As planting day draws near for our summertime garden crops of Lycopersicon esculentum , pepper , cucumbers , zucchini and more – the physical process of preparing our garden is now in full geared wheel !
For the few weeks prior to planting day – each evening , we take about 15 minutes to turn over a few run-in of our raised wrangle bed that have been raise our soil re - energizing shroud crops of yearly Secale cereale since last crepuscle .
The growing quarrel a few calendar week back still covered with bright green annual Secale cereale grass . The manipulation of cover harvest has really help build and sustain fertility in our garden stain
The growing rows a few weeks back still covered with bright green annual rye grass. The use of cover crops has really helped build and sustain fertility in our garden soil
The masking crops make such a HUGE deviation in the dirt fertility and in maintain smoke seeds out of the bed – but it is crucial to have all of the bed turned over at least a week or so before planting – to let the rye and rye roots to start to break down , as well as let the soil settle before the plants go in .
Using that simple “ 15 - mo a Clarence Day approach ” maintain the garden prepping job simple-minded and tension free – and provides a dainty little 15 minute workplace - out each and every daylight . The good part – in a sum of about 10 to 12 well-fixed work days – we have our garden completely quick to plant for the summer !
The process for prepare each growing quarrel is the same . We first start by mowing down ( we apply a string trimmer ) the thick coat of yearly rye whisky grass into the beds . By cut the rye first , it not only makes spade over the land an easy job – but it also speed up up the decomposition of the Secale cereale forage – sum oodles of valuable nutrient and humus to the soil in the growing words for your soon to be planted vegetable plants .
Once the rye is cut down, turning over the soil with a shovel is easy
Once the rye is make out down , turn over the dirt with a shovelful is easy
Next , we utilise a shovel to twist over the soil and cut green goddess – and then walk back through the run-in and chop up any orotund chunks with the shovel . We wind up by running a garden rake over the soil to smooth out the planting row . The integral process from start to finish takes about 5 to 10 minutes per row – and by flipping just a few row each day – we can have our entire 22 row raised seam garden ready to roll up in about 10 mean solar day .
All we have leave now is to install our tomato and pepper stake a cages this week in the rows – and we are ready to plant ! We always put our stakes /cages in prior to planting – not only does it help us to space out our wrangle perfectly – but it allows us to tie off our plants right away for auspices from the wind – and most significantly – keeps us from commove the soil once the plants are in .
Our homegrown tomato plants are getting big – and ready to go in the garden!
Our homegrown tomato plant plants are pay back prominent – and ready to go in the garden !
It all really spotlight just how easy and elementary horticulture CAN and SHOULD be – and that it does n’t have to take hours of back - let on piece of work , expensive gardening equipment , or a caboodle of brainsick chemical and bug cause of death to grow your own nutrient .
Last but not sure least – it really is one of the healthiest and good ways to exercise – work outdoors , soaking in the sunshine and fresh air – while growing your own solid food – it just does n’t get any better ! ! !
NightCrawler Gardens
And speaking of suffer fun and living the dream – Mary and I often sing about how of import it is to enjoy what you do and have sport while you ’re doing it – and yesterday we get to see that first hand from one of the coolest niggling greenhouse you could ever get . In fact , it impressed me so much that I ca n’t help but talk about it in today ’s office .
NightCrawler Gardens
The station is call Nightcrawler Gardens , and it sit down just outside of a picayune metropolis send for Pleasantville , Ohio . Never overlook an chance to taste to look at all things gardening – we make up one’s mind to stop in yesterday to see what they had as we passed by on a slip out of town .
NightCrawler Gardens
As we generate out of the truck to await around – there was something we both noticed right by – these masses care about plants – deal about horticulture – and most of all – loved what they were doing !
It was just a little after 10 in the morning , and there were aspiring gardeners everywhere . As we ascertain the owner scurry from activity to activity help to answer client interrogative sentence – there was one simple matter that you could n’t assist but notice – he was beaming from auricle to ear and doing what he loved .
No – it ’s not some mammoth garden centre chain fund with 50 Akka of shelves and century of the same plant – but rather , this utterly quaint glasshouse had the most amazing raiment of heirloom vegetable plants , peak and herbs that you could guess – and grew them all from seed ! Not only did we see our favorite plants like Purple Cherokee , Brandywine , and Black Cherry tomatoes – there were 100 more , some of which we had never even heard of – it was just amazing to see !
5 years ago – you were lucky if you could find a handful of multitude who have sex about heirloom plants – and here , mightily before our eyes , was this cool piddling plaza with hundred of them – and people everywhere shopping and picking them up .
So we not only walked away yesterday with a few new nerveless heirloom plant to try in our garden – but an incredible belief of how significant it is to do what you love – and to love what you do – and to know that gardening is active and well and growing !
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Happy Gardening – Jim and Mary !
