Gardening: The Total Body Workout

Today I transformed an old, empty garden at my sons' school into a vegetable/fruit/herb/flower garden.   I did this alone and completed the job in 2 3/4 hours.  I experienced a good workout in the process. Multitasking rocks!

My first step was to pull all of the weeds that had crept in over time.  Weeding is as effective as reverse situps and squats. No joke.

 

Then I removed about six inches of existing soil from the "produce" side of the raised bed and lined it with plastic edging to keep the old soil separate from the new soil.  Doing this was the equivalent of curls, dips, crunches and lunges.

 

I then lined the produce section with weed barrier.  More squats.

 

Next came fresh soil that I raked until smooth and then watered down with a mixture of water and liquid seaweed (an all natural root stimulator). The lighter soil is a mix identical to "Mel's Mix", as described in the book "Square Foot Gardening." It contains the optimal mix of ingredients to produce a prolific and healthy vegetable patch. Only edibles were planted in the light brown soil (basil, carrots, watermelon). The dark brown soil is just fresh flower bed soil, into which we planted wildflower seeds.  More lunges.

 

 I redistributed soil I took from the produce section to the other sections, then tilled and smoothed the other sections to plant sunflowers and wildflowers.  Shoveling is the equivalent of lunges, curls, dips and reverse sit ups.  If you keep up a good pace, it's your cardio, too!

  

All of the kids took turns planting seeds, which they loved doing.  Finally, I labeled all of the plantings so the children know what they're looking at as things grow. 

Cool down. :)

Great workout - I mean garden!

Time for Dried Molasses, 20% Vinegar And Corn Gluten Meal

Today was a lot of work but well worth it to set us up for a lovely lawn this spring.  I alternately pulled weeds or sprayed them with 20% vinegar to kill them (which makes some stubborn weeds easier to pull later), spread dried molasses and corn gluten meal and then watered it all in.  I also spread some more grass seed on a few patches of lawn that looked like it needed some filling out. 


20% vinegar is amazing.  After spraying it on, weeds are dead as door nails within about 4 hours if in the sun, longer if in shade. 

Dried Molasses provides nutrients to microorganisms that keep your soil healthy.  Healthy soil better supports a beautiful lawn.  An awesome side benefit to more microorganisms in your soil?  Fire ants hate them (if you don't care about fire ants or have never even heard of them, you definitely don't live in Texas.)  Molasses also helps combat grub worms.  Grub worms can be pests in and of themselves (about 10% of them feed on roots), but they also attract small animals that dig up gardens and lawns looking for them.   Another tip I stumbled upon: grasshoppers love dried molasses, so if you've got a problem with grasshoppers, just fill a jar half way with water, throw in a handful of dried molasses and check back later.  Grasshoppers will jump into the jar and drown.

Corn meal gluten is a natural herbicide.  Applying it right as things start to wake up in the springtime really helps deter weed growth.

I am now all set until spring is underway and I need to spread some organic fertilizer. 

Did I mention we live on an acre?  My back is killing me.

Daily Photo: Yesterday's Future Compost

 

My five and a half year old son had a good time tossing this into the composter this afternoon.  We also added some shredded cardboard, then sprinkled everything with water, screwed the top back on and turned it once.  He thinks it's pretty cool that instead of throwing this over-the-hill produce, etc, into the garbage, we're turning it into something really good for our garden.

Opt Out of Unwanted Telephone Books

Beth Terry over at Fake Plastic Fish just posted a funny/great piece about opting out of unwanted plastic-bagged telephone books. Until I read that piece, I'd forgotten how annoying it is to receive them.  Thanks Beth!

The bottom line is this:  if you're reading my blog, you've got access to the internet.  I urge you to use that to find your addresses, phone numbers and directions.  Save a tree and save the environment from the plastic they wrap around it.

In her post, she provided a link to Yellow Pages Goes Green, an organization that promotes the green movement to eliminate the unsolicited delivery of Yellow and White Pages books (much like the National No-Call Registry does for unwanted telephone solicitation).  It's a place where you can sign up to stop receiving unwanted telephone books. 

It only takes a moment of your time.

The Basics of Composting

As you know, I'm starting a Square Foot Garden.  You can read about my experiences with that here.  Compost is an integral part of this. 

Why Compost?
It's great for the garden, a cheaper and healthier alternative to chemical fertilizers, and it's environmentally responsible (you're recycling organic matter that you might otherwise put in a landfill).  Win-win-win.  You can read more about the benefits of compost here. 

Compost is just decomposed organic matter, and a garden thrives on it.  All you do is add the key ingredients (water, air and organic matter), turn it frequently, watch the mix heat up, and within a few weeks or months you have lovely, free compost to spread across your lawn and garden.  

What Can You Do with Compost?
A shorter list might include what you can't do with compost - but here are some ideas on what to do with it: 

• Put compost on top of your garden soil before the ground freezes in late autumn - it'll work to enrich the soil all winter.  It's not necessary to do it, but if you can work it into the soil at the same time, it'll do even more good.  
• Add it to your garden a month before spring planting.  
• Add it throughout the driest part of summer and as you harvest vegetables.  
• Combine it with potting soil when you start seedlings and when you transplant them into your garden.  
• Spread it across your lawn whenever you might ordinarily add fertilizer (e.g., before grass emerges from hibernation in the spring and during the heat of the summer - make sure you water it in so it gets where it needs to go).
• Put down a layer of compost before any routine mulching around shrubs and trees (for trees, add it out to the drip line).

What Kind of Composter Is Right for You?
There are lots of different kinds of composters.  You can build your own or buy one.  Click here to read more about the different types (I use this one.) 

Where Should You Place Your Composter?
You should position your composter or compost pile conveniently near your garden and near a source of water (e.g., garden hose).  If you're in a warm climate, you might want to put it in the shade so it doesn't dry out.  If you're in a cold climate, you might want to put it in the sunlight to help heat it up.

What Can You Compost?
The best compost mix is one part green stuff (materials that are high in nitrogen) to three parts brown stuff (the "fiber" for your compost - materials that are high in carbon).  You can also add other things in moderation. 

Green Stuff:

• grass clippings
• fruit and vegetables from your kitchen that are "past their prime"
• fruit/veg scraps such as banana peels, onion skins, potato/zucchini/carrot/apple peels, apple cores, tomato stems, cantaloupe or watermelon rinds, orange peels, corn cobs
• plain paper bags
• coffee grounds (no more than 10% of your total mix)
• tea leaves (you can leave the bag on but take the staple out)
• vegetable plant remains
• non-diseased plants that you've pulled out of your garden
• herbivorous animal droppings (i.e., not pet or human excrement)

Brown Stuff:

• autumn leaves
• dead plants
• cardboard & cardboard tubes
• old floral arrangements
• old straw

Other Stuff:

• egg shells (not the yolk or egg white)
• animal and human hair
• paper towels
• paper napkins

Do NOT compost: 

• meat or meat scraps
• large seeds or pits such as avocado pits or mango seeds (don't fret overly about small seeds like you might find in an orange or apple - the heat during the composting process tends to take care of them)
• dairy products
• fish or fish bones
• bread
• plastic
• fats/grease/lard/oils
• pet or human excrement
• synthetic fibers
• pasta
• nuts
• cooked food
• weeds that have gone to seed
• diapers
• diseased or insect-ridden plants
• glossy paper or magazines
• anything treated with chemicals
• cat litter

Tips

• Many people find it most convenient to keep a covered can on their kitchen countertop and add scraps there until it's full, then transfer the scraps to a larger composter outside.
• The processing time is "reset" each time you add new ingredients, so some gardeners find it helpful to have two composters so they continue to have a place to put compost ingredients while they wait for the first batch to process.
• Just as human digestion is aided by proper chewing, you should chop up your compost materials before adding them in order to speed the process.  
• The more frequently you turn the pile, the faster the composting process (up to a point - you probably shouldn't turn your pile more often than every 3 or 4 days so the microorganisms have a chance to work on it).  
• The compost pile should be kept moist, like a wrung-out sponge, so add water as necessary.  The best practice is probably to add water as you add materials - that way you're sure to get everything wet.   
• You know your compost is done when it becomes a uniform, dark brown, crumbly product with a sweet, earthy aroma (it should not smell rotten).

Trouble Shooting

• If your compost pile smells bad it either needs more air (so turn it) or is too wet (add dry materials).
• If your pile won't heat up, it's either too small, needs water or more green matter, or the pieces need to be chopped up.
• If your compost is killing your garden, check the pH.  Just as the human body gets out of whack whenever it gets too acidic or too alkaline, so does your garden if your compost isn't pH neutral.  Maybe it's just a matter of letting it sit for longer.  Most compost goes through a pH cycle where it is acidic early on, then becomes more neutral over time.  This trick can also help you solve the problem of garden soil that is too alkaline - put some compost on it when it's more acidic, then turn the soil.  The combination will yield a more neutral pH.
• If your pile attracts flies, rodents or pets, chances are you've put something in there that does not belong (e.g., meat or meat scraps, fatty/starchy foods, carnivorous animal droppings).

An excellent reference book is Let It Rot by Stu Campbell- I highly recommend it.  The EPA also has a helpful website on composting.


Happy composting!

Daily Photo: One of The Many Benefits of Parenthood

 

At the end of almost every school day, I find little heart-shaped notes with my name written on them inside my five and a half year old son's backpack.  Some days he'll slip them in my pocket when I pick him up from school.  He is such a sweetie pie.

A Little Inspiration...

An Organic Square Foot Garden, Part 1

I live in Texas.  It's a part of the country where you can grow many fruits and vegetables year round (different ones at different times of the year).  Until we moved here I had never really considered growing my own food.  Now I see the logic of doing it wherever you live, even if you are restricted to just a few seasons: knowing what you're eating (i.e., what it was grown in), doing something good for the environment, saving money, and enjoying the incredibly fresh taste of food that was grown just steps from your back door.

I was attracted to the concept of Square Foot Gardening because it yields an organized, attractive, efficient and super productive vegetable patch.  I highly recommend you read the book.  Another benefit is that it allows you to "start from scratch" so you don't have to engage in the laborious process of correcting whatever is wrong with the existing soil.  And I liked the idea of a raised bed because it lessened the possibility that my vegetable patch would be contaminated by runoff from my neighbors' yard (who use all manner of chemicals to control their lawn.)

Cost/Benefit
Being the practical person I am, I needed to run the numbers to see if it would really work for us.  I determined how much space I would need to grow enough food to generate the lion's share of what we consume.
 
Then I considered what it would cost to build it...

one Suncast tumbling composter $99 (at Lowes)
two 4x4 Frame-It-All raised garden beds $200
six 2-cubic-foot bags of Lady Bug Square Foot Gardening Blend soil $90 (special blend based on Mel Bartholemew's "Mel's mix" recipe)
one 3 ft x 50 ft roll of Landmaster Durable Weed Control fabric $13
one bottle of Liquid Seaweed (root stimulator for transplanting seedlings) $10
one seed starter tray $10
eighteen (mainly organic, some heirloom) fruit and vegetable seed packets $36
one roll of mason string $5
one roll of packing tape $1
...and for the canopy (to protect it from heavy rain, wind, cold, insects before flowering, birds...):
four lengths of 1/2 inch PVC pipe $5
one package of heavy duty zip ties $5
two 12x10.5 foot frost blankets $26
eight 2" metal spring clamps $24

total: $524
Note: I'm quite sure I could have spent a lot less on the composter and frames, but I chose the tumbler composter because it makes it easy to turn the compost and the type of frame I used makes it very easy to reconfigure or expand the garden later.

And compared that to what I expected we'd save...

These two boxes should support a good deal of our fruit and vegetable needs over the next year, especially if we use frost cover, make full use of the composter and carefully select what to grow during which seasons.  It's easy to see how the savings can quickly surpass the initial expenditure.  Consider that my family's typical weekly consumption of the fruits and vegetables I plan to grow is probably about $30.  I tend to buy organic, which costs more.  That amounts to about $1550 of savings a year, which means I'm saving $1000 in the first year alone.  Plus, we have the added benefit of knowing exactly what we are eating and experiencing the enhanced flavor of truly fresh food.  Giddyup!

After determining that it was a fiscally sound idea, I set about planning, constructing and launching my garden.

1. I  determined where my square foot garden would go on my property in order for it to have at least 6-8 hours of daily direct sunlight without ruining the look of my yard.  This also involved deciding what sort of container I would use.  Would I put it on my patio so I could see it through my kitchen window?  This would require putting a bottom on it so it wouldn't stain my deck.  Would I put it out in my yard?  I didn't want to tear up sod in order to put it in the grass, so I finally determined I'd put it in an unoccupied mulched area.  This would have the added benefit of making it easy to dismantle it if we had to.

2. I mapped out what I would grow and where I would grow it within my square foot garden.  Square foot gardens are typically 4x4 foot boxes.  This means that each 4x4 box would have 16 square foot boxes for planting (hence the term Square Foot garden.)  I decided to zero in on the vegetables and fruits that we tend to eat a lot of and paid attention to seasonality and principles of companion planting.  Not every plant grows nicely next to every other plant.  Sometimes one plant can make its companion plant taste bitter.  Good companions deter pests or enhance flavors.  

In the end, my spring planting map looks like this (visualize square foot boxes):


tomatoes, marigold, peppers, peppers
basil, onions, carrots, carrots
spinach, spinach, broccoli, broccoli
radish, bok choy, bok choy, lavender


lettuce, lettuce, pole beans, cantaloupe
oregano, marigold, zucchini, zucchini
watermelon, watermelon (given the size, these will occupy two entire rows - eight 1 foot boxes)


3. After a some thought and investigation, I went to Lowes and bought a tumbler composter.  Good compost is essential to a healthy and prolific vegetable garden.  I then went to an organic garden center and bought the rest of my supplies.

It took me 30 minutes to assemble the 4x4 frames so each looked like this (note the stake at the bottom left - this anchors the frame on four sides to the ground).  I highly recommend using a mallet to start the screw holes.  The planks are VERY hard.

It took me another 45 minutes to complete them.  Here's what I did:

I lined each frame with the weed control fabric...

 ... filled each frame with three bags of the square foot gardening mixture and used a rake to smooth it out.

I watered the boxes heavily and turned the soil as I went to ensure I got it good and wet.  I then measured and marked the frame at 12 inch increments in order to attach my string grid...

 

... until they looked like this...

Since we're expecting a cold snap later this week, I went ahead and put up my canopy to keep the ground a little warmer so I can plant some seeds at the end of the week.

I attached my PVC pipes and lashed them together at the top (where they cross) with heavy duty zip ties...

... then covered them with the garden fabric and secured the fabric to the frame with the spring clamps.  I'm sure I could have been tidier, but you get the idea.

4.  Then I determined:

• how many plants should go in each square foot (e.g., 16 carrots or one broccoli), 
• what needed to be started by seedling (tomatoes, peppers, onions, broccoli, lavender, oregano, watermelon) versus putting a seed right in the ground,
• what could be started in the ground now (carrots, spinach, bok choy, lettuce, cantaloupes, radish, cauliflower) versus after the last frost (marigold, basil, pole beans, zucchini), and finally,
• I enlisted my little boys to help me start the required seedlings.  They loved getting their hands dirty! I am hopeful that they will be excited to eat the food they grow - another great way to get kids to eat their veggies!

I am really excited about this project and I'll update you as I proceed.

***

The Basics of Composting
An Organic Square Foot Garden (Part 2)

The Tofu Switcheroo (And He Only Gagged Once)

I've been married for almost 9 years to a confirmed carnivore.  When we met, I was an ovo-lacto-vegetarian (i.e., I ate eggs and dairy but no meat/poultry/fish).  Within a year, I was back to meat.

I've never really been comfortable eating meat, fish and poultry.  No way would I buy non-organic versions given all of the growth hormones and antibiotics in them, organic meat and poultry isn't sold everywhere, and organic fish is, well, I don't really know what that is.  But I do my best serving my family nutritious and almost-always organic food.

Last week, I got on the scale and noticed that without realizing it, I'd gained five pounds.  I could blame it on the shipment of girl scout cookies, or on my broken toe making it hard to exercise.  Whatever.  The bottom line was, those pounds had to go.  I mentioned this to my husband and he voiced interest in eating a bit healthier.  So I resolved to exercise more and spruce up our diet a bit - get back to basics.  Less sugar, less butter, less starch, more vegetables, more protein.

We started consuming a lot more baby spinach salads with walnuts or almonds, more stir fry with bok choy and brown rice, more grilled lean meats, more fruit, etc.  We also eliminated dessert, reduced our bread and pasta intake and agreed not to eat after 8pm.  I'm happy to say that it's working!

My husband even let me take some liberties with serving a few vegetarian meals.  Last night, however, I tried to pull a fast one.  I bought a lovely roasted chicken and some firm tofu and hatched a plan.  I was sure he'd resist the tofu if he knew it was in the dinner, so I tried to pull a switcheroo.  I allowed the aroma of the roasted chicken to waft through the house but then diced the tofu and put THAT into the stir fry instead.  My kids were tough customers (which they are even with chicken) but both of them ate it (with the promise of some ZenSoy pudding to follow).

My husband took one look and was not fooled.  But like the man that he is, he ate the whole thing and only gagged once.  When I asked him this morning if he'd be home for dinner, he smiled and told me he would call first and ask me what I was making.

A Little Boy And His Girl Scout Cookies

It's girl scout cookie season here in North Texas and I always stock the freezer with them at this time of year.  I always think I'm buying enough to last for months but inevitably they are consumed almost instantaneously.  Not by me, of course (ahem).

My two and a half year old is sitting at the table eating his not-at-all-organic Thin Mints and drinking his organic milk, his little bare toes tucked beneath him.  He is happy as a clam, watching Sesame Street.  And all is well with the world.

Catching You Up...

The past month has been a busy one chez EcoMeg, which accounts for the sparse posts here on the blog.  Here's what I've been up to...

In mid-January, I started potty training my toddler.  This turned out to be remarkably easy.  He got the hang of it within 3 days and we were done.  Within three weeks, he no longer wanted to wear diapers at night, either, so we are officially completely done with diapers.

Around that same time, my toddler and I battled sinus infections.  Mine didn't respond to the first antibiotic, so I had to go on a double dose of amoxicillin.  Big, elephant pills.  Unpleasant all the way around.

I had a visit from my Dad in late January, which was super.  I wish he lived closer.  My kids ask about him every day.  He is their favorite person!

My toddler started Montessori the first week of February, 3 mornings a week.  He lasted one week before sinking into a huge case of separation anxiety - despite being in the same class as my older son, who adores his teacher.  He also started swim classes and gymnastics classes, which, given the aforementioned separation anxiety, have not been as fun as they should be.  But we are taking it slowly and I'm not pushing the Montessori.  I know if I take a gentle approach he'll come back around to the idea.  He really enjoyed the first week and attending there was his motivation for potty training.

My older son is thriving at school, in gymnastics and has a renewed interest in reading and writing.  He is 5 and a half and we've been plowing through the Beast Quest series.  Great books for a boy his age!  He also started faith education this past Sunday afternoon, which of course means we actually have to go to church every Sunday - something we've avoided since the toddler just runs wild through the service.  But the little guy needs to learn to sit nicely, so we're committed now to attending each Sunday.

Meanwhile, I've been planning springtime for my garden:

For my organic lawn, I've sprayed all of the existing weeds with 20% vinegar to eliminate them (kills them dead in 4 hours - be careful where you spray because it will kill whatever vegetation it touches!).  Then I bought bags of corn meal gluten (to prevent future weeds) and dry molasses (encourages beneficial microbes), which I'll distribute with my spreader once we get past the precipitation later this week.  I'll water them in to make sure they get into the soil.  Then, I'm done with that for a little while.  Once the Bermuda grass emerges from hibernation in a month or two, I'll put down some organic fertilizer.

I've been mulling an organic vegetable container garden for some time and I'll launch seedlings indoors in the next two weeks.  I plan to grow zucchini, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, onion and peppers.  My boys are very excited about this (I'm hoping this excitement translates into more veggie consumption!).  I'll keep you posted on how I go about it.  I decided to go with a container garden since my neighbors use chemicals on their lawns and I don't want my veggies contaminated by runoff, despite my own efforts in maintaining an organic yard.

As for fruits, I will plant two different apple trees and a pear tree up on a slope that will minimize neighbors' runoff.  I would love to try growing bananas since we consume so many of them.  We will grow strawberries indoors in a pretty planter.

To support all of this activity, I'll start composting in the next two weeks.  More on that later!

So that's what we've been up to lately.  When things calm down around here and I get some more quiet time, I'll post more often.

Stay warm!