Harvesting Leaf Lettuce and Strawberries

     I have some leaf lettuce that I am starting to harvest, about 21 days from transplant.  The last few days of warmer temperature has helped considerably.  I harvest the whole head when it gets as big as the pot ( ten inches ) and then replant a transplant directly back into the old pot.  The soil is removed from the pot and additional compost added before replanting.  That way I have a constant supply of leaf lettuce until the day temperature reaches 90 degrees, then the lettuce starts to bolt. 
     The strawberries are just starting to produce, with us getting about three to four strawberries a day and the birds getting about five or six a day.  The birds have confided in me that they like the new structures since they can eat to their hearts content without fear of getting wet or getting to much of a tan.  I will be putting my CD disks up tomorrow which will help.  I was a little late getting the new strawberry plants ( runners ) in the pots from the stock beds but several applications of the compost tea has made a lot of difference.  Most of the plants have filled the larger pots with roots and the plants are blooming good now.  It is, however, not the peak of the blooming period as that will happen about the end of April.

Heather Marie 

Weeding and Fertilizer Changes

     I have been very busy building more of the newer design cold frames and keeping up with the weeding and fertilizing.  As I get more of the compost run through more of a intense  heating cycle the weeds are becoming less of a problem.  When we moved to this location four years ago I brought all of my organic soil from our old house to this new location.  In the process some soil got mixed in that shouldn't have made the trip, hence lots of new weed seeds.  Every year since I have composted the old soil with the new compost to take care of those weed seeds.  Now two or three weeds per pot is all I have to pull, still too many, but lots better than years past. 
     I have made another change in the way I add fertilizer to the plants.  The new compost furnishes some nutrients to the young plants but I had to supplement this by a side dressing of an organic fertilizer.  I have tried to get my new compost more potent by cutting down on unnecessary organic materials that don't furnish nutrients to the mix.  This has helped but has not eliminated the need to add additional fertilizer.
     Now I have decided instead of side dressing I am going to brew my own compost tea.  In my trials for the last few weeks it seems to take no longer to use this method than to side dress.  The nutrients are available immediately to the plant instead of having to wait for the release of the nutrients.  I also have a choice in my method of application, either foliar or just watering with the tea.  There also seems to be some insect deterring qualities to this compost tea especially applied as a foliar spray.  So far I have found this to be the case.  I write more about this as the season progresses.

Heather Marie

Winter Vegetables Finishing, Spring Items Growing

     The last of the cabbage is being picked now and I am trying to transplant the spring items if the weather will ever stabilize.  I harvested broccoli, cauliflower, collards, brussel sprouts, and three varieties of cabbage.  The cabbage I planted was a mini head cabbage, a savoy variety of cabbage and a large head variety of cabbage.  The mini head variety matured in only 45 days and I picked them about five inches across. ( I like to pick everything smaller so we can get the most flavor from the vegetable variety )  The flavor was very good, sweet and many smaller leaves packed into that tiny head.  The savoy cabbage I picked when the head was about seven inches across.  Lots of tender leaves with very little large veins.  The large head variety was also picked at that stage and a half of a head produced a bowl of cole slaw.  Our brussel sprouts were a little small this year due to the cold but very delicious.  The cauliflower heads were about eight inches across and only needed to be steamed to be eaten.  The broccoli heads were about five inches across when I picked them and they were the first fall crop item to be harvested.  I will plant more next year because we ran out sooner than we anticipated.

     The spring crop of cool season items will include some broccoli, mini cabbage, and savoy cabbage.  That will have to hold us till the fall comes around again.  Our last years crop of onions finally ran out and it will be a few weeks before I will have some green onions to harvest from this years crop.  I was extremely happy with how they stored this year.  I pulled them before the green leaves folded over and it made a big difference in how they stored.  I stored them on a wire shelf with lots of air movement and that was also a factor in their longer shelf life.  This year though I am planting two separate times about eight weeks apart to get that extra space between harvests so that I might be able to make the spring with that last harvest.

Heather Marie

One More Change in the Design of the Growing Unit

     I am always trying to improve my ideas and more importantly trying to do the most for the least amount of money.  To survive in this new reality you must be prepared to handle a wide variety of possible scenarios and be able to grow the most amount of food with what you have.   You will not be able to just go out and purchase what you need because it will not be available.  That is why I am trying to get my portable growing units ready now using what I presently have in stock.  I try to hold my purchases to a minimum and only for things that I absolutely need.  
      Doing my own compost, compost tea, saving seeds, recycling soil, pond for watering, are just some of the ways that I can be self sustaining while growing my vegetables and fruit for eating.  My latest variation in design eliminates the need for a pallet ( a rather expensive item ) and uses a lot more of the material that I had here in my previous designs.  It is still portable and can be moved by tractor or wagon.  The pots, which reduce the amount of soil needed, are up off the ground for drainage and allow quick change over between crops.  The block for radiant heat ( winter freeze protection ) are now at the end of the unit instead of on the pallet.  I have went to greenhouse poly to keep from changing the plastic every few months, a labor and material cost saver. 
     For anybody interested in the specifics of the units email me and I will furnish the details and material list.  At last years Sunbelt Expo I had a variation of this unit on display and we had considerable interest in it.  There were a couple of design flaws in that display but I have since corrected them. 

Heather Marie

Finally the Rain has Stopped

     After almost six days of rain we have a few days of no precipitation even though we have very little sun yet.  I did see a little sun today for a few hours though it was bitter cold.  The wind chill was in the forties for most of the day.  Now I know for my northern friends that is not very cold but for people in southern Georgia this is cold.  Not much has happened in the garden but I am still planting seeds for later transplant to the garden.  I am also making compost tea for giving the plants that little boost to get things moving.  On the plants that I have checked the root system on, I have a full pot of roots already so that as the weather warms up they can make that top growth spurt to start blooming and setting fruit. 

Heather Marie

Rain, Rain Pick Another Day

     This is the third day in a row that we have more than an inch of rain that has accumulated in my garden.  While I usually like the wet stuff as a break in the sunny spells we have here in southern Georgia, this is above and beyond the need.  In the last few weeks we have had in excess of five inches of the wet stuff, way more than is necessary.  The pond on our property has been spilling over for two of these weeks and shows no sign of stopping anytime in the near future.
     If you are not growing in raised beds, now might be an opportune time to consider this option.  Although the soil in my uncovered beds is very wet there is no accumulation of water and the roots of these plants are still in good condition.  The flower beds in my front yard however are floating in water since the ground is so wet that it can't absorb any more water.  The water is slowly draining away but it will take several days to get the soil back to normal moisture levels.  This extreme moisture levels does not support good root growth and health.  It also interferes in fertilizer uptake and causes leaching of nutrients.  
     Of course, the pots in my covered beds suffer none of these excesses and are growing normally.  Much to be said for covered growing areas, especially in extended wet spells such as the one we are suffering through.  All of my beds currently in use are like raised beds and drain well, getting that extra water away from the plant roots.  The forecast is for one day of sun before it returns to the wet stuff.  Sure hope they are mistaken this time.

Varieties Grown This Year and Sources

     Most of my new seeds and extras of my favorites have now arrived for planting this year.  I will list below some of these varieties so that people interested in them can purchase them.  If you have trouble finding them, send me an email and I will tell you where I purchased them.  Some of my favorite seed companies are:
Gourmet Seed Co.
Southern Exposure Seed Excahnge
Seedman
Heirloom Acres Seeds

     The varieties that I am growing this year are listed below:
Bobis d' Albenga Bush Snap Bean
Parisian Market Carrot
Little Finger Carrot
Premier Cabbage
Ice Queen Head Lettuce
Siderno Tomato
Cayenne Pepper
Canasta Lettuce
Coco Bianco Bean
Perpetual Spinach Swiss Chard
Topsi Radish
New Mexico 6-4 Pepper
Red Mini Bell Pepper
 Rocquencourt Bush Snap Bean
Mandurian Round Cucumber
White Stem Pak Choi
Golden Summer Crookneck Squash
Uchiki Kuri Winter Squash
Pattison Strie Mix Summer Suash
Eden's Gem Melon
Waltham Butternut Winter squash
Harlequin Winter Squash
Rugosa Butternut Winter Squash
Red Warty Thing Winter Squash
Red Sails Leaf Lettuce
Romano Bush Green Bush
Bibb Lettuce
Patio King Cucumber
Black Seeded Trocadero Head Lettuce
Baby Eggplant
Deluxe Rainbow Swiss Chard
Little Fingers Eggplant
Round Mauve Eggplant
Detroit Beet
Lorelay Spinach
Red Robin Tomato
Ciucca Leaf Lettuce
Arkansas Little Leaf Cucumber
Victoria Rhubarb
Tumbler Tomato
Patio Golden Zucchini Squash
Flame Leaf Lettuce
and several more
     Most of these varieties are dwarf or miniature in size.  That way I get more plants in a area.  By growing organically a variety that normally grows only twelve to fifteen inches high and has quarter size fruit ends up growing twenty-four inches high and the fruit are half dollar size.  I am looking for the most produce per square foot since cultivating a large area when you are trying to survive is impractical.  Instead of a few super large size slicing tomatoes that weigh two pounds apiece I end up with two hundred large cherry tomatoes, much better to survive with.
     Any questions on the varieties or sources please email me.  Later in the season I will do a summary of each variety with notes on growing and the yield I obtained this year.