Highlights of our garden notes

What I learned about tomatoes in Oregon
Require 6.5 ph soil
water from underneath (If you don't want to water for 2 weeks, take a 5 gallon bucket drill lots of holes in the bottom, bury the bucket in the ground leaving an 1" above ground. Plant a tomato plant on either side of the bucket. Fill the bucket up with water and don't water again for 5 weeks.

To protect tomatoes from rain cut the bottom out of a water cooler container and use it as a cloche for the tomato, left the top open.
To warm the soil around the tomato take two 1 gallon containers  preferably painted black and put on either side of the cloche. Fill with water put the lid on and place on either side of the cloche. The sun will warm the water and at night the warm water will warm the soil around the plant.

Every year add 6" of compost to your garden beds, or add agricultural lime in the fall.

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What I learned about the insects world
There are over 300,000,00 insects
Bugs can be beneficial and harmful what's important is the balance of them.
That is why chemical control is not a good idea it kills both the good and bad bugs and throws the cycle out of balance.
Kill aphids by popping them like bubble wrap. This sets off a pheromone that will attract lady bugs to finish them off. It also warns other aphids and says don't come here we are dying. Teach your kids to pinch aphids.

Spiders are good. Did you know they make a web and eat it everyday for protein in their diet.

Know what insect eggs look like lady bugs eggs are golden and rice shaped.
A fly that attacks veggie crops look like white rice shapes that are poked into the leave of a plant.
You want to get on top of these guys or they will destroy your crop. Pinching them is the best method, taking off the leaf and putting it in a plastic bag, it may come down to destroying that plant.

Caterpillars turn to moths or butterflies. Yes we like the butterflies but the caterpillars are destructive to food crops so you want to get rid of them.

Insects brains identify with one color. Some are drawn to blue or white or red. So if you plant to your flowers in one color grouping it's easier to draw certain bugs in and control others.

Don't spray with sprays that take care of many bugs because they will hurt beneficial bugs. If you have to use sprays use sprays that kill only one thing.

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Greenhouses
Glass is best, polycarbonate is next
Steel frames are best, but wood painted white would be Ok
You need vents in the roof and on the floor for good air flow
Lean to greenhouses are the most economical greenhouses
Concrete foundations are great and dark gravel would be next
Watering from underneath not over head
heating with a fan if needed but you have to have the right size heater for the size of green house you have
aluminized shade cloth is the best for growing
LED lights are the best but are too expensive, so florescent T5 bulb with another florescent red spectrum bulb are great for growing vegetables and flowering plants.
Use yellow sticky insect papers to catch the flying bugs
You have to know what your growing to know what kind of green house you need.
Are you growing for vegetable starts
or are you growing tropicals
This makes a huge difference because of the requirements.

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Eric learned from his tool class that spraying your tools after pruning with lysol is more effective than bleach or alcohol in killing bacteria and diseases. You want to do this every you go to a new plant to not spread diseases.

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In his tree class he learned not to put anything plantings under the tree. This robs the moisture the tree needs. You all so need to keep mulches 5" away from tree trunks to keep varmints from girdling.
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In his soil class he look NPK  (N is above, P is below and K is all around)
Worms, chicken manure, bat manure, are great.
Mulching mow
Kelp meal or seaweed are great

Organizing garden seed

Make a list of what you have 

Then make a list of what you like *

Beans 

Black valentine bush

Top crop bush 

Three color blend snap 2 packages

Straight n narrow bush 

Hutterite bush beans 

Italian rose bush beans

Beets

Taunus hybrid 

Early wonder

Broccoli 

Early green broccoli

*veronica broccoli

*sorrento broccoli arab

Cabbage 

Ruby perfection hybrid 

*parle cabbage 

*tender hear chinese cabbage

Carrots 

Touchon carrot 2 packages 

Nantes coreless carrots 

Kaleidoscope mix carrot mix

*Yaya carrots 

*Sugar snax 54 carrots

Cauliflower

*green mist

*Sunset cauliflower

Corn

Baby corn bonus

Cucumber 

Home made pickles 

Straight eight cucumber 

Cc cucumber

Climbing cucumber 

Mediterranean cucumber garden oasis 

*summer dance cucumber

Flowers 

Hand collected marigold seeds

Sweet pea incense peach shades

Garlic 

Garlic bulbs

*turkish giant garlic

Greens for the salad garden

Bistro corn salad or mache 

Pac choi me qing choi hybrid

Mesclun 

Alfresco mix multi pellet mixed greens

Lettuce

Kale white russian 

Kale lacinato cabbage family

Selvetica Arugula or roquette

Organic gourmet arugula

Arugula

Indian summer hybrid spinach

Tyee f1 spinach

Charlotte chard

*montecito lettuce 

*Ching chiang 

Gourds 

Luffa

Herbs

Fenugreek

Slow bolt cilantro 

Cilantro coriander 

Thyme 

Sweet genovese basil 2 packages 

Fineleaf dwaf bush basil 

Pistou basil 

Tarragon russian

Dill 

Spearmint

Cumin 

*finissimo verde a palla 

*lemon mint

Melons

Charente's 

Watermelon georgia rattlesnake

Watermelon diamond 

Watermelon sugar baby

Okra

*okra star of david

Onion family

Chives

Tokyo long bunching 

Blue solaise leek 

White onions bulbs

yellow onions bulbs

red onions bulbs

Peas

Lincoln shelling peas

Oregon giant edible pod peas

Home collected seas

Peppers 

Golden treasure 

Rainbow bell mix

California wonder 

Jalapeno pepper

Potatoes

Red pontiac 

Yukon gold

Pumpkins

Casper 

Rouge vif decamps

Radish

Custom radish mix 

French breakfast petit dejeuner

French breaksfast Rabat

Squashes 

Ronde de nice summer squash

Tomatoes 

Culinary mixture tomato

Gourmet heirloom blend indeterminate yellow, orange, red, pink, green, purple, bicolor 

Black sea man tomato

Campbell’s #33 VFA 

Heinz 1370 VFA

Rainbow cherry blend 

Seeds collected don’t know what they are

Notes for Back to Eden

Back To Eden Paul Gautschi 

Compost work it in 

Cover Garden with wood chips of various sizes every year to keep moisture in about an 1” 

Genesis 1:17-19

17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

The Covering is a protection

Ground is a living organism 

Top soil 100 years to build 1” 

John 15 

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Prune trees to produce fruit, God wants us to give like he does

Sustainable 

Conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources

Permaculture 

the development of agricultural system or method intended to be sustainable self sufficient 

Galatians 5

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Matthew 11:28-30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Wood chips of various sizes on the ground soil  provide Nitrogen so the air and water can get to the plant

When you do this you don’t have to rotate crops

Romans 1:20

20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Philippians 4:19

19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Fertilizer

Is Nitrogen Phosphorus potash 

Nitrogen is for:

Phosphorus is for:

Potash is for: 

Lamentations 3:27

27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke 

   while he is young.

Zechariah 4:10

10 “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the LORD that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone[a] in the hand of Zerubbabel?”

Footnotes:

1. Zechariah 4:10 Or the plumb line

Horse/ chicken manure has to sit 6 to months to a year before using 

Compost in winter 

Chickens eat yard waste and the benefit is you get compost and eggs

Worm bins eat waste and also make compost

Irrigation 

Is no longer needed because the woodchips keeps the moisture in 

Genesis 4:6

6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?

We sinned and need to be reconciled to God and be back under his covering

Psalm 1:3

3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, 

   which yields its fruit in season 

and whose leaf does not wither— 

   whatever they do prospers.

Romans 8:19

19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

1 John 3:2-3

2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Footnotes:

1. 1 John 3:2 Or when it is made known

Matthew 11:28-30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 6:26

26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:33

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Genesis 1:29

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

Psalm 19:1-3

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.

Genesis 1:26

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Jeremiah 33:3

3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.[a]

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths

Hebrews 1:3

3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Peas

We all love to eat fresh picked peas. They are a cool season crop that grow and mature quickly. This vegetable is easy to grow and a joy to eat. There are two types: shelling and edible pods. The shelling variety is where you open the pod and eat the green peas from inside. A snow variety have flat edible pods and are used in salads and stir fry recipes. The snap variety fills out like a shelling variety however unlike the shelling variety the pod is edible.
 

Botanical Family - Papilionaceae/Pea & Bean Family

Location - Enjoys moderate temperatures and will thrive in partial shade.

Soil - Light, rich, sandy with pH 6. Will tolerate moderate amount of acidity, but the soil should not be over rich in nitrogen.

Soil Preparation - Dig 3 inches of compost or aged manure before planting.

Seed Info -

• Seed Spacing - 2 inches apart 1-2 inches deep
• Germinate in soil temperature of 5 – 23 C
• Days to Maturity - 100-120 days

Planting Times - Direct seed early in spring as soon as soil is worked. Try planting between July and mid August for a fall crop.

Planting Instruction - Dig a row with the end of your hoe or shovel and drop the peas in. Cover them with soil and pat down the soil.

Companion Planting

• Positive affect: carrot, corn, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, radish, spinach
• Negative affect: tomato, turnip

Watering - This vegetable suffers most from heat and drought. They require regular watering.

Weeding - Keep weeded while plants are young.

Disease & Insects - Use crop rotation.

Harvest - Shelling: pick full pods every second day to keep plants producing. Snow: pick when flat pods are 3 inch long. Snap: pick when pods are full.

Storage - Can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Radishes

Radishes are the fastest growing vegetable in the garden. They are direct seeded and germinate very quickly. You will need to thin so plants are 1 inch apart. They mature in approximately 30 days and do not last long once they mature so harvest them quickly. Succession planting every few weeks lets you harvest all season. This plant will do well in a container, just make sure they are watered well, do not let them dry out. 

Botanical Family - Brassicaeae/Mustard Family

Companion Planting
Positive: bean cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, pea
Negative: squash, tomato

Location - Temperate, fairly open.

Soil - Light, sandy loam, one that drains rapidly. Will do well in any reasonable garden soil.

Soil Preparation - Rake in about 1” of compost or aged manure before planting.

Seed Info
Seed Spacing - 2” apart 3/4” deep
Germinate in cool soil
Days to Maturity - 25-60 days

Planting Times - Direct seed starting late April. Succession plant every week until early summer.

Planting Instruction - Form a shallow trench with a hoe; drop in seeds (2 seeds every 2”) then cover and firm soil down. Water well. Thin to every 2 inches. Need to grow quickly; need lots of water.

Watering - This vegetable needs a great quantity of water. They will become bitter or hot tasting if they do not get enough water.

Weeding - Keep weeded.

Disease & Insects - Root maggots – caused by unhealthy soil that has the wrong fertilizer.

Harvest - Pull the whole plant when they are ½” or more in diameter.

Storage - Store in refrigerator for up to a week.

Spinach

Spinach is a fairly easy vegetable to grow, however you need a rich soil that contains a lot of organic matter. This vegetable grows better is cool weather, so if you plan to grow during the summer months plant it between taller growing vegetables so it will get some shade.
 

Botanical Family - Chenopodiaceac/Goose foot

Companion Planting
Positive: cabbage, celery, eggplant, onion, pea, strawberry
Negative: none

Location - Northern exposure and low temperatures.

Soil - Need soil with an abundance of nitrogen with pH 6.2-6.9.

Soil Preparation - Dig in 3” to 6” of compost or aged manure.

Seed Info -
Seed Spacing - 6 “ apart
Germinate in soil temperature of 5 – 20 C
Days to Maturity - 40 – 60 days

Planting Times - Sow indoors early April to mid July; transplant at 4 weeks. Succession plant every 2 weeks. Can direct seed but will need to be thinned to every 6”.

Planting Instruction - Provide some shade during the summer months. Remay will work well.

Watering - Regular watering by thoroughly soaking plants late in the day; water more often during the hottest part of summer.

Weeding - Keep weeded.

Disease & Insects -

Harvest - Harvest outer leaves before sun hits them or spray them before cutting. Cut individual leaves with a scissors or sharp knife. If the center of the plant is left the plant will grow back and can be cut again. Cut the whole plant at the 2nd or 3rd cutting if the weather is warm. Plant goes to seed if the weather is hot.

Storage - Place moist leaves in plastic bags then place in refrigerator and they will keep up to a week.

Kale

Kale is a cool season crop that will overwinter well, in fact the flavor will improve after a frost. It can also be planted in early spring to be harvested in the summer. If you have a shady area (4 hours of sun) in your garden, this plant will do well, especially in the summer months. This vegetable matures quickly, is full of nutrients and can be eaten raw or cooked. It can be harvested as a whole plant or by cutting off lower leaves as you need them. 

Botanical Family - Brassicaeae/Mustard Family

Location - Sunny, well drained.

Soil - Rich, fertile loam with neutral pH (6.5-6.8).

Soil Preparation - Grows well after a green manure crop. Dig in 3 inches of compost orr aged manure and lime before planting.

Seed Info -

• Seed Spacing - 12 inches apart
• Germinate in soil temperature of 10 - 30C
• Days to Maturity - 50-72 days

Planting times - Sow late May; transplant at 4 weeks. Sow mid June to mid July for fall planting.

Planting Instruction - Like cool temperatures. Can be direct seeded or started as transplants. If direct seeding, plants will need to be thinned.

Companion Planting

• Positive affect: bean, dill, nasturtium, onion, potato, oregano, sage
• Negative affect: lettuce, tomato

Watering - Water regularly at the base of the plants; when sprinkling, the large leaves impede water from getting to the soil.

Weeding - Keep weeded while plants are small.

Disease & Insects - Club root – to prevent use rotation.

Harvest - Cut outer leaves when they are 6 inches or more in length. Once the plant starts producing smaller leaves cut the whole plant. Must be cooled quickly.

Storage - Is best stored in a sealed plastic bag or container in the refrigerator. It is best to use kale within a few days as it has a short shelf life.