Take cover

Posted on March 23, 2014 by seedybeans

Sure is cold today and I am so glad I spent time last week tucking in my little garden beds. Don’t get the wrong idea– I try to avoid buying new things at all cost, especially petroleum products…but once in a while I do spend some money on that little garden of mine. Lately I have been in and out of three stores and purchased some really useful stuff I thought I would share with you all.

Row Cover and 9 gauge Wire

I bought about 60 feet of heavy weight row cover at Plants of the Southwest ( they sell it by the yard) and a roll of 9 gauge wire ( at Home Depot in the fencing dept) to make even more hoops over my beds. Ro really protects against spring winds, weird weather like today…(is that snow I spy out my window?) and of course animals like chickens, dogs, cats and wild birds that are so drawn to mess around in my tidy, tender greens. I have over wintered greens under this stuff and some plastic sheets all winter long and now that spring is officially here I am boldly transplanting cold season greens like Kale, Chard and Collards out there as well as direct sowing peas, spinach and lettuce oh and I even put this over the onions sets I planted last week… I say the cozier the better.

So, if you interested in doing your own cover up, the row cover cost about $3 a yard at Plants of the Southwest. It is 12 ft wide so you can cut it down the middle or into any shape you like. The roll of 9 gauge wire cost $21 at Lowes but I am pretty sure you can get it at any hardware store.

You will need bolt cutters to cut it, which is a whole other investment, but chances are someone you know has one.

First, I line up the end to the next ring and cut

In this way I got 24 hoops.

I space them 3ft apart in my beds and in 20 ft beds I put 7 in each bed….I was able to do 3 beds…maybe more info than you need, but I had fun figuring this all out. So 24 hoops for $21.23, after tax…$1 per hoop. The row cover is about $.50 per foot(after cutting it) so to cover a 20 x 3ft bed I spent $17 each.

That kind of seems like a lot now that I really do the math, but they will last at least 5 years, maybe more if I take care of them and store them well when I am not using them. I also know that I will be eating $17 worth of veggies from each bed in no time so it is money well spent.

This is what we had going on last year- Photo taken April 20th, 2013. So as you can see, a little protection grows a long way, hehhehe!

In my consumer roamings I also found I few treasures I will NOT buy, but would like to. At Bioshield I found these…

Haws watering cans

and these fancy Italian, English and Japanese gardening tools.

And the cutest Haws cherry red watering can you ever saw!

They even carry the Stella Natura Planting Biodynamic calendar

And a few more books I think I need for my shelf…ah someday!

Growing it with Greywater

Posted on May 1, 2012 by seedybeans

A friend came over recently and was astounded by my front garden. “You must water like crazy!!” That I do NOT, but there are a few elements that help this garden abound in the spring time.

Lush spring garden green

First I credit the Plants; Edible, Medicinal and Beautiful…This garden is mainly self-sown (plants that like it here, drop their seed every season, spread and thrive) like Catnip, Clary Sage, Columbine, Lamb’s Quarters, and planted ones like Tarragon, Horse Radish, Yarrow, Mint, Jupiter’s Beard, Loveage, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Valerian, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Day lily, Comfrey, Iris, Bleeding hearts, Hummingbird Sage, Bee Balm, Garlic Chives, Chervil, Ground Geranium and Tulips, Daffodils, Snapdragons, Clover, Poppies, & Rue, to name a few. The annuals are put in other spots around the yard.

Shady now most of the day

The Sunlight….The garden is in full sun in the spring, until about May 1st, when the trees above it leaf out and create a very shady garden, cooling it in the summer months.

The Time….garden is old, about 10 years of adding compost & mulch makes a big difference in getting it established, enriching the soil and covering up any bare ground, and of course keeping that moisture in!!

And of course the Dishwater. Yep– year round, every day, sometimes twice a day this garden gets oh, maybe 4 gallons of dishwater dumped here and there. I let the days dishes gather, neatly by the sink, organize from cleanest to dirtiest. When the time comes, either in the quiet of evening or along with morning coffee, but strictly ONCE a day, (who wants to do dishes more than once a day?) I fill up my bins, squirt a little sodium free soap in and wash. When complete, I dump the bins out the front door and begin the dish gather again.

The basins in the sink get filled once a day and dumped in the garden

The garden soaks it up like sponge and come spring just booms with delight. I do water it with the hose too, but not very much. In the hottest days of summer maybe once a week, and from November to April, not at all. I won’t claim to be a radical water saver myself, but let’s face it, the stuff is sacred, the bearer and giver of all life on the planet, it is not to be wasted, and we each must do more to honor the water we have.

Every Drop a Miracle

A friend of mine, Amanda, is in fact totally radical water keeper, using and reusing only rainwater for herself and her family to drink, bathe, cook, wash, live in the high dry desert. Totally an inspiration when it comes to, well everything, but we do what we can, as we can…….so little by little I am trying to reuse, conserve, respect and honor our sacred water by dumping it in the garden and watching it grow, and who knows, maybe someday it will turn into, more water!!

Catch every drop

Stock Tank Gardens

Posted on May 9, 2020 by seedybeans

Since it is Mother’s day, and all a mother really wants is help in her garden…I thought I would share the garden I recently put in for my mom. Mom needs an easy, low maintenance garden that is safe from animals, wind, children, birds and well everything the wild west will throw at her! She wants to grow herbs and salad greens which she eats daily, as well as some other vegetable that she loves. Because she lives in the windy, exposed high desert, we needed a container garden situation. Wooden beds work well, but splinter in the sun and the nice ones are pretty pricey so we chose galvanized stock tank beds. You can fit them in your car and have a garden growing in one day!! They are high enough you don’t have to to kneel down and you can just pull up a stool and work them if you can’t bend over. You can grow in any size galvanized steel- even buckets, but these tanks have a drainage hole so you don’t need to drill any holes!

These tanks cost a hundred bucks each, but they will out live me so I figure it is worth it! If her gardening experiment doesn’t work she can always turn them into bath tubs, storage bins or simply resell them! You can get stock tanks locally here and here for starters and pretty much any farm & fed or hardware store.

Mixed cut and come again lettuce

I made little hoops with 9 gauge galvanized wire like I use in my garden and in the fields but be for warned, you do need bolt cutters to cut the wire. C3D775C6-6943-4815-9369-A1F768CCE8AF With a piece of medium weight ( 1.5 oz) row cover over top, which they sell by the yard at Agua Fria and Plants of the Southwest. We used plastic clips to attach the row cover to the tank and clothes pins to hold the row cover to the wire hoops bought at Walmart.

These medium size clips are perfect for keeping the row cover attached to the tank

Broadcast sown Spinach

For filling the beds I filled them 1/4 up with old rocks and gravel we had laying around and them a piece of weed barrier. On top of that I made a soil mix with

1 part Native soil

1 Part shifted compost

1 Moonshine

( which can be bought locally at Agua Fria Nursery)

1 Part Cocopeat

( which can be bought locally at Agua Fria Nursery)

(I used a 5 gallon bucket to = 1 part)

I mix all that in a wheel burrow with a sprinkle of water.

How much is enough? I did 5 loads using this recipe so that is 5 – 5 gallon buckets of each material. I made a video for you but an unable to upload it so for now here is a whole post on homemade soil mixes if you wanna give it try.

Carrots are sown in circle in case we want to add irrigation. They are sown very thick so when you thin them you can add the baby greens to salad- yes they taste just like carrots!

I hope I made that simple enough to inspire you to give it a try. It really is super easy and highly productive. I think mom is pretty happy with her high desert harvest today!

Getting Seedy

Posted on April 22, 2020 by seedybeans

Happy Earth Day- which is every day for me, but it always good to remember where you came from, your mother earth!

Today I got a handful of texts and calls asking me the exact same question…

Me….”Hello, growing home hotline”

Friends….”Help! I planted my seeds over a week ago and nothing seems to be happening, is something wrong?”

My first thought was, ‘a watched pot never boils’… are we in our gardens a little too much that are seeds are getting shy? I doubt it. Maybe something is in the stars…but after the new moon sap with rise again so things should start to sprout right out, but seeds need time, consistent moisture and appropriate temperatures to sprout.

Moisture– Don’t water by habit, water by feel. You don’t need to water every day but you do need to visit your seedlings everyday. Touch the soil, get up close. If the soil is moist to the touch (moist as a rung out sponge) you don’t need to water. Seeds are only in the first inch of soil so this is the area that needs to be moist. If when you touch the soil your fingers aren’t moistened, water. I water daily, but on a cloudy day if the soil isn’t drying out, I leave it. Outside I use row cover over my seeds, like a blanket. I sow the seeds, water and them put row cover over them, then water the row cover. I peek every day or so to check the moisture and water if need be. When I see sprouts, I remove the row cover and place mini hoops over the bed, then I put the row cover over the hoops so the seedlings don’t get squashed, but still are protected against wind, birds, cats, children, etc… I do fold the row cover back to water with a sprinkler until I have my irrigation up and running. 26D45477-CB87-46F8-84E0-7FCA88C6B3A6 ***Note- I always water with a watering can or sprinkler with a very fine spray. Seeds are fragile and can be blasted out of place by a hose or heavy flow from a can.*** Just like this little gardener!

82894CD0-5BEF-4205-81B1-1531A6C74479 Temperature–

Soil temperature matters more to a seed that air temperature for germination. If you are starting seeds these days indoors, your seeds should be plenty warm to sprout. Most vegetable need 70-80 degree temps to germinate, but keep in mind this is the soil temperature which is different than air temperature. Optimal germination temperatures vary according to the crop, but indoors is plenty warm for all vegetables. Outside, the soil may still be too cold to activate germination, but right now you should only be sowing cool season crops like peas, lettuce, arugula, kale, chard, broccoli, cilantro, etc…. which all like cool temps to germinate… 2029CBC8-5524-4EFC-A0C2-D2FBA353F6C4 I plant peas in the snow and it works every time! Many people are planting carrot now, which is fine, but it is still chilly out there and they do take a while! You can do a few things heat up the soil faster like row cover, plastic covers, or mulch, and indoors heating mats work really well for peppers, eggplant and tomatoes, especially in January!… but the soil will warm up soon enough, wait for it!

Time– Most vegetable seeds need at least 7-10 days to germinate. If it has been over 2 weeks, your seed may not be viable, but chances are if they are new they are just needing more moisture or warmth to go for it.

Seed Viability-If your seed is brand new it should have at least 90% germination rate because companies actually test for that. If you have had your seeds for a while, or if you are questioning the viability of your seed because it is old or been stored questionably (maybe got too hot or wet?) you can do a seed viability test. Basically take ten seeds, place them spaced an inch apart on a moist paper towel. Slide the towel into a zip lock bag, label it with the date and put it on your fridge… Keep a spray bottle handy because the towel needs to stay moist, but chances are if the zip lock is truly sealed the moisture level will be fine. Depending on the type of seeds you’re testing, they should begin to germinate anywhere from 2-14 days. (Seeds like peas and beans will sprout faster, while seeds like carrots or parsnips will take much longer).

Once the seeds being to sprout, give them a day or two, and then take note as to how many sprouted vs. how many did not sprout. This will give you a germination rate.

How to test seeds for viability and germination

Out of 10 Tested Seeds

1 seed sprouts = 10% germination rate
5 seeds sprout = 50% germination rate
10 seeds sprout = 100% germination rate

Obviously, the higher the germination rate, the better. Anything over 50% is decent. Anything lower than 50% still might be usable, but you may need to sow more thickly.

Mulch-Mulching is wonderful and necessary to retain moisture, create soil biology and protect your plants, but if a seed bed is over mulched before the seedlings are 3 inches tall it can suppress plants from coming up through it. I usually apply wet straw mulch around my seedlings, after they are 3 inches tall. If you do mulch with straw over a seed bed, make sure it is light and lose so the seedlings can push up through it. Like I mentioned above- Outside I like to use row cover to retain moisture till I get good germination.

Other Factors–

Soil Medium– Is there enough drainage in your soil mix? Some seeds get too much water and the soil isn’t draining properly. If you just scratch one up you may find they are actually rotting under the soil… it has happened to me!

Depth– Did you plant your seeds too deep? What about too shallow? Most things need soil contact to germinate ( expect many tiny flower seeds which actually need light to germinate). My rule of thumb is plant a seed twice as deep as it is wide… some say three times it’s size, but if you are buying seeds every pack will have very specific instructions to follow.

Pests– Did the mice, birds, cats come eat or dig up your seeds in the night? It’s happened to me!

Compaction– If your soil is too hard or compacted seeds may be struggling to germinate, and even if they do germinate they may not be able to wiggle those tiny roots down into the soil. Seeds need fluffy soil to take root.

Pre-soak– Many seeds like to be pre-soaked, especially really ones with really hard seed coats like Nasturtiums and Peas. Could help go things moving, give it a try.

Go here to read more on Seed Starting Indoors

Everything I know I learned by doing… and by reading my favorite seedy book. Which is where I got those cool charts pictured above.

I hope that helps, have faith , we reap what we sow!

“We are planting seeds of change, the fruit of which we might never see. We have to be patient.”
― Michelle Obama, Becoming

Bloom where you are planted!- Garden Resource Roundup

Posted on March 28, 2020 by seedybeans

Reading about gardening is almost as good as doing it!! I am so sorry the library is closed and I can’t lend you from my wonderful garden book collection… but if you are gonna buy a gardening book this season, may it be one of these beauties.. don’t ask me which one cause I love all of them.. these are just the favorites off my shelf… I only read gardening books and children’s books!!

Our new “Stay at home” mandate means lots of homework for of us…school work, house work, personal work……this weekend I am taking a deep pause and letting gardening be my only work…. the mess inside will wait!!
I have opened up shop for Facetime Garden Consulting and am so happy to give you site specific, personal advice to get you growing. I can help you no matter where you live, because growing is universal!

I also want to recommend some local resources for garden beds, soil, plants and row cover because now that I have told you all exactly what to do, I know you are all desperate to get your hands dirty, after all, they have never been this clean!!!

LOCAL GARDEN RESOURCE ROUNDUP– ****UPDATE**** Nurseries have been deemed non- Essential business

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Today we ventured to Country Farm Supply in Espanola ….they sell straw bales, baby chicks (new batch arriving Thursday) and seeds in bulk!! Who sells seeds in bulk anymore??? They are stocked and open for business… but always good to call first (505) 753-4500.

Plants of the Southwest– Super therapeutic strolling in the shady river side groove while gathering new fruit trees, berries, natives herbs and vegetables! They sell row cover by the yard ( new shipment comes in Thursday). They do have reduced hours to Tuesday- Saturday 8:30-5pm and please know there is only two hard working employees so be patient and kind to them!***Sadly PSW had to close for the month of April, but do check back, those plants are still growing!!****

Agua Fria Nursery Are open and you are free to wander outside as long as you please, only a few customers at a time inside to pay, so please be patient. They sell Cocopeat (due to arrive back in stock next week) which I recommend to everyone for making their own potting mix. They also sell row cover, vegetable starts, amendments and tons of amazing perennials.***All Nurseries are closes until further notice***

Grow y’own raised beds is still in business and busier than ever! They build and install garden raised garden beds. There is even a video of how to build a bed that you can be inspired by to build your own!

Paynes Soil Yard is selling compost and soil and delivering even just one yard at a time! The have compost, garden soil and lots of mulches. 1-(505)-424-0336

Reunity Resources – Not only do they now offer curbside kitchen scrap compost pick up, but they will deliver garden compost to you as well! You can pick up compost too Mon- Fri 8-4pm and Saturday 9-12. Such an amazing resource in the heart of Santa Fe!!

The Feed Bin Sells straw bales, baby chicks ( new shipment every Thursday) and tons of animal supplies.

Paynes Nursery Sells of course plants, seeds, bagged soil, trees, among a million other things!***All Nurseries are closes until further notice***

Santa Fe Farmers Market– Is open and taking great safety precautions! These hard working farmers have planned and planted and have to work no matter what, cause farming is NOT canceled!! Please support our local farmers if you can safely!!

*****I encourage you to call ahead and get straight on hours and supplies and curbside pick up options first. These business are so happy to stay open but they need to stay safe too!!******

Amanda Bramble or Amerpersand Learning Center will be hosting her annual fund raising plant sale at the Mind Shaft tavern in Madrid on April 19th… there will be pre- order curbside pick up available.

Also these amazing women at Soul Fire Farm are doing Friday ask a farmer sessions for growing support on Zoom.

Small online Seed Shops

Seeds Savers Exchange– Temporarily closed to catch up on orders

Native Seed Search– Closed till April 17th 2020

Johnny’s Seeds– Not taking new orders till April 6th

Floret Flowers

High Mowing Seeds– Open but 2-3 weeks for shipping most seeds

Baker Creek Seeds

Botancial Interests– Open but higher than usual shipping time

Edible Santa Fe Also put together a list of local food business who are open and need your business Here

If I left anyone out, please comment below and I will add them to the list!

EE8DC3B9-68AE-405E-916B-1D1B530E388C

I pulled this book of the shelf today which feature my beloved local poets Kyce Bello and Cynthia West

Just reading the back cover was medicine for my soul. B9F036A5-CABE-487E-B677-315E8FFE8574

Bless the land & bless your hands that they can work in wellness and humble gratitude to bring life, health and goodness to the world!

Please contact me directly for Garden Consultations and Support at erinseedsandstones@gmail.com

Gardening has NOT been Canceled

Posted on March 20, 2020 by seedybeans

It has been a stormy week for those of us here in the high desert. Corona cases jumped from 4 to 41 in our state one weeks time. We have been sent home & stayed home, social distancing for a … Continue reading →

What to Plant & When?

Posted on February 18, 2020 by seedybeans

Over the years I think the most common question I get asked as a garden teacher is “What do I plant, and when?” I have answered the best I can, sent people to my favorite books, taught classes, blogged about it….But I fear I may be giving too long and complicated answers… the basic home gardener doesn’t want calculate and compute, they just want to know what to plant and when and get on with it, am I right!! So here is this years attempt to make gardening in the high desert all the more straight forward and accessible to everyone. Please keep in mind, many might argue with me, as we gardeners all love our own way of doing things..I am just sharing what I do and what I believe you can do too. This post is loaded with links so be sure to click on them for more info.

January–

Plan– Take a seed count, Order any seeds from your favorite Companies,( Mine are Johnny’s, Seeds Savers Exchange, Native Seed Search , Order potatoes (companies can and do sell out)

Plant–Greenhouse (Indoor south-facing window) Onions, Leeks, Scallions, Tomatoes(yes it seems early but is works for me)Lettuce, Cilantro

Cold Frame– Spinach, Mache, Cilantro, Lettuce, Arugula, Parsley, Peas, Radishes and other cold season greens.

February–

Plan– Decide where you might want to put everything measuring square footage, you can use graph paper, or this fancy software. Once you know how much of what it is you want to grow, you can really start.

Plant- Greenhouse (Indoor south-facing window)Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Collards (these can also be direct sown outside next month),Tomatoes

Cold Frame– Spinach, Mache, Cilantro, Lettuce, Arugula, Parsley, Peas, Radishes and other cold season greens, Carrots, Chard

Outdoors with Row Cover-Spinach, Mache, Lettuce, Arugula, Parsley, Cilantro, Peas, Radishes and other cold season greens,

March-

Plan-Order Compost (I like to put down compost every year, about 1inch thick on all my veggie beds, if you can produce this much on sight, well done!!, if not it is worth buying some here) Plan/Purchase Irrigation system–lots to say on this matter, but this year we are going with t-tape.(more on all that later)

Plant–

Greenhouse (Indoor south-facing window)

Basil

Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Collards, (can also be planted directly at under cover outside)

Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant

Cucumber, Melon, Winter Squash (Pumpkin, Butternut, Acorn, Etc…)Summer Squash (zucchini, Yellow Squash) These all do well direct seeded outside later in the season

Flowers- Calendula, Marigolds, Sunflowers, Snap Dragons, Tithonia, Zinnias (direct sowing works very well for all of these later in the season, I just have a greenhouse and can’t help myself!)

Cold Frame– Spinach, Mache, Cilantro, Lettuce, Arugula, Parsley, Peas, Radishes and other cold season greens, Carrots, Chard, Beets

Outdoors with Row Cover-Spinach, Mache, Lettuce, Arugula, Parsley, Cilantro, Peas, Radishes and other cold season greens, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Carrots, Chard,

Outdoors in the great wide open– Potatoes, Spinach, Peas, Radishes, Lettuce, Dill, Chives, Flowers- Sweet Peas…I always try to get these guys in by St. Patty’s day, but am usually about a week or so late.

Just a note-March is when I really start planting outside as I am lazy with cold season watering. If I were more serious about production I would be gardening year round, but March really feels right to me, everything must rest, right?!! Remember, once you put seeds in the ground, you need to keep them moist for them to germinate and grow, granted the soil dries-out much slower in the cool season, but this is the desert, so only sow when you are ready to hand water (irrigation usually isn’t turned out till May). If you are watering outdoors in the cold months (you should be watering perennials and trees every 2-4weeks with these dry winters)…..always drain and unhook your hoses, they can freeze and burst and cause you real trouble!!

April

Plan- Spread compost and lay irrigation if that is part of your plan. Till or dig any bed you plan to turn.

Plant-

Greenhouse (Indoor south-facing window) I am full up in the Greenhouse by this time and just watering my babies. I always try to have a flat of sunflower sprouts growing, you can sow these once a week.

Cold Frame-Pepper, Eggplant (If your cold frame is tall enough this ensures a nice hot mini greenhouse that you can close up if we get frost before they ripen in the fall)

Outdoors with Row Cover- Spinach, Mache, Lettuce, Arugula, Parsley, Cilantro, Peas, Radishes and other cold season greens, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Carrots, Chard,

Outdoors in the great wide open- Onions, Leeks, Scallions,Potatoes, Spinach, Mache, Lettuce, Arugula, Parsley, Cilantro, Dill, Chives, Peas, Radishes and other cold season greens, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Carrots, Chard, Beets, Parsnips, Flowers- Marigolds, Snap Dragons, Sweet Peas

May (Last Frost date May 15th)

Plan-Spread compost and lay irrigation if that is part of your plan. Till or dig any bed you plan to turn.

Plant-

Outdoors in the great wide open- (Direct seed or transplanted from the greenhouse)

Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Carrots, Chard, Beets, Parsnips, Beans, Corn, Squash, Cucumbers, Melons, Amaranth, Basil, Flowers- Calendula, Marigolds, Sunflowers, nasturtiums, Cosmos, Zinnias

Who Did I Forget?- Garlic is planted in the fall, sweet potatoes I have yet to try though they are getting experimented with in gardens all around me, Bok choy- yet to really succeed against the flea beatles, but will let you know when I truly get a successful crop!

Well I hope that helps– never a short answer from me, but hopefully somewhat simple and straight forward? Happy gardening!

Planting for Fall

Posted on July 26, 2017 by seedybeans

The summer lull is passing, the rains are here and the harvests are starting to roll in with no effort from me, many pounds of Summer Squash, Zucchini, Kale, Cabbages, Chard and a tomato or two! I really don’t do much in the garden in July, maybe prune some tomatoes, thin some beets and water as much as I can, ( in addition to irrigation I often run the sprinkler just because my plants seem to scream in the heat) I kind of dry up myself and just sit in the river and wait!…But then the light changes, the heat softens and the world turns just enough to feel the shift and I return to the garden again.

So many folks tell me this time of year, ” Oh I really didn’t garden this summer, (with a sigh) maybe next year….” It’s not too late, in fact no better time really!! Warm soil, falling rain, golden light and rainbows! It is a second spring and even better than the first if you ask me! We still have three more months of growing season here! I pull out cabbage and make room for carrots, I scratch in beets seeds, spinach, cilantro, lettuce, arugula under burgeoning Basil plants and next to heavily harvested Kale. I sneak in things where ever I can, in fact underneath is a great place to plant now because other plants can provide some shade in the heat and protection from the soil drying out too quickly for germinating seeds… some plants will be pulled out in a month or two and by then your understory will need the waning light. Now is a great time to dig in some compost and plant a whole succession of fall salad greens. You can use row cover as shade cloth and to help keep moisture in for germinating, remember the secret to getting seeds to germinate in a hot garden is that they must NEVER dry out completely… but if you are back from vacation you can handle a little watering every day! If you plant every two weeks for the next two months you will surely supply yourself with salad for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!! What a better gift than your very own food for your family!

Hardening off and going in the ground!!

Posted on May 10, 2017 by seedybeans

The weather has been a bit crazy lately- snow, wind, rain… but the more moisture the better right!

It is actually really great to have your soils nice a wet before you do your planting on May 15th ( last frost date in Santa Fe and most Zone 6 areas). You never want to plant into mud, because walking on soppy soils can compact the soil and create a hardpan…. but moist is good! SO this weekend should be perfect for planting! Most of us will be planting Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants, Cucumbers, Zucchini, and the like which are all fruits… and this Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are all Fruit days according the the bio-dynamic calendar.

I know what I want for Mothers Day!! ( Help in the garden of course!)

If you haven’t started hardening off your transplants- start today!! Put those babies out in the rain! I actually moved my tomatoes out to this shady table last week. At night I haven been covering them with row cover and often leave it on in the very direct sunny morning hours…Row cover is also great for crazy hail storm protection too!

I forgot about them some time a couple of days ago and they have been faring the nights just fine and are doing great! They are jumping out of their pots so Mother’s Day I will be planting all day!

Once you have toughened your plants up to being outside it is important to baby them a bit more after planting. Even though they may be hardened off, they are still so tender and juicy that they can get eaten, sun baked, wind blown or even pummeled with hail!… So take simple precationary measures. You can put them under row cover or use simply use a handmade cloche to protect them till they get rooted and established in the garden.

Glass Cloche for sale in Italy

My very simple homemade cloche is a sparkling water bottle I pulled out of the recycling can and cut the bottom off. I have used these for years!!

Milk Jugs are even better cause they are a bit bigger and have that nice translucent plastic that filters the light a bit and keeps the plants a tiny bit cooler. Whatever you use, you need to make sure to take the cap off too so the hot air flows out, otherwise your little plants will bake themselves to death in the mini greenhouses!

Leave these on and water in and around them until the plant is too big to fit. Here are a few posts from years back on Hardening off, Row Cover, Spring Greens and Creative Shade covers, Transplanting tips and of course Tomatoes!!

Get ready for a big planting weekend! And of course Happy Last Frost Day!!!

How low can they go?

Posted on May 1, 2017 by seedybeans

May is lovely- but can be wild too. As we have seen this weekend in Santa Fe- a foot of snow!!

It is such a transitional time, the last burst of winter before it finally passes. I looked back on my calendars and it does usually snow every year in the first week of May, so though odd, it is actually to be expected.

But the good news is no harm done over here. All the little cool season greens and seeds were tucked under row cover and only seemed to perk up from crisp air all the moisture gifted to them. If you are wondering how cold CAN your cold season crops get…well

How low can they go?

The hardiest of the winter vegetables are Kale, Collards, Peas and Spinach which can take Temps as low as low 20’s and in the high teens.

Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Mustard Greens, Parsley, Radish, Parsnip, Turnip can all take temps 28-25 degrees.

All of these can survive under thick row cover all winter, though they may not show many signs of growth, they will start to spring new leaves in February.

Other semi-hardy vegetables are Beets, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chinese Cabbage, Endive, Lettuce, Radicchio, Rutabega, Salsify, Bok Choy, Tatsoi and Swiss Chard, tolerant of Temps from 32-29degrees. These can usually be harvested till Christmas under heavy row cover, but will need to be replanted in the spring under row cover as well. (with the exception of Swiss Chard, this patch was almost invisible all winter under no row cover… but is coming back just fine!)

So not to worry, the storm has passed, we have gathered the moisture and now we prepare for hardening off and the planting out process… More on that to come.

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