head lettuce.  Perhaps I need to reconsider my decision to skip the fence this year.

Apparently I forgot to note down exactly when I started the second batch of head lettuce (sometime after March 21 and before April 9), or when I transplanted them (sometime between April 9 and April 21).  Oh well.  Things are going well so far, aside from the rabbit damage.

Early Planting

So, it's been warm, and the eggplant & parsley seedlings looked like they really wanted to go play in the garden, so I planted them yesterday. And staked the tomatoes. And planted some marigold seeds near the tomatoes & eggplants.

Today I decided it was time to plant some generic-no-name zucchini and yellow straight neck squash seeds in hills. And a bunch of nasturtium flowers in the hope of fending off the squash bugs this year. Also some basil and oregano from seed between zucchini hills.

The cantaloupes and honeydews are sprouting already, and some of the limas, but the watermelons haven't yet. Still time. And oops, I've mixed up which pots have cantaloupes and which have honeydews, so I guess I'll just have to see which plants grow which. It'll be a surprise.

That leaves the melons and lima beans to transplant and the corn to plant. Corn should be any day now. Just need to till up that area again first. Then the fall crop.

I've gotten a bit ahead of myself in outdoor planting, but so far I've been very fortunate that we haven't had late frosts. Here's hoping I don't come to regret the early plantings yet....

Planning the Garden Schedule & Layout for 2010

Here's a rough outline of things to do for the garden and when to do them:

• Till the cover crop under - ideally mid-February, but definitely no later than mid-April. If you wait until planting time to till it under, the rotting plant matter will inhibit germination of the seeds. The mid-February target gives 4 weeks of rotting time before the peas and spinach get planted in mid-March. If the snowy weather prevents this, tilling it all up when I plant the peas and spinach should give plenty of rotting time before the warmer season veggies get planted.
• Start tomatoes & eggplants indoors - March 1 - April 1 suits both plants. Eggplant can get started as early as 2/15.
• Plant peas and spinach - March 15 - May 1, aiming early around St. Patrick's Day so I can reuse the row for herbs and bug-deterring flowers.
• Start melons, herbs & flowers inside - April 10 - May 1.
• Sow Corn May 15 - June 1.
• Sow warm season veggies (eggplants, tomatoes, melons, zucchini, herbs & flowers) outside - May 20 - June 20.
• Edit: Sow lima beans outside - June 1 - July 15.
• Fall turnips and beets - July 20 - August 15.
  

And here's a rough layout for the garden, in 8 rows from left to right:

• 4 rows corn with an early variety near the house and a later variety further away; the early variety may be replaced with turnips & beets in the fall. Because of the arrangement of the irrigation hoses, it'd be easier to re-till the closer part of the rows without disturbing the hoses too much than the further part.
• A row of cantaloupe, honeydew, and bush watermelon. I should be able to fit 4 of each type in a row.
• A row of zucchini and eggplants, possibly interplanted with herbs (basil, oregano, parsley) and bug-deterring flowers (marigolds and nasturtium).
• A row of peas and spinach to be replaced by herbs (basil, oregano, parsley) and bug-deterring flowers (marigolds and nasturtium) when done producing.
• Italian tomatoes for making sauce - 12 plants.

Note: I chose 8 rows because I can water all 8 rows with a hose splitter at the garden spigot connected to two hoses carrying water to the garden. At the garden, each of the two hoses is split with a hose splitter and connected to two drip hoses long enough to water two rows each. More rows would complicate irrigation. Fewer would limit the varieties I can grow.

Squash Bugs

I have identified the pests that are attacking my zucchini and volunteer pumpkin plants. I've seen all the stages, but didn't realize they were all related. Here's some info about the evil Squash Bug:

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/PESTS/squashbug.html

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1208.html

Sadly, from what I've read, it seems the best defense may be a good offense. That is, I have to go out hunting and squashing. Yuck!

Beans & Squash

Tonight I set up some stake tripods, transplanted my lima beans and zucchini, and planted green beans from seed. Yesterday I moved the volunteer pumpkins from the front flower bed to the veggie garden. I watered everything until the ground was saturated. Then a storm came up. Lots of wind and rain. I hope it isn't damaging the tender transplants....

2010 Veggie Garden?

In the name of crop rotation, and growing all my favorites but not all at once, I have designed a completely different garden for next year.

If the theme of this year's garden was all the good stuff that's better fresh from the garden, then the theme of next year's garden is the spaghetti sauce garden (with other nightshades and some strawberries thrown in because they're yummy and I have the space).

Actually, the strawberries fit better with the corn and watermelon, which is perfect because they won't have much if any harvest the year they're first planted. And the following year, I'll be back to yummy fresh stuff.

Of course, this is all way early planning and a lot could happen to change my mind between now and then. But I figure I may as well record my thoughts now, because I just might stick with the plan... and I'd like to remember it. ;)

So, on the agenda for 2010 we have eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, tomato, basil, oregano, potatoes, and strawberries.

Seed Varieties

In February, I made the pilgrimage with my inlaws to the "seed store" in Pennsylvania, perusing their catalog on the ride up and deciding what varieties to buy of the types of veggies I already knew I wanted to grow. Our source? Rohrer Seeds

The following are the seeds I have bought for my 2009 garden except for the peas and spinach I already mentioned ($0.99/packet each), along with their descriptions:

Argent Sweet Corn (1/4 lb, $3.99)
se 86 days. This white version of Incredible has large 8 to 9 inch ears with excellent sugar enhanced quality. Argent may be the best introduction of sweet corn to come by in a long time, possibly overtaking Silver Queen and Silverado.

Seneca Snowshoe Sweet Corn (1/4 lb, $5.59)
se 65 days. This exceptional high quality sugar enhanced sweet corn boasts bright white color, creamy texture, delicious eating quality and good cold germination and seedling vigor. Snowshoe is the earliest white, sugar enhanced variety available. Stalks grow 6 1/2 ft. tall and produce ears 71/2 in. long.

Bush Jubilee Watermelon (Pkt,$0.99)
95 days Productive bush type melon producing 11-13 lb. oblong fruit. Rind is light green with dark green stripes and flesh is dark red with a very high sugar content. (approx 30 seeds/pkt)

Garden Spineless Zucchini (Pkt, $1.79)
53 days. Great home variety producing 7-8 inch long, dark green smooth skinned squash. Spineless open plants make harvesting easy without getting scratched. (approx 15 seeds/pkt)

King of the Garden Lima Beans (2 oz pkt, $1.29)
(Best Seller) 88 days. A lima bean of superior quality when compared to any bush lima. A vigorous grower producing big crops of large green pods filled with 5 or 6 large, white, flat beans. Treated Seed.

Kentucky Blue Pole Beans (2 oz pkt, $1.99)
58 days. A 1991 All-American Selection Award winner. Combines the flavor of Kentucky Wonder with the enhanced sweetness of Blue Lake 274. pvp

Gourmet Mixture Lettuce (Pkt, $0.99)
Four of our highest quality lettuce varieties combined in one to give you a chefs blend of gourmet salad. Attractive red, dark green, light green and apple green blend of lettuce for all season use. (approx 2000 seeds/pkt)

I can't wait to see how these varieties do in my garden!

Planned Garden Layout for 2009

The above is my planned layout for this year's garden (after the peas and spinach have been harvested). The rows of corn are 4 feet apart to facilitate placing 3 foot wide weed control fabric between them. Each row of corn will be half one variety and half another with different maturity dates. I plan to have green beans growing up one row of corn and lima beans growing up another. Individual watermelon and zucchini plants will be 2-3 feet apart amongst the rows of corn.