September 19, 2010

[TCLynx]

Just so you all know, I use the

Gardening by the Moon Calendar from the Farmers' Almanac http://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening/

I can't say as I've done any good side by side comparisons to know if it really works but I use it. There have been some times when I didn't check and just planted stuff because it was the only time I had and some of those times it seems very little came up. If it was due to planting on the wrong day or just having a lousy batch of seeds, I can't say.

Anyway, yesterday I planted lots of and lost of snow peas to create my winter privacy FEDGE (food hedge.)

Today I stared sifting through my collection of seeds to see what else I have on hand that I might get to planting. I think some squash and gourds might go well next to the driveway along the tunnel arch. Currently there are lots of yardlong beans, Okra trees, and jicama still growing there but some shade while the seedlings get going may actually be a good thing since that bed gets some brutal sun in the afternoon if there isn't shade cloth on the tunnel (and there isn't shade cloth on the tunnel because attaching shade cloth to anything apparently causes it to become a structure requiring a building permit to be pulled.)

One of these days I need to do up a "map" of my lot so I can attach notes about where I plant things and how and when and then make not of what does well and what doesn't and why I think that was the case.

And playing through my head, I need to figure out how I'm gonna grow some broccoli and coliflower this year without the bunny rabbit eating it all again. Two winters ago I had great success growing broccoli and some cabbage and veronica. Last winter, the bunny discovered them and we only got about one meal of home grown broccoli cause the critter kept eating off the heads before we could get any. I'm wondering how long before we are eating bunny rabbit, I have trouble justifying the cost of putting up wire fencing all over and it's too costly and time consuming to be spraying critter ridder around the garden beds after each rain.

Perhaps this year with the new 300 gallon system I can manage to grow broccoli in that system up where the rabbit probably won't climb to. I'll probably try the smaller cabbages in the towers and NFT pipes. The bunny didn't seem as interested in the Kohlrabi and Collards so perhaps they will survive in the dirt beds. And I'm thinking about adding another raised wicking bed to the back yard.

Anyway, I planted A few Meteor F1 yellow squash and some Plato F1 Zucchini squash seeds in the shallow wicking bed currently in the back yard.
Planting some Flying Saucer F1 patty pan squash in the North end of the tunnel along the driveway.
Further along the tunnel I'll plant some Butternut, Spagehetti, and acorn squash. These can climb and I'll add some Sunray F1 yellow straightneck squash as a ground cover though I'll probably be cursing as they will likely block the path through the tunnel as they grow.
Lets see, I'll put some Nest Egg gourds in the 300 gallon system to see if they climb
And perhaps a few Kabocha Orange winter squash in the 300 gallon system as well.

Well, now the rain has moved in, I might not be doing much more outside till it lets up, quite the windy rainstorm. So I've plated 5 trays of seeds instead.

[TCLynx]

Luckily Johnnies ships quick!!!

[M Cosmo]

I am so glad you wrote this. I am going to plant 2 more trays of seeds on the 22nd and 23rd. I have to order some winter veggies right away.
I really believe the Farmers Almanac is right on. The moon is my mistress. La Lune La Lune La Bella Lune.