Planting Dates Calculations

I created a spreadsheet to help me manage planting and harvest dates planning.  One problem we had last year was my enthusiasm in planting everything at once. That meant our harvest came all at the same time. This year, I will try to exhibit patience and spread out my plants so that the harvest takes place in succession.

The spreadsheet, which is a work in progress, works as follows:

1. I added my list of vegitables and plants.
2. Categorized them by method of planting (direct, starting indoors, or sets).
3. Used seed starting table in MiniFarming, Self Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre, Brett L. Markham (Skyhorse Publishing 2010) and the Sow True Seeds (Asheville) Planting Guide to determine dates for actions in cultivating the variety.
4. Back dated the dates based upon the last frost date for my area (5/11/13) by using the spreadsheet formula bar.
5. Used the same resources above to figure out probable days to harvest and then used the spreadsheet for calculating the dates based on that data.  

Executing Garden Design Plan

I started work on preparing the garden for next spring's planting season by digging five post-holes and beginning construction of the vermiculture worm bin.

The post hole digging was disturbing in that I encountered ryzomes of what appeared to be bermuda grass growing in the lasagna garden above and below the cardboard layer we installed this fall.  This is not a good sign.

I was able to loosely install the new posts in accordance with the garden plan above.  Also, used cinderblocks to build the beginning of the vermiculture compost bin.  I dug down a bit into the soil before placement of the blocks.  Still need to do some leveling work on the blocks.  It looks like I will need to stack the cinderblocks at least two high to make the bin deep enough.

I would like to create a pathway wide enough to get a wheelbarrow around the bin and past the raised beds planned on either side.  The pathway would facilitate loading horse manure into the vermiculture compost bin.  It is going to be a tight fit if I continue with the plan to install a trellis and raised bed along the north side of the worm bin.  I may need to modify the plan and limit the raised bed at that part of the trellis system. Or, consider a gap in the trellis system around the bin.

Plant Wish List

It is January 11.  Time is slipping away to get everything done that we need to do for the garden.  Soon, it will be necessary that we start our early spring vegetables.  Therefore, I need to get my wish list in order.

I am interested in medicinal flowers and herbs.  Also, I would like flowers that attract beneficial insects and help to deter non-beneficial species.  We need herbs for cooking. Finally, I would like beauty in the annual garden, with sequenced flowering.

For vegetables, I start with those I know my family will eat.  The vegetables that we like.

With these guidelines in mind, here is my annual garden plant wish list:

Flowers

1. Sun flowers
2. Naturtiums
3. Marigolds (c)
4. Comfrey
5. Bee balm (moist soil)
6. Blue wild indigo (well drained)
7. Flax (perennial) (well drained)
8. Lavendar (well drained, alkaline)
9. Mullein (well drained)
10. Yarrow

Herbs

1. Dill
2. 
   

Annual Vegetables

Early Spring (frost hardy)

1. Arugula
2. Beet
3. Brussel Sprouts
4. Carrot
5. Kale
6. Onion
7. Radish, daikon
8. Spinach
9. Turnip
10. Sugar Snap Peas

1. Tomatos
2. Bell peppers
3. Hot peppers
4. Brocolli
5. Cauliflower
6. Beans
7. Swiss Chard
8. Sweet potatoes
9. Garlic

Perennial Vegetables

1. Jerusalem Artichoke, or Sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus). Grown by Native Americans, sunchokes bear sunflowerlike blooms on 6- to 12-foot stems. The crisp, sweet tuber can be eaten raw and used like potatoes. An added bonus: Sunchokes attract beneficial insects. Plant tubers in full sun and well-drained soil. Harvest in fall and winter. Hardy to Zone 2
2. Sea Kale (Crambe maritime). Sometimes grown as an ornamental, this coastal native bears gray-blue leaves and white flowers on 3-foot-tall plants. Cover the plants in spring and harvest the blanched, hazelnut-flavored shoots when they are about 6 inches tall. The young leaves and flowers are edible, too. Plant nicked seeds in moist, well-drained soil in full sun. Hardy to Zone 4.
   
3. French Sorrel (Rumex acetosa). The lance-shaped leaves of sorrel add a wonderful, lemony tang to salads and soups, and they can be harvested from early spring to late fall. Look for sorrel transplants in the herbs section at your local nursery. Sorrel grows in sun or shade and average soil. Hardy to Zone 3.
   
4. wild leeks (Allium tricoccum) This onion relative grows wild in deciduous forests east of the Mississippi, emerging in spring. Leaves and bulbs are both edible. Grow in a shady border in moist loam, or naturalize beneath trees. Hardy to Zone 4.7.
5. Groundnut (Apios Americana). Native to eastern North America, this nitrogen-fixing, 6-foot vine bears high-protein tubers that taste like nutty-flavored potatoes. Grow the vines as Native Americans did: near a shrub (as support) in a moist site that receives full sun or partial shade. Harvest in fall. Hardy to Zone 3.
6. Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis). This familiar plant is long-lived and productive, bearing delicious green or purple shoots in spring. Asparagus thrives in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. For best production, plant male hybrids. Hardy to Zone 3.
7. Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus). A traditional European vegetable known for its tasty shoots, leaves and flower buds, this spinach relative grows in full sun or partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. Plant seeds in compost-enriched soil, and harvest the tender shoots in spring. Hardy to Zone 3.
8. Lovage (Levisticum officinale). The young leaves and stems of this 6-foot-tall perennial are an excellent substitute for celery in springtime soups. The seeds and roots are also edible, and the umbel flowers attract beneficial insects. Lovage thrives in average garden soil, in sun or partial shade. Hardy to Zone 4.
9. Rhubarb (Rheum x cultorum). Although most people think of rhubarb for dessert, the reddish stems have a long history of use as a vegetable in soups in Asia. Caution: Don’t eat the leaves or roots, which are poisonous. Plant rhubarb roots in full sun and rich, well-drained soil. Harvest in spring. Hardy to Zone 1.
10. Crosnes, or Chinese Artichoke (Stachys affinis). Also known as mintroot, this little-known mint relative sets out runners that form a dense, 12-inch-high ground cover. The small, white tubers are crisp and sweet, and add a great crunch to salads. Harvest the tubers annually for best plant growth (just leave a few for the following year). Grow crosnes in full sun or partial shade in well-drained soil. Hardy to Zone 5. (For more info, see Crunch a Bunch of Crosnes.)
    
    Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/perennial-vegetables-zm0z12amzkon.aspx?page=3#ixzz2KV0lCp1R

Rough Plan

As I was pitching mulch out of our trailer and onto the cardboard outside the southwestern annual garden fence, I started thinking about my plan for next spring.  Standing on top of the trailer gave me a good perspective of the garden contours.

The garden area is highest on the north and west sides.  The slope seems to dip into the middle, but also runs in a southeastern direction.