Victory Garden

[Oldguy]

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Spring “to-doâ€

[Bounce530]

About 1:12 into it:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65wxiJk3Eio[/youtube]

[AntiM]

There's a foot of new snow outside. Bah

[wedeliver]

There's a foot of new snow outside. Bah

I think there is more coming. Gerlach has snow on the ground.

http://www.burningman.com/preparation/t ... ebcam.html

I have a foot of fresh snow on the ground.

http://www.eaglesnestrvpark.com/webcam.htm

The storm last night did a really funny thing, instead of moving East it went straight north up the coast. This one has some really high clouds.

I like to use intellicast for my weather pictures. Sat views Radar etc..

www.intellicast.com

I guess if we are going to get snow, now is a good time since it is still winter. so far this year not much moisture. The sierra snowpack needs lots of help for summer watering, some Central Valley Farmers are not planting becasue of water shortage.

[AntiM]

We should have more snow Tuesday. Poor MyLarry has to throw chains over a steel load today, deliver in Rexburg tomorrow. Snow and steel are an ugly combination.

[Oldguy]

Storm door is open in Northern California, next clear day will be wednesday. Wind storm last night blew a limb into one of my livingroom windows,I will have to wait till tuesday to get to hardware store to get replacement glass. I haven't had a broken window since the neighbor kids' baseball years. Luckily, I have a large cork bulletin board that I put up to block the wind, screen is still up and will deflect the rain.

Vernal eqiunox not till March 20th. My grandmother always planted the day after Easter. She had seed flats going in two week stages for sequential planting for continuous harvest in the fall.

She had chicks under lightbulb boxes inside too in late winter. We sexed chicks by examining vents and feather tips. After the birds grew to proper size we ate the boys, and kept the girls for egg production. My Grandma called her chickens " the girls". As in, "go feed the girls some cracked corn and mix in some oyster shell for the eggs". The girls were allowed to roam the garden for insect control. We kept two roosters, the King was allowed to roam, but the Prince was kept caged " just in case."

We really need the snowpack, and the rain down low, to fill the dams.

[AntiM]

I don't really have room for indoor flats, but I'm going to try. Hope the cats don't get too interested.

[joel the ornery]

use plastic wrap for starting seeds, and whack the cats a good one when they get curious.

or just whack the cats indiscriminately.

[Oldguy]

April 13, Easter Monday is my traditional planting day. I have my seed allready. Your planting zone is different than mine. March 20 is Spring. Time for growth from seed germination to seedling size is variable. You could just buy pregrown seedling trays from market, co-op, store, or nursery.

Some plants use lengthening day as growth trigger. Some use shortening night. Some use lenghth of daylight. Some use lenghth of night. Variables include ground temp., humidity, seed depth, seed position and spacing. I lke minimum ambient temp. here to be above 50 F at night for direct planting outdoors.

A chichen wire cage will keep the kitties from digging. you could dose the wire with somekind of repellant like capsian spray.

I've been looking at my plastic cakecover dome to make a minigreenhouse with a twelve inch cakepan "pot". Seedlings take up minimal space. My Grandma's victory garden was really a small truck farm, intensive style. She had seven sons and a daughter. Her flats were big.

I've been thinking about using my old RV as a greenhouse. the front half is all windows. Kitchen counter on southeast corner, card tables on southwest corner. Captains chair could hold one tray. Passenger bench could hold two trays. Huummm. New sets on chairs ,then transfer to tables and counter...That will work. Most of my stuff is in ground before Mother's Day in May.

[AntiM]

I whack my Siamese punk-bastard cat, Oide, indiscriminately. He rather likes it.

I like the cakedome idea ... I have one plastic carries and a cupcake carrier which would do nicely. I have only on small south window; it has a baker's rack in front of it full of my houseplants. No room at the inn so to speak. I can use an east facing picture window, but my west windows are the one above the sink (no room there) or the kitchen table. The kitchen table is my art studio. So I will have to juggle this and that to see what can be done.

Different planting zone indeed. We can get heavy snow well into May. Frost ends sometime in April. Short growing season and a shady backyard, dry arid soil. But heck, if the Mormons can irrigate the place into a paradise, I can too. I hope.

Does anyone know anything about pruning mulberry trees? We have a volunteer tree, thought it was a tiny scrub oak, but no ... it produced mulberries last year.

[Ugly Dougly]

I would think that leaving a pile of clean sand in one corner would give the cat a designated place to poo. I'm going to try this with my cat, but he's grumpy right now about the rain, and he just learned to use the cat-door.

I should think that pruning mulberry is like other plants. First, take away the dead branches, and the ones that cross. If it's been growing long enough to get fruit, then it's got a lot of wild growth. Look into cutting it back hard.

[Oldguy]

From a blog on The Christian Science Monitor website:

Michelle Obama supports community gardens
By Judy Lowe | 02.23.09

There have been grass-roots efforts to get the president to set an example for the country by planting a kitchen garden at the White House. But persuading the US Department of Agriculture to actively support community gardens might actually lead to some widespread results.

That’s why gardeners watched eagerly earlier this month when Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack broke ground on the first People’s Garden, which is in front of USDA headquarters in Washington.

More community gardens are planned for USDA facilities across the country and around the world, which is welcome news (although they aren’t mandated for all facilities).

The new D.C. garden, located next to a USDA farmers’ market, will be home to fruit trees as well as vegetables. (Previously, it was a smaller flower garden.)

The New York Times says its produce will be donated to the District’s soup kitchens.

“The garden will showcase conservation practices that all Americans can implement in their own backyards and green spaces,â€

[jkisha]

when I was in elementary school each kid had a patch of garden they had to maintain (or maybe we maintained the entire garden together, I don't remember exactly), but I do remember harvesting the vegetables--it was the only reason I ever tasted a choloraby or swiss chard.

JK

[Oldguy]

My grade school was surrounded by fruit orchards. This time of year smudge pots were put out to burn diesal to keep fruit sets from freezing. I saw a smudge pot on craigslist yesterday for 55 bucks.

Yes, we had gardens too. Remember the empty jars, paper towels and bean seeds planted around the sides? I wonder if teachers still do that.

During, or after WWII, our town had a community cannery at the highschool. The federal government funded it to feed the people. I remember peeling blanched tomatoes before they were cut and put in cans to go to the sealer then the heat baths. We did cling peaches, beans, beets,etc... Our family did home canning too, mason jars in the pressure cooker.

There is a growth industry for you. More people will be preserving their own food. Jams and jellies, here we go.

[betrdanevr]

I still believe it is a good idea to grow your own veggies, but if you are in the mind to start a community garden that is good idea too. I've been thinking of squatting on an empty lot that has been vacant for years on my street. Watering may be an issue though, a fire hydrant with 100' of old 2 1/2" firehose, gated valve with reducer Y to two 1" lines. Do I know some fireman who'll pressure test this hydrant for me once a month?

Long as it's not too much pressure or as long as once a month is sufficient, which I doubt. LOL

Maybe you could take your BM water containers when you go to the garden?

I remember growing up with a large garden and we had well water. I packed many galvanized buckets of water to the edge and then dipped it out with one of my grandmothers old "enamel" pots -- one potfull per plant. Certainly gives one an appreciation of water! LOL

At least where I live, you CAN get a hydrant meter and a key from the city (and also a monthly bill!), but the deposit cost is pretty astronomical for what you want to do -- $1500 here.

Maybe I'm too paranoid, but I think I'd look up the property owner in the tax digest. They may or may not mind. And you might get away with it. But it could be the city owns the lot. oops. But then again, they might say it's absolutely FINE, and maybe they'd waive the fee on the hydrant meter deposit if you made it a community garden!

[Oldguy]

O course, you are correct. A pirate garden on private property might be risky. I'll contact the realter, I think a bank owns the lot.

City pressure here is 50 psi, garden hose pressure. Implicating a city employee in a criminal activity (stealing water) is not a good idea as well.

I'll contact the city and see if they have a community garden allready. If they don't maybe the county ag office or the fed ag dept. will. Good ideas there, keep them coming. I'm hoping other burners get the gardening bug this year.

[ygmir]

my company set up a community garden at a school in Santa Rosa a while back, using our raised beds and such.
that might be a thought for your area, as well.............
raised beds can be made to use less water and extend the growing season, as well as easier vermin proofing.

just a thought.

[betrdanevr]

That's a good idea, Ygmir, and I'm sure they looked really nice at the school!

Oldguy, you may want to go with a less expensive setup if it's on a vacant lot. How do you think the big black plastic pots that plants/trees come in would work out for you? A landscaper might be a source for free or cheap used pots (if they've not been split in half by a shovel already, lol).

[ygmir]

Thanks BDE.........it was not a commercial post, I was just putting forth an idea, and, thought he'd go to our website to see how to make them, or, get ideas.............

the problem with the black plastic pots would be the heat in the summer, especially in the valley there.
the roots get to hot in a container like that...........good idea, but, IMHO, it'd need to be sheltered from sun and extreme heat.......

[theCryptofishist]

More people will be preserving their own food. Jams and jellies, here we go.

and everything old is new again.

BTW--chutney's easy and good.

[Ugly Dougly]

Sliced cucumbers make a refreshing hot-weather snack.

[EvilDustBooger]

Corn grows well along a normally un-used chain-link fenceline, and can even be used as a nifty green "privacy" fence when planted along a property line or border.
Plant early And late varieties to spread out the harvest time.

[Oldguy]

That's a good idea EDB. I have Thompson and Muskat grapevines on my fence borders . My corn is on the north side of my plot so that shorter plants get enough sun. Some preplanning considering plant height is helpfull for a heathy garden. Pole beans and tomatoes like the sun.

[betrdanevr]

Thanks BDE.........it was not a commercial post, I was just putting forth an idea, and, thought he'd go to our website to see how to make them, or, get ideas.............

Oh, I never THOUGHT it was a commercial post. Not at all!

the problem with the black plastic pots would be the heat in the summer, especially in the valley there.
the roots get to hot in a container like that...........good idea, but, IMHO, it'd need to be sheltered from sun and extreme heat.......

okay. Gotcha. Not enough soil, and raised beds would have more of that.

I guess container gardening should be left for tomatoes on the patio. Duh!

[jkisha]

Sliced cucumbers make a refreshing hot-weather snack.

And they are great to slice and put on your sandwiches on the playa instead of lettuce. (Cucumbers keep a lot better on the playa than lettuce.)

JK

[ygmir]

Thanks BDE.........it was not a commercial post, I was just putting forth an idea, and, thought he'd go to our website to see how to make them, or, get ideas.............

Oh, I never THOUGHT it was a commercial post. Not at all!

the problem with the black plastic pots would be the heat in the summer, especially in the valley there.
the roots get to hot in a container like that...........good idea, but, IMHO, it'd need to be sheltered from sun and extreme heat.......

okay. Gotcha. Not enough soil, and raised beds would have more of that.

I guess container gardening should be left for tomatoes on the patio. Duh!

Containers are good for much, but, you just have to be aware of the heat issue, and, cold, for that matter with perennials.
shading and or insulating helps them, if, that's what you've got.

I'm just happy to help any way I can, for people to be self sufficient.........

Some can't garden, but, can do something to help the gardener, and, share work and produce.........

makes for great community, IMHO.......

[SilverOrange]

Don't write off the containers so fast. "Planting" the containers into the ground can be really beneficial. It keeps the soil inside cool, protects root structures from burrowing critters, but best of all can really help in retaining moisture in the area around the root structure of the plant instead of leeching out into the surrounding soil. It also makes it easy to add amendments, etc. to the immediate growing area. I just add compost to the top and watering brings the nutrients down to the plant. This works really well with drip irrigation and helps conserve water. This is really effective and I've had good results in areas where water was an issue. Just make sure that you pick container size well, as too small will limit size and production of your plants.

[Oldguy]

Right, dig a ten dollar hole for a ten cent plant. Soil preparation will prevent many problems and make less work later on in the season.

I do row gardening, the linear form is pleasing to my eye. Easier watering down the ditches with the hose. Separating plants by more than a hoe width makes weeding easier down the line. I do selective thinning (harvesting) to give plants more room too.

[Oldguy]

I've been busy today getting info for my community garden. City Parks and Recreation Department here meets next tuesday. I'll make my pitch to use parkland and city water there. Insider tells me use of city tractor, and plowing site could be done by public works crew building new hiking/ bike trail in area. I'll let you guys know how things go on wednesday.

I got info from Rural Development Office in Oroville- they provide grants for farmers to market their produce ( bbq sauce, jam, jelly-that sort of stuff not subsistence farming). Seems gov't wants farmers to produce taxable products, not feed people. He gave me good info on SF's victory garden program. http://www.sfvictorygardens.org/ He gave me good advice on emphasising visual aesthetics and making a community organization. Getting other organizations onboard would be good- 4H, highschool ag teachers, women's prison in town, retirement communities, boyscouts, garden clubs, etc...

I got info from USDA office in Davis about the master gardener training and help for problem solving during growth season- pest reduction, soil amendments, harvesting technigues.

[Oldguy]

I went to the parks and recreation subcommittee of my local city council and put forth my proposal for a community victory garden. The two city council members were supportive. The two recreation department members were split; the department head was all for it, her assistant was concerned about liability issues and crop theft.The city manager wanted to put it before city staff for input, DPW controls city tractors and tools, private women's prison control their trustee workforce.

The decision was delayed until the April meeting. Planting won't start until after the site location determined and permit obtained to use hydrants. maybe late April or early May. I just love local politicians and paid bureaucracy,...not.