Planting Day 2010 - April 22

April 22 was the first day we actually got plants into the ground. We planted 117 plants, all of the eggplant, bell peppers, banana peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, and cantaloupe.

We use April 15 as the last frost date, and the community garden did not open until April 19.

Galvanized Fence Tents

Here is an especially handy way to make a series of general purpose trellises. I used 2 pieces of 1/2 x 10' EMT Conduit (I paid $1.56 at Lowes), cut them exactly in half, flattened the ends and punched a 5/16 hole in the flattened end (it can be drilled). These sections were bolted together, and I used zip ties (wire ties) to attach 2 x 4 fencing (5' tall) to the surface. The nice thing is that the dimensions work out perfectly. I also use these as greenhouses/cold frames in the time before the last frost date. It may be nice to have larger openings to be able to reach inside, but the 2 x 4 fencing is really affordable ( I paid $41.00 for a 50 foot roll at Lowes on 2-27-2010). 50 ft. is enough to do 10 frames (5 tents). I did 9 tents and am using the leftover fencing to make my "cup holders."



I will be putting black plastic underneath the tents before the weeds get too active.



I am currently growing green beans, lima beans, cucumbers, and cantaloupe on my four tents.

Raised Beds on the Cheap

This winter I tried to come up with the least expensive way of making raised beds. My solution was to use 6' cedar boards held in place with 1/2" EMT (electrical conduit). This stuff is durable, cheap and strong. I flatten the ends of a 20" piece, then bend them over to form a sort of hook. A 10 foot stick of EMT costs about $2.00 (I paid $1.56 as Lowes on 2-27-2010). Ten feet is enough to make 6 stakes, and each bed requires 8. It can be flattened in a vise and cut with a hacksaw (its easier if you know someone with a Grizzly G0646 50 Ton Ironworker). I made 9 raised beds this way. With the cedar boards running about 2 bucks a piece, you can make a 3 x 6 foot bed for under $10.

The community garden where we grow requires that each plot must be cleared off completely each November, so the beds are designed to be easy to disassemble and carry.

Here is an example of the stakes (8 per bed):



One end is flattened and bent into a J-Hook...


The other end is cut off at an angle:


The stakes are driven into the ground to hold the fence board in place...



I space them about 15" from the ends on the long side and 8" from the ends on the short sides.


Repeat until finished...

Plant Size 54 Days from Seed

These seeds were planted in peat pellets on Feb. 24. On April 19 (54 days later) they looked like this:

These are black beauty eggplant.


These are a variety of tomatoes (mostly better boy). Now that the trees leaves are coming out, I am not getting enough sun. The plants are somewhat spindly.


Here are a variety of pepper plants (bell and sweet banana pepper).
I had a lot of trouble germinating the variety "California Wonder." Also here are "Ambrosia" cantaloupe.