Gardening

[lindaj]

I'll break my long LJ silence with a gardening update.

For the first time in a very long time, I have a sizeable yard and all of the sunshine I could hope for. Sadly, it's in the high desert. Nonetheless, I'm hoping to have a vegetable garden this year.

The tomato seedlings are up, though I probably planted them earlier than I should have. I'll try to keep them small and stocky until planting time. We have Romas, Marglobes, green tomatillos, and a dwarf cherry tomato called Tiny Tim that only grows 12 inches high. The Super Sweet 100s, though the same age as the others, germinated poorly, and I have only one plant so far. I'm hoping the Tiny Tims will do well year 'round under the skylights in the kitchen.

My somewhat old pepper seeds didn't germinate well, so I'm trying to germinate the remainder of them with the oft-lauded "coffee filter method." If this somehow causes them to come up, we'll be overrun. The yellow bells (a favorite of tman_mcl) are up, and seeds for Española Improved, a true local variety, have arrived. If the old jalapeños don't germinate in the coffee filter, I'll need to get more of those, because once my smoker gets here, I'm hoping for massive quantities of chipotles in the Fall.

A very kind man in Maryland decided to send me seeds for 6 additional types of tomatoes (5 heirloom, and one exceptional hybrid, some very rare), which I totally didn't need. On the one hand I'm grateful for the generosity. On the other hand, I sorta wish he hadn't. Now we're debating which of these we want to plant this year.

Even without the new tomato seeds, we'll be overrun with seedlings, because we discovered, as usual, that we didn't have the heart to thin them, and we're transplanting them instead.

I tried to propagate rosemary and oregano from cuttings. So far so good, but I can't tell you yet that they've got good root systems. It's been a few weeks, and they're not dead or wilted inside their humidity domes, so that's a good sign. I don't really know what I'll do with 6 rosemary plants and 10 oregano plants if I succeed.

My plans to start work on the rain barrel system were thwarted last weekend by a fairly significant snowstorm (the first precipitation since I arrived in this place last October)...which is unfortunate, because if I'd actually gotten the system started, I could have collected some water. This allowed me to spend some quality time with iridium and l_stboy, however, who were passing through town, and that was a good thing.

I also need to coordinate getting a load of well-aged horse manure from my coworker, who has plenty. New Mexico soil is pretty much useless as-is, and totally devoid of organic matter. Maybe this weekend.

That's not nearly everything going on in the gardening arena, not to mention other arenas, but it's probably more than enough for now.

Comments

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

We're hoping there will be many batches of pasta sauce, salsa, and other things in our future.

I miss you, too! You should visit. :-)

Desert? OOOOO!!!! I'm jealous!!!!!!!!

[elphaba-of-oz.livejournal.com]

There are some gorgeous plants for xeriscaping in your climate - all sorts of lovely sage. I would love to grow some of them but, alas, I am in the wrong ecosystem.

Yay rainbarrel system! I want one.

I'll bet you'd get excellent rot year 'round if you had a compost tumbler.

Re: Desert? OOOOO!!!! I'm jealous!!!!!!!!

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

Well, consider this a formal invitation to come visit, and help me plan the landscaping. The yard definitely needs some attention, and I don't really have a handle on the land here yet. Maybe you can help me learn to appreciate it, which, at the moment, I simply don't.

When I visited last Summer, I brought some of my bearded irises, which do well here. I also planted yarrow, penstemon, and coreopsis, which I hope have survived the Winter.

There's Russian Sage in the yard, some of which really need to be moved, because they're too big for the area between the walk and the garage, where they currently reside. I may try to propagate some of it from cuttings, since I hear that's not too hard, and I'm a propagation fiend this year.

We started compost when I visited at the 4th of July, and it was going great through the Summer, but it slowed down to nothingness once the cold weather set in. I turn it every few weeks, when we get a warm weekend day, but it's simply not hot. I added some compost inoculant, and I hope it will get going again soon. Some fresh manure from my coworker should help with that, too.

So...when should we expect you? :-)

Re: Desert? OOOOO!!!! I'm jealous!!!!!!!!

[elphaba-of-oz.livejournal.com]

I can visit when I'm laid off, which will probably after October from the way things are going. I AM looking for somewhere to spend Memorial Day. So many folks are not going to be home that weekend. How about you?

Do you know what growing zone you're in? How cold does it get in Winter? How long does winter last?

Can you see the beauty in a sparse, rocky landscape? When I think of the Arizona desert I quiver. It's so, infarkingcredibly beautiful.

Your house doesn't have a lawn, does it? I'm very opinionated about that one little thing. I think that growing a lawn in a desert is a crime and should be punishable by law.

Re: Desert? OOOOO!!!! I'm jealous!!!!!!!!

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

We haven't thought so far ahead as Memorial Day. There were some brief thoughts about going to Heartland Pagan Festival, but we haven't made any decisions yet. If I'm in town, my coworker with the horses has asked for ham radio support for an endurance ride that she and her husband (also hams) are running.

So...I dunno. If you want to give me a reason to stay in town, then let me know. You can help me plant the tomatoes. :-)

Do you know what growing zone you're in?

Well, that depends on who you ask. Some say 5. Others say 6a. But it's quite different than the zones 5 and 6 that I'm used to. Given the altitude and the latitude, the temps are really different than the northeast. Microclimates abound. I prefer to be optimistic and call it 6a.

How cold does it get in Winter? How long does winter last?

It can get down to the single digits (Fahrenheit). Snow can fall as early as early October or as late as late April. Average first frost is the end of September and average last frost is in the middle of May. And yet...even during the Winter, days can be quite warm. I can count the times I wore my heavy coat to work without running out of fingers.

Temps can be in the 90s by the end of May (yes, just 2 weeks after the average last frost date).

Can you see the beauty in a sparse, rocky landscape?

Nope. Or, maybe in a "this is kinda cool, but I sure wouldn't want to live here" sort of way.

I'm sick of brown. I'm sick of urban sprawl. I'm sick of the flatness (yeah, I know I live at 7000 feet, and I can see additional mountain peaks right there, but damn, it sure is flat out here).

Your house doesn't have a lawn, does it?

Well, there's a little section in the back where there's sort of a volunteer lawn during cooler and/or damper weather. It seems to be doing so well without any attention at all that I've been vaguely considering giving it a tiny amount of attention, and seeing if it thrives.

I think that growing a lawn in a desert is a crime and should be punishable by law.

Actually, Kentucky Bluegrass is illegal here.

Welcome Back to LJ

[ingridsummers.livejournal.com]

I've missed you and your posts. It sounds like you've settled in just fine in the desert. I'm glad to hear that.

Re: Welcome Back to LJ

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

I've missed you and your posts.

Gee, thanks. :-) Computers weren't getting a lot of attention from me in the early months, but I'm trying to settle back in to my old routines.

It sounds like you've settled in just fine in the desert. I'm glad to hear that.

Well, no, I can't honestly say that I have. This isn't my place, this isn't my land, these aren't my people. It's more that I'm trying to make the most of it during the time that we're here.

Not your place

[ingridsummers.livejournal.com]

Bummers. I feel fortunate to have a sense of place here. It's stronger when I get closer to the lakes. But, the jobs are in the cities.

One of the puzzeling things I've experienced in the last year is a push from the shamanic helping spirits I'm working with to learn more about the indigenous cultures from your neck of the woods. I'll do a "what is my next step?" journey and get a SW native american kuchina as an image. I'm still not sure what that means. I wish it meant a visit to all you all in that neck of the woods (college room-mate, former work colleague, you guys), but that's not in the budget at the moment.

Ah well. Best of luck with the gardening. Continue to let us know how it goes. I love gardening posts - frankly it's all I really want to do in the summer.

Re: Not your place

[elphaba-of-oz.livejournal.com]

"I'll do a "what is my next step?" journey and get a SW native american kuchina as an image. I'm still not sure what that means."

I think it means, "Move to Vegas."

uh, no

[ingridsummers.livejournal.com]

Sorry. Not doing that. I don't particularly like the desert.

Re: Not your place

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

I think there will be more gardening posts coming, so never fear. :-)

Don't forget to keep up with yours as well!

Re: Welcome Back to LJ

[crepuscular.livejournal.com]

i was wondering about the linda plus the desert thing. or is it vs. the desert? I think i would have a hard time with it too. I'm glad you are gardening, maybe that will help somehow. How's the rest of everything - besides all the plantlings?

[drwex]

What she said. Xeriscape. Iz much better all 'round.

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

For the general landscaping, sure.

But I'm gonna have a vegetable garden, dammit.

I've done the math. Even our 14 inches of average rainfall a year will produce more water from the roof than we could realistically store. With drip irrigation and a timer, I can have the veggies I want.

[drwex]

Back when we were trying to do xeriscaping in Austin one of the most valuable lessons was about how to terrace and landscape so as to retain the desired amount of moisture. Also, about what kinds of local plants to intersperse into your garden rows, etc. I sucked at it - hell I can't even maintain an office plant - but done right xeriscape is a pretty holistic system.

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

I know quite a bit about gardening, but only time will tell if it proves useful in this climate. The house plants, at least, are thriving.

Our yard looks like it never had a Plan, not even slightly, so it will be slow-going. Rain barrels and gravity-fed drip irrigation are definitely in our future, and my own personal goal is to try to veer away from the totally haphazard look of our yard and move toward something with a little bit of a sense of purpose.

[kilroi.livejournal.com]

Man, that sounds awesome, even if difficult.

I wish I had a garden; vicarious living will have to do.

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

Well, vicarious living and visiting. Right? :-)

Man, I sound like a broken record!

Great to hear from you!

[firespirit1.livejournal.com]

Your garden sounds ambitious and the tomatoes sound yummy. What else are you planting besides peppers and tomatoes?

Are you planning a trip back east any time soon? I know you were thinking of coming at Beltaine.

Re: Great to hear from you!

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

Somehow, I don't know how to do gardening in any fashion other than "ambitious." It's a genetic flaw, I think, as my grandmother had the same problem. I don't know if you notice the drooling when I visit your farm. :-)

It's also true that the climate and the yard require ambition in order to do anything at all. The yard is on two levels, so if I'm going to use gravity-fed drip irrigation from the rain barrels (which is necessary, due to watering restrictions), and not buy a pump, I need to plant in the lower part, which means planting in front of a south-facing stucco wall, which can be the kiss of death in this climate. So, that means planning on vining crops to cover and shade the wall early, so that other plants can survive...among other things. With some clever companion planting, I think I'll be able to do OK...but "clever companion planting" definitely equals "ambitious."

I've collected entirely too many seeds over the years, so this year, when I have such a spacious yard, is the year for cleaning house. I plan to try planting pretty much everything I own, and if it germinates, great...if it doesn't, I'll toss the packet without guilt.

[more in the next comment]

Re: Great to hear from you!

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

I've got all sorts of herb seeds, both culinary and medicinal. We'll plant basil for sure, in quantity, because what would Summer be without fresh pesto? As I mentioned, I'm trying to propagate rosemary and oregano from cuttings. I'll plant creeping thyme (which happily is quite drought-tolerant) to try to fill the places between the flagstones out back. As for the rest, I guess I can report back when/if it germinates...at last count, there were more than 20 packets still in the "herbs" ziploc, but I'm sure many are no longer viable, and some (like Marshmallow) aren't likely to do well here.

I'm planning on squashes (both Winter and Summer) and cucumbers. Some sort of Italian flat pole beans (if you tell tman_mcl, "Hey, it's Italian," he'll buy it in an instant..."I want to grow pole beans." "I don't really like beans." "These ones are Italian." "OK, let's get them!"). I bought some spinach seeds for 25 cents, but I fear it will go from too cold to too hot in entirely too short a period of time, and it will bolt...but maybe I can start it earlier in containers, or make good use of the aforementioned South-facing wall, and/or do a Fall crop. I'm going to try turnips, since tman_mcl and I both love them, but I don't have a lot of experience with root crops, and ditto on the bolting. We're going to try broccoli and broccoli raab. I found some onion sets mis-shelved at Home Depot, and bought them because I couldn't help myself...I'll probably plant them as bunching onions rather than trying to get them to make bulbs. There are probably other things in the "vegetables" ziploc. Some Egyptian Walking Onions are already planted in the yard (I brought them last Summer), though they may need to be moved when I start preparing the beds.

We've got flowers, too. Morning glories & moonflowers because they're so great. Marigolds to keep the bugs from the veggies. Nasturtiums for the same reason, plus they're edible, and yummy when stuffed with guacaomole (serve it on a slice of jicama or something, so you can pick it up). Cosmos and sunflowers because they're likely to thrive here. Zinnias and bachelor's buttons because my grandmother always grew those, and the seeds cost only 25 cents, and I think they'll do OK in this climate. A wildflower mix called Xeriscape Extreme, because that should definitely do well here. And again, whatever else is sitting around in the "flowers" ziploc from years past.

And, you know, just because I'm extra-extra-ambitious, I've got some Desert Grassland Clover to use as a cover crop if I have a garden area planned for next year that I don't plant this year...there's nothing like a desert-appropriate legume to improve the soil for the future, and boy, does this soil need improving. It supposedly has pretty flowers, too.

Yeah, I know, I'm trying to go from city living to the garden of my childhood more or less overnight...and it probably won't all happen, but I'm going to make the most of it, and I've got to start somewhere. Plus, the wide variety of things will give me a better sense of what does well here, and will make it less likely for me to miss an entire season.

[oakleaves.livejournal.com]

Great to see you on again! Miss you!

[rjpb.livejournal.com]

As much as I enjoy reading about gardening, it would be even better to hear how you are doing. :) We miss you back here.

Have you been in touch with Matt&Barbara at all? Nick&Terri and Peter are visiting Albuquerque at the beginning of April, in case you wanted to see people. I thought about going along too, but this next month involves too much travel already.

[oaktavia.livejournal.com]

Yay!
she's baaaack!
okay 2 quick gardening questions...
1.) how do you "keep them small and stocky until planting time" I always get way to many tomatoes come up... (and I suffer the same anti-thinning thing! LOL) and then they get spindly grrr.

2.) what is the "coffee filter method"?

miss you more than you can imagine!!!

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

1.) [spindly vs. stocky seedlings]

If they're spindly, that probably means they're not getting enough light. Go to Home Depot or other similar store, and get a cheap 4-foot fluorescent shop light. Get the cheapest bulbs they carry, which are probably "cool white" (which is good..."cool white" puts out the most light). Don't pay a load of money for an expensive grow light setup, because at the seedling stage, it's only the intensity of light that matters, not the spectrum. Then, hang the shop light over the seedlings, and keep it close, but not touching. Raise it as the seedlings get taller. Conveniently, shop lights come with s-hooks and chains, making this easy.

Don't fertilize, unless it looks like they really really need it. Too much nitrogen (the first number of the 3 numbers on the fertilizer package) will make them grow too fast. If they do really really need it, use something like a dilute fish emulsion. But really, they probably don't need it until you put them outside.

Tomatoes benefit from repotting. Every time you re-pot, bury them more deeply. Pull off any leaves that would be below the soil line. The tomato will set roots all along its stem, making a better root system, and a shorter plant (giving you another chance to give it enough light, and keep the new above-ground part short & stocky).

2.) [coffee filter method]

Coffee Filter Method

I miss you, too! We should set up a phone date or something.