Completion of Garden Bed for Spring 2010 Planting

Discussion in 'Fruit and Vegetable Gardening' started by Durgan, Sep 9, 2009.

  1. Durgan

    Durgan Contributor 10 Years

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    Completion of Garden Bed for Spring 2010 Planting

    http://www.durgan.org/URL/?OXCTM 9 September 2009 Completion of Garden Bed for Spring 2010 Planting.

    Today the garden beds were essentially completed for the Spring of 2010. There is about 2000 square feet of growing space. Various plants are completing their growing cycle, and I worked around these. All weeds were removed. The beds were all conditioned by the addition of a layer of sand. The beds were planted with red annual clover, which will grow considerably before freeze-up. This clover will be mostly Winter killed. Some compost will be added in the Spring and worked in before planting.
     
  2. JanR

    JanR Active Member

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    Durgan, you really put your garden to bed early. My garden is only now being productive and I hopefully have lots of picking still to do. Hopefully, we won't get a frost for at least another 2-3 weeks as I still have lots of green tomatoes.
     
  3. Durgan

    Durgan Contributor 10 Years

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    My tomatoes were devastated by the Potato blight, also some potatoes were affected. Root crops are finished. There are a few things still growing Brussels spouts, turnip, raspberry, blackberry, egg plant ground cherry, zucchini, cabbage, watermelon, luffah, Few things thrive after the end of August, unless September is exceptionally warm and sunny, which does happen some years.
     
  4. PennyG

    PennyG Active Member

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    Well done Durgan......question for you, what does the clover do?
     
  5. Durgan

    Durgan Contributor 10 Years

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    Clover takes nitrogen from the air and fixes it in the soil. This is supposed to be beneficial for plants. The vegetation limits rivulets of water from eroding and channeling the soil. The vegetation feeds earth worms, who aerates the soil. Clover limits drying out of the top layer of soil by shading. Clover has a nice appearance as opposed to bare earth. Clover probably inhibits weed growth due to crowding. Hey, I produced these from the top of my head.
     
  6. PennyG

    PennyG Active Member

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    Thanks Durgan, thats good information to know.
     
  7. wolf

    wolf Active Member

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    clove is a legume. Legumes, such as soybean and in this case clove, have the ability to fix nitrogen. However as the trade-off it does require a little more phospherous and potasium.
     
  8. galiano

    galiano Active Member

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    Durgan I read another of your posts detailing your problem with potato blight. Really unfortunate. I'm wondering how you are going to deal with this and what you will plant in that soil next year ?
     
  9. Durgan

    Durgan Contributor 10 Years

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    The area where the blight was prevalent has been thoroughly rototilled and all produce carefully removed. No tomatoes or potatoes will be grown in the affected area next year. One can hope for a cold Winter, which should further reduce any spores still in the area. Ideal conditions existed in 2009 for the blight to thrive. This is an oddity so one can be optomistic and hope that conditions will be better in 2010.
     

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