Urban Gardening

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

 

CDC is responding to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Learn More About COVID-19

 

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

 

With the second season of no-till gardening underway here at the Veggie-Bed, the soil amendment and cultivating phase has started.

Last season we turned over the top layer of soil to remove weeds and create the raised rows.

This season a layer of pathogen-free composted cow manure was applied to the rows and lightly worked in, leaving the surface undisturbed. The manure improves soil quality while acting as a slow-release fertilizer.

Young plants are growing in the greenhouse, awaiting for transplanting into the garden when the right conditions prevail.

Writer: Tom Myrick

 

Maybe we should have sown snow peas instead of sugar snaps -lol-

Snow peas have flat edible pods with small peas. They are sometimes confused with sugar snaps, which are a cross between snow and garden peas.

Writer: Tom Myrick