Gardens Gardens Anywhere

From our friend Madhava Ghosh's blog

Hopefully by the end of today I will have some lettuce planted in cold frames. I usually plant some radishes between the rows because they are up and gone before the lettuce will need the space.

Possibly by day’s end or tomorrow latest I will be able to get some tilling down to prepare beds for other veggies like spinach, peas, and potatoes. I also need beds for berries that I have received shipping notices on and more that will start arriving April 1st, including strawberries.

I am a step ahead of last spring in that last year was the first year I had gardened for quite a few years and the garden itself was a flat space. This year it is in raised beds I threw up last fall so they are drying out quicker.

There is rain starting Sunday, even a little snow forecast for Monday, and then several wet days, so I need to take advantage of the opportunity to prepare the ground. This time of year so those chances can’t be squandered as it could get wet for weeks again before being able to work the soil.

The soils here are clay based and working them when wet results in making your garden into a brick. I have dramatically improved the tilth (structural workability) of the soil over the years by amending with organic matter, but I still need to respect soil moisture levels and conditions.

So this morning it is finalizing my planting plan and then out into the garden.

Don’t think you are not able to garden, even with a small space you can do it. Here is a tiered planter you need little space to utilize.

Found here:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/gardening/look-small-space-tiered-planter-080906

You can also find those hanging planters everywhere, including one for tomatoes where they grow out of the bottom of the planter. We tried one of those last summer, not because we needed the space, just to try it. I learned you need to continuously feed them. We watered it with a compost tea but I saw someone else who had one and it started out lush and green but by midsummer it had faded. It was one I drove by and observed, so my assumption was they just watered it, but to keep growth happening in containers, they need regular feedings.

Another tip someone gave me about those tomato upside down planters was that you take a piece of leaky hose (like used for irrigation) or perforated pipe and put that in the center and then fill in your mix around it. Then put the water in the top of it and it distributes it better. I also noticed in ours when I took it down that the constant watering (and it does need it almost daily) had made a hole in the top of the planting mixture from the impact of the water. That exposed roots to drying. Watering through a piece in the middle would eliminate that.

So good gardening wherever you are.