Urban Gardening

With the peanut harvest in here in Virginia, it was time for a road trip up to the countryside to purchase some hand-picked Virginia peanuts. Peanuts fall into four basic types in the United States – Virginia, Runner, Spanish, and Valencia. Virginia Peanuts are a variety of peanuts grown primarily in Virginia; however, they are also raised in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. Personally, I think the Virginia peanuts grown in Virginia are better tasting; perhaps it’s because of the soil they are grown in. Virginia peanuts not only taste great but also have the unique ability to fix valuable nitrogen into the ground. They contain nodules in their root systems that produce nitrogen compounds. The fixed nitrogen is released when the plant dies; this helps to fertilize the soil.

 

With the growing season ending here at the Veggie-Bed, I would like to take this opportunity as the founding member of Urban Gardening to thank everyone for your posts and input. This growing season Urban Gardening has grown in so many ways. We have truly become a global group showing that people can come together to support each other.

Play in the dirt,
Tom Myrick

 

Petite Sweet Little Finger Carrots are another favorite root vegetable grown here at the Veggie-Bed. These carrots were sown in bunches of six in this 6 ft row; however, they grow well in 12-inch containers. With 60 days to harvest, we will start having fresh carrots in our kitchen by June.

An extra sweet, baby-type carrot the Petite Sweet Little Finger Carrot was developed for canning and pickling in France. With smooth skin and a small core, they are also great for snacks.

Writer: Tom Myrick

 

After finishing an early morning planting, the Veggie-Bed is entirely planted out. This season’s vegetable crops include:

• Kale
• Collards
• Carrots
• Onions
• Peas
• Beans
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Squash
• Chives
• Cilantro

All plants were started at the Veggie-Bed from seeds.

Now the real work begins – weeding!

Writer: Tom Myrick

 

The kale and collards are enjoying all the rain and cool temperatures here at the Veggie-Bed. This 10 ft X 10 ft leaf vegetable plot has been yielding fresh greens to the dinner table every day for several weeks. Not bad for a small urban garden.

Writer: Tom Myrick

 

With the last spring frost date behind us, these young plants are ready to be planted out. The cilantro is the first in line to go in the ground. Follow by the beans a week later, and the peppers two weeks afterward.

Writer: Tom Myrick

 

One of the advantages of having raised-row beds is the ability to drain off flooding. The rows here at the Veggie-Bed are built up and have furrows between them. The furrows allow excessive rain to run off into a ditch that retains the water and slowly soaks back into the surrounding ground.  In the past, this entire area would remain flooded for days.

(Please notice the flowerpots protecting the young seedlings from the hard rainfall)

Writer: Tom Myrick

 

It is amazing how quick life grabs hold. This tray of black turtle beans was placed in the seed incubator only 72 hours ago. The average return for beans is 120:1. This tray of seedlings, when fully grown, will yield approximately 1440 beans. These cultivars of black turtle beans are bush types yielding up to five pounds from every 10-foot row planted.

Writer: Tom Myrick

 

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One of our goals at the Veggie-Bed is to perfect and practice sustainable gardening techniques. Another objective is trying different varieties of vegetables that grow well in our region. Year after year, beans (bush) have yielded good results. This growing season we are experimenting with growing Black Turtle (bush) shelling beans. We are prepping these beans for the seed germinating incubator this morning.

Writer: Tom Myrick