I had a week off this week. As always, I hoped to do more than I was able to do, but one major project that I saw to completion was the building of a rat wall under our current deck. The former owner built our deck not to code, and I had to correct the mistake. First, I had to get a permit. Oddly, they issued me one despite the fact that I am not the homeowner. Ha. I dug the trench over the course of two days. The required dimensions were 2' x 4" for the perimeter of the deck. Naturally, digging a four inch trench that deep on a retrofit is ridiculous, so the average width ended up being between six and eight inches. Most of the work was done with a post holer, which wasn't the most fun thing I've ever done.
I had the concrete delivered after the code inspector approved the project. The delivery guy (Concrete Express, Warren, MI) was nice enough to stay an entire hour while I filled the trench one 250 pound wheelbarrow load at a time. Not that he helped, but he didn't rush off. In the end, I put in a cubic yard and a half of concrete into the trench, and I need to finish it off with maybe a 60 lbs. bag. If a rat gets into that deck, he deserves it.
Now that the concrete is in, I can start on the next step outside: cedar raised bed for my vegetables.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Garden first steps
I had a bit of spring fever in March and started 48 basil (Mammoth, Genovese, and Lemon) plants indoors in the middle of the month. Such is the result of idle time in Lowes on a rainy day.
Today, 6 weeks later, the plants have been transplanted into bigger, biodegradable pots from their starters, but they are still smaller than I expected. Lesley and I also started, a bit later, tomatoes, catnip, bush basil, sunflowers, poppies, cucumbers, gourds, and myriad of other plants from seed.
I am designing a raised bed for everything that should be up in the next week or two. Our last frost date is the 15th of May, and I expect to be ready by then to transplant everything into the ground.
Lessons learned to be implemented next year:
-Start earlier. All the books and advice recommend putting seeds to start six weeks in advance. My plants are big enough right now, but I would prefer to put up bigger plants next year. Right now, most of my plants are just starting to get their first true leaves and some still only have cotyledons. My current plan is to start about the first of the year in the basement with grow lights. By the time May rolls around, I'll have much larger plants ready for the garden. I'll be making pesto while my neighbors are enjoying the last of their tulips.
-Start garden perennials with my annuals or even earlier. If I can start early enough, I can have decently sized perennials to add to the flower gardens, saving me a ton of money in the long run, even if I have to be more patient in the short-term.
-Basil is prone to damping off. I had to throw out all of the Lemon/Lime basil mix because of this. I need to water slightly less and ventilate much more.
-I need to practice dividing and collecting seeds in the fall. We'll see how this goes.
Today, 6 weeks later, the plants have been transplanted into bigger, biodegradable pots from their starters, but they are still smaller than I expected. Lesley and I also started, a bit later, tomatoes, catnip, bush basil, sunflowers, poppies, cucumbers, gourds, and myriad of other plants from seed.
I am designing a raised bed for everything that should be up in the next week or two. Our last frost date is the 15th of May, and I expect to be ready by then to transplant everything into the ground.
Lessons learned to be implemented next year:
-Start earlier. All the books and advice recommend putting seeds to start six weeks in advance. My plants are big enough right now, but I would prefer to put up bigger plants next year. Right now, most of my plants are just starting to get their first true leaves and some still only have cotyledons. My current plan is to start about the first of the year in the basement with grow lights. By the time May rolls around, I'll have much larger plants ready for the garden. I'll be making pesto while my neighbors are enjoying the last of their tulips.
-Start garden perennials with my annuals or even earlier. If I can start early enough, I can have decently sized perennials to add to the flower gardens, saving me a ton of money in the long run, even if I have to be more patient in the short-term.
-Basil is prone to damping off. I had to throw out all of the Lemon/Lime basil mix because of this. I need to water slightly less and ventilate much more.
-I need to practice dividing and collecting seeds in the fall. We'll see how this goes.
Renewed Interest
I got bored with my blog. Also, changes at work and at home have changed my attention to the projects I enjoy. Recently, however, I have renewed my interest in continuing these posts for myself, for the interest of my brother, and for a reference for me later if I choose to repeat my projects and experiments.
This year, my girlfriend bought a house, and my projects are mostly related to her house. Since my last blog, I have remodeled the bathroom, painted the two main rooms in the downstairs, and brought several elements of the house up to current code. Additionally, she and I have done a great deal of canning and gardening.
I am going to attempt to retroactively post on some of the topics, particularly the garden, in order to improve my method next year.
This year, my girlfriend bought a house, and my projects are mostly related to her house. Since my last blog, I have remodeled the bathroom, painted the two main rooms in the downstairs, and brought several elements of the house up to current code. Additionally, she and I have done a great deal of canning and gardening.
I am going to attempt to retroactively post on some of the topics, particularly the garden, in order to improve my method next year.
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