Wawa-melon: Second Shift

Shift Work...

Because I wrote my entry so early today it didn't include all of my gardening, so I decided to write a second entry. I haven't been able to do much work outside because of the crazy weather but I was able to sneak in some gardening in two shifts today. For the last few days the rain will pour down for 15 minutes then the sun will come out for an hour. I took advantage for the hours of sun we got before the 7pm downpour that's last until this point, 12am. I'll be picking up where I left off in my last entry.

Amending...

I amended the beds during the second break in the rain. I filled the wheelbarrow with compost and added perlite, just like before then created hills for the 7 square foot plots assigned to the sweet potatoes. I had to scoop the compost mix into the bed, rather than pouring, because it happened to be the one bed with completed fencing. It probably ended up helping me out because pouring would have been a mess and could have crushed the tomato-berry plant taking up the rest of the bed. It's interesting that the smallest fruit, tomatoes, take up the most space. The tomato-berry plant needs a 4x4 space compared to the 2x2 space the Parks Whopper and Atkinson needs. Once I completed the hills I grabbed the recycling bin and added the rest of the compost mix from the wheelbarrow into it. It really looked like I'd have enough to fill the bin but it didn't even fill a fourth of it. I went back for a second filling and Perlite addition. Instead of topping off the recycling bin I went straight to Patch because I didn't want to fill the barrow a third time to amend my plots. I had to scoop into the four plots allotted for sweet potatoes in my bed because it wouldn't have worked any other way. I added a scoop to each square foot then mixed it into the existing soil and scooped another 3-4 inches of compost mix on top. Smart Gardener recommended that I amend the top 8 inches of soil with compost so I mixed one large scoop at least four inches deep then added another 3-4 on top. I think this will give my sweet potatoes a great start. Once I'd added the extra few inches of compost to the plots the twine dividers were covered so I pulled them up and pushed the sticks holding them down just about an inch or two so that they would show but not look out of place compared to the other dividers. When that was done I smoothed everything out and cleaned up all the stray compost I'd spilled. I was careful not to make too much of a mess so clean-up was quick. Since I was already clean I decided to get rid of all the weeds I'd pulled and left collecting insects about a week ago. I wasn't able to get rid of them early because of the weather but I've wanted to so I gathered my pile and tossed it. When I cleared everything I noticed that the spot on the path that housed the weeds was covered in worms and potato bugs or rolly-pollies. The worms instantly started inching their way to the nearest soil and the "rollies" began to scurry. I quickly ran to grab anything to smash the RP's with, I found an old tree stake and started to smash away. I think I got most of them and it was kind of fun. I'm starting to think that RP's are much more dangerous and reproduction-happy than I originally thought. They are everywhere, everywhere. 

Georgia...

I finished smashing grabbed my wheelbarrow with some remaining compost and my shovel and headed back to the Georgia Jet bed. I wheeled the barrow past the gate into the drive way then went inside to grab my trowel, planting gloves, and the slips. I poured the excess water out of the Slip cup and headed back out to plant those babies. We ordered 12 plants but only had enough room for 7 in that bed, and I'm using my home grown slips in the 4 plots in Patch, so I rifled through the lot to find the best looking ones. I set them aside and started marking off 12 inches for each plot. Once I'd done that I planted them as high on the compost hill a I could and as centered as possible. I watered them very lightly because I knew the rain was coming and time was running out on my second shift. 

Seven Georgia Jet slips planted on hills. They look bad but the pamphlet said they would and that they'd survive & thrive.

Wawa-melons...

With the remaining compost mix I topped off the recycling bin and decided between peanut plants and watermelon plants. Since peanuts are a root legume I went with the watermelons. I used the 2 plants, planted from seeds on April 3, that were together in 1 newspaper pot because the recycling bin could only hold two, max. I noticed that a mushroom was growing in the pot. So I pulled it out, took the newspaper off (didn't have too), and planted them in the center. I can't wait for them to produce fruit. I love tiny things and seeing the first mini watermelons will be a thrill for me, haha. I finished planting and getting everything I needed inside right in time for the rain. 

Mushroom in my watermelon seedling pot. 

Two watermelon seedlings planted, May 11, 2013.

String Them Up!

I started out the day by checking the weather because I decided that gardening in the rain when it's under 70 degrees probably isn't best. The weather read 57 and Sunny so I headed outside with my packet of spinach seeds, a new pair of gloves and a container.

I tried using one container but decided that it just didn't drain as quickly as I'd like... Considering that my strawberry plant was killed partially by root rot I picked a smaller container with better drainage and began filling it. I should have poured instead but I scooped. When I was finally done scooping about 30 minutes later I got one of those small rake looking things and a measuring tape. Why the tape you ask? Well, the back of the seed packaging said to plant the Bloomsdale Long-standing spinach 1/2 in. deep. So I measured the prongs on the small rake tool and raked through the top of the soil at 1/2in depth, abouts. Then I tore open the seed packet and was kinda shocked by how many seeds are in 1 package. I'd gotten 2 for 2 containers. You live and learn, I guess. So I put about 7 seeds in each row. If all of them germinate then I wasted like 38 seeds. I figured my chances were better that I'd get 3 to germinate by trying an overload of seeds. I'll definitely thin them out when they start growing if all of them do or more than 3.

Once I had completed the spinach container I decided that I needed to measure the interior wall of my raised bed considering that I hadn't moved the back wall in that meticulously. I knew it wouldn't come out to my originally planned 5x3 foot raised bed. It came to about 4.5 ft by 2.5 ft. Not exactly what I had expected but closer to that then I had figured. So I took a spade and started drawing the lines in the dirt. I had 6 1x1 square foot plots and on the perimeter I had one 4.5ft by .5in plot and one 2.5 ft by .5 inch plot. Although all of the plants I had plotted wouldn't fit into my square garden perfectly I decided not to be so disappointed by this and instead to be happy that I would have the space, in some sense, for each veggie selected. I am going to use the off-plots for the carrots. One variety in the 2.5 plot and the other in the 4.5 plot. I'll just plant 1 row instead of 2. That'll get me more than enough carrots. I hope. 

Once I had sectioned the dirt off with a spade I went inside to find some pieces of wood to use to hold my ties and string. I came back with 4 chopsticks, 1 paint mixer, 8 kabob sticks, and twine. I remeasured and used the bricks to hold one end of the string and the paint mixer, chopsticks, and kabob sticks to hold the end that ran to the concrete blocks. It took me awhile to get everything just right. I had to measure down the middle twice and remeasure each square once I realized I had gotten the middle off by 3 inches or so. Chopping the dirt up with a spade and tape measure wasn't as efficient as I'd thought. I finally got it right and my raised bed had transformed into a garden. Somehow, those string sections made it look real and fancy almost. I know it sounds silly but my picture of a garden includes those strings so "installing" them was kind of the last piece of building. All I need now besides the plants is a sign for the gate that allows entry to the side yard from the backyard. Then I'll be set.

As far as the container...

My spinach seeds should show something green in about 7 days but I don't know it may be more like 14. I told my mom this and she asked immediately "when can we eat it!?" I replied and said that it would be less if we picked the baby leaves. She said "baby spinach is better! With tomato though! When will they be ready?" And I replied again assuring her that spinach and tomato would be available together at some point in the summer but not as soon as the spinach, of course. I don't actually know this to be true but she sounded more disappointed then I was about sledge hammering my finger (still feel bruised btw). So I made a big to-do about how if we pick the leaves just right the others will keep growing. I read this somewhere but only once and I don't really know what "pick them right" means. I guess until I can plant the "ALFD" (after last frost date) plants I can look into harvesting the spinach and should. I never thought I could have an on-going crop. It'd be like having a home grocery store. Every time I want a spinach salad I just run out to "Patch Market" and pick the spinach fresh out of the container. That is kind of, REALLY COOL! I wish all the others were like that! Maybe they are?! Even if none of the others are on-going I'm pleased to try "picking them right." I told her she'd have to pick the spinach up herself considering that I've slaved over a small container to "make" it for her. I won't make her pick it all up herself but the same site that said to "pick them right" said that it would be better to eat the leaves the same day or moment (forgot) they were picked. So she'll either have to pick them up, get me to drop them off (some task she can get me to do almost anything) or eat day old spinach. I'm pretty sure the spinach in the store is about a month old so that won't be that bad.