Monkeyfister

Well. Warm weather is finally on the way, here in West Tennessee, and I could not keep out of the gardens today!

I decided that it is time to start doubling the depth of the remaining beds that are still only 6" deep. I started with the 4'x8' bed, originally started as a bean bed. I made another 4'x8'x6" frame, and toenailed it to the existing frame. I filled it up with my own composts, as well as a truckload of composted cow poop from Neola Farms, around the corner, I added some bagged mushroom compost, and some locally produced cotton hull compost. I topped it all off with two inches of a special blend of soils and vermiculite made for germinating seeds. The plants will sprout in the "Metro mix," and send their roots down into the good stuff, below.

Let me tell you-- dirt is no longer "dirt cheap." The 3 2"x6"x8' boards, and the various soil ingredients cost about $80.

Here's what I planted in there:

80 "Oregon Giant" Snow Peas on the west long edge
6 Savoy Cabbage Plants
80 White Onions planted around the cabbages and the Peas
20 Cilantro plants
100 Emu Slow-Bolt Spinach (a new F1 I thought I try. I have a sick friend who LOVES Spinach. I'm growing it for her.)
27 Green Curled Ruffec Endive
24 Boston Bibb Lettuce
52 Detroit Red Beets

Just two weeks ago, I paid $9 for a Savoy Cabbage at Kroger. It wasn't huge-- just regular size... I was stunned at the price. Well-- at that price, the Cabbages alone will nearly pay for the improvements to the bed. Bibb Lettuce is running ~$2 a head, Cilantro is `$2 a bunch, Beets-- $3.50 per bunch. I think this bed will pay for itself by Memorial Day, when most everything planted now will be done, and Late Crops can be planted in.

--I'm going to eat some of the Beet greens, and then pickle the Beets, and some of the Onions.
-- A friend gave me a 2-gallon Pennsylvania Dutch ceramic crock. Some of that Savoy cabbage is going to become some really fun Sauerkraut.
-- Another friend, and her daughter really likes Cilantro, so I am growing some extra.
-- It'll be stir-fry time once those Peas start producing... I'll be looking for recipes to post around then.

All-round, I think this will be a well-used first garden bed of the year.

Mel Bartholomew's "Square Foot Gardening" method makes interplanting/catch-cropping, Companion Planting, and Crop Rotation a breeze. Last Spring, I had Cabbages in this bed, opposite side of the bed. That space was refilled with composts and manure, and some homemade Fish Tea. I replanted with Peppers, Garlic and Carrots. That area is now six inches down, under lots of still-composting layers, and soon will be being processed by the worms and fungi, once they decide to wake up.

Those of you in Zones 7 and 8 get out there and start planting! Zones 6 and 5-- start getting those seedlings going, and your garden beds cleaned up and ready. Zone 4-- Best have those seeds purchased-- not to early to start some seeds.


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Labels: Early Spring Garden, Gardening