FALL MEANS FALL GARDENING!
Wow has it been a hot minute since I updated here! But such is the life of a gardener whose only achievement in her garden over the summer was that her fruit and nut trees didn't die, her blueberries produced well, and everything else basically didn't.
It's taken 2 long years to come to terms with the fact that in the summer my 'sunny garden' is actually 'death valley'. I didn't want to admit it. But it's true. So what that means is that I need to get a sun shade or something for the plants during the summer if I want to see ANY produce survive, because as much as I want to believe that the plants need SO MUCH SUN, they really don't. At least not the SoCal sun.
It was also so humid and hot that I really just couldn't find a good time to make my second trellis, or cut weeds, or really....do anything outside.
.......
But yes, also I was lazy and I fully admit that okay!?
I don't handle heat well--in fact I tend to run fairly hot, I basically have a constant low grade fever, so anything over 80 starts to really affect me. Which is why summer here in Southern California is my most hated season. I melt like ice-cream in the hand of a distracted five year old.
There are a number of summer crops I'd love to grow, but have failed at due to the intense sun. I'd love to grow corn in my raised beds, and pumpkins and gourds. but the heat is seriously so intense (and the raised beds not deep enough I guess) that the pumpkins always wither on the vine and the corn doesn't always produce much corn. IT SUCKS.
So that's why there was radio silence on this garden. I essentially HAD no garden to update about! BUT IT'S FALL NOW! And fall in Southern California means that it's time to plant produce again! We gardeners and farmers here consider it our "second spring'. I get to grow some of my favorite foods again now! Lettuces of all kinds, beets, kale, carrots, broccoli, garlic, peas, and beans! And as this is SoCal, it's also the time to do a second round of tomatoes (please don't hate me East coast friends!).
Lemme tell you guys, fall is my favorite time of the year. A lot of our trees turn color, but it's still warm enough that I get tomatoes. Yes, I get to have my cake and eat it too! Also, it means it's not hotter than the surface of the sun and so this weekend I donned my gloves, shears, and debit card to do some serious cleaning up of my very weedy, messy garden and make a new trellis. So let's have a quick look of the before and after shall we!?
I had to go to the store to get soil, top soil, chicken manure, and a bag of fertilizer for later. Why? Because the soil in the two raised beds (pictured above) weren't doing so great. I want to take a moment right here to point this out as this became an accidental science experiment!
If you look at the picture on the left, the soil in the first raised bed (with seedlings in it) is doing well because I always had something growing in it, even in the summer (potatoes). Because of this, the soil has really been doing well and hasn't lost nutrients. The second one in (with two scraggly basil plants) has soil that was only okay-ish as it had a few things growing in it, but not enough to keep the soil really active and working. And the last, farthest one away, grew onions that were harvested in May and then sat fallow with nothing growing in it--not even a cover crop. It was literally nothing but wood chips and dead roots. THERE WAS NO SOIL!
What that means is, it's VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT to constantly be growing something in soil. If you don't plant things the soil fades to NOTHING. So uh, don't just let your soil not grow things okay?
Can I just say I'm really proud of this? I mean, there were a TON of weeds--I'm not even all the way done. I have a few more to get rid of tomorrow, and pots to straighten out. But I cleaned hard friends, and pruned and pulled and I literally had a spider skitter along my arm and I didn't faint or scream bloody murder (my normal reaction to a spider on me). So I'm very proud of myself! BEHOLD! Look at what this hard work by yours truly has produced!
I know it looks a little wonky, but I'm going to be lashing it to keep it nice and sturdy and it'll keep it from looking all cattawampus! Also, look how pretty my working garden is right now! I'm growing Snowcap Beans (they're SUPER yummy but also considered gourmet and are very expensive if you try to buy them from the store. So of course I'd rather grow them!), and as you can see in the pictures, my two blueberry plants (Sunshine on the left, Jubilee on the right) are doing AMAZINGLY well!
And now the moment you've all been waiting for! MY FALL GARDEN PLAN!
Right? That's what you were here for?
.......
Okay well even if it wasn't you get to see it! Aren't you lucky!? I did a poll on twitter a month or so ago asking what international food I should dedicated a raised bed to and everyone voted Japanese produce! So that's what I'm doing with a single raised bed this year! So here's my plan for the fall:
RAISED BED 1, JAPANESE FALL FOOD:
 |
| THE FRONT OF MY GARDEN HAS THESE HAPPY COSMOS! |
It's taken 2 long years to come to terms with the fact that in the summer my 'sunny garden' is actually 'death valley'. I didn't want to admit it. But it's true. So what that means is that I need to get a sun shade or something for the plants during the summer if I want to see ANY produce survive, because as much as I want to believe that the plants need SO MUCH SUN, they really don't. At least not the SoCal sun.
It was also so humid and hot that I really just couldn't find a good time to make my second trellis, or cut weeds, or really....do anything outside.
.......
But yes, also I was lazy and I fully admit that okay!?
I don't handle heat well--in fact I tend to run fairly hot, I basically have a constant low grade fever, so anything over 80 starts to really affect me. Which is why summer here in Southern California is my most hated season. I melt like ice-cream in the hand of a distracted five year old.
There are a number of summer crops I'd love to grow, but have failed at due to the intense sun. I'd love to grow corn in my raised beds, and pumpkins and gourds. but the heat is seriously so intense (and the raised beds not deep enough I guess) that the pumpkins always wither on the vine and the corn doesn't always produce much corn. IT SUCKS.
So that's why there was radio silence on this garden. I essentially HAD no garden to update about! BUT IT'S FALL NOW! And fall in Southern California means that it's time to plant produce again! We gardeners and farmers here consider it our "second spring'. I get to grow some of my favorite foods again now! Lettuces of all kinds, beets, kale, carrots, broccoli, garlic, peas, and beans! And as this is SoCal, it's also the time to do a second round of tomatoes (please don't hate me East coast friends!).
Lemme tell you guys, fall is my favorite time of the year. A lot of our trees turn color, but it's still warm enough that I get tomatoes. Yes, I get to have my cake and eat it too! Also, it means it's not hotter than the surface of the sun and so this weekend I donned my gloves, shears, and debit card to do some serious cleaning up of my very weedy, messy garden and make a new trellis. So let's have a quick look of the before and after shall we!?
 |
| WENT FOR SOIL AMENDMENTS AND CAME HOME WITH AN OLIVE TREE. OOPS. |
 |
| UGLY WEEDS OF DOOM! BLAH SOIL |
I had to go to the store to get soil, top soil, chicken manure, and a bag of fertilizer for later. Why? Because the soil in the two raised beds (pictured above) weren't doing so great. I want to take a moment right here to point this out as this became an accidental science experiment!
If you look at the picture on the left, the soil in the first raised bed (with seedlings in it) is doing well because I always had something growing in it, even in the summer (potatoes). Because of this, the soil has really been doing well and hasn't lost nutrients. The second one in (with two scraggly basil plants) has soil that was only okay-ish as it had a few things growing in it, but not enough to keep the soil really active and working. And the last, farthest one away, grew onions that were harvested in May and then sat fallow with nothing growing in it--not even a cover crop. It was literally nothing but wood chips and dead roots. THERE WAS NO SOIL!
What that means is, it's VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT to constantly be growing something in soil. If you don't plant things the soil fades to NOTHING. So uh, don't just let your soil not grow things okay?
AND NOW THE AFTER PICTURES!
Can I just say I'm really proud of this? I mean, there were a TON of weeds--I'm not even all the way done. I have a few more to get rid of tomorrow, and pots to straighten out. But I cleaned hard friends, and pruned and pulled and I literally had a spider skitter along my arm and I didn't faint or scream bloody murder (my normal reaction to a spider on me). So I'm very proud of myself! BEHOLD! Look at what this hard work by yours truly has produced!
LOOK. AT. THIS. BEAUTIFUL. TRELLIS! AND ALMOST NO WEEDS! Also, see that pot there holding a tomato plant? I'm going to be putting my new olive tree in there! Just imagine beautiful leaves growing over the trellis and framing a pretty olive tree!! I'm so excited I can't even tell you!
I know it looks a little wonky, but I'm going to be lashing it to keep it nice and sturdy and it'll keep it from looking all cattawampus! Also, look how pretty my working garden is right now! I'm growing Snowcap Beans (they're SUPER yummy but also considered gourmet and are very expensive if you try to buy them from the store. So of course I'd rather grow them!), and as you can see in the pictures, my two blueberry plants (Sunshine on the left, Jubilee on the right) are doing AMAZINGLY well!
And now the moment you've all been waiting for! MY FALL GARDEN PLAN!
Right? That's what you were here for?
.......
Okay well even if it wasn't you get to see it! Aren't you lucky!? I did a poll on twitter a month or so ago asking what international food I should dedicated a raised bed to and everyone voted Japanese produce! So that's what I'm doing with a single raised bed this year! So here's my plan for the fall:
RAISED BED 1, JAPANESE FALL FOOD:
- Mizuna
- Komatsuma Tender green (Japanese mustard, supposedly not very spicy!)
- Chirimen Hakusai (Chinese cabbage, but it's been grown in Japan for a LONG time)
- Tokiwa Cucumber (to grow over the second/new trellis)
- Kyoto Red Carrot (an heirloom variety from Kyoto!)
- Okoyama Salad
RAISED BED 2:
- Komatsuma Tender green (Japanese mustard, supposedly not very spicy!)
- Chirimen Hakusai (Chinese cabbage, but it's been grown in Japan for a LONG time)
- Tokiwa Cucumber (to grow over the second/new trellis)
- Kyoto Red Carrot (an heirloom variety from Kyoto!)
- Okoyama Salad
RAISED BED 2:
- Garlic. Alllll the garlic!
RAISED BED 3:
- Detroit Red Beets
- Rainbow Carrots
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes (there's a volunteer and I'm letting it grow!)
- Peas (once the beans are done growing)
RAISED BED 3:
- Detroit Red Beets
- Rainbow Carrots
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes (there's a volunteer and I'm letting it grow!)
- Peas (once the beans are done growing)
RAISED BED 4:
- Cabbage
- Dill
- Chives
- Peas (once the beans are done growing)
- Thyme
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Spinach
- Random Chamomile plants that managed to self seed!
- Dill
- Chives
- Peas (once the beans are done growing)
- Thyme
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Spinach
- Random Chamomile plants that managed to self seed!
Now, you might be curious about my Japanese bed right? Of course you are (I'll just pretend you are). All of these plants should be able to grow very well in the fall as this raised bed is the one that gets the least amount of sun in the winter months (Something good for lettuces and tender greens!). Once I'm finished growing these and spring comes with it's longer sunny days, I'll be growing Edamame, adzuki beans (red beans often used as desert fillings as it's SO sweet!), kiku chrysanthemum melons, Kuri red squash, and Japanese sweet potatoes (sastsuma)!
Um, but Katie that's like, a lot of plants and isn't your raised bed only 4x4? I hear you say.
You're right. It doesn't seem like enough space. BUT IT WILL BE. You see, both adzuki and edamame beans are great companions to sweet potatoes! SURPRISE! So what that means is that I can grow them all through the sweet potatoes and everything is just fine! The kiku melon and red kuri will be growing on the trellis and I really only need 2 of each plant, which the trellis will have plenty of room for! Gotta love that vertical gardening life!
And you were worried about not having enough space!
So there you have it, my fall gardening plan! Now, before I go, I want to leave you all with a couple of books that I think you should purchase if you're a gardener or a first-time gardener but wonder what you should do with all those veggies that you're growing! The first is one that was handed down to me by my grandfather but I'm sure you could find it on amazon!
Um, but Katie that's like, a lot of plants and isn't your raised bed only 4x4? I hear you say.
You're right. It doesn't seem like enough space. BUT IT WILL BE. You see, both adzuki and edamame beans are great companions to sweet potatoes! SURPRISE! So what that means is that I can grow them all through the sweet potatoes and everything is just fine! The kiku melon and red kuri will be growing on the trellis and I really only need 2 of each plant, which the trellis will have plenty of room for! Gotta love that vertical gardening life!
And you were worried about not having enough space!
So there you have it, my fall gardening plan! Now, before I go, I want to leave you all with a couple of books that I think you should purchase if you're a gardener or a first-time gardener but wonder what you should do with all those veggies that you're growing! The first is one that was handed down to me by my grandfather but I'm sure you could find it on amazon!
THE VICTORY GARDEN COOK BOOK is a real treasure for those of you who already garden and like cooking. Not only does it have great instructions on how to grow basic garden foods that we all basically eat, it also has like, 9 million recipes for each one WITH PICTURES for a lot of them! It's amazing. I really strongly recommend this book because even if you're a newbie, this is a great book to inspire you and help you realize you CAN eat all the food you grow in lots of different ways!
THE VEGETABLE GARDENERS BIBLE is hands down the BEST book for how to grow things, build things, and really, just LEARN to garden. He talks in easy to understand terms about how to improve soil, how to do crop rotation, companion planting, green houses, poly tunnels, and an a-z of veggies and how to grow them. Really truly, if you're wanting to learn to garden veggies and fruits for your family (or just you!) this is seriously one of the best books out there!
SO HOW ABOUT YOU? Are you going to do a fall garden? Or are you starting to close your garden down? What did you grow this summer? What were the success and failures you had growing this year? I'd really love to know how all of your gardens fared, so let me know in the comments below!
SO HOW ABOUT YOU? Are you going to do a fall garden? Or are you starting to close your garden down? What did you grow this summer? What were the success and failures you had growing this year? I'd really love to know how all of your gardens fared, so let me know in the comments below!
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