I have recently run into a problem that had been perplexing me for the past month. I have been running short on additional space for annual vegetables and fruits. Because of the rotation I will not have as much room for tomatoes this year and I want to have more broccoli and cauliflower as well as trying some new varieties of watermelon and cantaloupe.
I have a plan.
I am going to build three new vegetable plots, create a few raised beds, build some planter boxes and perhaps rent space in a community garden. This sounds simple but the result of this plan is that I now have to rip out a few large sections of my yard.
I will be exchanging lawn for vegetables.
This is the entire point of edible landscaping and so the time and effort will be worth it. I will expound on each of my little projects in detail on further blog posts.
In the mean time start looking in your yard for spaces that could be converted!!
Showing posts with label stone fruit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stone fruit. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Biodiversity and the Edible Landscape
Many home gardeners limit their crops to maybe a few tomato plants and perhaps some strawberries or a small herb garden. Although this is a great start I would encourage these gardeners to look for more opportunities to replace purely decorative plants with varieties of plants that bring nutrition and sustenance and the benefits of reduced trips to the store to purchase produce.
A very good way to do this is to look at the landscape like a landscaper. Divide the yard into three stories. The floor is the story of the landscape that includes ground covers, ferns, mosses and low growing plants. The second story of the home landscape is the overgrowth which includes shrubs, large plants, vines and brambles. The canopy is the final story of the landscape. This story is basically trees.
When a gardener walks out into their green spaces they should look for opportunities to include plants that fill all three of these levels in order to create a design that looks natural. This type of planning is effective because it surrounds the observer in vegetation transporting them away from the hard urban forms that compose most of the scenery throughout their day. This aesthetic is also functional as it allows the gardener to create a microclimate with placement opportunities for greater varieties of plants.
This use of space will automatically increase your biodiversity because you are seeking out plants that produce nutrition and that fill a role within your design. Tucking in an extra few strawberry plants between the rock retaining wall and the pathway below it or placing an espaliered apple tree against a garden shed are examples of such planning.
Considerations:
Be aware of shadows cast by trees. When planting your dwarf orchard be aware of the canopy and it's shade. Get a twelve foot piece of PVC and hold it vertically where you plan on planting your tree. Observe where the end of the shadow falls. Repeat this process throughout a single day morning, noon and night. Record your results and then do this day pattern over a four month summer period starting in April. I know that this puts planting that orchard off for a year but careful observation and planting will allow you to take advantage of every square inch of your usable space.
Every safety railing or piece of wrought iron is a trellis. View every piece of decorative iron and every safety railing as an opportunity to support a grape, kiwi, or pole bean. Do not underestimate the value of these ready made supports in creating food opportunities.
Find edible flowers. Edible landscapes can include amazing flowers and spring displays. Day-lilies, Jerusalem Artichoke, Cherry tree blossoms, Sunflowers, Cone Flower, Roses, Arugula, Lavender, Nasturtiums, Marigolds, Crocus for harvesting saffron, Clover, Bachelors Buttons, and the controversial dandelion are all edible and add color to the garden.
Consider insect diversity. Bees offer good pollination and honey. Lady bugs and Lady birds control harmful insects as do mantis, mud daubers, wasps, masons bees, lacewings, predatory mites, mealy bug destroyer, and beneficial nematodes. Some of these can be introduced into your gardens and landscapes and will self sustain offering years of protection.
Be willing to experiment. Cold hardiness zones and soil types are guidelines that should receive some consideration. However, testing a sample plant now and then might yield unexpected results and opportunities for greater diversity. Try new and unusual varieties of annual vegetables as well as trees and shrubs. Be willing to accept some losses and test the boundaries of commonly accepted local gardening advice.
Consider Dioecious Fruit Trees. Instead of using self pollinators consider the two variety option where there is room to do so. This practice forces the gardener to increase the biodiversity and resilience of their garden. It may be necessary to graft additional varieties onto existing trees where space is limited in order to gain the same benefits.
Look at plant limitations as opportunities. Instead of looking at a label or planting guidelines as a limitation change your thinking into the question: "Where would this work in my garden?" this simple shift in thinking can reveal ways of filling up those nooks and crannies of unused space and increase your yield.
Research, Research, Research. I find new and interesting plants everyday that I am ready to add to my edible landscape and I encourage readers of my blog to share what they know with me or anybody else I enjoy learning everything I can about new edible varieties that will survive in my climate.
A very good way to do this is to look at the landscape like a landscaper. Divide the yard into three stories. The floor is the story of the landscape that includes ground covers, ferns, mosses and low growing plants. The second story of the home landscape is the overgrowth which includes shrubs, large plants, vines and brambles. The canopy is the final story of the landscape. This story is basically trees.
When a gardener walks out into their green spaces they should look for opportunities to include plants that fill all three of these levels in order to create a design that looks natural. This type of planning is effective because it surrounds the observer in vegetation transporting them away from the hard urban forms that compose most of the scenery throughout their day. This aesthetic is also functional as it allows the gardener to create a microclimate with placement opportunities for greater varieties of plants.
This use of space will automatically increase your biodiversity because you are seeking out plants that produce nutrition and that fill a role within your design. Tucking in an extra few strawberry plants between the rock retaining wall and the pathway below it or placing an espaliered apple tree against a garden shed are examples of such planning.
Considerations:
Be aware of shadows cast by trees. When planting your dwarf orchard be aware of the canopy and it's shade. Get a twelve foot piece of PVC and hold it vertically where you plan on planting your tree. Observe where the end of the shadow falls. Repeat this process throughout a single day morning, noon and night. Record your results and then do this day pattern over a four month summer period starting in April. I know that this puts planting that orchard off for a year but careful observation and planting will allow you to take advantage of every square inch of your usable space.
Every safety railing or piece of wrought iron is a trellis. View every piece of decorative iron and every safety railing as an opportunity to support a grape, kiwi, or pole bean. Do not underestimate the value of these ready made supports in creating food opportunities.
Find edible flowers. Edible landscapes can include amazing flowers and spring displays. Day-lilies, Jerusalem Artichoke, Cherry tree blossoms, Sunflowers, Cone Flower, Roses, Arugula, Lavender, Nasturtiums, Marigolds, Crocus for harvesting saffron, Clover, Bachelors Buttons, and the controversial dandelion are all edible and add color to the garden.
Consider insect diversity. Bees offer good pollination and honey. Lady bugs and Lady birds control harmful insects as do mantis, mud daubers, wasps, masons bees, lacewings, predatory mites, mealy bug destroyer, and beneficial nematodes. Some of these can be introduced into your gardens and landscapes and will self sustain offering years of protection.
Be willing to experiment. Cold hardiness zones and soil types are guidelines that should receive some consideration. However, testing a sample plant now and then might yield unexpected results and opportunities for greater diversity. Try new and unusual varieties of annual vegetables as well as trees and shrubs. Be willing to accept some losses and test the boundaries of commonly accepted local gardening advice.
Consider Dioecious Fruit Trees. Instead of using self pollinators consider the two variety option where there is room to do so. This practice forces the gardener to increase the biodiversity and resilience of their garden. It may be necessary to graft additional varieties onto existing trees where space is limited in order to gain the same benefits.
Look at plant limitations as opportunities. Instead of looking at a label or planting guidelines as a limitation change your thinking into the question: "Where would this work in my garden?" this simple shift in thinking can reveal ways of filling up those nooks and crannies of unused space and increase your yield.
Research, Research, Research. I find new and interesting plants everyday that I am ready to add to my edible landscape and I encourage readers of my blog to share what they know with me or anybody else I enjoy learning everything I can about new edible varieties that will survive in my climate.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Open bowl peach trees.
This week pruning peach trees is on my schedule. I would like to offer my advice on this even though my trees are somewhat different than the standard orchard tree. One of my peaches is espaliered the other is being grown as a spindle in order to save space, so neither is an ideal peach.
The ideal peach is pruned into an "open bowl." the concept is that up to four or five main branches are selected that are stemming out at a similar height. These branches would hold a bowl like fingers without the main leader of the tree. What I am going to say next is going to freak you out if you have never done this before so brace yourselves.
You need to take everything above these branches out. Now remove any branches that cross. What you have left is the "open bowl" This might seem very extreme, but to produce quality fruit you will need to prune the tree back hard. The tree will put its energy into these branches and the fruit. Pruning the tree will strengthen the branches and increasing the productivity of the tree. The late summer will produce new growth and next February/March you will need to repeat this process.
During the late summer you can prune to promote dwarfing of the tree. At this time you could also "head" the branches by pruning them at the end back to a smaller stem that has a nice angle that you like (30-45 degrees)
The ideal peach is pruned into an "open bowl." the concept is that up to four or five main branches are selected that are stemming out at a similar height. These branches would hold a bowl like fingers without the main leader of the tree. What I am going to say next is going to freak you out if you have never done this before so brace yourselves.
You need to take everything above these branches out. Now remove any branches that cross. What you have left is the "open bowl" This might seem very extreme, but to produce quality fruit you will need to prune the tree back hard. The tree will put its energy into these branches and the fruit. Pruning the tree will strengthen the branches and increasing the productivity of the tree. The late summer will produce new growth and next February/March you will need to repeat this process.
During the late summer you can prune to promote dwarfing of the tree. At this time you could also "head" the branches by pruning them at the end back to a smaller stem that has a nice angle that you like (30-45 degrees)
Friday, February 26, 2010
Time to fertilize your fruit trees.
This weekend is the best time to fertilize stone fruit and apples to get them ready for the next season. I would recommend a bloom boosting fertilizer like 0-10-X with a predominant phosphorus load or ask your local nursery what they would recommend for your area and soil conditions. This early spring fertilizer will have a chance to break down and will get carried with the spring melt into the roots giving the tree what it needs when it breaks dormancy.
For those who do not have their fertilizer numbers memorized the first number represents Nitrogen content. The zero in the first part of this number 0-10-X indicates that there is little to no traceable Nitrogen. This is good in the spring as Nitrogen will boost tree growth and leafing. You want blooms so the middle number (Phosphorus) is the number that you want to pay attention to for this application. The final number is Potassium. Potassium is essential for the metabolic function of the tree regulating dozens of tree functions and so this number can be as high or even higher then the Phosphorus rating.
Wood ashes are a good spring fertilizer for trees containing mostly Phosphorus and Potassium but it will also alkalize the soil so excessive application can cause problems if used later than the las spring rain as rain tends to be a little acidic and will correct for the alkali of the wood ash.
If there is still snow on the ground this is actually a good thing as it will begin to dissolve the granules and any further freeze cycles will break apart minerals and aid in absorption.
Apply the fertilizer around the drip line and use about a half a pound of fertilizer for a small tree up to 3 pounds for a large tree. In my estimation it is best to guess on the low side as you do not want to burn the roots.
ATTENTION: KEEP FERTILIZER AT LEAST A FOOT AWAY FROM THE TRUNK OF THE TREE TO KEEP THE TREE FROM BURNING.
For those who do not have their fertilizer numbers memorized the first number represents Nitrogen content. The zero in the first part of this number 0-10-X indicates that there is little to no traceable Nitrogen. This is good in the spring as Nitrogen will boost tree growth and leafing. You want blooms so the middle number (Phosphorus) is the number that you want to pay attention to for this application. The final number is Potassium. Potassium is essential for the metabolic function of the tree regulating dozens of tree functions and so this number can be as high or even higher then the Phosphorus rating.
Wood ashes are a good spring fertilizer for trees containing mostly Phosphorus and Potassium but it will also alkalize the soil so excessive application can cause problems if used later than the las spring rain as rain tends to be a little acidic and will correct for the alkali of the wood ash.
If there is still snow on the ground this is actually a good thing as it will begin to dissolve the granules and any further freeze cycles will break apart minerals and aid in absorption.
Apply the fertilizer around the drip line and use about a half a pound of fertilizer for a small tree up to 3 pounds for a large tree. In my estimation it is best to guess on the low side as you do not want to burn the roots.
ATTENTION: KEEP FERTILIZER AT LEAST A FOOT AWAY FROM THE TRUNK OF THE TREE TO KEEP THE TREE FROM BURNING.
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