Warming Up For A New Garden Season.

[jdmidwest]

I built four raised beds last fall because I was tired of fighting the crappy soil I've got. I'm going back to the square foot method after a hiatus of several years too. Just want to get more out of less space with less work. Put hoops over two of the beds so I could get an earlier start, and keep cool-season crops going longer into the summer and fall. I had everything protected under plastic when we had a pretty good hail storm a few weeks ago.

Started everything indoors from seed again this year, and have lettuce ready to pick now. Peas are off to a great start in the new environment. Garlic, onions, Swiss chard, spinach, radishes, are well on their way. Maters (4 heirlooms, two hybrids), chilies (Ancho, Anaheim) and herbs are in the cold frame and about ready to go in the ground. Strawberries are coming on too. Everything loves the great soil they've got this year in the new beds. It makes a helluva difference -- wish I'd done it years ago.

Built a couple more raised beds on the other side of the yard this spring and put in asparagus and black raspberries. Added a couple more blueberries and another gooseberry to the ones I had.

Bunch of landscape cleanup to do this weekend, then I'm kicking back for a while.

Two small beds and hoops (early April):

Raspberry and asparagus beds:

Can't wait until next year!:

I started some raised beds this year too, but it did not help much. I have a good crop of radishes, lettuce is faltering, lack of moisture. That sprigg of asparagus looks lonely. I noticed alot of bark in the mix there, do you have a problem with it making the soil acid?

[ness]

That asparagus looks pretty lonely, sure. But there are others, and those crowns have only been in the ground a couple weeks. I'll take it.

Funny, but I didn't even notice the bark in the mixture until I saw that picture. I guess it took a real close-up shot of a very skinny stalk for me to see it. It's a bagged mix that I really like -- very light, lots of organic matter, a little vermiculite and a slow-release fertilizer. pH came in at 6.7, so I'm not worried about it this year. I'll check everything next spring and adjust if needed.

You got a hose around there?

[jdmidwest]

That asparagus looks pretty lonely, sure. But there are others, and those crowns have only been in the ground a couple weeks. I'll take it.

Funny, but I didn't even notice the bark in the mixture until I saw that picture. I guess it took a real close-up shot of a very skinny stalk for me to see it. It's a bagged mix that I really like -- very light, lots of organic matter, a little vermiculite and a slow-release fertilizer. pH came in at 6.7, so I'm not worried about it this year. I'll check everything next spring and adjust if needed.

You got a hose around there?

Don't need the hose now!!

It dried out under the glass frames I used to warm it up. Now, it is the only thing that has enough drainage with the flood.