Saturday was the day for cleaning up the garden. I've spent most of the Winter weekends building and setting up the raised beds behind the house for the fruit trees. It's almost time to plant for Spring so I needed to focus on that.
Here's an example...this is the herb bed, leftover oregano and lemon thyme going wild but most of the rest that were there had already been pulled up. There was also some grass sneaking in around the bottom of a few of the raised beds, including this one.
Most of the others just had a few weeds growing. The straw mulch did an AMAZING job of keeping the weeds down. Loved it. And it had begun decomposing into the soil below which was a great help as well.
I added fresh compost...and then turned it all with a shovel.
That was to get it all mixed up. Oh, the chives in the corner have been there for three seasons now. They are definitely a perennial!
This was the long bed that had the tomatoes and jalapeño in it last Summer. Not too many weeds and what there were just pulled up easily, thanks again to the straw mulch.
Got them all pulled up and worked the compost into the existing soil here too.
I also added another bag of raised bed soil to top it all off and account for settling that naturally occurs over the year.
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| Raised bed garden left side |
Here is the left side of the garden, all weeds pulled up from everywhere and the soil is all worked and turned and enhanced and ready for planting. This is where we will plant for Spring and Summer. Last Fall, we opened up a fifth bed for the garlic (you can see it in the back row).
That leaves two more for filling this year. We're going to save them for Summer gardening, a squash bed and okra again.
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| Raised bed garden right side |
Here is the right side of the garden. I pulled the covers back on these, fluffed the soil and covered them back up. It will be next year before we start venturing over to this side for planting as we're still seeing how we do with the ones on the other side. Plus I need to get a good irrigation plan going, more substantial than what we have now but we'll see how that happens in time...
Now we're planning the plants and seeds to plant soon. Mid March is about the time here for all Spring plants to start going in.
Now we're planning the plants and seeds to plant soon. Mid March is about the time here for all Spring plants to start going in.
Good lord, next you'll be selling all that produce at a farmer's markets. Good job. It'll be so much easier growing in raised beds.
ReplyDeleteLOL! our hope is to be somewhat self sufficient someday. That might be here sooner if we get them all planted, ha. Selling at a farmers market wouldn't be a bad thing. Thanks!!!
DeleteVery industrious! Your garden looks so clean and organised. Just starting to prepare my beds for our Autumn/Winter seasons but Summer is trying to hold on to her heat. 38C (104F) the other day but some cooler days peppered in between thankfully. Can't wait for the cooler weather, am so over the heat and humidity.
ReplyDelete104? Wow. We'll be there in about 4 or 5 months. Of course then you'll be in Winter, ha. The garden is much easier to care for now. That landscape fabric I used is the industrial kind and it's been brilliant so far.
DeleteEverything looking good and all ready to go when it's planting time which will be here before you know it.
ReplyDeleteI have already bought some pepper plants but need to add some good top soil, compost and all that other good stuff to build up my planting beds before I can plant anything. The dirt really settles over a years time.
So much to do and if weather permits I just may be able to get some things done but moving my strawberry planter / raised beds I can't do myself. Each raised bed are in 2 sections; the base and then the planter box that sits on top of and they are Heavy.
Oh it's coming isn't it, sooner than we realize. I think our Winter is over, though I suppose we could have a surprise freeze (but I hope not!). They do settle don't they? I added a bag or so to each one.
DeleteI'm surprised that you can't plant sooner especially cold weather crops like peas and lettuces. The rule of thumb for me was peas in by St. Patricks Day. with the warm weather we've been having this month, if I still had a garden I'd have had them in by now.
ReplyDeleteWe could plant sooner but I just haven't gotten to it, my weekends have been focused on the raised beds for the fruit trees but now I can focus on the garden. We'll see how much I can get done in the next couple of weekends. Fingers crossed!
DeleteEverything looks so neat and tidy. That straw mulch really keeps those pesky weeds down.
ReplyDeleteSo now all is ready for Spring planting!
I like your garlic bed. Is it going to be perennial?
I have one part of my garden that is my year-round shallot bed.
The straw mulch has been a lifesaver for sure. I never thought about a perennial garlic bed but hey, why not? I guess there is no worry about planting in the same bed for garlic. Thanks for the idea!!!
Delete1st Man,
ReplyDeleteOkay, I think I need to hire you to work on making me some raised boxes for our new place. Can you make maybe 20 or 30 more?? ~HA~ teasing!!! Look at all that nice work you've done.
LOL! The corner brackets made ALL the difference in the world. I bet Bulldog Man could knock those out in a weekend!! ;-)
DeleteThanks again!!