The Waiting Game Begins

The Waiting Game Begins



I had 9 wonderful garden helpers about two weeks ago help me plant my winter garden. I taught them the proper way to plant seeds with learning about seed depth and spacing. They got into the garden soil, making furroughs for the tiny seeds and poking holes for the bigger ones. Here's what we planted: garlic, onions, beets, broccoli rabe, (2) lettuce, Swiss chard, cilantro, turnips, arugula, green onions, peas and parsley.



And three days later the broccoli rabe sprouted from the soil. Now the garlic and onions are up too! So are the lettuces, peas and the arugula. Some have not sprouted yet and I am not really worried. The germination days on the back of the seed packet help us track when to expect the seeds to break through the soil so we don’t have to guess.



But now the waiting game starts. The plants will get bigger every day but the vegetables may not be ready for harvest for at least another 60 days.



So for now I am still going to the Farmer’s Markets and the store to provide my food. But soon my patience will pay off and I will be eating from my garden!!



Happy Digging

The Garden Goddess

www.down2earthgardens.com

Beets, Bok Choy and Brussels Sprouts – A Winter Vegetable Garden

Beets, Bok Choy and Brussels Sprouts – A Winter Vegetable Garden

 Photo corteousy of deepthoughtsbyhealey.wordpress.com/.../19/beets/

Gardeners in the low desert of the southwest are gearing up for another gardening season and perhaps the bigger of the two. Fall and winter gardening plants choices are greater and the weather is milder.

Soil and air temperatures impact the germination of seeds and the growing of the plants themselves. When air temps are still over 100 degrees during the day, the evenings are still warm as well. These conditions are not favorable for the tiny seeds to burst open with life. Many vegetables can be started indoors on a very sunny windowsill or counter and transplanted outside in the garden when the temps are less than 90 degrees during the day.

There are many plants which grow during this cooler season but some of the common ones are beets, bok choy and brussels sprouts. Of these three, brussels sprouts have the highest amount of protein and fiber – too bad they get such a bad wrap by so many people!

These three plants also represent three different species of plants. Beets are called root vegetables because we typically eat the root or the beet root; bok choy is a leaf vegetable because we eat the leaf and it doesn’t produce a separate vegetable and the Brussels sprouts are part of the cole crops (Brassica oleracea) like cabbage and broccoli.

Root, leaf and cole crops are the three species that grow best in cooler weather. Many of them will sit and wait to grow until the weathers cools down if planted in warmer weather.

Here are a few planting tips to ensure a successful fall garden:

1. Wait until it is below 90 degrees to plant in the garden
2. However you can begin to prepare the garden bed. Remove any dead or diseased summer plants.
3. Amend the soil – it has been depleted of most nutrients by the summer crop and the heat and sun.
4. Add organic mater like compost, earth worm castings, even bury your kitchen vegetable scraps.
5. Only turn your soil deeply if it is heavy clay soil and needs a lot of amendments.
6. Otherwise just mix in the organic matter into the top 6 inches or so.
7. Water the garden well and wait a few weeks before you plant seeds or transplants.
8. Read the back of the seed pack for instructions specific to that plant. This will also help ensure greater success.

Just remember to be patient with the plants, keeping soil uniformly moist especially when the plants are young. Some of these plants will take up to 90 days before the vegetable forms and if all the seeds are planted at the same time, they will mature at the same time. When it is time to plant, sow seeds at two to three week intervals to extend the length of time to harvest throughout the season.

Growing your own food is fun and rewarding. It is a great way to spend time outdoors and get some exercise. Share the surplus with neighbors, or learn to ‘put up’ the harvest by canning or freezing. You will be glad you did when you taste fresh grown vegetables this winter.

Turn Your Trash into Great Garden Fertilzer

Kitchen scraps, shredded paper, and lawn clippings usually end up in the trash bin, but can easily and cheaply be turn into a source of rich nutrients to add to garden beds. This is called composting, and while many people assume that composting is a complex and challenging undertaking, there’s really no need to be intimidated.


The benefits for the garden are many: it improves soil structure and also water retention, helping to keep plants healthier for longer in dry conditions. It provides a source of slow-release, organic fertilizer for plants, while at the same time boosting the community of microorganisms and other creatures beneficial for plant.

Composting is as easy as 1-2-3.

1) Get a bin: Compost needs a certain critical mass of organic material to create enough heat for decomposition to occur.. Something to contain this matter is helpful. Most city waste departments now offer a free or low cost waste bin to be used for compost. Just check your city’s website or call the waste management department.

2) Fill it: All manner of waste can go into a compost bin. There are two basic types of organic waste: nitrogen-rich (aka “greens”) and carbon-rich (aka “browns”). Use about twice as much carbon-rich material as nitrogen-rich. Some good carbon-rich materials include dead tree and shrub leaves, cardboard, newspaper, shredded paper and wood chips. As far as nitrogen-rich materials go, think of fresh grass clippings, green yard waste, vegetable scraps from the kitchen and even hair (think of Fido’s brush).

3) Turn and water: Organic matter needs both oxygen and moisture to break down. To add more oxygen, give compost a turn every once in a while with a pitchfork or shovel and keep compost generally as moist as a wrung-out sponge.

There you have it! Let nature take its course. In a matter of time, some of the best garden food ever, all made from stuff that would have thrown away, is free to use in the garden.

For more details including a complete list of WHAT you can compost -  attend a workshop I am doing on Saturday, October 2nd from 1pm - 2:30 pm with the Phoenix Permaculture Guild.

Location: Central Slope Design Center

Street: 8801 N. Central Ave
City/Town: Phoenix, AZ 85020

Hope to see you at class soon!

Happy Digging,
Doreen Pollack
aka the Garden Goddess
http://www.down2earthgardens.com/

Fall Means a Fresh Start in the Garden

There is a change in the air in Phoenix. The evenings and mornings are definitely cooler. The humidity is gone and so is the monsoon rain. The leaves on the Mulberry trees are starting to yellow slightly and drop.


This slight shift always has me feeling hopeful and excited for another planting and growing season. Time to clean out the garden beds, re-build the soil with my compost, rake it smooth and get the seeds planted. Time to make the row markers, set out a plan of what goes where, and start to think about the color that comes from flowers in the garden. Oh I almost forgot, I pick a new edible plant to grow each year – I wonder what it will be this year – Do you have a suggestion for me?

While I was watering yesterday, I noticed one of my artichoke plants is emerging from its summer rest. I have two – I hope the other one comes back!

I like to take a reasonably-paced approach to getting the gardens ready for a new season. I start with getting the garden cleared and soil amended one week. I like to let the compost and any other amendments sit in the ground for a week at least before I plant into it. Looks like I will be doing this on Sunday morning while it is cool. That also lets me take stock of my seeds and purchase anything I may still need. However – after the bounty I got at the American Community Gardening Association Conference I attended in August and the seeds I got at the Seed Swap last week I think I may be set this year!

I also have new seeds from Humble Seed for an herb garden – aptly called Uncle Herb’s Favorites – 10 different herbs in a great package that can be reused. What I love about this company is they are very particular about where they get seeds and the package them locally using the Marc Center.
So in a few weeks I will be planting out my new garden. I am excited about eating fresh lettuce, spinach and other greens, beets and peas – all in about 2 more months! The gap between will need to be supplemented by the farmers markets.



What are your plans for a fall garden? Please let me know if I can help. I am starting to book consultations now – just email me at gardengoddess@down2earthgardens.com or call 623-217-6038.

Happy Digging,
The Garden Goddess
http://www.down2earthgardens.com/