CRANS 2013 Island Garden

[Crandrew]

Well its about time. After the lessons learned last season and realizing the scope oif watering I finally decided to install some irrigation. I ran 3 strips of t-tape in 3 of my beds and added a simple little timer. I'll be setting up the forth once the lettuce in that bed is harvested. I seems to work great and I cant wait to check out the results.



Around $110 dollars for everything with some spare fittings as well.

Then this morning I planted Some America Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach and SSE Lettuce Mix.
(also cleaned out the germ room with some vinegar and water prior to starting this all.)



I have Amish Snap Peas and British Wonder peas germinating in wet paper towerls and zip lock bags. They still need another 24 hrs.

[GnomeGrown]

Can those carabiners handle the load?



Nice setup on the raised beds.

I'm putting in some irrigation this year as well.

[Crandrew]

LOL hahah. yeah just a BIT of overkill. I have a legit pulley system on the other light but that is deff a MacGyver SPecial!!!

[Crandrew]

Well the lettuce that was direct sow seems to be doing well.


The peas germinated in 2 days using paper towels. They had pushed through within 4 days. The spinach on the other hand...



My strawberries are setting their first set of fruit I can't wait.



I will be germinating squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and basil as well this month.


I built a little bamboo pea trellis that needs to be finished up and I'll post pics.

Thanks for looking.

[LDx4]

Crandrew,

Your garden area is looking good!

I've germinated peas both ways - direct sow outside and germination inside and then under lights. I can't say that one way or the other worked any better for me. Better get that trellis done soon - once those pea vines take off they will go crazy!

I remember in another thread that you said you lived on Balboa Island. It's been about 10 years since I've been up there, but I recall at that time that yard space was very limited since houses were close together. It looks like you've got a nice sized yard area to work in!

Lyn

[Deborah]

Are the strawberries Sequoias? I'll be buying a flat of Quinalts soon.

[Crandrew]

Deborah,
I bought them 3 seasons ago at a box store and have been replicating them since, I believe I have two kinds. One variety is Alpine and the other is what i would consider a standard large variety, not too sure. They have been such low maintenance that I haven't really paid much attention. My only issue in past years has been keeping the Sow bugs off the plants, they go to town on the berries. They both will fruit twice throughout the year.

Originally Posted by LDx4

Crandrew,

Your garden area is looking good!

I've germinated peas both ways - direct sow outside and germination inside and then under lights. I can't say that one way or the other worked any better for me. Better get that trellis done soon - once those pea vines take off they will go crazy!

I remember in another thread that you said you lived on Balboa Island. It's been about 10 years since I've been up there, but I recall at that time that yard space was very limited since houses were close together. It looks like you've got a nice sized yard area to work in!

Lyn

Lyn,
Thanks, so far its a work in progress, once the plants start to paint the colors it will look a lot better I have about 90% of the trellis done, and you aren't kidding. It took me 3 days to germ them and within the next 3 days they were 3 times as tall, just incredible growth.
Yes the lots are all very small and limited space, although I'm fine, and probably one of 10 with a yard. As with anything else in human nature, folks find a way to OVERKILL it! Houses on either side are 2 stories but next to those are 3 stories, so i'm thankful that their structures haven't blocked out my sun. But that day will soon come, sadly enough, then I will move and there will no longer be a vegetable garden on Balboa Island.
Thanks for looking

[Crandrew]

Lettuce seems to be growing really well. I can't wait for some fresh salad greens.



And here is the finished trellis, it was literally a quick 1hr build so I'm a bit skeptical about it. Peas should be going in this weekend. I checked the bed yesterday and due to manure It was quite warm so if its not cooled down by the weekend I'll need to re-plan which bed I use for them.

[z_willus_d]

Crandrew, everything looks great. I'm sure you'll love the fresh lettuce. I haven't had much luck with spinach. It takes forever to sprout, and then once you get it in the ground it seems to not take off so well as the lettuce varieties. I hope you can make it work for your garden.

Thanks for posting the link to that vegetable garden planner site, I might try using that. Make sure you bunch your corn (or hand pollinate).

Look forward to following through the year.
-naysen

[Crandrew]

^ thanks Naysen! The info about the corn is helpful, I will be planting them in small bunches and then hand pollinating to ensure success. Pretty much 50% of the items on that list are new to me, so this season will be another "lets see what happens".

Just ordered some inoculate for the peas, from Jonny's, and some more seeds. Its quickly becoming a issue

As far as the spinach we'll see. I checked yesterday and all the spinach seemed to have germinated just took twice as long as anything else. I am also hoping that that the Red malibar (fake spinach) will grow a bit faster, but we'll see. My region stays SOOOO temperate that I'm hopping the lettuce an spinach take advantage of that.

Peas grow quickly

[Annie]

I can't believe how you can grow all of that in the space you have. It seems that it would all get so big you wouldn't have the space. Someone needs to help me. I have 4 raised beds 4X8 and 12 whiskey barrels and I have a hard time just putting in peppers, beans, eggplant squash in the beds. The tomatoes are in the whiskey barrels. Last year a did plant two tomatoes and a cherry tomato in one bed and the cherry and tomato plants were growing into each other, even though they were stacked, that cherry tomato was impossible. Your plan does look great. Good luck. Where did you get your cedar posts. Looks so much better then pine which rots here before you know it.

[Crandrew]

And I came home to half my lettuce dug up and the beds rifled through for grubs. Stupid Raccoons, now I have to deal with that before they take out the peas that were supposed to go in this weekend.
Anybody know of a good humane trap I can buy that wont be ripped apart by the coon, like EVERY new Havahart trap does apparently.

[JamesL]

Bummer! And what will you do with them if you catch them?

[Crandrew]

animal control comes over and "relocates them" but they wont catch them for me. Which prob means they dump em back in backbay 2 miles away. They come over for the neighborhood trash that nobody covers. They literally come on trash night, thats how smart they are.

[JamesL]

If they are only taking them a few miles, guaranteed they are coming back. But that is a different issue.
Build your own trap out of a big garbage can and a board. Anchor the can to the ground, if its tall enough you can put a cinder block in it to hold it down. Make a ramp with the board, secure it top and bottom. Taste of bait at the bottom and top of the ramp, even more bait in the can. I caught 2 once in the same can.