September 7, 2015

with this post of Avalanche columns I will be current.

August 20, 2015

Last week’s chart lets me know that you do not need to manipulate soil temperatures much in order to reap huge benefits.

Knowing what our climate is like, it becomes easy to create little micro climates.

Recently I had some one ask when she could plant spinach. She had a recipe she was dying to try and was wondering if she could sow spinach in the summer.

This is where the chart comes in handy. Spinach much prefers the cooler end of the temperature scale. I have grown it in the summer. This was a huge effort for a very underwhelming and pathetic crop. NOT worth the effort.

But all is not lost. By knowing our climate you can do some manipulation. Usually by the middle of August, night time temps start to cool off. The temps start to dip into the 60’s and by September into the upper 50’s and low 60’s.

Last week’s chart shows that spinach germinating in 77 degree soil only takes 5 days to germinate but only 28% of the seed do. But if you can lower the soil temp to 68 degrees, the days to germination are 6 with a doubling of germination to 52%.

How to manipulate? This really is quite simple, just place several heavy quilts on the location of your soon to be seed bed during the day. In the evening remove the covers to be exposed to the night time cooling, only to recover in the morn.  A quick read thermometer can be inserted into the soil so that you can track your chilling. As long as you are diligent with the day and night routine, the chilling will happen fairly quickly over the course of a week or two.

Once you get the soil chilled enough go ahead and sow a seed bed that you will transplant your spinach seedlings from. Continue the day and night ritual until you start to see your spinach germinating. At this point you will need to stop using the quilts and use a piece of fabric that is supported with wire hoops just inches off the ground to give room for the spinach to grow.

When the spinach is a couple inches tall it can be transplanted to its maturing bed.

It is important to note that plants will grow in warmer or cooler soil than what they will germinate in.

I like to use my heavy fabric because it does let enough light through but it also has a little bit of a cooling effect.

Say you want to heat the soil in the spring, just use some black plastic with a layer of clear plastic over the top of the black. Depending how early you are doing this you may want to cover the whole bed. Then cover the bed at night with blankets and remove during the day, all the while monitoring your soil thermometer until planting time.

Questions? I can be contacted at markdirtfarmer@gmail.com. Or more garden notes at redwagonfarm.blogspot.com

 

August 27, 2015

It is very funny but I get the distinct feeling that folks think that the veggie season is almost over. I am thinking “really?”.

I like to think that the season is just getting started. I will admit this wet season has been a bit of a bust, but none the less from now until the middle of November is our gravy season (usually starts in July). ANYTHING that can be grown in West Texas can be grown at this time.

I must clarify a little bit here. Some of the things that I grow during this time are not harvested until mid-winter and into next spring.

One must not forget that our winters are perfect for winter gardening.

Why do I say this? There are a few very good reasons. Most winters the soil never gets cooler than 45 degrees 5 inches down, normally we have few if any long term freezing days, winter days are sunny for the most part, living at the 30^th parallel our days are never shorter than 10 hours, and even though we will have freezing days  they are followed with 60 degree days. 

There is one season that I do not try to start any plants during; it is what I like to refer to as the angry months. They are usually May and June but April is a frequent side kick.

I like to grow through this season instead of starting plants during this time. I feel this is the NUMBER One season that will discourage “newbie” arid land gardeners. Here again why do I say this? Save for this past springs “angry months” which were very pleasant and moist are usually stupid hot.

Normally we can expect 60+ mile an hour winds all day, 100 degree heat and pretty darn close to sitting on ZERO humidity. Most plants, mine included, go dormant at this time. Because mine have well established roots that extend deeply into the soil survive because it is much easier to keep these plants hydrated. Whereas trying to grow a seedling that might have a six inch root ball or seeds buried inches down in the soil is a real challenge. Mulching will help with the hydration but there is that heat induced dormancy that there is no solution until it cools down.

This is why I plant traditional “northern” spring crops in the  fall to mature early spring and use our brief mild spring time (mid-February to the end of March) to establish my summer garden to easily cruise through the “angry months” only to be welcomed by the best time of the year to grow; July through November 15^th.

Yes in Far West Texas it is ALWAYS gardening time!!!

Questions? I can be contacted at markdirtfarmer@gmail.com. Or more garden notes at redwagonfarm.blogspot.com