Garden 2017

Garden 2017

Built new 4x10' rasied bed on 2/26 and filled it with horse manure compost from Equestrian Center - did not amend the soil with anything else

Potatoes

12/29/16 - Potatoes from spring '16 harvest were sprouting in the house - planted aprox half the east bed and back row of Fonda bed - mixed 1tbsp Epsom salt & hand full of rabbit manure in each planting hole --- 3/22:  Harvested back row of Fonda bed and half the east bed - a few big ones but mostly small - 10 LBS

1/12 - Planted "mole" bed with 12 seed potatoes from last years harvest - mixed 1 tbsp Epsom Salt with a hand full of rabbit manure in planting hole.

1/23 - Planted more in the east bed and west end of Fonda bed

2/5 - Planted 12 in Fonda bed after pulling the last of the carrots

Tomatoes

1/15 - Planted 4 Husky Cherries - dipped each root ball in fish emulsion and mixed 1 tbsp epsom salt and handful of rabbit manure in the planting hole

2/1 - Planted 2 Cherokee Purple - mixed 1 tbsp epsom salt and handful of rabbit manure in the planting hole - dipped root ball of the white bucket in fish emulsion and no fish emulsion for the red bucket - both plants with mushroom compost soil base

2/3 - Planted 2 Cherokee Purple - mixed 1 tbsp Epsom salt and hand full of rabbit manure in the planting hole - Plant in Lowe's bucket had root ball dipped in fish emulsion, Home Depot did not - both plants with horse manure compost base

2/11 - Planted 4 Grape - All planted with mushroom compost mix - hand full of rabbit manure and 1 tbsp Epsom salt in planting hole

2/11 - Planted 6 Super Sweet 100 - Several starter plants had 2 plants in one container - attempted to separate - possible that some plants suffered root damage in the process - All planted in mushroom compost soil mix with rabbit manure & 1 tbsp epsom salt in planting hole

2/27 - Planted 2 Super Sweet 100 - 1 in new raised bed and one in bucket - Epsom salt and rabbit manure in planting hole of both.

3/5 - Planted 6 Sun Sugar - 4 in the new raised bed with horse manure compost and 2 in buckets with mushroom compost/peat moss mix.

3/6 - Planted 2 Biltmore in container using horse/mushroom compost/peat moss mix with Epsom salt and rabbit manure in planting hole and one in new bed

3/7 - Planted 1 Roma in bucket using horse compost/mushroom compost/peat moss mix - added rabbit manure & Epsom salt.

3/18 - Planted 1 Mr Stripey

3/26 - Planted 1 Green Zebra - Chef Jeff

3/26 - Planted 1 Jubilee - Chef Jeff

Jalapenos

3/4 - Planted 6 in new raised bed - Epsom salt only in the planting hole

Eggplant

3/6 - Planted 1 Black Beauty and 1 Ichiban eggplant in containers using horse/mushroom compost/peat moss mix

Radishes

2/13 - Pulled collard greens from west end of new raised bed - amended soil with mushroom compost/peat moss/perlite mix and planted White Icicle Radishes - Harvested aprox 13 lbs on 3/25 - Sold to Apple Market for $15 - $1.50/lb

2/20 - Planted 3 rows in Pooka bed - Harvested aprox 4 lbs on 4/5

Beets

2/15 - Amended beet box and cooler with horse compost and planted red & gold

2/19 - Planted 3 rows gold beets in big bed

Carrots

1/15 - Planted 3 grow bags full of Imperator - final harvest 3/26 - very sweet - get Imperator next year

Okra

3/26 - Planted 12 in new bed

Edamame

3/26 - Planted 3 grow bags

Cucumber

3/26 - Planted 2 grow bags Boston Pickling

Garden 2016

SPRING GARDEN

Harvested 8 heads of Red Cabbage from the north bed on 1/23/16.  Amended the north bed with dried leaves and ground up rabbit manure on 1/25.


YUKON GOLD POTATOES

1/25 - Planted three rows of YG's in the new bed and two rows in the north bed - broke the dirt 2/18 - amended west half of new bed with Epsom Salt 2/21
1/30 - Planted south bed, two more rows in north bed and large containers
2/21 - Planted three small containers - Epsom Salt mixed in with soil with seed potatoes

4/23 - Harvested 78 lbs of YG's from the three raised beds (not including the containers).  Biggest potatoes and healthiest plants were in the new bed in the yard.  For 2017, mix 1 tbsp of Epsom salt with rabbit manure in planting hole and water leaves and soil with Epsom salt after 30-40 days at a rate of 1 tbsp/gallon of water.  Also, fertilize with Garden Tone 3-4-4 every 14 days.  Potatoes are big with good flavor.

BEETS

1/30 - Planted beet box - nice beets harvested 5/9 - be patient with seedlings that look like they're struggling - they'll come around.
2/1 - Planted blue cooler

ONIONS

2/18 - Planted three containers
2/21 - Planted beet box and another small container - amended all onion containers with Epsom Salt - decent flavor but very small bulbs.

CARROTS

2/1 - Planted several containers - very slow coming in and slow to mature, but very good flavor.  Main harvest 6/7

TOMATOES

2/1 - Husky Cherry Red:  Planted 4 (3 in HD buckets and 1 in Firehouse bucket) - dipped rootball in fish emulsion.  Mixed ground up rabbit manure in around root ball and added a layer with every layer of dirt - Decent harvest, but the plants didn't do well, probably because of the old soil.

2/20 - Super Sweet 100:  Planted 5 - soaked rootball in fish emulsion.  Mixed Epsom Salt and rabbit manure in the planting hole.  Mixed ground up rabbit manure in around root ball and added a layer with every layer of dirt - First fruit 3/20 - First color 4/24 - planted 1 more on 7/3

2/20 - Homestead:  Planted 1 - soaked rootball in fish emulsion.  Mixed Epsom Salt and rabbit manure in planting hole.

2/20 - Grape:  Planted 5 - soaked rootball in fish emulsion.  Mixed Epsom Salt and rabbit manure in the planting hole.  Mixed ground up rabbit manure in around root ball and added a layer with every layer of dirt - First fruit 3/20 - First color 4/26

3/5 - Sun Sugar:  Planted 6 - soaked root ball in fish emulsion.  Mixed epsom salt and ground rabbit manure in soil.

3/5 - Roma:  Planted 1 soaked root ball in fish emulsion and mixed epsom salt and ground rabbit manure in with soil - First fruit 3/24

3/10 - Cherokee Purple:  Planted 3 7/1 - dipped root ball in fish emulsion and added 1 tbsp Epsom salt & hand full of rabbit manure in planting hole.

End of year - big harvests started in late May and continued through the end of June.
Good:  Sun Sugar, Homestead & Sweet 100
Bad:  Husky & Grape
2017:  continue with same soil recipe and using Epsom salt, rabbit manure and fish emulsion.

PEPPERS

2/20 - Red Peppers:  2 planted in clear containers - Root ball soaked in fish emulsion - ground up rabbit manure and Epsom salt mixed in with soil.  Transplanted one into bigger container 4/27.  First harvest was late May.  Really good, sweet flavor.  Both plants died off in late June.

6/19 - Yellow Bell Pepper - Planted 2 in small raised planter - dipped root ball in fish emulsion.

2/20 - Jalapeno - Planted 6 - plants were smaller than usual - started in small pots and transferred week of 3/14 - used ground up rabbit manure and Epsom salt in soil of transplants - Transplanted from buckets to raised beds mid-July and plants flourished - Pulled plants 10/23

4/17 - Pepperoncini - Transplanted 4.  Mixed 1 tbsp Epsom salt and a hand full of rabbit manure in planting hole - Transplanted 1 from bucket to raised beds mid-July and plants flourished - Pulled plants 10/23

CUCUMBERS

4/16 - Boston Pickling - Planted 8 in brown grow bags.  Mixed Epsom salt and rabbit manure in with soil in planting holes - Plants really struggled this year.  Decent cuckes came in late May/early June, but plants fizzled quickly after that.  Maybe bring them out of full sun in 2017.

WATERMELON

4/27 - Ice Box - Planted 12 in north raised bed.  Amended soil with two wheel barrows of mushroom compost.  Fertilized every couple weeks with a dusting of Garden Tone 3-4-4 along with an occasional fish emulsion/Epsom salt bath.  Not sure if that did much good.  First melon picked in late June.  Great flavor.

CANTALOUPE

6/11 - Planted 4 in old black berry bed.  Soaked root ball in fish emulsion and added a decent amount of our compost which was full of weed seeds.  First flowers 6/28.  Bugs got every fruit and plant.  Total loss.  No melons harvested.

OKRA

4/27 - Clemson Spineless - Planted 15 in south raised bed.  Amended soil with 2 wheel barrows of mushroom compost.  First harvest early June.  Harvested 6 gallon bags that were cut up for gumbo, plus able to can aprox 15 - 20 pint jars.  Fertilized with Garden Tone every two-ish weeks.  Final harvest 8/19.  Plants were just over 6' at the end of the season.

POLE BEANS

4/30 - Planted 4 rows Louisiana Purple Pod in west end of new bed and 4 rows Kentucky Wonder in east end.  Purple pod matured first with huge harvests beginning June 12.  KW beans came in very slow and far fewer than LPP.  Both had great flavor but KW had strings in bigger pods and LPP did not.  2017, plant only LPP.  Pulled beans from raised bed 7/17 and transplanted peppers & tomatoes in the bed.  Planted more LPP beans in grow-bags and cooler 7/30.  First harvest 8/18.  Very few beans harvested in 2nd planting.

FALL GARDEN

RADISH

8/26 - Planted 1 row white radishes in Mole bed - all radishes flourished - harvested beginning Oct 1

COLLARDS

10/6 - Planted 6 plants in east bed - put blood meal and ground up rabbit manure in planting hole for each - first harvest 12/24 - lots of apphids
10/16 - Planted 9 in new south bed - put blood meal and ground up rabbit manure in planting hole for each

BEETS

10/16 - Planted 3 rows golden and 4 rows red in new south bed - fertilized with GT 3-4-4 every few weeks with good results

LETTUCE

10/6 - Buttercrunch - planted 6 in east bed - blood meal and rabbit manure in planting hole for each
10/6 - Arugula - Planted 3 - blood meal and rabbit manure in planting hole for each
10/16 - Iceberg - planted 9 in Mole bed - blood meal and rabbit manure in planting hole for each

ONIONS

10/8 - Planted 5 Bonnie sprouts in grow bag - amended soil with Epsom Salt and rabbit manure

CARROTS 

10/8 - Planted 2 rows in Fonda bed - final harvest 2/5 - fertilized every few weeks with GT 3-4-4 with good results.