sb country n news-layered up

SB COUNTRY N NEWS-LAYERED UP

the picture below is where i started back in june for my
garden here
it was dry devoid of plant material
i added compost and organic fertilizer
then planted my veggies knowing i was late planting
things by about two months
i knew that before the fall winter garden i needed to improve
that life of the soil

the life is compost organic fertilizer plant material
like leaves mulch did i ever add mulch
i added a lot of trash barrels full of mulch
lots of cardboard and newspapers
all in layers of course

what i did
is what i did in my gardens in texas
i dug out 4 ft square blocks
down to about a ft and a half
hitting a lot of hard soil
i even had to use a rock bar to break it up

then
i added a layer of cardboard from side to side
a layer of about 10 sheets of newspapers
a layer of the soil i had dug out of the hole
a layer of compost some from the local garden where
my garden spot is
it has worms and lots of bacteria and germs that are needed
to make the soil better
i also added a good sprinkling of an organic fertilizer
to add more nitrogen in the bed
i then soaked that in with a liquid mixture of molasses
seaweed fish emulsion easily found at most nurseries
then
i watered this all in well with a water hose

then
i repeated these layers unit i got to the top of the hole
where i added garden soil and compost mixed together
added a dusting of an organic fertilizer that also had
microbes in it that plants like

i then covered that all up with a layer of mulch
to let it sit for a few weeks
ripen if you will

i did these 4 ft squares like this all over the garden until i had all the garden
all layered up

this week when i went to plant
a lot of this stuff all mixed together had composted down
in fact i think the whole bed will eventually settle down about 4-6 inches

now
my soil is starting to look a lot like my soil
at the country n in texas

i was able to use just my hands to plant my garden this time
a measure of rich fertile soil

i chose things that we like to eat
and
that we can usually eat on all winter long

broccoli swiss chard kale carrots lettuce spinach beets
sweet peas onions garlic

this is about what i planted when i lived in texas
except here i dont have to worry about it freezing
i really dont have to do much now
but water it regularly

on the beds where i planted seeds
i try to usually water them once or twice a day
so they dont dry out

i decided to not use a drip system on this garden

since i live two miles away
this makes me have to go by the garden to keep it watered
gotta keep that shadow in the garden
you know

so
we are hoping
that like in texas
that we have a bountiful winter garden again

the organicgreen doctor

country n news-late winter plantings

COUNTRY N NEWS-LATE WINTER PLANTINGS

we just finished this week eating our onions from last year
we planted them in mid january 2016
we harvested them in late april 2016
we hung them like onion chimes in our garage
we ate them gradually over the months since

well
if you havent done it yet its time to plant them again
i planted ours about 2 weeks ago
sometimes i wait unitl the end of january
but since its been so warm mostly this winter
i planted them early this year

heck we just had our first peach bloom this week
not good
the blooms will probably freeze
one year i wrapped it good with row cover
put in a warming lamp
it kept them from freezing
even when we got down in the 20s
but
this year ive decided to put my efforts elsewhere

so for my onions
i prep my raised beds
making sure i dont plant where i dd the last 2 years
so
i rotate all my crops

i rake off all the mulch and debris on the bed
i add 3-4 inches of my country n compost
that our chickens make from the leaves some of
you give me
then
i use a garden fork
drive it into the bed
work in back and forth
this allows the compost and fertilizers to get a little deeper
then
i add an organic fertilizer
i use either ladybug 8-2-4 or medinas growing green
both are good ones to use
then
i add a dusting of cottonseed meal
which provides a quick access to nitrogen when the onions
start to grow
then
i add a slight dusting of stuff called rocket fuel
from gardenville
it has a lot of minerals etc the plants need
last year i planted purple hull peas in this spot
so i cut off the plants at the ground so they would
breakdown and leave the minerals stored in their roots
for the onions to use
then
i soaked the bed good with liquid molasses
which provides food for the good organisms in the soil
then
i covered the bed good with a layer of leaves for
mulch
this was allowed to sit for a few weeks to cure

so on onion planting day
i raked off all the leaves
the onions plants i use are 1015s
they well have an almost sweet taste
and
they dont burn my eyes when i cut them

i plant the onions down about an inch or two
one hook em horn sign apart which is about 6 inches
then
i water them in well

i fertilize them about once a month until they seem
to quit growing

we pull the smaller green onions as we need them

we harvest them in late april or may whenever there
stalks fall over

this produces some hand sized sweet tasting non eye burning
onions

then
its also time to plant your potatoes around here
i use red lasotas since they seem to grow well here
at the country n

i use the same bed prep as above for the onion bed
i dig an 8 inch deep trench
in our beds which are 3 ft wide
i make two rows about a foot or so apart
i use uncut potatoes
i never mess with cutting the potatoes and dusting with sulfur
its too much work
i just get the smaller ones and junk them in the hole
scattered 1 foot apart
i put down my organic fertilizer in the trench between the
potatoes
i cover the potatoes with just a few inches of dirt
then
as the plant grows out of the dirt
i keep it covered up
this mounding technique produces more potatoes

each potato will produce about 8-10 potatoes
i planted 22 potatoes
you can do the math

i fertilize them about once a month with my organic fertilizer

they are harvested in later april or may whenever the plants
above the ground start to die

we pick new potatoes when they are smaller
in fact i tend to harvest about a third of them this way
since like the green onions i just cant wait to eat them

then
yesterday i bought my tomatoes
warning dont even try to get tomatoes and plant them
around here right now

this year
i bought i gallon containers of tomatoes
i plan to transplant them to 3 or 5 gallon pots
keep them in my small greenhouse
putting them outside when the days are warm
otherwise keeping them in the greenhouse when
its cold running a heater with a thermostat

i plan on not planting them into the ground until late march
seeing if i can avoid that freeze that seems to kill mine
off each year

oh
for that first early tomato

the organicgreen doctor

dear ms gardener

DEAR MS GARDENER
last week we visited the organic vineyard orchard and
ranch in southern utah ran by a family friend
i am not going to post the name or location as i dont
want other people to know where this fantastic place is

the hostess has taken over the garden and has enlarged it
and has plans to grow more veggies there

i spent time looking at the garden and told ms gardener
that i would come up with a list of recommendations for
her to use in her garden
but
instead of sending her an email or letter detailing these
organicgreendoctor recommendations
i would instead would write a blog about it so others could
enjoy the information also


the picture of the gate looks so austinish

here is a picture also of the garden

now

dear ms gardener

you have more than enough space to produce a ton of good
vegetables
you are lucky and live in an area where your weather is mild
enough to have a long spring summer garden and not have to
worry about the heat like we do in central texas

you also have a good water supply just a few feet under the
ground where the garden is
you lucky guys you
our well levels are 450+ft
of course at the country we use rainwater in our garden

then
your basic soil is a good one
or i should say your acid soil
its on the acid side of the ph range so you dont have to
worry about adding stuff to it make it more acid
you lucky guys you

now the things i am going to tell you to do
pertains to everyone wherever they live
i have heard the natural gardener john dromgoole talk to people
all over the us on his organic radio show on 590klbj on saturday
and sunday
he tells these folks everywhere the same thing

first three things to put in your garden to be successful
your shadow
compost
water

do all three of these and your chance of being successful is improved

since you have such a good soil to start with
a sandy one mixed with a clay one
if you didnt do anything
you would probably have a good garden
just
look at that beautiful vineyard yall have and those beautiful orchards

but
you need to be sure and add compost to your beds whenever you
plant your veggies if not done already
i suggest a 4 inch layer
the best compost of course is the one you make yourself

i saw your chickens busily working on your compost pile
your garden will love that stuff later in the year

i would suggest a wooden frame or a wire frame to hold the
composting materials inside the compost pile
similar to what i do at the country n
the chickens cant scatter it everywhere
and
it will keep a depth to the pile which helps to keep it moister
and compost faster

at the end of the season add a layer of compost on your beds when
you rest it for the winter
that will allow it to only get better and enrich the soil


add a sprinkling of liquid molasses per directions on the bottle at this time
also add the molasses again at the beginning of the season
the molasses provides sugar for bacterial growth which is necessary for
the improving the life of the soil


also add humate as per directions on the bottle when you add
your molasses

humate is the dark liquid stuff that happens when you take compost
put it in a sock then put it in a bucket of water
it activates the microorganisms in the soil
add an aquarium pump to this and run it for several hours
and you get compost tea-the mothers milk for your garden

the humate in the bottle is a richer version of this

humates are necessary again for the bacteria to work


then add an organic fertilizer

then cover it with a thick layer of mulch
this will all ripen over the winter
so in the spring you are all ready to plant

when you do plant a transplant


at the bottom of the hole add a tbsp of earthworm castings
this provides a boost start to the plant as it grows its roots


water it in with liquid seaweed which stimulates root growth with
its micronutrients minerals and hormones
then consider sprinkling a light amount of an organic fertilizer
if not done already
this will provide nitrogen for several weeks

then based on the heat or cold mulch the plants well
remember mulch breaks down eventually to make compost and soil
and will greatly improve the structure of the soil
overtime you will develop a good layer of good organic soil
as good as the hill country soil i bought from the natural gardener
when i first started my garden

water your plants when the soil gets dry
do the finger test by sticking the finger in about an inch
if its all dry the garden needs watering

be sure and mulch thickly between your beds and in any walkways
with anything like wood chips leaves etc
this also breaks down slowly over time to make compost and soil

you will find over time that your quality of soil will improve
will hold water well
use less water
and

will produce big ole tomatoes like this one



here is a list of organic pest control products
neem oil
diatamaceous earth
bt or bacillus thuringienesis
spinosid
beneficial bugs like ladybugs which i noticed yall had a lot of
when i was pruning the grapes
last months mother earth news has a list of what pests to use these on
i left my copy at the ranch

on our trip i talked with several organic farmers in colorado who
farm in the winter

i suggest you try to do lettuces swiss chard spinach carrots beets etc
during the winter in one of your square foot beds

by using a single or double row cover like i use at the country n
my veggies withstood a temperature drop to 10 degrees without
damage this winter

also when you are at the farmers markets talk to the farmers to find
out what they do to the soil in the area
what products they use
what plants they use that work well in the area
when do they plant the different plants
you know everyone should do this wherever they live

dont worry
expect a ups package with all these ingredients in it

please post a picture of
your garden
your thumb as it gets greener

tell all the wwoofers we said hi

as well as the dogs hank and jack
and
of course the man behind the whole operation
mr db

the organicgreen doctor

winter gardening a review

WINTER GARDENING A REVIEW
several people have asked me about planting a fall or
winter garden
so i decided to do a review on what to do

i try to use the kiss method
keep it simply simple
i use to say keep it simple stupid
but that seemed too negative
so its simply simple

this of course is for central texas but if you live in new york
or california it is of course different this time of year
but the principles are the same

first good soil got to have good soil
if you are starting go buy good organic soil
do not skimp on this
in this area the best is the natural gardeners hill country garden soil
there are others but the hill country soil is what the other ones
are measured against
it already has in it what one needs
all you have to do its plant your garden

you clear off your garden of any left overs from the summer
add 3-4 inches of good compost
that you make yourself is best
around here the lady bug brand of farm style compost or
manure compost is the other best

to this i add a light sprinkling of lady bug brand 8-2-4 or medina
growin green organic fertilizer
this adds nitrogen to be gradually realized for several weeks

then i add cotton seed meal lightly sprinkled over the bed
just enough to give a yellow tint to the compost
this provides a more instant release of nitrogen for the plants

then i gently stir up the fertilizers with the compost

then i plant right into the compost
i dont really work the compost into the soil

when i  plant a transplant like broccoli or spinach i add a
small amount of earth worm castings to the soil

i water them in with a seaweed solution using eg maxicrop
seaweed which gives the new plants a boost from its
minerals which stimulate new root growth

new seeds planted according to the directions on the package
are watered with seaweed also
and are watered once or twice a day until they sprout
based of course on how much rain we have and the soil moisture
if the seeds dry out they wont sprout

why do i go to all this trouble to do all this to the soil
just
make a trip to the natural gardener and look at their fall garden
pretty dang amazing

plus
i spent a hour with their gardener asking him a ton of questions
then when i applied them to this years garden the result were
as my wife she says
amazing

during the winter i mulch my plantings well to protect them
i use pine straw i buy in bales
it lets water through quite easily but also protects the plants
by keeping the soil warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer
but you can use leaves newspaper etc

then
i use row cover a thin white material i buy at the nursery
it comes in a thin version commonly used in cooler temps
and to keep insects out
and then a thicker version that provides more protection
from the cold

when its going to be freezing i keep them covered
when it warms up like it does here in central texas i
just roll it up out of the way

so thats how you do it
fall winter gardening
the absolutely best time to garden in central texas

today i will plant more spinach plants and replant some
broccoli and kale the wind and insects destroyed

ive replanted a block of lettuce and beets that we will
eat in our salads
and will replant another block later on

so in my garden now i have sweet peas parsley cilantro
asian greens swiss chard broccoli kale beets carrots
lettuce spinach multiplying green onions chives arugula
garlic

nows your chance
go for it

the organicgreen doctor

tattoo fire ants yard care

TATTOO FIRE ANTS YARD CARE
tattoo
no i dont have a tattoo or plan to have one
this is in response to my recent blog
people wanted to me to show a picture of my tattoo
others asked me not to get a tattoo

only in my aricept dreams would i get a tattoo or
if i was in a drunken state or drug induced state
would i get one
neither of those activities i would do

maybe my wife she when i get more advanced in
my alzheimers could get me a tattoo
if she did or if i did it would look like this

maybe a wash off one would be better and less painful

fire ants
im always being asked how to get rid of fireants
this is what i do and it works well for me
its organic non toxic and cheap
i prefer not to use the baits or poisons thats sold at the
grocery stores or big box stores

i use instant grits
yes grits like you eat for breakfast especially in the south
although we never ate grits when we were growing up

i sprinkle uncooked grits on the mound and surrounding it
the theory is they feed them to the queen and she swells up
and dies
the fire ants seem to disappear from the area
sometimes i have to treat it 2 or 3 times
but
im able to keep them out of my garden
which they love to invade

then another treatment i heard of this week from someone
at habitat
he was talking to a lady at a lake park
she said you know how to control fire ants
no how


get some old red man chewing tobacco and sprinkle around
the mound
the worker ants take it down to the queen
she chews it
then when she has had enough she climbs to the top
onto the surface and spits
then you can step on her
works every time she said

yard care
i have weeds in my yard and my yard doesnt look good
i hear this all the time

those weeds were seeded in the fall
that was the time to treat them
bad news is there are spring seeds in your yard now
the only way to remove the weeds is to manually dig them
or just fertilize and mow your yard and let the grass out
compete the weeds

remember weed and feed and that bad stuff like that is not
good for the environment and doesnt really work here

the answer

apply corn gluten on your yard in october
this will stop the germination of the fall seeds
and you wont see the spring weeds growing
unless they are perennials which do not grow from seeds each year

apply it again now in february to inhibit the spring seeds
then manually dig what weeds grow

remember if you plan to plant any grass seeds dont use
corn gluten as the seed wont germinate

in the fall and spring-october and march/april-apply a 1/2 inch
of compost to your yard and water it in
then after youve mowed your yard twice in the spring
apply a organic fertilizer like
the ladybug 8-2-4 fertilizer

 or
medinas growing green fertilizer

dont use the commercial non organic fertilizer as they are a
source of pollution for our water systems

this is good as you can do for a yard

here is a link to the natuarl gardeners organic yard guide

or do like i did and landscape away all of your grass and
you dont have to deal with any of this

the organicgreen doctor