The Gardener's Rake » organic gardening

Hay Bale Gardening Techniques

Denise — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:19:06 +0000

There has been a recent move in gardening to plant in hay bales. I have used bales on and off for about 10 years. One year when I was having trouble getting my garden tilled I heard that some people used hay bales to plant in and being one to try the new and unusual decided I should give it a try. And to my surprise the bales were a success and they had a unique look.
photo credit: Valerie Everett

I prefer straw bales as they contain less seed and last longer but straw is more expensive so my choice for the garden depends on the best buy I can get or which crop I am growing. For squash plants and gourds I use hay bales. For my tomatoes and peppers I use straw.

Hay Bale Gardening method

So, if your soil is poor or you want to use the raised bed method but are short on soil, you may want to consider growing your crops in hay. First get bales that still have the string tightly around the bale. This gives you control in moving the bale.

And if you know where you want your garden position the bales. The bales get heavy when wet so you will simplify preparing the garden if you select your garden area when you purchase the bales. If possible let your bales set outside during the winter. This gets the bales wet throughout.

If you are just getting your bales, give the bales a thorough soaking, and let them begin to break down before you plant your vegetables. If the weather is warm, soak them several times during the day for four days.

On the fifth day, apply your choice of liquid fertilizer to the top of each bale. I use liquid compost I have made. Manure tea works well too. Repeat this for three or four more days depending on the crop you will grow. (Gourds and heavy feeders get four days on added fertilizer) When you are done soaking the bales allow one or two days for the bales to set.

Next apply a 50-50 mix of topsoil and manure on the top of each bail or your own compost soil mix. The soil is about 4 inches thick on top of the bale. This will hold the moisture in the bale, add nutrients to the bale during the season and is a place to plant seeds.
photo credit: Average Jane

Moisten the bales with a fine water spray. You are now ready to plant your bale garden. Pull apart the bale by hand to make a hole to put your plant. I also add some soil if I am planting a transplant. Each bale should hold two tomato plants, four pepper plants or two squash plants. Cucumber and lettuce are spaced differently. I use the square foot gardening spacing guide. An example would be six to eight cucumbers, three yellow squash or 12-15 bean seeds per bale. And lettuce would be spaced 6 inches apart.

Annual herbs like basil, cilantro and parsley grow well in bales. I tend to mix them in with other vegetables. Watermelon and cantaloupe can also be planted in bales but I like to have a stronger fertilizer mix for these heavy feeders so plant them in a straw bale square.

Root crops don’t so as well in bales. Their roots are crowded but I have found they thrive in containers and are so easy to harvest – just tap the container to loosen the soil and dump the container. And grow potatoes in loose straw for a great crop.

Hay bale gardening is easy and the garden area has a unique look. I also use a square bale garden formation for heavy feeding plants, lay out the bales for an interesting garden and have mossed the sides of the bales for a very artistic flower garden. hay bale gardening a versatile form of gardening.

Tips:

Buy your bales off season for a better price. Sometimes in late spring they will be free for the hauling.
Plant flowers around the base for a fun look to your bale garden.
Stack the bales two high if you want a garden that is easy on the back.
Straw bales have less seeds in the bale but cost twice as much
Bales should last two years.
When you are done using the bales, compost them for more soil for another gardening year.

Technorati Tags: Creative Organic Gardening, hay bale gardening, raised bed gardening

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Natural Insect Control Recipes and Tips

Denise — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 03:14:02 +0000

As many of us are about to start gardening, its time to think of those garden pests that try to take over you garden if you let them. It’s been many years since I used chemical sprays in my yard but sometimes you need a way to control insects. I use natural insect control methods only. Here are a few techniques that work for me.
photo credit: Arthur Chapman

First if you keep weeds down in the garden (mulching is great) the insects will not have a place to hide.

Remove all unhealthy plants. In their weakened state they will attract insects. Proper watering and nutrition will help keep you plants healthy.

And as strange as it sounds, the best control I have found for cabbageworms are pantyhose. I take the bottom toe section of pantyhose and cover the entire cabbage plant. The white moths that lay the cabbageworm eggs cannot get to vegetable so do not lay eggs. This works for broccoli and cauliflower as well. One added benefit for cauliflower is that you can wrap the leaves around the cauliflower head when dressing the plant and it will self blanch.

Here are a few proven natural insect control sprays that work.

Tomato leaf spray: Soak one to two cups of chopped tomato leaves in two cups of water overnight. Next strain through cheesecloth and add two more cups of water to the strained liquid. Shake well and use it to spray plants to protect them from insects that feed on the liquid in plants. This will cause disease and plant death.

Potato starch spray: Mix two to four tablespoons of potato flour in one quart of water. Add two to three drops of non-detergent liquid soap. This will also protect the plants from insect that feed on liquid, also called sucking insects, in the plants.

Rodale’s all-purpose spray: Chop and grind one garlic bulb and one small onion. Add one teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper and mix with one quart of water. Let steep for one hour and strain through cheesecloth. Next add one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap to the strained liquid. Mix well and spray plants thoroughly. This kills the sucking insects.

Garlic spray: Blend 1/4-pound of strong garlic for five to 10 minutes with a quart of water and one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth and collect the liquid. Next dilute the solution with one part per 10 parts water before spraying. This solution will last about one month if refrigerated. It will repel ants, mole crickets and sucking insects.

Hot dust: Grind dried homegrown red or chili peppers or dill weed (including seeds) to dust. Sprinkle along seeded rows of vegetables to repel ants. Store-bought black pepper, chili pepper, dill, ginger, paprika and red pepper all contain capsaicin, which repels ants. Note: when using red peppers or chili peppers take care not to get the dust in your eyes or on your hands.
photo credit: a. venefica

A garden that is well taken care of usually does not get many insects, but sometimes you may need a little natural help. But avoid the chemical sprays in the store is at all possible. They are hard on the environment, kill good insects and harm birds. They also leave chemical on your fresh healthy vegetables.

By using organic gardening ideas and green gardening techniques you will have better produce and a cleaner environment

Technorati Tags: Creative Organic Gardening, organic gardening

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Grow Heirloom Seeds in your Gardens

Denise — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:01:24 +0000

For those of you who visit my site often you know I like to grow unique or odd seeds. I also enjoy growing heirloom seeds. Heirloom seeds are seeds with a rich historical background that have often been saved and passed down from one family generation to another. Many of these seeds were brought over on the Mayflower or when people immigrated to the United States.
photo credit: Antoaneta

There are two very important reasons to grow heirloom seeds. One is you can save the seeds from year to year and save money on your gardening costs the following season. I like saving money in the garden. I apply my savings to other seeds or plants for the yard.

The second reason and most important in my opinion is that heirloom seeds produce vegetables with a richer taste. A friend of mine recently said, “vegetables like Grandpa used to grow.” I feel heirlooms grow better, are stronger plants and seem to ward of insect problems.

One of the other seeds that you often find in garden centers is hybrid seed. These are seeds that have been chemically and structurally altered to produce a more consistent size or color vegetable or flower. For example many of the newer tomato seeds are hybrids and have been altered to produce a firmer tomato so they will ship better. Yes they ship better but they lack the taste and have a tough outer skin.

Another problem with hybrid seeds is that they do not germinate well or produce crops true to the original seed when you save seed from the crop. So if you save seeds for the following year from a hybrid crop you will have no produce or very poor vegetables.
photo credit: jillclardy

By not being able to save seeds from vegetables, varieties may die out. Great tasting or producing varieties are becoming lost, and seeds will only go up in cost. So save your seeds from your favorite heirloom variety. It’s easy and can be a fun project, particularly for children.

You can also ask your friends and neighbors to share and trade seeds, You will be saving money and helping to preserve great seeds, crops and history. Its also a form or organic gardening, which benefits us all.

Technorati Tags: heirloom seeds, organic gardening

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The Gardener’s Rake Weekly tip: November 3, 2008

Denise — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:19:35 +0000

As winter tries to creep in there are still a few gardening chores that need to be done. If you haven’t planted the last of your perennials and shrubs you need to get that done this week. At least you do in NW PA.
photo credit: cliff1066

It’s also important to cover garden areas and around plants and shrubs to protect the ground. If the frost gets into the ground too deeply around newly planted plants, shrubs and trees the frost will either damage the roots or raise the plant out of the ground. A ground cover will also keep the soil moist and soft and help with earlier plantings for the next garden season.

Compost, straw, and mulch are some of the best ground covers for the winter. I use compost around plants that need a boost of nutrients, straw around established plants, shrubs and trees. Mulch is used more for older trees and problem areas in the yard.

Here are a few ideas for getting ground covers for free or very cheap.

Make you own compost from grass clipping, straw, leaves and table scraps.
Call your local township for free leaves.
Mulch can often be found for free at parks, from tree companies or local townships
Farms often have old straw or damaged bales that they will give to you or sell for a discount.

It’s always nice to save money for landscaping and gardening when you can. It’s money you can use for new plants and other landscaping plans.

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Home canning basics – Part one

Denise — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:31:52 +0000

Canning food gives you the opportunity to keep your garden produce for later use, to save money and to know the food you put on your table is as chemical free as it can be.

Canning is easy once you have done it several times but you must always use care to make sure your end product is properly canned. Improper canning can lead to food that spoils or contains bacteria.

The following series of you tube videos will show you different types of canning and how to store you garden produce safely.

I grew up in a family that canned produce and there is nothing better in the winter than fresh produce from your garden. We also have family recipes that have been handed down from generation to generations and holidays are special with recipes from these canned vegetables and fruits.

Tags: proper canning techniques, why can your own vegetables and fruits, you tube canning series, home canning techniques

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Grow your own blackberries

Denise — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:31:09 +0000

I recently bought blackeberry plants for the back yard. I have a large wild blackberry patch on top of the hill but it’s 3/4’s of a mile from the house and for a quick handful of berries it’s nice to have a small patch in the back yard.

By growing your own blackberries you will have fresh berries on hand for several weeks and you will know exactly what chemicals on on your fruit. I use no chemicals on my plants. I believe in chemical free food whenever possible.

How to plant blackberry plants

There are two main types of blackberries: erect and trailing. The erect variety will take less space, the trailing take more room. You will need to decide which variety to purchase according to the size of your berry patch. Purchase your blackberry plants from a reputable nursery to ensure they are certified as disease free. I also look for blackberry plants that have fewer thorns.

Next pick a planting area in your backyard garden that gets full sun. The area should also contain soil with good drainage. Poor drainage will kill the roots on your plants and slowly kill the plants.

Make sure you weed the area well when you prepare the soil for planting your blackberry plants. This will help control weeds later on.

Plan the space between blackberry plants according to the type of plant you purchase. Leave about 4 to 6 feet between erect variety plants. Trailing varieties have long canes and need 4 to 10 feet of space between each. For both varieties, leave 8 to 10 feet of space between each row of plants. To get an idea on how to properly space the plants I lay them out on the soil and make adjustments for spacing and rows.

Dig out a hole just big enough to hold the blackberry plant’s roots. Set the root system into the hole and cover securely with soil. Water the blackberry plants as soon as they are planted. This will to help set the soil over the roots and prevent air pockets in the soil. I also lay mulch between the rows to make taking care of the plants faster and easier.

Blackberry plants will benefit from being trimmed in the early spring. Pruning removes dead and diseased canes and allows more sun to get to the healthy canes and fruit.

Blackberries are rich in anti-oxidants, fun to pick in the early morning and have that great rich flavor that reminds me of summer and country living.

Tags: selecting blackberry plants, planting blackberry plants

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Control your slug problem without using harmful chemicals

Denise — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:08:43 +0000

Our summer has been rather wet so slugs have been more of a problem. Slugs do help to decompose organic matter in the soil so I don’t mind a few but if they destroy plants or vegetables they have to move to another garden! You don’t need toxic chemicals to rid your garden of slugs. There are many natural methods that work!

One of the easiest ways to keep slugs away from your plants is to have a tidy yard and garden. If they don’t have dead vegetation or places to hide they are less likely to stay around.

Here are several methods to try in your yard and gardens

Barriers. Slugs are soft-bodied and do not like to get scratched. Surround susceptible plants with rinsed, crushed eggshells – slugs will not crawl over them, and they are good for the soil.

I have used soot or ashes. They add nutrients to the soil so they also have a positive benefit to the garden area.

You could also use Diatomaceous Earth, also known as DE, which is ground up marine fossils. This can usually be found in available at good garden centers, online or in gardening catalogs. This will need to be replaced after heavy rains.

In the most popular area for slugs in my yard, the front garden, I use 4 inch copper strips placed in a ring around the base of the plant. The slugs get a “shock” from the copper.

Trapping is another method of slug control. The old tried and true beer trap is somewhat effective: place beer in a shallow dish and bury at soil level where slugs are active. Personally I don’t like this method, I find the pan gets spilled to easy. But I have friends who think this is the best slug control.

Another trap is to leave the rind of 1/2 a grapefruit, orange, or small melon out in a moist spot overnight. The slugs will hide under the rind during the day so you can pick up the rind and dispose of all the slugs underneath. If you have any groundhog or small rodent problems do not use this method.

You can also lay down small wooden boards, which the slugs will hide under. This has worked well for me. I use a few baords as walkways and just check under the boards occasionally.

Toads, snakes and certain birds love to eat slugs. Having these creatures in you yard will greatly reduce your slug population. I place toad houses in my gardens to encourage these friendly creatures to live in my garden. They add fun and laughter to your garden.

With a little care you do not need to use chemicals in your gardens. Chemicals harm good insects and birds so I try to avoid using them.

Tags: organic pest control, control slugs naturally, chemical free gardening

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Organic Pest Control: Homemade Pest Spray

Denise — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:07:00 +0000

By keeping my plants healthy, watered and weed free I can usually control pests. But once in a while I have a pest problem or my neighbors ask for a pest control that is more organic than the store bought chemical products.

The recipe below is close to being organic and works well. I originally saw this in Organic Gardening and tried it. It works well.

4 cloves of garlic
1 small onion
1 small jalapeno pepper
1 tsp. of Murphy’s oil soap
1 tsp. of vegetable oil
1 gallon Warm Water

Crush the Garlic, Onion, and Pepper in a blender. Add to 1 quart of warm water and let soak for 2 hrs.
Strain the mixture through an old pair of pantyhose into a gallon jug. Add rest of ingredients and fill rest of jug with warm water.
Shake mixture and add to a hand held sprayer.

The pests do not like the onion, jalapeno and garlic and they will move on. The Murphy’s oil soap and vegetable oil help the spray to stay on the plants. This spray will not harm plants. I try not to use it when bees are pollinating the plants.

I myself have not used this spray in several years. My pest problem is almost non-existent and I can hand pick any bugs easily.

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Foraging Wild Fruits: Black Raspberries

Denise — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:24:49 +0000

When I was young we would go up on the neighbors back pasture and pick wild black raspberries. The fields had a barbwire fence that separated two pasture and rocks lined the fence lines. We would find out which side the cows were on and pick on the opposite side. We had many hours of fun plus the berries were great.

The berries were used for shortcake or made into a jam. As a matter of fact my first jam I made was when I was 8 years old and it was black raspberry.

When we first moved to my grandfathers farm there were black raspberries growing by the barn. I tried to clear them out but they were persistent and I finally gave up. Then I remembered picking them as a child and decided to straighten up the area a bit and make them easier to pick

I started by mowing around the patch to make picking easier and to discourage rabbits for eating the berry canes. It’s now a circular patch as that’s what it wanted to be. Why fight it? I mowed a path though the center and then cross ways. I usually place rooted sawdust or leaf mold on the paths. This makes it easier to mow, maintain and pick the fruit. The ground cover also feeds the soil and the plants. This year I added some posts so that I can get the canes to grow up and not have them hang on the ground.

I pretty much ignore the patch. I will cut out dead canes and am teaching the canes to grow up. I add a little manure in the fall and other than that the plants fend for their selves. This little patch supplies about twenty quarts of berries. I make fresh jam, jelly and freeze some for in the winter. And once in a while I will even make a pie.

If you are looking for wild black raspberries look around old pasture lines, where the woods meet an open filed or old farms. Just make sure to ask the property owners if you can pick the berries.

Its fun to harvest wild fruit and for me it brings back memories of hot summer days and trips to the pastures to harvest berries.

Tags: foraging for wild berries, black raspberries

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Growing Strawberries: Fresh Homegrown Fruits

Denise — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:53:31 +0000

Recently I picked up everbearing strawberry plants. I hadn’t planned on growing strawberries but the price of berries keeps rising and I am concerned with the chemicals larger farms use in production. I also found them at a greenhouse auction and could not turn them down.

I have heard berries can be rather difficult to grow but I also heard if you set up the planting bed properly they are easy to grow. So we will find out.

There are many varieties of strawberries but they fall with in within three main type categories: June Bearing, Day Neutral and Everbearing. I have the everbearing variety and the plants are very healthy.

For my new garden I have decided on a round raised bed, first to be one layer than later to be a tiered garden. I rounded up some free bricks up at the neighbors and have selected a sunny area with abundant sunshine.

I also chose an area with a slight slope to help with drainage. Note: The planting area should not be a place where other crops have grown, such as eggplants, tomatoes, peppers or potatoes, because they are sources of root rot fungi that can kill strawberries.

I f you are selecting a new area you need to make sure the grass and weeds are dead. Since my plants need to go in the ground as soon as possible and I can’t wait two weeks for the grass to die off I am covering the area with cardboard to choke the weeds. By using bricked and a raised bed will build a fresh soil bed that has the proper fertilizer needs for strawberries.

I will add old manure, compost and leaf mold and stir well. I will also check the soil to make sure it has a pH between 5.7 and 6.3. I know that I will have to add some limestone to the mix, as my areas soil is always acidic.

Note: Make sure you buy your plants from a reputable nursery or greenhouse to ensure your plants are certified as disease-free. There is no sense bring home plants that are sure to die or produce poorly.

My plants will go in the ground tomorrow and when I plant them I will dig the hole 1.5 times larger than the plant’s roots. After I place the strawberry plant in the hole I will fill in the hole with soil to secure the plant and firm the soil in place.

Tip: If you are planting multiple strawberry plants, place them in a row, leaving about 18 inches between each plant. The rows should be 3 to 4 feet wide.

My plants will be placed 18 inches apart in the circle and this summer the center will be left open. I may possibly place flowers or a piece of garden art in the center for color and fun.

I will water the strawberry plants once they are planted and give them a boost of manure tea to help with transplant shock.

Tips:

It’s important to water the plants on a weekly basis with approximately 1 to 2 inches of water. This will give you juicy strawberries.
The most important thing to watch out for with strawberries is root rot fungi, which can be prevented with healthy soil, good drainage and sun.

To me strawberries bring back childhood memories of summers and parties. We always had fresh homemade biscuits and ice cream topped with locally grown strawberries.

Tags: growing strawberries, preparing a strawberry bed, properly prepared soil, healthy strawberry plants

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