Showing posts with label Techniques. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Techniques. Show all posts

Sunday 14 June 2020

How to Plant Leeks


How Long to Keep / Best Way to Store Leeks — Fresh, Raw | StillTasty.com - Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide:
Leek culture
-Sow leeks indoors in late winter for fall harvest. Start more leeks in August for spring harvest.
-Grow them in soil that has plenty of compost and nitrogen.
-Don’t let leeks lack for water.
-Once leeks start growing, hill them up every 2 weeks to get more of the white part.

Watering well is important. I soak my beds twice a week. Leeks that suffer from lack of moisture grow unevenly, and have a stronger taste and pithier texture.

Отсюда!
И здесь!
Sow: Staring sowing indoors in February.
Continue outdoors in April, 2cm deep.
Soil: Work in plenty of well-rotted manure the previous
autumn.
Sun: Full sun.
Grow: Harden off well before planting out, when 20cm high.

Saturday 15 April 2017

Three Sisters: Corn, Beans and Squash.

Celebrate the Three Sisters: Corn, Beans and Squash | Renee's Garden Seeds:
Corn provides a natural pole for bean vines to climb.
Beans fix nitrogen on their roots, improving the overall fertility of the plot by providing nitrogen to the following years corn.
Bean vines also help stabilize the corn plants, making them less vulnerable to blowing over in the wind.
Shallow-rooted squash vines become a living mulch, shading emerging weeds and preventing soil moisture from evaporating, thereby improving the overall crops chances of survival in dry years.
Spiny squash plants also help discourage predators from approaching the corn and beans.
The large amount of crop residue from this planting combination can be incorporated back into the soil at the end of the season, to build up the organic matter and improve its structure.

Corn, beans and squash also complement each other nutritionally.
Corn provides carbohydrates, the dried beans are rich in protein, balancing the lack of necessary amino acids found in corn.
Finally, squash yields both vitamins from the fruit and healthful, delicious oil from the seeds.

Instructions for Planting Your Own Three Sisters Garden in a 10 x 10 square
When to plant: Sow seeds any time after spring night temperatures are in the 50F/10C degree range, up through June.
What to plant: Corn must be planted in several rows rather than one long row to ensure adequate pollination.
Choose pole beans or runner beans and a squash or pumpkin variety with trailing vines, rather than a compact bush.
At Renee's Garden, we have created our Three Sisters Garden Bonus Pack, which contains three inner packets of multi-colored Indian Corn, Rattlesnake Beans to twine up the corn stalks and Sugar Pie Pumpkins to cover the ground.

Note: A 10 x 10 foot (3mx3m) square of space for your Three Sisters garden is the minimum area needed to ensure good corn pollination.
If you have a small garden, you can plant fewer mounds, but be aware that you may not get good full corn ears as a result.

How to plant: Please refer to the diagrams below and to individual seed packets for additional growing information.

Choose a site in full sun (minimum 6-8 hours/day of direct sunlight throughout the growing season).
Amend the soil with plenty of compost or aged manure, since corn is a heavy feeder and the nitrogen from your beans will not be available to the corn during the first year. With string, mark off three ten-foot rows, five feet apart.

In each row, make your corn/bean mounds.
The center of each mound should be 5 feet apart from the center of the next.
Each mound should be 18 across with flattened tops.
The mounds should be staggered in adjacent rows.
See Diagram #1
Note: The Iroquois and others planted the three sisters in raised mounds about 4 inches high, in order to improve drainage and soil warmth; to help conserve water, you can make a small crater at the top of your mounds so the water doesn’t drain off the plants quickly.
Raised mounds were not built in dry, sandy areas where soil moisture conservation was a priority, for example in parts of the southwest.
There, the three sisters were planted in beds with soil raised around the edges, so that water would collect in the beds (See reference 2 below for more information).
In other words, adjust the design of your bed according to your climate and soil type.

Plant 4 corn seeds in each mound in a 6 in square. See Diagram #2

When the corn is 4 inches/10cm tall, its time to plant the beans and squash.
First, weed the entire patch.
Then plant 4 bean seeds in each corn mound.
They should be 3 in apart from the corn plants, completing the square as shown in Diagram #3.

Build your squash mounds in each row between each corn/bean mound.
Make them the same size as the corn/bean mounds.
Plant 3 squash seeds, 4 in. apart in a triangle in the middle of each mound as shown in Diagram #4.

When the squash seedlings emerge, thin them to 2 plants per mound.
You may have to weed the area several times until the squash take over and shade new weeds.


TIPS FOR GROWING THE THREE SISTERS
To try them in your garden, in spring, prepare the soil by adding fish scraps or wood ash to increase fertility, if desired.
Make a mound of soil about a foot high and four feet wide.
When the danger of frost has passed, plant the corn in the mound. Sow six kernels of corn an inch deep and about ten inches apart in a circle of about 2 feet in diameter.
When the corn is about 5 inches tall, plant four bean seeds, evenly spaced, around each stalk.
About a week later, plant six squash seeds, evenly spaced, around the perimeter of the mound.
OR:
Plant the cucumber seeds seven to 14 days after planting the corn seeds.
Mound up 4-inch tall and wide piles of soil, spacing each mound 36 inches apart, along the eastern side of each row of corn.
Space the mounds 12 inches away from the corn rows.
Pat the top of each soil mound to flatten it.
Place four cucumber seeds in the depression.
Watch for cucumber seedlings to germinate seven to 10 days after planting.
Thin the cucumber plants a week after germinating.
Pull up one or two of the weakest seedlings, leaving two or three plants per hill.

OR:
Three sisters planting | Life and style | The Guardian:

My 'two sisters' planting.
The sweetcorn and squash are rubbing along together marvellously, squash swelling and cobs very close to harvest, all happy and healthy with barely a weed in sight.
When the squash vines get too long, I just hook them back over the entire bed and they hang from the limbs of the sweetcorn, squashes dangling just above the ground, so avoiding any rotten patches.
One of those neat, perfect little solutions after all.
'via Blog this'

Saturday 3 November 2012

Gardening Techniques - Companion planting.

Plant combinations

Grow French marigolds among tomatoes. Marigolds emit a strong odour that will repel greenfly and blackfly.
Grow sage with carrots or plants in the cabbage family to ward off pests. Both have strong scents that drive away each other's pests.
Plant nasturtium with cabbages - they're a magnet for caterpillars that will then leave the cabbages alone.
Garlic planted among roses will ward off aphids.
Plant carrots and leeks together on the allotment or vegetable patch to protect against a number of pests. Leeks repel carrot fly and carrots repel onion fly and leek moth.
Make sure companion plants are planted at the same time as your edible crops to prevent pests from getting a foothold.

Ten plants to try

Asparagus - prevents microscopic nematodes from attacking the roots of tomatoes
Chervil - keeps aphids off lettuce
Chives - onion scent wards off aphids from chrysanthemums, sunflowers and tomatoes
Coriander - helps to repel aphids
Dill - attracts aphid eating beneficial insects likes hoverflies and predatory wasps
Garlic - deters aphids and is particularly good planted with roses
Tansy - strongly scented plant deters ants
Plants in the pea family - lupins, peas, beans and sweet peas benefit the soil by taking nitrogen from the air and storing it in their roots
Yarrow - this boosts vigour in other plants and accumulates phosphorous, calcium and silica, which can benefit homemade compost when plants are added to the heap. It attracts many beneficial creatures such as hoverflies and ladybirds

Sunday 10 July 2011

Огород по митлайдеру с фото

Метод Миттлайдера значительно экономит время. При некотором опыте ежедневно на уход за посадками уходит около часа в день в утреннее время. Если же Вы приезжаете на участок лишь в выходные дни, придется наведываться еще раз в середине недели, чтобы полить овощи и вовремя уничтожить прорастающие сорняки.

Friday 29 April 2011

5 Uncommon Herbs for Your Garden. Comfrey.

Simply soak a one part comfrey leaves to three parts water, let sit for a week and strain the rich tea. Use it as you would any liquid fertilizer for your tomatoes, cucumbers, squash or root crops. In fall, as the flowers die down, cut the plant completely back and chop it up. Add it to your compost where they’ll add a rich store of essential minerals.
5 Uncommon Herbs for Your Garden: "5 Uncommon Herbs for Your Garden"

Saturday 23 April 2011

A 'potager'...(огород-с фр.).

The Parc Floral of Haute-Bretagne.
The garden is situated not far from Fougeres, north-east of Rennes.
What are Potager Gardens.
Potager gardens combine the utilitarian nature of the English kitchen garden with the style and grace of French fashion. It is basically an ornamental vegetable garden. Plants are chosen for both their edible and ornamental natures and are put together in such a way that it looks pretty while still providing food for the household.

'Potager' - это сад и огород в одном лице. У тебя есть сад, которым ты можешь наслаждаться и... питаться."
Потажер – это участок, на котором совместно выращивают овощи и цветы.
С целью сделать функцию обеспечения продовольствием эстетичной.
Потажер - объединяет утилитарный характер английского огорода со стилем и изяществом французской моды.

Ботанический сад или Парк растений Верхней Бретании, Франция. 
(Parc floral de Haute Bretagne).
Это всего лишь салат!

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Sandy soils. Grow suitable crops.

Good vegetable crops for sandy soils will include all of
- the carrots,
- beetroot,
- radishes,
- parsnips,
- garlic and
- the early salad crops of lettuce and the like.

Potatoes early crops are ok, but maincrop potatoes will need added bulky manures to keep the soil moisture levels high for good production.

Brassicas generally, runner beans (Early French Beans are ok) Celery, and Rhubarb are best not grown on sandy vegetable plot soils. They all need too much regular moisture for suitable growth.

Thursday 14 April 2011

The best way to sow parsnip seeds.

The best way to sow parsnips:

One technique is to sow along a half-inch deep drill in the soil and then thin out to one plant every six inches.

The other is to sow three seeds at a time every six inches and later thin the seedlings to leave one parsnip at each station.

Thursday 7 April 2011

Green manure | Plants | Gardening Blog | Talk | BBC Gardeners' World

Green manure | Plants | Gardening Blog | Talk | BBC Gardeners' World: "There are a few green manures to sow now, suitable for a range of soil types:

1. Grazing rye (Secale cereale) improves soil structure. Sow from August to November and dig in the following spring.

2. Winter field bean (Vicia faba) is good nitrogen fixer for heavy soils. Sow from September to November.

3. Mustard (Sinapis alba) is a brassica, so should not be followed by other brassicas in your crop rotation, as this can lead to the build up of diseases such as club root. Gardeners in the south can still sow it now, but those up north should wait until spring.

4. Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is good for loamy soils and fixes nitrogen. Its flowers are a great food source for bumblebees. Again, gardeners down south can probably get away with sowing it now, those up north should sow winter beans instead."

Sunday 3 April 2011

What to grow in your allotment.

What to grow in your allotment - Times Online:
carrots
cabbage
calabrese
potatoes
quick-growing salads

cold frame: Try beans
peas,
radishes,
onions,
salad leaves
beetroot.

- need lots of watering:
Courgettes,
tomatoes,
squashes and
pumpkins

Friday 1 April 2011

Techniques - Grow your own salad.

Sow seeds in short rows about 30cm (12in) apart.


When the seedlings are about 2cm (1in) tall, thin them out to give them space to grow. 
The distance will depend on variety, but is usually between 15cm (6in) and 30cm (12in).
BBC - Gardening - Gardening Guides - Techniques - Grow your own salad

Sunday 6 March 2011

An Introduction to Lasagna Gardening:

На русском огород-лазанья здесь!


An Introduction to Lasagna Gardening:
Good way to recycle paper, cardboard and straw. 
lasagna gardening is a timesaving organic gardening method developed by gardener and writer, Patricia Lanza, which requires no digging, no tilling and no sod removal.


..beds aren't wider than 4 feet so you can reach all your plants without having to walk in the bed (1x2meters & about 15cm deep)
4 feet = 1.2192 metres
one foot = 30.48


you are going to get a bunch of newspapers. 
You are going to wet the newspapers and then lay them over the ground where you want your bed to be. This will keep down the weeds and give the worms great food to eat as things get started.
Put down a thick layer, about 10 to 20 sheets thick and make sure they are completely wet all the way through.


That's how you get started. Next we will look at getting your beds filled with planting medium.
You need to have a mix of "green" and "brown" organic material in your garden.
Green material is household material like organge peels, tea bags, veggie ends, egg shells ~ anything that came from Mother Earth, can go back to Mother Earth. 
- (NO Meat or meat products though) This category also includes grass clippings. 
- coffee grounds (give your local Starbucks a call ~ they'll be happy to help you recycle their coffee grounds).
Brown Material is mostly brown. :) Straw, hay, chipped tree branches.
It's important to get a good mix of the two color categories to make a wholesome mix for your growing medium.
You can make your planting medium in one of two ways. You can put your organic material right into your raised bed, or you can build a compost pile off to the side and add compost once it's done. Making compost does not happen overnight, so if you build a compost pile you need to plan a year in advance.


If you choose to make your planting medium directly in your Lasagna Garden, that's fine, it works great. Just make layers, like you would with Lasagna.
One layer of "brown" material, say straw on top of the newspaper as a bottom layer, then a layer of grass clippings, then another layer of straw, then a layer of 
household "greens". Just keep doing that until you reach the top of your raised bed.
----------
just put down a layer of cardboard, then one of grass clippings, then carried on layering with browns (newspaper, card, autumn leaves) with green (grass clippings, weeds).
The brown layer should be twice as thick as the green layer, but I didn't measure.
Thick layers of organic mulch are the main ingredients of every lasagna garden. 


Chopped leaves, grass clippings, straw, hay, sawdust, wood ash, compost, animal manure, newspaper, etc., are just some of the materials that might made up the 
layers of a lasagna garden. Individual materials will vary in each individual's garden according to what is available locally.


How Do You Make a Lasagna Garden?
To make a lasagna garden you stake out your garden site and begin building up the beds layer by layer. The first layer involves laying down something heavy over sod, like thick pads of newspaper or flattened cardboard boxes, to kill the existing grass. The next layer should consist of 2-3 inches of a water absorbent material like coir, or peat moss. I recommend coir because of the growing environmental damage caused by extracting peat from bogs. Next, a 4-8 inch layer of organic material, such as compost, is spread over the coir layer. Another layer of coir, or a peat alternative would be added on top of that, and then yet another layer of organic material, like grass clippings on top of the coir, and on and on until the beds reach 18-24 inches high. Finally, the tops of the piles may be sprinkled lightly with bone meal and wood ash for added phosphorus and potassium.
---------------
Anything you'd put in a compost pile, you can put into a lasagna garden. The materials you put into the garden will break down, providing nutrient-rich, crumbly soil in which to plant. The following materials are all perfect for lasagna gardens:


Grass Clippings
Leaves
Fruit and Vegetable Scraps
Coffee Grounds
Tea leaves and tea bags
Weeds (if they haven't gone to seed)
Manure
Compost
Seaweed
Shredded newspaper or junk mail
Pine needles
Spent blooms, trimmings from the garden
Peat moss
 If you make the bed in spring, layer as many greens and browns as you can, with layers of finished compost, peat, or topsoil interspersed in them. Finish off the entire bed with three or four inches of finished compost or topsoil, and plant. The bed will settle some over the season as the layers underneath decompose.

Saturday 26 February 2011

Как приготовить компост (для чайников).

Существует несколько способов приготовления компоста, но какой бы вы ни выбрали, есть общие требования.


  • Место для компостирования должно быть в полутени.
  • Почва под ним должна быть хорошо дренированной.
  • Все составляющие требуют обязательного измельчения.
  • Смешивать нужно свежие зеленые растительные остатки (ботва, трава)  с сухими отходами (солома, опилки, ветки).
  • Компост должен быть постоянно умеренно-влажным (как отжатая губка).

Friday 25 February 2011

Компостер из поддонов.

Compost bin from pallet.
Место для компостирования должно быть в полутени.
Почва под ним должна быть хорошо дренированной.
Огородите 2–4 кв. метра стенками из досок, железа, шифера, метровой высоты.
Стенок может быть три – без передней. А может быть и четыре, но передняя должна быть съемной: перегной приходится перелопачивать и подбирать. Завершает конструкцию лист пленки, шифера или рубероида, накрывающий компост сверху: дожди не должны вымывать питательные вещества. Заодно “крышка” уменьшит испарение влаги. А влажность тем лучше, чем стабильнее. Если куча прикрыта и в тени, ее практически не приходится поливать летом.
 Как разобрать поддон./How to disassemble a pallet.
Высокие грядки из старых поддонов./Raised beds from old pallets.
или....