Sidetracked Charley

Inside my hoop house My garden journal, an actual physical sketchbook, in which I record my successes and failures in edible gardening at 8250 feet since 2011 served as my reference when I was urged to enter a State Garden Club contest. And the same journal is also my record of first frosts and last frosts, the late snow which brought the hoop house down, and the hail storm which shredded the 4 mil plastic covering. I now use 6 mil. And am a firm believer in climate change. My photography has recorded the development and growth of the hoop house which once covered two raised beds and is now 11' x 16'. Every year I add refinements because every year I challenge, not always successfully, the hail and snow and winds in an effort to extend my gardening year. Or should I say eating year. I eat what I grow. And I grow what I like to eat. This year it was the new back wall. My contest entry was already submitted with last year's successes and failures.  The rigid front wa...

The  2018 Polytunnel Gardening at 8000 plus feet altitude is never easy but living a good drive from organic food sources has made it essential. When I began this exploration only iceberg lettuce was available at the store nearest me. Over the years I can now get it in gourmet varieties in plastic boxes when seem to be subject to recall from time to time due to various ills trapped inside. And it is hugely expensive. Not that gardening is cheap. It was on the internet I first came across the concept of the poly tunnel developed by an agricultural school in Kentucky to extend growing seasons for large farms.  A friend in Utah built one and sent me info on one he adapted.  Soon there were YouTube videos touting small backyard versions. The first I built was small and just covered two 4 x 4 beds of greens. Success meant they grew. A few years ago I finally upped my commitment to 11 x 20. Other refinements were also made like going from 4 mil plastic to 6 mil, and cr...

Magique in front of the Bow Greenhouse Spent this whole last week working on the new and improved polytunnel. It is 11 x 16 feet. Previously it was 7 x 16 feet so I gained a lot of square footage and that means able to plant more things. Topped out by not tied down More room means more raised bed space and 5 gallon tubs for some plants like potatoes and I think Tomatoes. Been trying them out for size. Tomatoes  started from seed sunning outside before the rains Buckets also protect them from winds until they are in the greenhouse Tubs of potatoes between raised beds Been spending so much time on the bow construction I am a bit behind on the planting. Have a lot of plants under the low tunnel and seeds planted in the far raised bed. Still need to add more soil to the newest raised bed which will get broccoli among other plants. I have raised potatoes in tubs before. As they sprout up you raise the soil level and then when time to harvest you just pour out the...

May 13, 2014 and eight inches of snow My Canadian social media friend, Ien, says you are always behind in gardening. But this year seems to be a lot worse. Maybe it is because of my eye surgery and then teeth extraction or maybe I just had a foggy mind and didn't begin my grand plans to convert the polytunnel experiment to a real commitment to greenhouse gardening on the cheap. Or maybe it was the May full of late, late, late snows. Inner tunnel enlarged I did get the collapsing inner tunnel restructured and taller over my raised beds and even got one bed refreshed and seeded, but that just made it obvious how inadequate the high tunnel was. It would still work as a prop for more plastic to raise bed temps but would make it very difficult to work without removing the upper plastic. Beginning of new bow greenhouse I had saved a link to how to make a greenhouse for $50. The man lies. What you see is $60 and not nearly done. I am planning to use recycled materials a...

I know it was week 32 because I do that 365 Day Photography challenge weekly blog on Creative Journey . Though I must confess I recently double checked that because I was pulling photos out of a folder marked week 33. That all probably comes under the category of TMI - Too Much Information - for those out of the texting loop. It was a week about completion and rain and flowers. It was about rediscovering my garden. Seems to have gotten along without me quite well. Hail storms had necessitated the replacement of the plastic cover. While at that task I opted to put a double fold of the old plastic just across the top to help cushion the other plastic and add more protection from hail. The squash plants have developed a powdery mold which I am told will respond to aspirin dissolved in a misting bottle and sprayed on the leaves. I harvested Swiss Chard, Collard Greens and Kale which I chopped and blanched and then frozen in an ice cube tray. These cubes are to be used this winte...

Bokchoy This is my first year to plant bokchoy. I love the stuff. I eat it raw like other friends eat celery. And I use it in stir fry and salads. It always seemed to exotic to plant but when I saw the heritage seeds at my favorite garden supply I decided to give it a try and then promptly forgot I had. Seriously. Yes, I have a journal where I have drawn my beds and penciled in what is planted where but do I bring it out for reference in my garden? No. My Garden Journal is an evening activity where I recall the temps and progress and latest modifications. I discovered the bokchoy yesterday when I cut back the chives to dry some. I garden in raised beds placed under a poly tunnel. No rows just patches of future plants arranged sometimes by color. Literally. I am an artist you know. And I have planted carnival carrots and rainbow chard and red Romaine lettuce. It is extensive planting. Every available space taken up to discourage weeds. And so it fits under my poly tunnel. I gar...

Microburst garden shed  Yesterday morning I had a perfect idea for a return to my usual That-was-the-week-that-was Monday blog. Then came the NOAA warning about a winter storm. Give me a break. It is April. The winds of Sunday made it clear I did not have the poly tunnel laced down correctly so I dashed out as soon as dawn, and before the winds came up to remedy that. And apply duct tape. Poly Tunnel before duct tape The winter storm watch had also upset my neighbor. She wanted her doggie doors replaced before the storm was scheduled and so I was off to do that repair. More to be done at my house but money is always good. I had all my quiche prep done for the order placed for them. I figured I could assemble and bake at lunch so off I went to replace very badly installed dog doors. No wonder they leaked wind and self-destructed under use in record time. And she paid a licensed and bonded handyman to do them. Dog door one down and I came back to my house...

Lower Tunnel Modifications Last year was my first year with the poly-tunnel gardening system. It is suppose to extend your growing season by two weeks on either side of your normal season. Last year, however, when I began the gardening experiment 224 for the high county I started with just the low tunnel on the first of May. Mid May I built the high tunnel so I could expand my plantings. And by June I was experimenting with plants late frosts had always prevented me from enjoying. One of our latest frosts I can remember was June 21st. It decimated the carefully tended squash plants I had nurtured in my studio until the date of the previous late frost (June 8) had pasted. The double tunnels foiled the late frosts. And in July in protected the garden, which was lush and productive, from inch sized hail. But by the time fall frosts came it was clear my low tunnel was too low for the thriving Swiss Chard, Kale, and several of my herbs. So my goal for this season was to raise the inn...

Tunnel end of growing season 2012 It did not seem that monumental at the time but this spring I committed myself to gardening again. I moved the neglected raised 4 x 4 beds and built a poly tunnel over the top of them. Except for the initial $150 in plastic and PVC and rope it was mostly sweat equity. But since the mechanics lien in November 2007 was placed on my property by the contractor I had hired to build the studio I have invested no sweat and very little time, money or effort in my property except to improve the rental unit for income. Why put anything into something which could be sold out from under you at any moment? I am not sure what moved inside of me to allow this investment, minor though it may be. And at the time it seemed to be that where I had put the raised beds was just wrong. They were so in the way. A total pain to mow around. And they collected all the blowing snow in the winter. So they had to go. And for a moment I considered doing just that; chopping th...

Expanded Poly Tunnel with five ribs My original experiment with the poly tunnel went well this summer. Plants grew lush and quickly and neighbors avoided talking to me for fear that I would thrust more lettuce upon them. So when the plastic was damaged by a huge hail storm with 1 inch hail I decided to wait to replace until I was able to expand the basic tunnel from four ribs to five ribs. The tunnel is now 25 feet long.  And I have learned a lot not just about growing vegetable in this quick type of green house but also in how to put on new plastic, something I needed help with the first time, and how to more effectively lash it down to resist the rougher winter weather. But the wind was amazingly not a problem this summer. And even the hail storm made only little 1 inch long tears which I lived with in the warm August weather. I would let the sides down at night but not use the inner tunnel. Original Tunnel with only four ribs In the last week, however we have bee...

High Tunnel with sides raised As I wrote in a previous blog gardening was do or die this year. When I first moved to my house in the high country some 17 years ago I immediately built two 8 x 4 raised beds and proceeded to provide for not must me but neighbors. What I could raise was a bit more limited than in other areas I have lived in because of the climate but we had a solid 90 to 100 day growing season. Last frost was generally around the 1st of June. The great news was with temps seldom above 82 F in the summer lettuce and spinach did not bolt. I dreamed of an attached green house that would provide passive solar for winter months and allow me to get a start on plants to go outside in June. As I planned the green house grew and when construction began in 2007 the beds had to be moved. Long establish herbs like Tarragon had to be moved and did not survive their temporary containers. Despite efforts there was no gardening in 2007 or 2008. Two 4 x 4 beds just didn't see...