This year I'd like to (try to) "keep things real", or at least, manageable. Last year, my eyes were bigger than my, uh, garden; I had too much going on and not enough time and energy to do it all. Also, because of the very strange weather (hot and humid--strange for Winnipeg!), we had some strange things happen, like rampant powdery mildew!
I think I've learned (a little) from (some of) last year's difficulties. One of the things I'm trying to minimise is "garden fatigue". This is what I'm going to call that mental state that happens to me when I have no set plan for the day, that I'm just going to "do yardwork" or I tell myself I'm going to frolic when I'm actually itching for something to do. I'll just walk into the garden and start half-assedly doing stuff: pruning, weeding, tying tomato vines to stakes--but without any thought about what I'm actually doing. While the last thing I ever want to do is turn gardening into a chore, I definitely don't want to go about haphazardly sowing flower seeds into the lawn, thinking how nice it would be to have daisies in the grass, when I paid for those seeds!
So I'm trying to generate more step-by-step plans.
For example: I've noticed that in the 3x6 bed, which I'll also refer to as the "carrot bed", there is a lot of mulch from last year, and a lot of little rabbit droppings! While the droppings are probably loaded with nice soil-enriching nutrients, they're probably still active, and I've read carrots don't even like compost unless it's old and absolutely positively done composting. So both the mulch and droppings have got to go.
By the way, the carrots I left in the ground from last fall? As far as I can tell, they got pulled up and eaten! I haven't seen a single carrot seedling, but there are rather fresh-looking holes! Maybe that idea of rabbits pulling up carrots has some truth!
I've decided to write down step-by-step what I need to do, and in what order, to prepare the bed for carrots this spring.
This list is mostly for my own benefit, but of course, it is free to view by the public:
Since the carrot bed is smaller, and carrots can be direct-sown earlier in the year, preparing the carrot bed takes priority. Additionally, building the soil sorting device earlier avails them for use in the 3x16 bed.
Step One: Buy materials for the soil sorting device! I know this device has to have a name, but I can't seem to remember it (a grader?). This device is basically a four-sided box with a mesh stapled to the bottom; and it will separate out the finer soil from the larger chunks. I think this action also has a name (grading?) but I can't remember that either, so I'll refer to it as "sorting" the soil. I'm thinking the device should be about 12" by 18" and about 6" deep. The mesh comes from a roll of eavestrough liner I bought last year and barely used. I'll have to buy some new lumber (2x6-es I presume) though. I'll need at least two of these, but three or four would be better, as I plan to have another garden work party this year!
Step Two: Remove the top layer of soil from the bed. I'll probably use the large pet boxes to store the soil for easy dumping into the sorting device.
Step Three: Build the sorter/s (as described above).
Step Three and a half: Prepare cocopeat (see step five below).
Step Four: Sort the soil. I'll likely have a helper that day, and the two of us will sit by the carrot bed, dumping the green bins into our sorters and shaking away (over the bed). The mulch can go into the mulch bin, and the rabbit poops can go into the compost heap. (If adding cocopeat, remember to wet it down regularly.)
At this point, the important things have been accomplished. However, this would be an ideal time to...
Step Five: Add soil amendments. (Of course, they'd have to be purchased earlier.) In this case, the amendments would be sand, cocopeat and perhaps some bone meal. Adding cocopeat takes time, as it needs to be rehydrated and broken apart. Putting the block of cocopeat into the bed and sprinkling with the hose would before sorting the soil would probably provide enough time for the cocopeat to rehydrate. When the soil has been sorted, take a hoe to the cocopeat and rake it apart. If it crumbles easily, add the other materials (so that each pull of the hoe both breaks apart the cocopeat block and mixes in the amendments).
Step Six: Level the surface and water the soil. Use the back of a thatching rake to level. Gently water using the "shower" setting.
At this point, the bed is just about ready for sowing!
Step Seven: Sow carrots. This is how I sowed carrots last year, and it really seemed to work, so I'll stick to it this year, too. (I used this method because the soil was thick and heavy, but with the added sand and cocopeat, the first step may not be necessary!)
- Cover the surface of the area in which carrots (or radishes) will grow, with a thin layer (half a centimetre) of cocopeat. Level.
- Lay the square-foot grid. This year, I'll be using sisal or jute twine, not the flimsy green plastic stuff from last year.
- Using a thin dowel, divide each squarefoot into sixteen squares by pressing the dowel into the cocopeat.
- In the centre of each little square, make a shallow depression using the end of the dowel.
- Sow one carrot (or radish) seed in each little hole.
- Fill in the holes.
Step Eight: Dampen, mulch and water again. Use the "mist" setting on the hose showerhead to dampen the cocopeat. Then cover the sown area with leaf mulch (at least 4cm). Water the mulch gently (use the "shower" setting).
At this point, the carrots are ready to grow, but if last year was any indication, the leaves will need protection! But carrots are slow to germinate, and the following step can be put off for maybe a week.
At this point, the carrots are ready to grow, but if last year was any indication, the leaves will need protection! But carrots are slow to germinate, and the following step can be put off for maybe a week.
Step Nine: Lay a net over the bed. Or better yet, construct an easily removable framework over which a net may be secured. Since the broccoli eventually grow to be much taller and wider than the carrots and radishes, a removable structure makes more sense right now. Later, when the broccoli is large enough to be uninteresting to birds, I may only need a fence to keep the rabbits away from the carrots.
Step Ten: Take a relaxing sit in the hammock.
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