Garden Preps

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Garden Preps

Is your garden prepped? I don’t mean do you have one, but have you laid in essential supplies to keep it fertile, expand it, and make it useful as an ongoing source of needed raw materials?

Right at the outset, the problem comes up of chemical fertilizer vs. “organic”. If you are in a survival situation and commercial fertilizer is all you have, it is may be a necessary choice to use it. However, for the long term, more than a year or two, chemicals will burn out the soil organisms, which will keep soil fertility going for years. My solution is to get big bags of blood meal or fish meal, bone meal, and, in my highly acidic soil area, some lime to have on hand, and incorporate it into my beds and containers as I mulch, so they will tie in with plant materials to make a rich humus. Building soil is prep #1.

Stockpiling materials for mulch and soil building is important. I collect old newspapers (not the glossy inserts), lawn clippings, leaves, thatch, horse manure, and especially seaweed, sometimes composting them, sometimes simply storing them for mulch.

In addition to digging tools, I highly recommend a hand truck, or dolly. You can move containers to better spots, and haul all sorts of heavy things. A lot of my garden has to go on the driveway in summer, due to big trees shading some areas, but then must be moved in winter for snow removal. It has occurred to me that some of the really big pots would make a good barrier across the entrance to my driveway, also. A good wheelbarrow will save on carrying. Speaking of which, how about boxes or produce baskets for carrying everything from wood to mulch to tomatoes?

Many people throw out pots or six-pack containers for seedlings. These should be saved to start new plants, and to pot up herbs to bring inside in winter, plants give to friends, or for barter. Cemetery dumps are good places to find pots. I have also found many useful big containers like halibut tubs, big plastic toy buckets, and hanging pots at my local dump. Just go look! Tin cans can be saved, with top and bottom removed, to be cut into circular cuffs for around seedlings. Slugs get a shock from the metal if they try to cross the cuff.

Speaking of slugs, an essential prep is a big package of yeast, like the kind at Costco for making slug bait. (Why use perfectly good beer for that?) Just mix a couple of teaspoons in a pitcher of water, and fill several dishes around your garden. Slugs will crawl over to drink, fall in, and die happy.

A good pair of pruning shears (I like Felcos), and a variety of loppers, pruning saws, and perhaps a pole-pruner can really help out. Extra saw blades are helpful.

To keep your tools in good condition, a designated bucket filled with sand and a quart of old engine oil will nicely clean and lubricate metal shovels, hoes, ice choppers, etc.

Other materials to be stocked should include plastic, floating row covers, string, fencing, a pH monitor that you can just stick in the soil, etc. Materials for making cold frames, including old windows, boards, and boxes can often be found at the dump or curbside during the spring cleanup trash days.

Seeds of course should be purchased early, and many will last several years. However, perennial plants, in the ground, alive and growing, are an even surer source of food. Fruit and nut trees, perennial vegetables (like rhubarb, asparagus, chives, horseradish), bush fruits, and many others are interesting forms of insurance and variety. Plants are a real form of wealth, a type of foundation capital for living, no matter how bad or good the situation.

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

Answers

Excellent information, thanks. Yes, I have a handtruck for heavy stuff! The only thing I would add is one of those garden carts--not the $300-300 type, the Ames plastic type. You can add sides to it from scrap lumber and haul good loads of leaves and pine straw around. I also like my garden scoot because it's so embarrassing to crawl over to a tree some distance away so I can haul my butt off the ground.

For containers, you might also try a landscaping co. for tree-sized second-hand ones.

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002


OG.........one of those big 7 gallon (I think they are 7) buckets are nice to carry a few of my garden hand tools and and use instead of a tree to hoist this body up (shyly admitting she gets "stuck" without it) :>)

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

The garden scoot I have is one that Gardeners Supply had for just one season. It's on two levels, one of which is high enough for me to sit on and get up without putting too much strain on my knees. And when I have to get down on the ground to do close work, then I can gradually get up using the two levels. I used to use a sturdy plastic milk crate but it just wasn't high enough.

Those buckets are great--I think we all have some left over from Y2K. Great for collecting weeds where the wheelbarrows and carts won't fit easily adn for mixing compost and potting soil. Newbies, those white buckets are available free (usually) from supermarket bakeries and doughnut shops.

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002


those are five gallon buckets.

Home Depot actually sells them, in orange with their logo on them.

I prefer the free ones as well.

when we buy paint in those 5 gallon buckets we are very careful to keep the lids. Having lids is quite convenient.

Those buckets are good to use for bailing out the boat when it sinks we learned a couple Saturdays ago. So glad I didn't bring my camera or phone on that trip. Got a nasty sunburn, too. It was fun until the boat decided it was a submarine.

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002


Remind me to never go boating with Barefoot. ;)

I need to start a compost pile. I should have started it last fall, but due to still getting settled in the house I didn't have the time. I do, however, have the start of one... sort of. I did rake the small front yard and put all the leaves into a huge pile. I just need to build a container and mulch them up a bit. I started just this week to save my coffee grinds.

I found a great buy on the 13th. I had to get some of those slice and bake valentines cookies to make for my son's party at school. When I was walking into Albertson's, I noticed a man coming out with two sort of wilted Calla Lilies. When I entered the store, it was a mad house of people buying flowers and cards. I saw a lady that worked there and asked where the Callas were. She told me that they were in a buggy on clearance. I finally found said buggy to find 4 pots left. Two were in perfect shape, the other two were sort of wilted. They were marked down from 11.99 each to 2.00. I snagged them ALL. I do love Callas. These are a mauve color and stunning!

The past few days, I have been doing research at the big agriculture school here on the best plants for the region. Seems some of the veggies that I want to grow the deer will mow down. Oh well, guess they have to eat too. Hubby is going to plant some corn, alfalfa, and peanuts for them. Just hope that they leave the beans and stuff alone. I hope that they don't eat roses, cause I'm going to start the rose garden this year.

Hubby wanted me to design the landscaping that I want to do before I started. Seems like he wants to see the overall picture before I plant the first seed. (Too late, cause I've already planted 180 tulip bulbs and a few black iris!) Last night I sat down with the Land Designer program we have and started. When he called and I told him, he said "You do remember!" It is just a shame that this program doesn't have roses in it!

I know that I have a lot of soil amending to do, as it is so heavy clay here. I'm sort of sad that hubby took the van and parked it on base for this deployment, cause I could use it to haul the sand and peat back in. Guess I'll just have to make multiple trips to the gardening center. ;) Such a shame. LOL

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002



Apoc--roses. There are quite a few that are disease-resistant. This is VERY important, so you won't have to spray the damn things every ten days; most roses are very susceptible to blackspot and/or mildew. Wayside is very good about noting which of their roses is disease-resistant and you can also search the Net on the names of roses you like the looks of. I'm fond of David Austin's roses, particularly Abraham Darby. Most of them do get some blackspot, but it doesn't kill them. The tea roses are likely to be killed off. Gardeners Supply has a page of deer-discouraging tips.

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002

Barefoot won't go boating with Barefoot again, either!!!

At least, not in that boat!

pity you can't get that van...LOL

Have fun with the landscaping. maybe you could find something that grows fast, and that the deer like, and plant that on the border of your property so the deer will stop there? Add a few salt licks out there as well, maybe. If they find enough to nibble without coming into your yard then the other stuff you plant might survive.

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002


I like the species roses (e.g., Rosa rugosa for all over hardiness. Mine are growing in amended clay and doing just fine, thank you. Wish I could say that about my hybrid tea roses. I lost every lost one of them. They are just too picky for the present environment. I'll try again in a couple of years when the soil is better.

Yes, Wayside is a good catalogue. I also like to go to the local growers when it's time and see what's on sale. Around here, there are freqently Mother's Day sales, and I've seen boxed hybrid teas as low as $10 (for ARS winners).

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002


Barefoot,

I don't mind that they come around. It's kinda neat to be walking on one of the trails and see one. I do see way more hoof prints than actual deer. When we got the big snow back in November, I walked the dog about 9:30 at night. When we entered the field, we startled a huge buck and two does. They ran quickly away. Still kinda neat that we were able to get that close (about 20 feet away), especially with the dog.

Deer are a problem out where I live, and we'll plant an acre or so for them. I just hope that they don't become greedy little bast*$(@ and mow down everything else.

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002


Bummer on the hybrid teas. That is what I wanted to grow. Maybe I'll just try a couple of plants to see how they turn out before I make that kind of investment. I've told hubby that I wanted a rose garden, and my plan was for 1/2 acre one. With that I could grow a ton of roses. I love them the most.

I know about getting the disease resistant strains, and that is all that I have been looking at. I lost myself in Wayside's web site the other day for a few hours. Just about every rose I saw I wanted to buy. Granted it'll take me years to get my rose garden completed, but I was hoping to put in at least 20 plants this year.

(Can you see that I'm trying to lay the foundation of a flower production farm? Local grown flowers of good quality sometimes bring good demand and prices. I'm hoping to specialize in Roses, Glads, Tulips when in season, and Dahlias.)

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002



oh boy..getting close to gardening....I hope Dan will work up the strawberry beds, the first 2 yrs we got over 66 quarts of berries...last yr they were tiny and the weeds got them..Mama don't go in there after I see the first SNAKE!

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002

Can't you train a cat to deal with the snakes?

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002

Now there you go SAR, you had to mention SNAKES!

I hate those things. I'm so afraid that I'm going to have them coming out of everywhere in the spring. Lucky, hubby saw only one since we moved in last August, and it was when he was mowing. He said it was a baby and moving quickly to get out of his way. He didn't know what kind it was. I didn't walk in the field for a week just to make sure it was gone.

I've heard that dogs will handle snakes too. My cats are strictly in- door animals and I wouldn't dare let them get their paws tough just to try to keep the snakes away. Heck I'll shoot the snakes before I let my kitties outside. Hopefully the dogs will keep them in my neighbors yard. LOL!

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002


I believe South America has cornered the market on roses, apoc. They really are high-maintenance plants, unless you go for the Austins or, as mentioned, rugosas. A rugosa which is just about useless for vases for has a fabulous, intoxicating lemony smell is Blanc Double de Coubert, which is VERY hardy. Therese Bugnet is an excellent pink rugosa, which blooms continuously, somr clusters, some long stems, good for a vase. That's another characteristic I demand in roses--continuous blooming.

If you're going to do any roses at all, you'll also need a pesticide. I like a systemic granule which feeds the plant and kills anything that eats it--Ortho does a good one. I don't like pesticides but at least the systemic is fairly specific. I used to watch my ex-neighbor spraying crap on her roses early in the morning when the bees were out--something you NEVER do, it kills the bees.

Have you thought about alstroemeria (sp?), Peruvian lilies? They grow well, don't need a lot of care, and last for ages in a vase. Forists love them and there are some new colors this year. Florists also like statice, of course, which I believe is easy to grow. Lavender? Sandy, dryish and sunny for lavender. I believe Shasta daisies last a long time and carnations, too. I'm not real up on vase flowers cos my cats eat 'em.

I think I'd go talk to some florists, find out what they like best and how much they're likely to pay you for it. Maybe also a whole foods place that would like "organic" bunches of flowers.

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002


Bulbs--be prepared to cover with 1" or so chicken wire because squirrels and other critters (raccoons, possum, deer?) will dig them up and eat them. They ate my glads and some tulips but not the lilies or daffs.

Roses hardy in severe winters--The late Dr. Buck Ames (I may have the name wrong), who I believe came from Iowa State U, created a series of roses whose names begin with Prairie--like "Prairie Lady"--which hold up to bad winters. The Canadians have also created some very hardy roses but I can't remember any names offhand--believe Wayside has some.

You may also see Harkness roses in the Wayside cat. They're a Hitchin (Hertfordshire) firm, very highly reputable in Britain, have been for decades. (I used to live close to Hitchin.) Although weather conditions are different here, I believe they've performed well so far but I don't know about bad winters. Hitchin, by the way, has a pretty sandy type soil.

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002



SPRING IS IN THE AIR, I CAN FEEL IT ALL AROUND

Boy, I didn't realize that spring was quite this close until last night and this morning. Last night, I left the kitchen light on for a while as I was helping my son study for his science fair today, and then to generally putz around. When I shut off the light last night, there were TONS of moths about. Some really beautiful. I haven't seen moths since early November, so I know that they are returning.

I've seen more robins as of late, more woodpeckers, cardinals (which we have year round), and many other birds which I do not know yet. The crows are terrible. The songbirds are at full capicity today and sounding very much like spring. Better refill the birdbath and make sure that there are plenty of seed in the feeders.

Returning from the science fair about 11:15 central, I made the determination that I was going to walk the property a bit. Seeing that it is now about 10 till noon, you can tell I didn't do much walking. Had to give foot a break due to the standing I had to due while the fair was going on.

Anyways, I looked at the cherry tree and it has nice formed buds. Still a few weeks (I think) until it blooms. The Bradford pear is about to pop open! I couldn't believe it. I saw honeybees out looking for flowers. The unidentified fruit tree (either apple or plum or peach) has a bunch of new growth with nice formed buds. I can't wait until it blooms so that I can finally determine what it is. My tulips have started to poke their heads from out of the ground. The rose of sharon looks like it won't be long before the leaves return.

Yesterday during lunch I was a really bad bad girl. I went to home depot just to window shop. I did pick up a fantastic book on gardening in Oklahoma. Along with said book, I purchased 18 asparagus roots, I got about 30 daylilies (3 varieties and colors), more dahlias, more calla, more hosta, 3 peonies, more glads. I broke it to hubby last night in an e-mail so he can get ticked off and recovered before he returns home. [total 150.00]

Then today, I went to wal-mart just to window shop again. Wrong move. They had some good looking hybrid tea bareroot roses priced from 4-7 bucks. I bought 4 to give them a try. If they fail, then I'm not out the big bucks for the ones that I really want. I bought more daylilies (2 more colors), blood meal, bone meal, and about a gazillion seeds. Oh, some blue and white iris as well. I doubt they'll do anything this year, but next should be beautiful. [89.00 today]

If my green thumb turned brown over the winter, I'll be in a heap of trouble. Time to go pull some weeds and move the rocks. Bonus - we found a huge pile of rocks which were left over from when the rocked the house. These will look nicely as a edge for a flower bed that I'm planning in one area just before the woods start.

Now if I can only talk my son into helping me dig up an area. Money may be a factor in getting his body in gear. I'll gladly pay him for his help. However, I can see him getting bored quickly and the holes not being that deep. LOL

-- Anonymous, February 16, 2002


digging for buried treasure?

-- Anonymous, February 16, 2002

apoc, I am not allowed in the garden section of any store without supervision. You did good.

-- Anonymous, February 16, 2002

diane,

I did good only because of time constraints. If I had been allowed to stay as long as I wished, I'd have needed an 18-wheeler to bring it all home with.

apoc

-- Anonymous, February 16, 2002


Apoc, here's another idea for the commerical market: how about growing flowers and shrubs, like pussy willows, that crafters like to dry and make things with? Or maybe you'd like to make dried flower arrangements and wreaths and sell them at the farmer's market? I don't know what the market in your area is like for that, but it's great around here.

Mushrooms? Asparigus? Fancy cultivars?

OG's right about the roses. I've seen that particular business fail several times. Heck, the bulb companies are fighting to stay alive. Floriculture is best as a hobby, methinks, and if one can make enough to pay for the expenses, cool!

One other idea: organic, homemade pies and such made from your own berry bushes and trees. Again, not a huge moneymaker, but it brings in some bucks. Jams and jellies, too . . . sell them as "organic" and charge a bit more.

-- Anonymous, February 16, 2002


Could also try fresh herbs and edible flowers for local restaurants.

-- Anonymous, February 16, 2002

Meemur,

The idea for selling the flowers was/is just a hope. I could never produce enough to make a profit. If I could help pay for this hobby by the output, then hubby wouldn't mind so bad. He's not the flower type really. Although, one Valentines day, instead of buying me a dozen rozes, he bought me a rose bush. He knew I'd like it better. To bad I couldn't move that one when I bought this house, it was a Queen Elizabeth.

The dried flower idea is good, but due to work demands I'm not sure that I'd have the time to devote to the actual drying process. When I've tried to dry mine, sometimes I have forgotten them for months. I did purchase some seed to make a wildflower bed, and many of those flowers will do great for dried flower arrangements. I just don't have the artistic ability to come up with an arrangement good enough to sell. I can sew, but I can't do anything artistic.

Old Git,

Herbs would be good as well as edible flowers. The bad thing is, some of the flowers I'm going to grow (foxglove) can't be eaten, and I'm not sure if having those around say pansies would make the pansies non-edible. Maybe I'll have to do some research on that. I love herbs and always have an herb garden going. I brought over some of my chives, marjoram, oregano, and rosemary from the other house. I have a perfect spot for an herb garden but it isn't that large. I don't want to have an herb garden to far from the house cause of all the critters (rabbits) eating them. I dug up and brought my Habanera pepper plant over here. I over-wintered it in a large pot inside. It is still growing and has started to get new plant growth. I just got the last ripe pepper off of it, bringing it up to 10. Once I move it outside in hot weather, I expect it to produce much more this year. I didn't want to lose this plant, as it is the first Habanera that I've actually gotten to grow from seed.

I did plant the daylilies today, as they had started to sprout. All 35 of them planted and watered and waiting to grow. I planted one of the 12 plant boxes of the hosta. Then the remainder of the afternoon was spent making a pile of the dead wood that was laying about. I raked the front yard again and have a huge pile of leaves to mow over to mulch then go into a compost pile. I've started saving my coffee grinds to add to the compost. I'm pulling some of the weeds that are starting to sprout in woods around the house. I'll put them in the compost pile too. So much to do, so little time.

-- Anonymous, February 16, 2002


Definition of a weed:

a. Any plant that is not growing where it is supposed to grow.

b. Any plant that causes anxiety and concern because it chose the wrong spot to sprout.

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2002


Barefoot,

LOL!

I have plenty of weeds, and by your definition plenty more that I want to grow in specific locations. Let's hope that the natural weeds don't overrun the hand selected ones.

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2002


The most important piece of advice I can give you: pretend you're already 65 years old with glass knees and moving much more slowly. And plan your garden accordingly!

Don't think the digitalis from the foxgloves will seep into the pansies. The only thing I know that poisons the ground around it is the black walnut, but there may be other plants I don't know about. The deer just might leave a lot of the herbs alone--or why not grow them in a suitably fenced-off area? It looks unsightly right at first but after a month or so you just don't see it! (I had to do that for wabbits.)

I love foxgloves meself--they grow wild in the English countryside. Thompson 7 Morgan (online) have a wonderful selection you can grow from seed. Love primroses too, not all those fancy colored primulas, but delicate soft, pale yellow ones, also wild.

There's an ancient abbey, Roche Abbey, near where my grandparents were in Maltby, Yorks. Springtime meant beautiful ruins inundated by thousands of wild daffodils. I wonder now who planted the first few bulbs--could it have been those old monks before Henry VIII busted down their walls in the 1500s? Dunno. I still like daffs, particularly wild-looking ones (traditional lemon), but I do like some of the very fragrant white ones and those pretty salmony-pink ones.

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2002


P.S> If anyone else is fond of that soft pale yellow color, there's a forsythia called "Winterthur" which is that color, as opposed to the harsh, jangling yellow of most forsythias.

Because England is further north in the hemisphere, the light is different, more grayish. Thus, flower colors are more muted. This means I'm more sensitive to glaring scarlets, neon oranges and jangly yellows than most, and they're not welcome in my garden!

Apoc, do you know about the White Garden at Sissinghurst Castle? If not, search on the web for it--you might like it. Also might get some ideas from Vita Sackville-West's writings about her famous garden.

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2002


Wow, never thought of a web search for the white garden!!! I have been collecting white flowers for several years now with the intent of starting a white garden. Where we are the glaciers took a huge dump and I have rock that would make me able to give the appearance of an English cottage garden, stone fences and all. I am only limited by my back (working with the stone) and my pocket book. I love the idea of the muted tones. This computer stuff just keeps getting better :>)

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2002

Try to keep the dirt out of your keyboard, Diane.

And that goes for the rest of you, too.

LOL

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2002


Thompson & Morgan has packets of mixed seed in various colors, including all-white. I think they even have a green pack. Could be a black pack too, I can't remember.

You might like cleome (white, pink and violet) which self-seed beautifully. If Foxgloves are happy, they too will self-seed (Bear in mind they're biennials though.) Dependable plants for your type of enironment are pinks--there's a nice one called It Saul White (no typo). The T&M catalogue is wonderful, like a mini-encyclopedia, and there's a series of different codes on each entry--lets you know if it's easy or difficult, what conditions it needs, etc. I believe they have an arrangement with Park Seed now but the original T&M cat. is THE best. They're keepers!

Oh--you folks intent on a white garden--watch out for lychnis! They self-seed VERY well--too well!--and grow almost anywhere, providing they have sun. Do not be seduced by that beautiful artemisia Valerie Finnis--it took me three or four years to get rid of the last bit--and I'm not sure it won't come up again. I've got some in a pot and keep a very close eye on it.

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2002


Barefoot, I look forward to a few days where I can play in the dirt and not even think about the computer. I would miss you folks, but I've been averaging almost five hours at the PC per day (don't gag: 98% is for pay, not surfing) and I really need a break from sitting and working on a screen.

White gardens -- the neighbor down the street has one. Mmmmmm. On nice days, she dons a white outfit and serves tea to the Secret Lawn Police on her patio. They sit on wicker chairs with white pillows. I can do without the white chairs but her garden is a mecca of peace and coolness.

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2002


Secret Lawn Police?? Does that have to come with the white garden?? If I donned a white outfit, it would be white for about 30 seconds.......maybe.

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2002

You and me both, Diane. If I don't have a faded stain on my pants knee or a missing shirt button, it wouldn't be me. And if I didn't start out that way, I would end up that way. I am definitely not, nor have I ever been, a frilly person.

Yes--for hot summers, white flowers are the way to go. All warm colors should be banished! Well, okay, a shell pink or pale lemon is permissible. And must have fountain. If Sweetie gets a job soon, I AM GOING TO HAVE A MODEST FOUNTAIN. Learned that in New Orleans, the sound of water is the most cooling thing.

-- Anonymous, February 18, 2002


the sound of water is a cooling thing, unless you have to pee.

-- Anonymous, February 18, 2002

Barefoot, then that is the reason to own some land. That way you can pick a tree and go.

I haven't done it, but I do know for a fact that hubby and son have left their scent down in the back 40.

-- Anonymous, February 18, 2002


Geez, what's with you guys and weeds?

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2002

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