Blessings Darlings!
As I noted a few days ago, we have a bit of a heat wave here. Today will be another hot humid day, and we MAY have air pollution warnings - DC has warnings, but I don't know about the Blue Ridge. But I digress ...
As a result of the heat wave, I was out working in the garden very early today, while the temperature was in the lower 70's. Oh my goodness, it was sweet outside then. The birds were chirping, no tractors were running yet (either mowing lawns of my neighbors or cutting hay), the breeze was NOT from the cattle barns, etc.
I, of course, was sweating exactly the way a pig doesn't. This is because to be more intimate with my immediate land base I work my garden by hand. I worked the bean bed again today, with the days work being taking a spade (and not a shovel) and turning what would be topsoil (if I was still in Illinois). Here in my little corner of Appalachia it is NOT topsoil - it is clay. Heavy red clay. I need to do another round with that now broken bed, and work compost into it so it is ready for the seeds.
Heavy Red Clay. I looked at those first spadefuls, and a soft voice said, "You know those runes you want to make? They can be made of clay." I went back to the garage and got a bucket. And a lid. By the time I had the bed turned I had 4 gallons of great red clay, 13 pieces of quartz .... and a blister.
Because the real gifts of the Gods are their quiet voices. Not in them doing the work for us.
Frondly, Fern
Showing posts with label clay soil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clay soil. Show all posts
Monday, June 3, 2013
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Planting Taters
Blessings Darlings!
I have a LONG list of things to blog about, but have been too busy to blog. But since I threw out my back yesterday just getting READY to plant potatoes .... I'm taking a few minutes to write a bit while the pain killers kick in today.
I didn't muck up my back this time as badly as I did last year. This year I was just carrying too much weight in manure to the garden and my back said no. So I stopped. But did get back to it today, carrying lighter loads.
PLUS I changed how I was going to plant the potatoes. No hills this year. No working with the clay soil with them at all. Nor am I doing anything like 'official' raised beds. No, this year I'm using garbage bags.
I still have some big black 45 gallon trash bags that we used when moving - for transporting clothes that were in closets on hangers (bunch about 10 - 15 items on hangers together in closet. Take a big garbage bag, bag the clothes from the bottom to the top-by-the-hanger. Tape bag shut around narrow part of hanger). They were kind of beaten up by the move, had tape on 'em, some have holes.
So I took them to the garden. Put in a layer of straw 4 - 6 inches deep. Dumped a 3.5 - 4 gallon bucket of well-aged horse manure on top of that. Add two seed potatoes, there will be plenty of room for two plants. Top with 4 inches of loose straw - more will be added when the vines start. I had enough manure to get 6 bags, 12 plants, started.
Lazy? Yes. More manure than they needed? Probably. Will the bags last the season? Yes, I think so. Will they last more than one summer? Heck no. Could I get something done without making my back worse? YES! And that was REALLY important today. Almost magical. Totally Kitchen Witchy.
Potatoes are a planting priority for me this year, since I'm planting both calories and nutrition. A bushel of lettuce is great to eat, but in hard times it won't keep you alive as long as a bushel of potatoes. It's just part of my survival / prepper / preparedness approach.
Frondly, Fern
I have a LONG list of things to blog about, but have been too busy to blog. But since I threw out my back yesterday just getting READY to plant potatoes .... I'm taking a few minutes to write a bit while the pain killers kick in today.
I didn't muck up my back this time as badly as I did last year. This year I was just carrying too much weight in manure to the garden and my back said no. So I stopped. But did get back to it today, carrying lighter loads.
PLUS I changed how I was going to plant the potatoes. No hills this year. No working with the clay soil with them at all. Nor am I doing anything like 'official' raised beds. No, this year I'm using garbage bags.
I still have some big black 45 gallon trash bags that we used when moving - for transporting clothes that were in closets on hangers (bunch about 10 - 15 items on hangers together in closet. Take a big garbage bag, bag the clothes from the bottom to the top-by-the-hanger. Tape bag shut around narrow part of hanger). They were kind of beaten up by the move, had tape on 'em, some have holes.
So I took them to the garden. Put in a layer of straw 4 - 6 inches deep. Dumped a 3.5 - 4 gallon bucket of well-aged horse manure on top of that. Add two seed potatoes, there will be plenty of room for two plants. Top with 4 inches of loose straw - more will be added when the vines start. I had enough manure to get 6 bags, 12 plants, started.
Lazy? Yes. More manure than they needed? Probably. Will the bags last the season? Yes, I think so. Will they last more than one summer? Heck no. Could I get something done without making my back worse? YES! And that was REALLY important today. Almost magical. Totally Kitchen Witchy.
Potatoes are a planting priority for me this year, since I'm planting both calories and nutrition. A bushel of lettuce is great to eat, but in hard times it won't keep you alive as long as a bushel of potatoes. It's just part of my survival / prepper / preparedness approach.
Frondly, Fern
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Rain.
Blessings, Darlings!
Rain and thunder are happening as I type this. Which is typical for this spring. Which means my garden is FAR FAR FAR from in.
The soil here, being clay, really is sticky and heavy when wet. And rock hard when dry. We're trying to turn it, then add compost, but it's been really slow going. The guy who the landlord hired to mow the lawn is willing to till it, but his tiller needs welding so that hasn't happened yet, either.
So my seedlings wait, rather root bound and impatient. And I never got the greens and turnips and such in. I'll try for a fall crop of those.
How does your garden grow?
Rain and thunder are happening as I type this. Which is typical for this spring. Which means my garden is FAR FAR FAR from in.
The soil here, being clay, really is sticky and heavy when wet. And rock hard when dry. We're trying to turn it, then add compost, but it's been really slow going. The guy who the landlord hired to mow the lawn is willing to till it, but his tiller needs welding so that hasn't happened yet, either.
So my seedlings wait, rather root bound and impatient. And I never got the greens and turnips and such in. I'll try for a fall crop of those.
How does your garden grow?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
