heat

the garden is still now only the rosemary remains
in the fall a new knee will bring the hope of ease
these next months to plan the crop
the garden is still
even the chickens prefer the lawn and the shade of the wall
summer here
the garden goes into a coma until fall

Keeping records

The final (for today ha!) Master plan for 2009 fall

 

A mirroring bed has been added to the otherside of the shed with trellis for both shed walls.

Click to enlarge

Planting alterations!

This week Aug 21-26
( Aug 20 is the new moon never plant on the day of the new moon)
plant....seed...
Borage seed East bed
Marigold seed East bed
Dill seed (bed not ready plant Sept 18-20) South bed extension East corner
Annuals seed
Lettuce seed indoors to transplant Sept 18 th

Aug 27-Sept 3th
Sweet Corn seed Sept 2&3 Center Main
Popping Corn seed Sept 2&3 Center Main

Sept 4-10
weed/cultivate/reap/plow
Get South bed finished
Get East Bed ready down to till for root crop

Plant
Sept 3-10
Beet seed ( must get ready can be done Oct 3-11, 17-25) South bed extension East corner
Parsnip seed (bed must get ready) East bed
Leek seed ( must turn it) Center Extention



Sept 4-24 plant
Radish seed (main garden must go down to till) East bed
Sweet William seed



Sept 18-24
Transplant
Sept 19-24
Plant
(Never plant on a full moon)
Parsley(soak seed over night) East bed
Kale seed East bed
Parsnips (again) seed East bed
Radish (again) seed East bed
Basil seed in ground ( or put in the transplants Sept 18-30) East bed
Turnip seed East bed
Carrot seed East bed
Snap Dragon seed
Broccoli seed Center Extension bed
Leek (again) seed Center Extension bed
Broccoli raab seed Center Extension bed
Beet (again) seed South bed extension East corner
Swiss chard seed South bed extension
Spinach seed South bed extension
Dill (again) seed South bed extension East corner
Bok Choy seed South bed extension
Sage seed South bed extension
Thyme seed South bed extension
Cauliflower seed South bed extension
Mache corn salad seed (broad cast)
Lettuce seed
Alyssum seed

DO NOT PLANT
Sept 11-17
weed/cultivate/reap/plow

Oct. 1&2
Plant seed
Above ground with inside seed

Oct 3-11, 17-25
Radish seed East bed
Turnip seed East bed
Carrot East bed

plant onion seed Center Extension bed

Beet seed South bed extension


Oct 19-25
Cauliflower seed South bed extension

Oct 12-16
DO NOT PLANT
weed/cultivate/reap/plow

Aug 20
Seed to sow indoors
Celery to go out in 6-8 weeds?
Lettuce indoors to go out in Sept 18th-30th
Basil indoors East bed

Last night I studied the planting dates and the moon phases. I made a calender of sorts.
My own almanac. Remember the old Farmers Almanacks .?...I understand now...
This is sorta tricky stuff. Hard to wrap the brain around.
I now have my calender for this zone...1200 ft. above sea level...

The New Moon is today.
This is my schedule for the next 10 weeks I will try to explain...

My process was this

1. I marked all the seeds with the elevation proper dates to plant
2. Then I labeled the calendar color coded as to the moon phase indicators.
3. I went back and adjusted the plant date to correspond with the moon phase indicators.
4.In doing that I paid attention to the type of plant

a. above seed in
b. above seed out
c. root or bulb
d. transplant or sow
e. plant indoors....here I took back the plant in ground seed or plant and calculated the date to put the transplant in ground and will set indoors those that are applicable.

Garden Plans for this month Arizona Desert 1200 ft. and Moon Phase

Moon Planting Rule
New Moon To Full Moon:	Sow, Transplant, bud and graft.
Full Moon To New Moon:	Plow, Cultivate, weed and reap.
New Moon To First Quarter:	Good for Planting above-ground crops with outside seeds, flowering annuals.
First Quarter To Full Moon:	Good for planting above ground crops with inside seeds.
Full Moon To Last Quarter:	Good for planting root crops, bulbs, biennials, and perennials.
Last Quarter To New Moon:	Do Not Plant

Last QTR.
The next three days to get the beds finished
pull weeds, cultivate, destroy pests, and turn sod, set the liner and find more block , mix the sand in and have the extension south bed ready...

set seed in starters indoors for...Onions,Tomatoes,peppers, celery? research
Ready the beds for lettuce? Out front???
Research those item up coming whether to do starters indoors
Get arbor painted and have Steve set it and weld it. Dig holes for grapes
Finish removing the stone under bedroom window and begin to dig out the soil to amend and do a flower listing
flower starters for nest month?
Starters of herbs for the root bed?
Marigold starters

New Moon Aug 20 to ~first Qtr Aug 26th
by Thursday the 20th 1st Qtr. Examples: I need to have the beds ready to plant the ....cabbage, celery, endive, and spinach Lettuce (also in pots?) Flowering annuals



27th Aug Qtr. Sept 3rd
Examples: to sow/transplant the beans, peas, peppers,
squash (done), eggplant (not for me), tomatoes a must :), cucumbers (done).

Full Moon Sept 4th ~to last Qtr Sept 11th
3rd Qtr. Examples: then the onions , potatoes (timing)?, rhubarb (some day), grapes (save up for the plants) consider the planting of for this year$$$, winter wheat (not me), and berries (next year?) or later in the winter I need to do more research Carrots YES ME and those that follow leeks, turnips, rutabaga, radish, parsnips. Marigolds here, borage, parsley

Sept 11 last Qtr. Do not plant...
Ready the floor beds...
feed the lawn
pull weeds, cultivate, destroy pests, and turn sod

goodness this is confusing!!!!!


Now not all items listed are ready here in our zone at 1200 ft.

Cucumber,squash,radish to seed,carrot,chive and basil with nasturtiums around. Sunflowers at head of center bed to shade.

Well there ya go them's the plans for the far north bed of the main plot
:)
The soil has had a load of horse manure and mulch mix.
Earth was turned and broken up.
Levels were made and a recessed bed established for water conservation.
This is a low nitrogen bed

Time for seed.
My dead line for planting this bed was 8/15
It is in on 8/6
hooah!

On Monday I gleaned the free page of craigs list found mulch and then found horse manure all for free.
A little gas for the truck and a lot of sweat and effort.
My Darling husband helped me night before last to empty the truck
Our method was two parts mulch in the wheelbarrow and then one of the bags of manure. Two more parts mulch mixed in the wheel barrow.
As he was doing that I took fork to earth and turned and hoe to earth to break clods.

This is the last of it for the raised bed took a lot of it and the center main plot bed the rest, after the north end had it's fill.
The East wall of the main plot will use up the rest of this.

Raised beds need to be mixed up so the soil and mulched manure is not in layers.

Here is the plan Stan...:) harhar

After study on the needs of cucumbers and squash I began in earnest to get the seed in.

The companion charts told me what would enjoy each others company.
Also the study of nitrogen needs matched things up.
The blue high lighted page is the companion guide

HERE I go!

Cucumber needs be hilled up as does the zucchini

I love this tree it was to be used as a gift project that never occurred
I dig it in and set it up as a trellis of sorts

Following my plan that was based upon many hours of research.

click on image to enlarge

Left to right

far left outer edge and back of the cube is
Japanese Soyu Burpless Cucumis sativus
HEIRLOOM 65 DAY due 2nd wk of Oct.
sprouted Aug. 13th

Hilled in the center of the left side is
Black Beauty Zucchini Cucurbita pepo
HEIRLOOM 55 DAY due 1st wk of Oct.
Sprouted Aug. 13

Center hilled on each side of the trellis is
Cucumber Marketmore Cucumis Sativus
60 DAY due 2nd wk of Oct.
a few sprouted Aug. 13

Flanking the zucchini in the furrow is
Carrot Asian New Kuroda Daucus carota var sativus
HEIRLOOM 75 DAY due 3rd week of Oct.

Horse shooed around the Marketmore is
Chives common Sllium Schoenoprasum
HEIRLOOM on going

At the head of the center row planted to shade the cucumber
Sunflower Mammoth Grey Stripe Helianthus annuus
HEIRLOOM emerges 10-15 days


Far right side

Around the back wall toward the right behind the tree too
Cucumber Homemade Pickles Cucumis Sativus
55 DAY due 1st wk of Oct.
Sprouted Aug 13 only one or two

At the foot of the tree and in the hollow there is
Squash Summer Scallop (Patty Pan) Blend Cucurbita Pepo
HEIRLOOM 55 DAY due 1st wk of Oct.
Many Sprouted Aug. 13

Along the front edge right side is
Basil Italian Large Leaf Ocimum basilicum
HEIRLOOM on going


Now scattered at each corner are a few
Radish Cherry Belle Raphanus sativus
HEIRLOOM 24 DAY due 1st week of Sept let go to seed...

These will be left to seed to attract insects off of the cucumbers and squash.

Scattered at wall edge all the way around
Nasturtium Jewel Mixed for pollination
due mid Sept.

*BEE BLISS*

As I was just a half an hour out from completion I heard thunder.
I was so focused in deep thought and prayer (my thing while in the garden) it surprised me

By photographing the beds I will have a permanent record of seed set.

NEVER STEP ON YOUR SOIL!
see the board this is straddled and then used to step on.
It diffuses the weight and keeps soil loose.

see the drops on the plank :)
Seed Packets are now safe from weather.

About this time My Boy came out to see me

The tin cans on the stakes two fold purpose to keep your eye safe and to keep the birds uneasy when they light nothing says get out of my garden like a tipping can shifting under the bird.

Although the center bed had more to break up I rapped it up and the tinkle of drops began to come.
I felt a big hug for the prayers of the morning were deep and personal
My heart being dug and hoed like that soil becoming more fertile for the seeds being sown within me. There is a time for all things.

As I sat a spell I watched as my boy set up a track an obstacle course to play with his car on. Now funny thing when your in the garden and time slows...You see so many deeper lessons. You see even in obstacles the planks had to be set just right in order for the greater pit falls to be avoided. He had to make sure the board were set up just right to make the course run as directed.
God must be pretty busy teaching and building things up to set us just right to make it through the obstacles we each face.

Well I gathered the books and papers, seed packets and camera and was off to the porch when.

It began JUST THEN to rain lightly
a refreshing sort of very light big drops release.
Sorta like tender tears that fall big when ya see what your suppose to see.

NOTE when I spoke of salting the earth I was speaking in poetic term...I mean to sprinkle the amendments as one would salt.

Summer ....time for garden planing for fall

The beans are winding down
116*

Squash are amazingly alive!
unheard of
these the squash that grew by itself
One more on the vine

:)

The arbor is white in the far back ground
His folks gave it to us.
6' tall and 8' span grapes in the fall.
We have the block now
We still need a few more large block for the water tank
for free

Today we were fortunate to find all of this steel fencing for only
$20.

there is enough to do the job
we will just need a gate

this is just what I dreamed of
We looked at this fencing last fall it was at least $50. a section!

Going into the garden

By the back door is kept these things
To equip me into the garden.
Here my sunhat
sunscreen
Fly swatter for the coop
and cookie jar to treat the dogs.
The net is for the sparrows who love to get trapped in the chicken coop.
The little sign by the door says...
Please feed the birds...they asked me to put it there to remind me ya know :)

Walking into what I saw to do...
The tomato bails had come to their end...
Nothing is wasted.
So it is time to dismantle all of this fine menagerie..
this task of tomato verses dogs.
Using the red dolly I wheeled the first bail over to location.
It was full of ants I mean swarming!
DE to the rescue.
Dietamatious Earth.

Yikes!

Useing the pitch fork I tore it apart and dusted it and left it to sit while I had company here.
Once they left I set to task.
My FILove gave me some fine black trash bags some time ago and I have had my mine set on this a long while.
By cutting off the bottom of all the bags in the house it saved some efforts.
Once outside The black plastic covered the bed areas and then I set the straw on top.
The extra wood and stakes were placed on top just to discourage the dogs.
The box well that was what was left from feeding the dogs HA!

So one by one I took the bails over and the one bail had a nice cat nip plant I tried to transplant.
Have not found whether it made it or not.

So The next bed had a wall...
I walked into, or worked into the vision I had to accomplish it.
I had asked for some block in prayer but meanwhile I set to task on what I COULD do.
The black plastic bags were then sent under the rim of the bottom ones.
This to stop the Bermuda grass.
Bermuda grass has 6 foot roots!
NIGHTMARE in a garden!

The long bed was left at that
but...

The wall bed then recieved the compost in the one barrel as a top dressing over the first row of straw.
Now the straw is rather rotted already.

Lesson
DE=
a new garden tool.
Goggles!
OUCH!
So after a good emergency eye wash!...;{

The compost was layer was complete.
I used the compost to hold down the side plastic.

I added Humate, and Nitrogen,

Now humus is a type of charcoal from deep within the earth.
It helps the soil distribute the nutrients that can often get locked up into the soil when the elements are out of balance.

After consulting my plans I noted that the bed would need high Nitrogen.

Well then it was topped off with another layer of well rotted straw.
Watered down and left to rot over our long hot summer.
Next fall...Oh baby!
I look forward to finding some block to finish it off.
I will also add some earth when we are done with the summer crop from the main garden.

Well two started...

Next we need to tend to the Water harvesting tank.
We need to remove a liner from it.
Hook it up to the gutter on the eave.
The gutter will also need to be altered to flow back this way.

two pain pills later
The post is finished
:)

art in the garden, Gardenmate to go into the soil

We have had less than 15 weeds this whole time.
The straw on the ground is the key.
Once the tomato is done I will break down those rotted bails to add to the mulch.
I have a humus to add to the soil.
The name of the product is Gardenmate. It is a humic matter from New Mexico.
It is said the soil will better absorb nutrients.
The product was a bit costly $50.
I think however that the bennefits to the garden will well be invested with this purchace and addition to the soil.
I can not get the container open so I need help with that.
The bucket should do both garden and the extension in the fall.
We have adopted the wonderful tree sculpture for a garden trellis for the green beans in the fall.

Melons are growing strong.
I think that the neglect of trimming them at the 6 ft mark is a hindered to fruit set.
The whole of the garden is very low on fruit set.
The nutrients may be off.
I did see a man spraying a tree with something next door.
I have some concern he may have killed my bees.
I do hope not.
Very few bees around.

The addition of the nitrogen has saved that last cabbage. Ya! one out of the many.
It did serve well the hens for greens though.
I do have fruit set on the squash that came on its own, I did not plant him.
Several fruits.
He had just been hosed off.

The humis and the diet. Earth with be hoed into the soil for the fall grop.
After that the earth with be given a straw blanket to conserve the moisture.