And The Plot Thickens

Our very first compost pile.  Kitchen scraps and shredded newspapers, first laid down about five months ago.  Should be ready to sift over the beds here quite soon!

Fun Fact: Aerobic composting will produce less compost quicker; Anaeorbic compost will produce more compost with a higher nitrogen content in a lot longer time.  I’d be happy for more compst, but wanted it quickly… so did it this way.

It’s been a little busy lately.  The rotational beds are in!  I’m hoping to fill in the things that I missed posting about but got pictures of soon.  In the meantime, let me kvetch.

COLD WEATHER SUCKS.  I never had to worry about this when I lived down in the Urban Heat Island.  Tomatoes could go in the ground in February, and we’d get ripe maters in May.  It got warm a couple of weeks ago and I set the plants out to acclimitize and they just rolled their eyes.  Cold, rain, and *ahem* neglect made most of the melons and all of the cukes bow out.

So I had to restart the cucumbers and melons yesterday.  And the Tarragon, cuz I loves it but forgot it first time around.  This is from the new page which will document the progress of 2011’s vegetal progress.

1. Veg: Cherry Tomato: Gardener’s Delight (my favorite cherry)
2. Veg: Watermelon: Sugar Baby
3. Veg: Watermelon: Crimson Sweet
4. Veg: Cucumber: Tendergreen
5. Veg: Cucumber: Armenian
6. Veg: Bell Pepper: California Wonder 300TMR
7. Veg: Hot Pepper: Sweet Banana
8. Herb: Tarragon
9. Veg: Bean: Pole Runner: Scarlet Emperor
10. Veg: Bean: Pole: Trionfo Violetto
11. Veg: Bean: Edamame: Glycine Max

Fun Fact: Succession planting of beans is a great way to keep from being overwhelmed in the summer.  Hopefully.  Maybe.  Cross yer fingers.

Wowzers but it’s been busy.  We pitched about 6 cubic yards of premium dirt today. Pics coming soon.  YES WE HAVE BEES!  Must get pics today for ya’all.

Fun Fact: have been thinking of changing the blog’s by-line to “Noobs in a garden”.  What do you think?

According to these sources, my Last Frost Date is Jan 30th, Feb 9th, Feb 20,  orFeb 31.   But we had a full-on frost  just two weeks ago at the end of February and it’s still very cold in the mornings.  I think I’ll wait a smidge longer before trusting my plants to the ground… not to mention, my beds aren’t filled in yet.

http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-california-last-frost-date-map.php 

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/freezefrost/freezefrost.pdf 

http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim20supp1/states/CA.pdf 

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/freezefrost/freezefrost.pdf

Fun Fact: We’re getting six hives!  SIX!  WOW!

We get massive freezing winds directly in from the Golden Gate.  And we want a lot of fruit.  Therefore, I went poo-flinging crazy with the ordering of the trees. 

Windbreak Evergreen trees:

• 2 Colorado Blue Spruce
• 2 Deodar Cedar
• 2 Fraser Fir
• 2 Incense Cedar
• 2 Yellow Ponderosa Pine

Orchard Fruit trees:

• Apple Honey Crisp
• Apple Pink Lady
• Apple (Low Chill) 3N1
• Apricot Blenheim Royal
• Nectarine Double Delight
• Peach 3N1 Low Chill
• Pear 3N1 Disease Resistant
• Plum Japanese Laroda
• Peach Babcock Sm Dwf Tr
• Fig

Fun fact: moles can eat their bodyweight in earthworms a day.  Greedy guts.

 

Tray 2

Tray 1

So it’s been a little crazy.  First I was down for four or five weeks with a cold in Jan-Feb.  We used to live in the Heat Oasis of a large city.  There, I started seeds on December 1.  Here, I knew that I’d have to start them a little later, and figured… maybe… a month or so?

Well that month passed and another passed while I was sick and I finally started my seeds, blowing my nose and drinking hot tea and looking miserable, on Feb 11 and 12th. 

Here it is two weeks later and my seeds are, um, BIG.  The squash is four or five inches high.  AND IT IS SNOWING OUTSIDE.  Argh!  It never snows here in the Bay Area!  It last snowed 36 years ago!

 I can hear them say “oooo, I want that ground, baby, it’s so nice outside.  Gimme some of that sweet sweet terra lovin.  I could be healthy and strong and making you food, just plant me out wink wink nudge nudge.”

I guess I’ve got to go off to pick up more lights because my plants aren’t going to stop growing just for my convenience, now, are they?  *sigh*