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With summer around the corner, it was time to attempt a garden once again. This time, I would be more methodical, carefully cultivating the ideal environment to grow vegetables. This time, when I selected a plot, I needed to pick the SUNNIEST part of my backyard (I neglected to think about sun on my first try.) I spent a few weeks observing the sun at different times during the day. Which parts of the backyard were sunny in the early morning? Mid-day? Afternoon?I noticed that my previous plot only received a handful of hours of early morning sun. But across the way, to the right as I exited the kitchen, was a spot that got sun all afternoon. The sun cleared the right fence just before noon and blanketed the entire spot before setting behind the trees around 6pm. Six full hours of sun. While this is still technically considered "partial sun" (between 3-6 hours), this was the sunniest spot in the backyard. Only one problem: the spot was home to a huge flowering bush. After some gentle diplomacy with the neighbors, I was granted the go-ahead and uprooted the bush. A sunny, dirt plot remained.
The dirt was hard and rocky. Only the best soil would suffice for my new garden so I decided to build a raised bed. The raised bed method offers a way to ensure rich soil for the plants in a controlled environment. I enlisted my friend's help because he knows how to build things. First, we measured the area. It was a trapezoid shape.
Then we scoured the East Bay, looking for the right type of wood for the bed. We considered buying copper-treated pine from Home Depot, but when the salesperson said that even he wouldn't eat veggies from a garden using that chemical-treated wood, we opted for redwood instead. Redwood has a nice look and it withstands the weather better than other woods. We went to Economy Lumber in Oakland to find the right size. We bought 1"x12" pieces, each 10 feet long. This size makes a bed that is 10" deep. With the help of some power tools, we made the trapazoid-shaped walls with long 3'1/2" screws. Then I lined the bottom and sides with a thin plastic lining. I made sure to cut big holes in the bottom for drainage.
We calculated that we would need 40 cubic feet of soil to fill the bed. At American Soil in Richmond, they sell bulk soil by the cubic yard (27 cubic feet.) Luckily, my friend's truck could hold one cubic yard (just barely.) I bought a yard and a half of multi-purpose soil which contains wood fines, WonderGrow organic compost, chicken manure, rice hulls, clean lava, minus lava and loamy sand. We had to make two trips to American soil and unloaded the soil by bucket to the backyard. We hauled over 60 back-breaking buckets!!! The soil was hot and stinky (probably due to the chicken manure...) We hosed down the soil periodically as we filled the bed.
How lovely! My new raised bed filled with luscious soil.
A few days later I went to my beloved Berkeley Horticultural Nursery and bought the following starts: rosemary, Berggarten sage, Italian flat-leafed parsley, Italian oregano, German Winter thyme, purplette onions, "Wings of Night" lavender and 5 types of tomatoes (Sweet Million, Early Girl, Flamme, Green Zebra and Japanese Black Trifele.) I planted yellow & orange Sunshine carrot seeds, Bright Lights Swiss chard seeds and Detroit Dark Red beet seeds. I also planted the basil that wasn't too happy by itself in the kitchen and some good ol' Colonel Kentucky mint (solo in a pot of course.)
Many, many thanks to my friend who made this raised bed possible. We spent two days on the project, about 5 hours per day. Without his know-how, truck, tools and selfless generosity, I would have been bedless. Now these new plants have every chance possible for success. They are immersed in fresh, nutrient-rich soil and bask in 6 hours of afternoon sun in a raised bed. I've made their bed and now they can lie it while growing me some yummy veggies!
Recovered from the failure of my first attempt, I decided to try again. This time, I took a multi-faceted approach. I planted both starts (romanesco) and seeds (shelling peas, carrots, leeks, beets) in the ground. I also planted seeds (carrots, beets, leeks, tomatoes) in a mini plastic greenhouse. Greenhouses serve two main purposes: they provide a warmer climate for seeds to germinate (letting the sun through the clear roof while keeping cold air out) and they allow a gardener to find out which seeds are going to germinate before planting (ground space is precious so it's wise to transplant once the seeds have sprouted.)
As an aside, I was informed by my farmer friends that one should not start root vegetables (i.e. carrots or beets) in the greenhouse - oops!, because root vegetables don't like to be transplanted (their root structures don't appreciate the trauma.) Also, when planting seeds, the rule of thumb is to plant the seed only twice as deep as the diameter of the seed itself. Seeds are tiny, so don't plant them too deep! (I probably planted the carrot seeds too deep.)
With the seeds-in-ground-and-greenhouse-plus-starts-approach, I was hedging the risk. I figured that if the seeds in the ground didn't germinate, at least they'd have a shot in the greenhouse. If none of the seeds germinated, the romanesco starts would be my fall back. I closely examined the soil each day, hoping to find even one sprout. I scanned the soil, as if I as looking for a fallen jewel. Was this a carrot sprout or just another weed?
The peas came through for me, popping up out of the soil. It is so satisfying to watch a plant grow from seed:
I built a trellis for the peas, so their spindly arms would have something to grab. Fascinating how their thin green coils manage to wrap so tightly around the metal lattice. I managed to harvest a dozen peas...but the plants did not flourish. The romanesco did grow some, even as it battled some type of microscopic pest that ate holes through its leaves. Remarkably, none of the seeds in the greenhouse sprouted. NONE. Was it too hot inside? Did I forget to water enough? Did the soil dry out faster than I could replenish the moisture? Did I use the wrong soil? Besides the peas, the seeds in the ground also failed miserably.
Every time I watered, I noticed MILLIONS of small black ants pouring out of the ground, their tunnels flooded. It was amazing to watch them carry little white eggs in their mouths, searching for higher ground. While the ants were numerous (and multiplying quickly), were they harming my garden? Did they interfere with the seeds? I sprinkled red chili powder on them to no avail.
My neighbor mentioned to me that she saw birds landing in the garden and picking at the seeds (I built a scarecrow in response.) If that weren't enough, the plot was getting covered with dead leaves from the bushes above and the local cats were using it as a restroom!
So let's recap. My second attempt at gardening was met with a massive colony of ants, a flock of birds, a gang of neighborhood cats and an incessant shower of dead leaves. While that is quite the list of formidable foes, something tells me that the challenge stemmed from a lack of more basic needs: lots of sun, quality soil and regular water. I finally realized that my plot received very little direct sunlight each day (maybe 1-2 hours in the early morning.) Also, the soil consisted primarily of hard, dry, urban backyard dirt. Maybe I should have put more thought into the location of my garden.
A friend had given me a small potted white peach tree before she left town in August. I watered the fledgling tree on occasion, but I knew that it really belonged in the ground. As the months passed, the tree lost many of its leaves and the ones tat remained were droopy. By the end of October, I felt so sorry for the tree and I began to worry that it would die under my care. I dug a hole in the ground and planted the tree. It was very satisfying. Given how much carbon I use, the least I could do was plant a tree. Keeping my fingers crossed, I hoped the tree would recover.
