Hydrangeas under attack

Bill,
As you can see, my hydrangeas have a disease.  First let me give you a little history, then you can diagnose.

These are some of the continuous blooming hydrangeas. As always, Glenna and I wait around until shrubs get marked down to fifty percent off, then buy. We really like these. They bloom on old and new wood and so tend to giving repeating flushes of flowers through the year. In fact, they are putting out flower buds all over right now.

However, about two months ago, one plant began looking yellow and weak on one side. The purple spots appeared and it has spread throughout the others also. There are two new plants I put in later this year that also have spots, like these three year established ones do.

I looked online for information, and it seems that leaf spot is ugly, but rarely fatal. At least that is the diagnosis I found. How can I tell the exact disease without a lab test? I will be cleaning up around the plants in the fall, discarding the leaves and old mulch. Then watching next summer for any return, I will decide if I need a fungicide or not. In general, I do not like to use chemicals, but I am not adamant if the situation calls for it.

Meanwhile, that corner of the yard had been my pride and joy. Lush, watered by run off rain, interesting plants. But there is a mar on the beauty now. It may be that the drought of this last summer weakened the plants. There are hosta plants nearby with browned leaf edges from lack of water. And, of course, we did not help the situation because when we watered, we did so from overhead, spreading the spot from leaf to leaf.

I suppose this is all part of the fallen nature we have made of God's creation. Also, I suppose that perfection in a garden is a contrived artificial thing, with lush plants all arranged in a perfect order, looking like symmetrically placed plastic and silk foliage. A little trouble in the garden makes it look real.

Hope your plants are looking good.
Bob

Permaculture Garden Mulches

Bob,

I have almost all the mulches I'm planning on using on the garden.  It's a significant effort to gather carbon sources. I think the goal is to identify as many free or reduced costs sources, as possible.  This includes the city recycling centers, neighbors, and Craigslist.

Hay

You can't throw a rock in Clever, MO, and not hit a hay field.  The airport in Springfield is surrounded by them.  My neighbor Mike works cows and he very generously gave me this bale of hay.

When they bale hale, they can roll it into large round bales, often wrapping them in plastic and placing them end on end like a giant sausage rope at the edge of the field.  This bale came from the end, which is more exposed to the elements.  That not so good for the cows, but it's great for me.  It was so big, I could budge it.  I owe Mike a bunch of tomatoes next summer.

Cow Manure

I'll also add cow manure near the bottom.  Manure adds nitrogen. It also aids in the composting at the bottom of the layers where weed seed in the manure can't germinate.  I just have to be sure it's composted well and not too hot for plant roots.

There's a farm about 300 yards from my house.  We often walk the dog over there to watch the cows.  The owner generously gave me permission to pick up composted manure from his farm, free for the taking.  I owe him tomatoes, too.  I'll add a picture as soon as I pick it up.

Compost

I also plan to add compost.  This, I had to buy and pay to be delivered.  I need a truck or a small trailer very badly.  Still, this is excellent compost.  Not all compost is good compost, or actually compost at all.

I'll add a post about it soon.

Wood Chips

I'll add wood chips as the top layer of my mulches.  Here again, I had to pay to get it delivered, however, the cost was much less than normal.  I found an excellent deal on Craigslist from a guy who runs a tree business. He sells all his wood chips at a reduced price.

The chips are not uniform in size, shape or type, but I don't care about that.  They will smother out weeds and compost down like any other carbon source.

No Newspaper or Cardboard

I chose not to add cardboard or newspaper at the bottom.  Some of my research seemed to point to it taking a long time to break down, possibly wicking away moisture at the sides if exposed, and creating a barrier to moisture and roots getting down into the ground.  If I see grass or weeds poking up through the mulch, I'll pull it out and add more mulch, eventually smothering out the weeds.  Thick mulch is the key, I think.

Layers

Here's how I decided to layer the garden:

1. Mow the grass at the lowest mower setting, scalping the grass and leaving the grass clippings.
2. Mow over a cubic yard of yard waste, adding another carbon layer. (This yard waste came from the house behind mine.  The nice folks working there tossed their yard waste right over the fence at my request.)
3. Add hay as the first thick layer of mulch.
4. Add cow manure as the second layer, introducing nitrogen to help break down the mulch.
5. Add compost as the third layer.  (This layer is the layer in which I can plant.)
6. Top it off with eight inches or so of wood chips, sealing in the moisture and reducing weeds.

Here is a picture of the work so far. I scalped the grass and added a thick layer of hay.

Assuming four-foot wide beds with two-foot pathways, I think I can get four 4'x15' beds out of this section.  The entire area will be covered by hay and wood chips, but only the four-foot wide planting areas will get compost and manure.  There's no need to waste that in areas that will only receive foot traffic.

This is by far the largest garden I've ever had and perhaps about a tenth of the space I intend eventually to cultivate, not counting fruiting shrubs and trees.

Beware!  When you view my yard next summer in it's awesome splendiferousness and magnitudality, you shall weep tears of joy...or perhaps shame and envy.

Your brother,
Bill.

Elephant Ears

They say that your ears grow bigger the older you get. Maybe that is true, but not for mine.

The same friends who passed on the dubious garlic plants that I spoke about in an earlier post, also gave me some elephant ears. Stacy, Eric's wife, has them growing around the house in places, sort of like foundation plants. The tubers look like a giant turnip with a rough and thick skin. I had enough that they are in two places, like bookends in front of my large trellis.

Having started the landscaping at our house with a blank slate, with nothing but the ginormous oak tree, you know that I was desperate for any kind of plant that would give me some quick height. Presto! They have really done well. And especially considering the cold winter we just had.

This is the third year they have been out there, and as you can see they are really filling out the garden. This is the wettest place in the yard, so they soak up the moisture, which makes them bigger. It's amazing to think that all this is the growth from just one season, and it will all die back to the ground in another two months.

There is a trend that I am starting to see, though. The brown board at the top of the trellis, just above the tallest leaf is about six feet high. That means the plants are growing smaller. Last year, the leaves were above my head. Maybe this is the result of the cold winter, or the little drought we had in the summer, or maybe the bulbs just need dividing. It is something I am going to have to look into before spring.

I have several people who are wanting some of these bulbs for next year. When I dig them up and divide them, I hope to save a few of the best for you, if I can get them to you. Then your ears can get bigger, or smaller also.

Bob

If I could save thyme in a bottle..

No wait… That’s time in a bottle and thyme in a pot. Sorry, Bill. I always get those two mixed up. What I do have is thyme, and I want to take a few moments now to extol the virtues of thyme in a pot.

I love my herb garden. I suppose it isn’t actually a garden, but more of a collection. More on the rest of the herbs in the next blog entry. Suffice it to say that it really bring me joy. First, I think my pots really look great. The thyme in this concrete colored pot, growing up and out with its small leaves, gives a Mediterranean feel to the area. Thyme just looks good in a pot. I have some more in another pot, which is growing over the side and spilling down the side.

There are actually two plants in this pot out in the sun. A new plant bought from Home Depot, and also sprigs from my other pot which contains an older plant bought from the same place. The thyme in the sun has an almost blue colored leaf now, and grows more thickly. The one in the shade is light green and the leaves are spaced out more on the stem. Hmmm. I wonder if the flavors have become different?

The best part of thyme, other than the way it handled our extra cold winter in Thomason last year, and while in a pot, no less, is the wonderful way it adds to our cooking. I love coming outside with a pair of kitchen shears and snipping off a sprig to throw into a soup or a chicken dish. It adds such authenticity and flavor to a meal. I strip the leaves off the stem, give them a quick chop on a board, and “poof”! I am Julia Childs in the kitchen… except that I am still living… and of course a guy.

Happy growing,

Bob

Garlic?

Bill, 


Take a look at these garlic bulbs. At least I think they are garlic. There is a friend of mine named Eric who bought around ninety acres south of Thomason. Off on one side of the property is the free standing chimney of an old house that burnt down years ago. The chimney stands in a small clearing of the forest which has grown up all around it.

Eric found out that I am gardening, and when I mentioned herbs, he offered me some of the garlic plants that still grow around the foundation. The question I have is whether this is really garlic.

Take a look at it. The plants have garlic looking foliage, and there is the ball shaped flower head that appeared over the summer, but the bulbs have me wondering. The plants have been in the garden for a few years now, so I would think that the bulbs would have had plenty of time to multiply into cloves. There is an indention on one of the bulbs that could be where a bulblet grew, but I was expecting the usual multi-bulb bunch of garlic, not a single large bulb like a daffodil. There are no small cloves like garlic and no inner layers like an onion. It seems just one solid bulb.

I don’t know whether to eat these things or not. I am tempted to trash them and buy some garlic bulbs at a seed and feed. Since being left out in the sunshine a week or two, they have begun turning green. Regardless, they are not going back into my garden anymore.
Bob

Mystical Happenings

Bill, check out the fairy ring that popped up last night. It is amazing how fast mushrooms grow. Across the street there is a solitary, thin stemmed mushroom in my neighbor's zoysia grass. He keeps a manicured lawn, so I know it was cut last week, but that mushroom's cell growth is so fast, it raced ahead of the grass rate and jumped up above the lawn.

As far as fairy rings go, I understand that they supposedly crop up around the decaying root system of previously existing trees, thus the circular pattern. But, I don't know of any tree there before I purchased the property, and it is interesting how all the mushrooms happen to pop up at the same time in a ring.

Regardless of scientific explanation, I find it fuel for my imagination. I picture strange lights glowing in the early dark, with tiny fairies descending from the elm tree above, like falling leaves. A raccoon and badger sit up with the sprite and elf, who came from who knows where, while across the way in the tangled thicket of the unused lot, there are mean and hard eyes watching the magical gathering. Who knows what could happen? But, then the sun begins to rise. We get up, walking the dog and sending kids off to school, and the magical moment is gone, fled back into the hiding places of old.

With the cool weather lately, we have begun sleeping with our upstairs windows open. I anticipate a lovely peaceful night tonight. But, I'll let you know if I get woken by soft music in the distance and the flickering glow of a small fire.

Permaculture on Trial

My raised beds surrounded with a new fence. Rabbit proof?

Bill, I have to say that the whole permaculture subculture out there has a certain appeal. I don't consider myself one of the flock, but I have given it a try... again.

Here is the latest attempt at using the natural gardening system that God has built into nature. I mentioned earlier that I dug up my garden and placed about 3 to 4 inches of half composted yard waste in my raised beds. Then I replaced the five inches of garden soil, and planted broccoli and two kinds of cabbage in the soil.




The Broccoli have already double in size. Exciting!

The plants, as you can see, are doing pretty well, although I have to admit that we have had some good rain lately. I suppose that the permaculture changes won't really take full effect until the plants get mature enough for the roots to grow down into the buried compost, which is supposed to conserve the water underneath. I know that I haven't added any mulch on top of the soil, which goes against the idea that nature abhors bare soil. I will have to fix that soon. Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing how the planting develops.

However, I do have some serious questions percolating in my brain about what happens when it becomes time for a new crop to be planted.

1. After I pull up the plants, how do I replenish the compost underneath? That will just mix up the dirt and compost together.

2. Since much of the compost is not aged much and still very rough, will it turn the garden soil into a trashy mess that will dry out quickly?

3. Or, do I just not replenish it, and let it go for a few years. Will the compost underneath last that long?



Anyhow, to sum up my present feelings, I would like to admit that I like this concept better than the lasagna gardening method, which I royally failed at trying.  But I have to be honest here. Looking at these things from my skeptical, suburbanite mentality, and until I finally begin seeing some results, this permaculture way of life is still under trial.
Bob

Dehydrated Cabbage

Bob,

One reason I'm looking forward to the New House garden is growing enough that I can save substantial produce.  As an example, last Spring, I grew some Chinese cabbage in the 10x10 garden at the rental house.  I put the garden together late, so the cabbage began to bolt not long after I planted it.

Fortuitously, I recently bought a Nesco Dehydrator I found on Craigslist.

I sorted the cabbage plants for the best, most blemish-free leaves.  I gave them a quick rinse and then chopped them into approximately one inch pieces.  I spread the pieces out on the trays, trying to keep them from overlapping, and plugged in the machine.  It was very easy.

To be honest, I wasn't sure how well it would work. You can find a lot of dehydrator advice on the web, but most of it is about apple leather, fruit slices, and jerky.  I was surprised at how fast the leaves dried, probably less than an hour.

The dried leaves take up almost no room at at all and store quite well in a gallon-sized plastic bag.  They smell rich and vaguely sweet.

I use the dried leaves mostly in soups.  It's simple to toss a handful in a quick soup for lunch.  I came close to using them recently in a batch of pot stickers, but I had some fresh cabbage slaw that needed using up.

That's one of the benefits of dehydrating left-over produce. I can use fresh while it's available, knowing the dehydrated produce will sit safely on the shelf until needed.

I hope to store lots of produce in the coming years.

Your brother,
Bill.

Building the Play Set

Bob,

In the first week of moving into New House, Nancy and I sat down and wrote out a list of jobs that needed to be completed on the house.  Some of these are fixes, but most of them are improvements.  The house is a great house.  We love it.  It's big and tight and fully functioning.  But like most new homeowners, we have plans to tweak this and that to make it more accommodating for our family. The list we compiled filled an entire page of paper, every line.  We have lots of plans.

One of the tasks on the list involved building a play set for Garner and the friends he will meet in the neighborhood.  I want the play set to be big and sturdy and well-made and safe.  Garner is a climber and a jumper.  He's very physical, so we need something that will provide him many ways to exercise. 

In my head, I put together a plan for a three-section play set, comprised of platforms at different levels.  One will have a roof, one will have climbing ropes and ladders, one will have a climbing wall and one will have monkey bars or swings.  This past weekend my friend, Ty, helped me and Sam put together the first platform.  (The platforms will be built in stages as time and money allow.)

Here's a picture of the first platform.  It's uncompleted, but you probably get the idea.  We used 6x6x10 beams for the columns and 2x6 lumber for the rails and the flooring.  The corners are at shallow angles and the hardware is counter-sunk for safety.  It's very sturdy.

 I still have a number of elements to add, including a bench and gate below, railings above, and a roof on the top.  But, to be frank, I'm very pleased it's square and level.  I have Ty to thank for that.

Sam dug the holes.  He could only dig down about a foot before he hit dry hardpan.  There weren't any rocks, which surprised me considering the amount of rock in the area.  I suspect dirt was trucked in at some point or a lot of garden plowing occurred in the past.  However, the fact that Sam hit dry hardpan a foot down speaks volumes. 

Roots grow to where the water is.  That's why it's better to give plants longer, deeper, watering than frequent shallow watering.  That's a consideration when you contemplate the permaculture mulching method.  Deep mulching captures and preserves the water, allowing it to sink in.  Trap the water and keep it where you want it. By keeping water down deep in the soil, it resolves many issues.  Roots grow deeper, accessing deeper minerals and becoming more drought tolerant.  Beneficial soil organisms move in and improve the texture and viability of the soil.  And most important, I will have to weed less.

Adios hermano,
Bill.

Update - Sept 29, 2014

I added some more stuff, Bob.

You'll notice a ladder to gain access to the platform, railings around the entire platform and a climbing rope.

There are additional elements needed.  I'm going to put spindles in the railings on two sides to keep the tykes from falling off.  A roof will go on top, a ramp providing access to the platform on the far side, a little bench underneath and a gate to get to the bench.

I moved the platform joist up an inch on the side with the ladder because Garner couldn't get a grip to climb up.  There was no handhold when the joist was even to the platform.

You can also see the angled cuts and the countersunk bolts, adding a bit of polish and also safety to the project.

Here, you can see the lip of the joist poking up about an inch.

I think I'm on to something here.  Maybe it's not the Taj Mahal, but some might draw parallels between me and Frank Lloyd Wright.  (In architecture, I mean, not the womanizing. Not that.)

New House... Finally!

Hey Bob,

We finally moved into our new house last month, or as I like to think of it, our new garden with attached living space.  Actually, we usually call it New House, but also sometimes Grant House or The Blue House.  I imagine one of those will stick.  The important point is that after years of renting, we own property again, thank the Lord.  It has been a long road and many apartments to get here.  It's a dream come true.

Over the past years, I spent a lot of time dreaming about gardening.  Yes, I dreamed of dirt for years.  The Master Gardening classes were of great help.  I researched all kinds of gardening methods including square-foot, no-till, French intensive, lasagna, sheet-mulch, traditional tilled, hydroponic, aqua-culture, and permaculture. 

Now it's time to put theory into practice, to let the rubber meet the road.  I consider the small gardens I had at the rental properties as practice gardens.  I think I have settled on a no-till, sheet-mulch, permaculture method for New House.  I see a lot of value in working with nature as God created it instead of against it. To that effect, I have begun to collect the materials needed for layering carbon and nitrogen.  I want to feed the soil and encourage a balanced biology of plants, animal and insects.

Today is September 2, 2014.  I suspect that is too late to plant fall crops here in Clever, Missouri. I haven't seen the cow manure I'm getting yet, so I'm not sure how green it is.  It might burn seedlings right up.  But I also hate to think of waiting the entire winter for the beds to mellow enough for spring planting, so I'm considering putting in some cool season crops like lettuce, radishes and kale and to try to extend the growing season with some home-made poly tunnels. 

Of course, fall is a great time to work on the garden's bones.  I appreciate and fully intend to take advantage of flowering annuals, perennials and shrubs.  Who doesn't appreciate a picture, post-card, English cottage garden?  But my main priority is functionality.  I want a productive garden that's pleasing to look at, not a pretty garden with some productive plants.  I have already begun to scout the local nurseries for blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries, grapes, fruiting trees, and a host of lesser known fruiting plants like elderberries and paw paw.  I also have an eye on a couple of micro-climate spots in the yard.  I may be able to get away with growing a fig.

I haven't even begun to mention the other garden bones, like fences, paths, birdbaths, brick patios, and pergolas.  I've already run out of time.

I'll add another post soon to show you my sheet-mulch materials.  In the meantime, here's a picture of the back yard.  I think you'll agree it looks just like a clean slate, ready for planting. 

Your brother,
Bill.