words later gotta run for now!!!!!

A week in the earth.

Had a garden intruder in the beansGave him to the chickens they did not even want him around!
Once I pulled the carrots for Mondays meal this fellow came out of hiding.
Now that tree is a watermelon tree.
Who said that watermelons don't grow on trees
:)

Sun and moon melon.
Over the weekend they just shot up in size.

This old cabbage is still trying to please us.
The aphids are very happy with him.
DE in the aphids diet...or said die it!

Now this is my idea of a good can of beans:)

This is the big butternut that I asked for and came via the compose a year later.
Funny how I remember those little prays and requests.
Sorta makes me stop and smile
You know it is going to be the best one ever!

Musk melon

Female flower

Pulled the last of the radish to add to the pasta salad for the trip.

Next big project.

This product served me well.

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
:)

Finding your USDA zone and your state zone

check the links below for assistance
USDA

references

Southwestern Gardening Information
Plant Lists

On the main link of this site you can locate your own state and the addresses to the extension services

ARIZONA PLANT CLIMATE ZONES


VEGETABLE GARDEN: FERTILIZING THE GARDEN

Arizona zones

ZONE 5
LOW ALTITUDE DESERT
(Elevation 1000-2,000 feet)

Printable Version

Zone 5 growing seasons are long and the average minimum winter temperature recorded for this zone is around 36-37 degrees. However, temperatures occasionally dip below 20 degrees. In summer, average maximum temperatures are near 102 degrees. Annual rainfall is ten inches or less throughout Zone 5.

The wide temperature and low humidity variations here exclude some subtropicals which thrive in milder coastal climates. However, such heat-loving plants as Orchid tree (Bauhinia species), Thevetia (Thevetia peruviana) and Jacarandra (Jacaranda mimosifolia) grow well except in cold microclimates.

Other plants for Zone 5 landscapes are the Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), Willow acacia (Acacia saligna), Cassia (Cassia species), Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea species), Australian willow (Geijera parvifolia), Silk oak (Grevillea robusta), and Bottletree (Brachychiton populneus).

The fall months of September and October signal the beginning of the planting year in Zone 5. In the case of cool season annual flowers, fall planting permits a full life cycle before the high temperatures of late April and May. Point of reference towns: Casa Grande, Chandler, Florence, Parker, Phoenix, Yuma.

USDA Hardiness Zones and Average Annual Minimum Temperature Range

Zone	Fahrenheit	Celsius	Example Cities
1	Below -50 F	Below -45.6 C	Fairbanks, Alaska; Resolute, Northwest Territories (Canada)
2a	-50 to -45 F	-42.8 to -45.5 C	Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; Flin Flon, Manitoba (Canada)
2b	-45 to -40 F	-40.0 to -42.7 C	Unalakleet, Alaska; Pinecreek, Minnesota
3a	-40 to -35 F	-37.3 to -39.9 C	International Falls, Minnesota; St. Michael, Alaska
3b	-35 to -30 F	-34.5 to -37.2 C	Tomahawk, Wisconsin; Sidney, Montana
4a	-30 to -25 F	-31.7 to -34.4 C	Minneapolis/St.Paul, Minnesota; Lewistown, Montana
4b	-25 to -20 F	-28.9 to -31.6 C	Northwood, Iowa; Nebraska
5a	-20 to -15 F	-26.2 to -28.8 C	Des Moines, Iowa; Illinois
5b	-15 to -10 F	-23.4 to -26.1 C	Columbia, Missouri; Mansfield, Pennsylvania
6a	-10 to -5 F	-20.6 to -23.3 C	St. Louis, Missouri; Lebanon, Pennsylvania
6b	-5 to 0 F	-17.8 to -20.5 C	McMinnville, Tennessee; Branson, Missouri
7a	0 to 5 F	-15.0 to -17.7 C	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; South Boston, Virginia
7b	5 to 10 F	-12.3 to -14.9 C	Little Rock, Arkansas; Griffin, Georgia
8a	10 to 15 F	-9.5 to -12.2 C	Tifton, Georgia; Dallas, Texas
8b	15 to 20 F	-6.7 to -9.4 C	Austin, Texas; Gainesville, Florida
9a	20 to 25 F	-3.9 to -6.6 C	Houston, Texas; St. Augustine, Florida
9b	25 to 30 F	-1.2 to -3.8 C	Brownsville, Texas; Fort Pierce, Florida
10a	30 to 35 F	1.6 to -1.1 C	Naples, Florida; Victorville, California
10b	35 to 40 F	4.4 to 1.7 C	Miami, Florida; Coral Gables, Florida
11	above 40 F	above 4.5 C	Honolulu, Hawaii; Mazatlan, Mexico

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USDA Hardiness Zones and Average Annual Minimum Temperature Range

Zone	Fahrenheit	Celsius	Example Cities
1	Below -50 F	Below -45.6 C	Fairbanks, Alaska; Resolute, Northwest Territories (Canada)
2a	-50 to -45 F	-42.8 to -45.5 C	Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; Flin Flon, Manitoba (Canada)
2b	-45 to -40 F	-40.0 to -42.7 C	Unalakleet, Alaska; Pinecreek, Minnesota
3a	-40 to -35 F	-37.3 to -39.9 C	International Falls, Minnesota; St. Michael, Alaska
3b	-35 to -30 F	-34.5 to -37.2 C	Tomahawk, Wisconsin; Sidney, Montana
4a	-30 to -25 F	-31.7 to -34.4 C	Minneapolis/St.Paul, Minnesota; Lewistown, Montana
4b	-25 to -20 F	-28.9 to -31.6 C	Northwood, Iowa; Nebraska
5a	-20 to -15 F	-26.2 to -28.8 C	Des Moines, Iowa; Illinois
5b	-15 to -10 F	-23.4 to -26.1 C	Columbia, Missouri; Mansfield, Pennsylvania
6a	-10 to -5 F	-20.6 to -23.3 C	St. Louis, Missouri; Lebanon, Pennsylvania
6b	-5 to 0 F	-17.8 to -20.5 C	McMinnville, Tennessee; Branson, Missouri
7a	0 to 5 F	-15.0 to -17.7 C	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; South Boston, Virginia
7b	5 to 10 F	-12.3 to -14.9 C	Little Rock, Arkansas; Griffin, Georgia
8a	10 to 15 F	-9.5 to -12.2 C	Tifton, Georgia; Dallas, Texas
8b	15 to 20 F	-6.7 to -9.4 C	Austin, Texas; Gainesville, Florida
9a	20 to 25 F	-3.9 to -6.6 C	Houston, Texas; St. Augustine, Florida
9b	25 to 30 F	-1.2 to -3.8 C	Brownsville, Texas; Fort Pierce, Florida
10a	30 to 35 F	1.6 to -1.1 C	Naples, Florida; Victorville, California
10b	35 to 40 F	4.4 to 1.7 C	Miami, Florida; Coral Gables, Florida
11	above 40 F	above 4.5 C	Honolulu, Hawaii; Mazatlan, Mexico

Make your own garden jurnal

Wonderful blank pages for a garden jurnal