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Previous months in Detroit, Michigan
With Debby Williams
2001
February
Hello to everyone! In the months ahead I am looking forward to contributing
as the United States Great Lakes Regional advisor. I think that Paula
and Gavin's idea of having advisors is great! I may not be able to work
in my garden right now, but I sure love reading about the other's that
can!
A bit about me - I am an Advanced Master Gardener living in a near suburb
of Detroit, Michigan. This area is USDA Hardiness Zone 6a (Michigan)/5b
(city warmth). It is traditional here to plant the warm weather loving
veggies on Memorial Day weekend, which is the end of May. The cool weather
crops can begin going in at the beginning of April. Harvesting is usually
completed by the end of October. My vegetable, herb and fruit gardens
are on a small scale as I am on a city lot. However, I do manage to grow
plenty of produce for freezing, canning and sharing with others. I have
been gardening for as long as memory serves, I can't imagine life without
this wonderful activity. I have recently "retired" from Information Systems
to pursue horticulture in a full time manner, beginning with a return
to school in the fall of 2001. I am also the author of two weekly e-zine's
on Fruit Gardening and Urban Kitchen Gardening at http://wz.com/homegarden/GardensPlants.html.
As I write this at the end of January, I am gazing at a snowy landscape.
However, there are plenty of gardening activities to do indoors! First
on the agenda is straightening out the heaps of garden seed and plant
receipts, as well as the plot diagrams, left over from the summer. My
husband has written a plant database program for me to run on my web site,
so I will be able to enter the varieties I grow, with appropriate comments,
and then share that information with others. My web site address is http://www.debbywilliams.com.
I will let you all know when the database is loaded and available.
The other project I am working on is weather tracking. As gardeners,
I think most of us are intently interested in temperatures and rainfall,
and for Christmas 1999 Santa brought me a manual minimum/maximum thermometer.
I have also invested in a rain gauge (however it is buried under the snow
right now!) I have been entering this information into a spreadsheet,
to easily graph the trends year to year. This year Santa upgraded the
manual thermometer to a digital talking one, and I have added a new component
that was suggested at an organic vegetable gardening seminar I attended
in June. It is a large calendar hanging just inside my back door. This
way I can record the weather but I can also track activities throughout
the growing seasons. The idea is that first thing when I come in from
the garden, I jot down what I have done and any pests I have seen. After
a few years this should show trends, especially useful for Integrated
Pest Management. The example the instructor gave us was Colorado Potato
Beetles - she said that after a few years she knows when they come and
waits until after that date to plant her potatoes. I thought this was
a great idea and will let you know how it progresses.
(A side note: I have yet to figure out how to track the snowfall. If
anyone has any suggestions, please pass them along! My e-mail address
is debby@debbywilliams.com)
March
Here in Detroit winter is drawing to a close. The snow cover has been
gone for several weeks, the last two weekends have brought storms with
snow, ice and heavy rains. With the heavy rains have come floods that
are our affecting our yard. This has been an ongoing problem over the
last several years , and new construction on the adjoining property has
made the problem worse than we have ever seen. I have come to the realization
that a new location must be found for the kitchen garden. After careful
consideration, I have selected a place on the west side of our house.
This is "high ground" and visible from my kitchen window. It will be a
challenge getting it ready for planting by the end of May, but in the
past I have had a season without my fresh fruit and veggies, and vowed
"NEVER AGAIN"!
The seed orders are starting to arrive and I am looking forward to starting
my perennials in a few weeks, and the flowers and vegetables at the end
of the month. In my mind, there is nothing more miraculous than watching
a seed sprout and grow into a strong food producing plant. After trying
many methods of seed starting, I find I have the best luck with "mini
greenhouses" that use capillary matting for consistent water distribution.
In the past I have had problems with "damping off" so this year I will
be paying close attention to sterilization and air circulation.
As I walked in my yard today, I saw my first Snow Drops in bloom. The
crocus cannot be far behind.
Happy Spring!
April
This past month I have been working at a nursery planting cuttings and
seedlings in a greenhouse. Usually I am working alone, enjoying the quiet
and the plants. What a wonderful break from the drab end of winter!
Because of this employment opportunity I have gained many new ideas to
start my growing season. I am in the process of starting seeds for my
garden and have discovered starter trays with cells less than 1"
in size. I will be using one to start my tiny seeds for St. Johns Wort,
Alyssum and Impatiens. This tray is just the right size to sit on top
of my fridge for the extra bottom warmth needed to aid germination.
The other new idea will be trying is starting my canna and dahlia bulbs
indoors. I was never a fan of these flowers but was given bulbs last summer.
I am the type of gardener who has to grow anything obtained for free,
so now these plants are part of my garden. The technique is to plant the
bulbs in 4" pots and they are not to be watered until a sprout has
broken the soil surface. I will be placing the pots on my light table
with the other seed trays.
I have mentioned before that this year I will be establishing a new vegetable
garden with limited space. I have been reading "The Postage Stamp
Gardening Book" to learn about intensive methods. This book teaches
a modified French Intensive Gardening method and is helping me gear up
to start the bed preparation soon. It seems our weather has been on the
dry side, so I may actually be able to start digging off the sod this
month.
I have ordered 'Cardinal' strawberries and 'Heritage' raspberries. I
found excellent instructions for constructing a container for the strawberries.
'Cardinal' is said to work well in containers as it will fruit on first
year, unrooted runners. The raspberries will be interplanted in my daylily
bed along the west side of my house. I am expecting the daylilies to be
done flowering about the time the raspberries will be starting to set
berries, so the timing should work out well.
I am definitely anxious for the gardening season to begin outdoors, and
with the promise of a "normal" summer, I have high hopes for
this years gardens.
May
Spring is here!!!! The Magnolia and tulips are in bloom and my baby seedlings
are happily growing in the basement. Today the temperature was near 80F.
Our spring has been pretty close to "normal". The temperatures
have bounced between freezing and a balmy 75F, sometimes in the same day.
I do believe we are shy on the rainfall and am hoping that this does not
indicate that we will have a dry summer. The rain barrel doesn't help
the water bill if nothing is filling it!
As I said my seedlings are coming along, many have developed their second
set of leaves and good root systems. They are ready to be moved to larger
accommodations. I was thoroughly thrilled with my tiny seed tray results.
Impatiens germinated within 2 weeks - the seed pack says to expect 28
days. St. Johns Wort also sprouted quickly. My other experiment, pre planting
my summer flower bulbs, is also going well. My Canna Lily bulbs are starting
to poke through the soil. This will give me an extra 2 months of bloom.
I feel like I am getting a good start for the season.
The few "perennial" fruits and herbs I have growing in the
yard are starting to show life. Rhubarb is coming along well and it won't
be long before I have enough for strawberry rhubarb cobbler. Yum-Yum!
My Red Haven peach tree has leaf buds but I am not seeing any flowers
- I started it from a pit a few years back and have no idea how long it
will be before it is mature enough to start producing fruit. If you do
- please let me know!
I have been attending an Organic Gardening Class and will be trying many
of the methods I have been learning. I believe I do finally understand
"no till" and the web of life living in our soil. Instead of
peeling off the sod for the new veggie bed I have spread a thin layer
of compost and then laid dark landscape fabric on top. This fabric is
supposed to smother the grass within 3 to 4 weeks and then I am to plant
directly into the soil, no tilling is to be done. We shall see how it
all works.
Strawberry and Raspberry plants, and my potato "seeds" are
on their way from the supplier this week so I will be assembling my strawberry
pots tomorrow. I managed to find simple clay jars with side pockets and
will put a pipe with holes down the center to supply water to the plants.
I will also be going to my favorite feed store to pick up some straw for
my potato containers. I plant them in "whiskey barrel planters"
and will be using a mixture of compost and straw for their soil.
I LOVE this time of year! There is so much to do and I find myself running
around like a nut, but then to see it all come together in August, words
cannot describe it. Only other veggie gardeners could understand! Happy
Spring everyone!
June
Well, it seems Mother Nature heard my call for more rain. In my May report
I moaned about the lack of it. Now in June, I will moan about how much
we have had, as well as the cool - no make that cold - weather.
During most of May we averaged a little over 1" per week, which
is good, when it is warm. But our daytime temperatures have ranged around
65F, night temps sometimes down to 40F. With continuous cloudy skies,
it has remained very soggy. This past week we have had another 2.3 inches
- a bit much in my mind. Sooo, all the seedlings are waiting patiently
on the front porch to be planted in their new bed.
The landscape fabric seems to have done a good job of smothering the
grass in the new vegetable patch. I will be planting in the area without
tilling. I have my mind set on later this week, as it seems the rain may
stop for a few days and I am off work. Most gardeners here that do wait
for the proper planting temperatures are becoming very restless (can you
tell?) and are starting to plant with the belief that this weather has
to break soon.
My perennial herbs (tarragon, chives, oregano, thyme) and rhubarb are
doing well. I have already harvested one batch of rhubarb and will be
going for another this week. (The cobbler was excellent!) The strawberry
plants are doing well in their pots with buds beginning to form on some
of the plants. I have managed to plant containers of peppermint and spearmint
- I alternate between pots and the garden
based on my patience with its rambling habit - as well as some scented
geraniums. Scented geraniums fascinate me and I purchased three varieties
at the farmers market; a lemon scent, a lime scent, and a rose scent with
a variegated leaf. They all are shaped so differently, and the foliage
is great for sachets and potpourri. I also purchased a rosemary seedling
but it has already succumbed to powdery mildew. I will wait for the weather
to clear before replacing it.
I wish I had more to report, but Mother Nature needs to hear my plea
so
I can get the planting done. Hopefully this week will bring us the
weather changes we need to move forward with our gardens.
July
Happy Summer!
Mother Nature heard my plea for warm weather. A few days after I wrote
the June report, the weather cleared and temperatures have been 80F or
higher ever since. Rain has continued to be regular, but shy of the needed
1" per week that is needed for the garden. On June 8th I planted
the main vegetable and herb garden. I did remove the landscape fabric
I used to smother the grass. The only survivors seem to be violets. I
added another layer of compost, which is giving approximately a 3"
layer on top of the original turf. I planted seeds in the compost, and
dug through the sod to plant the seedlings, herb transplants and rhubarb.
I have 5 beds total, each 7.5 feet long, and from 3 to 4.5 feet wide.
This is what I planted in detail.
Bed 1: All plants are from seed purchased in 2000 from Cook's Garden.
(2) Red/Yellow Pear Tomato, (2) San Marzano Paste Tomato, (2) Dona Tomato,
(3) Eggplant - Garden Mix, (3) Sweet Pepper - Carnival Mix. Since I plant
small gardens, I like to plant the mixed seeds so I get a variety without
the expense of purchasing individual packets. I also have French Thyme
in this bed, seeds are from Renee's Garden. The tomato plants are planted
against a trellis made from chicken wire. I looked at a lot of trellising
methods for tomatoes and liked this one
the best. It is the first time I have tried it.
Bed 2: This bed ended up being a "freebie" bed. There were
extra plants at work (an ornamental plant nursery), and they were given
to me. I guess I am the only vegetable gardener there! So I have (1) Early
Dividend Broccoli, (3) Red Cabbage, (2) Early Round Dutch Green Cabbage,
and (3) Snowball Cauliflower. These vegetables are a first for me, so
it will be interesting to see how they do. I also have Cooks Garden Emerite
Pole Beans, planted around a tepee made out of bamboo poles, and Greek
Oregano in this bed.
Bed 3: I have planted Correnta Spinach, Red Sails Lettuce, Lollo Rossa
Lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce, and Danvers Half Long Carrots.
All of these seeds were purchased from Pinetree Seeds, which sells a smaller
sized packet (remember when seeds were only 90 cents?). This is my first
year using their seeds and so far all looks good.
Bed 4: This is my squash bed. I have been looking for suggestions to
help with the problems I encountered here. I transplanted Orient Express
Cucumbers, and they are doing fine. I planted Cooks Garden Squash Summer
Mix and Table Ace Winter Squash. I know the seed is ok, as I saw some
sprouting. I also observed a large ant colony in this bed. The sprouts
have now disappeared. I was trying to figure out how to make the ants
leave so I can replant. However, I am only finding information that will
kill them. I don't want to use pesticides - organic or non - since it
will be re-planted as soon as they move out, so I will try boiling water
on the hill. If that doesn't work, I will use a bait.
Bed 5: Herbs and Rhubarb reside in this bed. The herbs are Sweet Genovese
Basil (which is a small leafed Basil), Dill, Flat Leaf Parsley, Chives,
Tarragon and Slo-bolt Cilantro.
After planting these beds I used a straw mulch on them. The only weeds
I am seeing are the ones from the compost (I cold compost so it is common
for me to get weed seeds) and the violets.
Yellow Finn Potatoes were planted in barrels on June 22nd. I place a
layer of stone on the bottom for fill and drainage, then about 4"
of compost in which the "seeds" are placed, then I top it all
with straw. These have to be watered regularly or the potatoes do not
form well.
The Strawberry plants are growing well in their containers, but I am
not seeing many flowers yet. I am trying not to get too anxious!
I purchased another Rosemary plant, the Athens Select brand. It is supposed
to be highly resistant to powdery mildew and so far looks very happy in
it's new pot. Of course, I am sure the warm weather is helping the mildew
situation.
I am now to the point where I wait. Watering regularly and keeping the
weeds under control. And in the mean time, it is off to the flower gardens,
seeing what I can do there.
August
It's mid-summer and now is a good time to evaluate how the garden is
doing.
The Herbs are doing well - those in pots as well as in the ground. It
is time to do a thorough harvest and run them through the dehydrator.
The dehydrator is one of the best investments I have ever made. It sure
beats hanging bunches of herbs
from the basement rafters! It also seems to keep the color and flavor
of the leaves better.
The squash bed - last month I wrote of my ant problem and I did use boiling
water
to get rid of them. I did one good dose, waited a week of so and then
did another even though I did not see anymore ants. I just wanted to make
sure they were gone before replanting the summer squash. I did replant
the zucchini and yellow squash, and I am hoping I will get at least a
few before the end of the season. The cucumbers that are in the same bed
have weathered all this activity and are starting to produce for me.
Lettuce crops - not much happening there except the Lollo Rosa. It seems
to be doing well despite the heat. It will be time to plant another batch
of lettuce and spinach for the cooler weather in a few weeks. The carrots
did not seem to germinate well. This is a problem I have had in the past.
Never quite figured out why some years they do well, and others they don't.
I probably should look at the seed source and see if that is the issue.
The green beans are starting to be ready for picking. The cabbage seems
to be coming along, but since I have never grown them I am guessing. I
don't think the
cauliflower is doing well. But again I don't know for sure since this
is also a first for me.
The green Peppers are budding up and the tomatoes have lots of babies.
Our weather has been on the hot side and water inconsistent so I did find
about a dozen San Marzano paste tomatoes with blossom end rot on them.
All the other varieties seem to be doing good. No signs of buds on the
eggplant yet - they are
always slow for me, but I usually get a few per plant by the end of the
summer.
The strawberries are still growing in the pots. They have lots of runners
but still no fruit. I am not too concerned because I can always move them
in the fall into a regular bed and have berries next year. This way I
have not lost my plant investment.
My poor Raspberries. The dryness has been hard on them, especially since
I forgot about them! I now have a soaker hose around them so they will
get watered with the rest of the garden. When I planted them I left the
existing cane and some of them have produced small berries, others have
not. I have the everbearing
variety - Heritage - and I usually cut them to the ground in the fall
and then get one big harvest late the following summer. I am not sure
what cycle these are in so I am concentrating on getting them established
for next year. The daylilies have faded now and it is time to cut them
back. This will let the raspberries be more visible. Mixing the two has
turned out to be a good idea. The established raspberries (from previous
years plantings) have grown taller than the lilies and are producing some
nice big berries.
The potatoes are blossoming like crazy. I sure hope all is going well
in those barrels. I have been diligent and water them every day so I have
high hopes for
this crop. This is my husbands favorite (he's half Irish!) and I have
him do the
harvesting.
There is still no sign of the grass that I smothered for the vegetable
bed. This seems to have been a good method to get a garden started. I
also used this method to establish a flower bed and it appears to be establishing
well.
I mentioned the weather has been hot. It has been a typical July here.
The last
week of June and first two weeks of July were very dry, but the last few
weeks
have started to move away from that trend. Compared to last year we are
ahead in
rainfall for the month.
Now we are moving into August, my favorite summer month. Could be because
it's
my birth month....but I think it is because the summer weather becomes
a little milder, the annual flowers are blooming profusely and the garden
starts producing
like crazy!
September
My August report is being written a little later than normal - September
10th - so I have now witnessed Mother Natures struggle to hang on to the
last days of summer. This weekend we experienced warm, humid weather with
plenty of rain (2") as a cold front struggled to work it's way here.
Today it is a comfortable 75F degrees, a month ago it was 92F degrees.
Predicted low temperatures for this week are 45 - 55F. At least the lettuce
will be happy!
August started out with hot dry weather. Although meterologists contined
to decree we were in a drought, it seemed like a typical summer to me.
Dry in July, leading to brown lawns in August,with the sounds of summer
fading away - the rustling field grass in the wind, the crickets and grasshoppers
calling for their mates.
In the beginning of August the vegetable garden was still struggling
from the heat and dryness. Even though I had started watering weekly,
it is not the same as rain. I have read that tomatoes do not ripen well
in temps over 90F, and I believe it! Once the temperatures moderated later
in the month they started coming. The paste and pear tomatoes are doing
great, my slicers are still a little slow. It could also be that they
do not get as much sunshine. The regular watering solved the
blossom end rot problem I was having, I still think it odd that only the
paste tomatoes were affected by this problem.
I had a terrible infestation of black aphids in my yard. I watched the
lady beetles clean them from the potato plants, and then move 150 feet
east to the vegetable garden. By the time they arrived there, the bean
leaves were very damaged. Once they did their clean up duties, the bean
vines recovered and I am harvesting them again.
My greens did not do well, probably because they were planted so late.
I have replanted the lettuce and spinach for a fall harvest and they have
started sprouting. While I was at it, I also planted another crop of parsley
and cilantro. My herbs have done very well this summer. The dehydrator
has been running since the beginning of August, drying many of them for
culinary and potpourri use.
This month I found the first Japanese Beetle in my yard - ever. For those
not familiar with this insect, it is a non-native beetle that has developed
immunity to all available pesticides. The only way to eliminate it is
to hand pick them and drown them into a bucket of soapy water. The alternative
it to treat the lawn for grubs, but then you eliminate all beetles. This
beetle has been present in surrounding
communities for a few years and it had not bothered my garden before now.
But - I used to be surrounded by non-chemical using home owners. In the
last few years the properties around me have been re-developed with "McMansions"
and now have homeowners that perform the mindless, commercial 5 times
a year, lawn ferilizer/herbicide/pesticide treatments. Interesting - No?
I ran across some interesting tidbits while reading the summer issue
of POMONA (this is published by the North American Fruit Explorers http://www.nafex.org).
In an article about establishing a raspberry patch, the author Dave Wilcox
discusses how ants like it hot and dry for establishing colonies. This
could explain why I had such a hard time with the ants in my garden. The
location I selected is the highest,
warmest, dryest spot in my yard!
In the Permaculture article, Dan Hemenway discusses how carrots do not
grow well in heavy mulch. He has found that carrots grow better in double
dug beds. This could explain why I only have two growing from the whole
package of seed I put in!
Overall, the garden is doing OK. I have had better, I have had worse.
My excitement is more that I have a permanent location for the garden
so my efforts to improve the soil will pay off year to year. This in itself
is a huge milestone for me as in the last 10 years or so I have either
not been able to have a garden or had to move it every year. For a gardener
- optimism is never ending, is it not?
October
September is a difficult month to reflect on, as I, like most Americans,
had all my attention diverted to the tragedy of September 11. A garden
writer in Alaska wrote of her attempt to find solace in her garden only
to have a plane fly overhead. As I live near two active airports, for
much of September my trips to the garden were eerily quiet.
This months weather has really transitioned us into autumn. At this
point I do not believe we well have our warm "Indian Summer",
a week in late September/early October that sees temperatures in the upper
70's. Although our weather was beautiful this weekend, it was about 10
degrees lower than that. Last week was a bone chiller with temperatures
in the 40's -- during the day! -- and lots of rain. Winter coats, hats
and gloves were the fashion statement of the week. With all that, we
still did not have our first frost so the green tomatoes did start to
ripen up this weekend. My cabbage is coming especially well, and for
a crop that I did not plan on planting, I believe it is doing the best
of anything I have grown this summer! I am ready to retire the cucumber
and squash bed -- I never did get any summer squash -- and will plant
a cover crop of oats. My information tells me that oats are great for
breaking up the soil with their roots, and these beds can use that.
I became over anxious about the potatoes in the barrels. Was I watering
them enough? Was I watering them too much? I went ahead and dug them
up last week -- and have 5 pounds from the two barrels. I believe this
is one of the best potato harvests I have had. I am sure that I would
have gotten more out of them if I had not become impatient. Well, it's
all a learning process isn't it?
October will find me gradually putting things to bed for the winter.
By the end of the month the tomato, pepper and eggplant bed will also
be planted with oats. I will probably push the green beans, cabbage and
broccoli as long as possible. I find it takes a lot to stop the green
beans from producing. The lettuce will keep going into November. I
am in the process of getting the bed cleaned out for the strawberry plants
as they will be taken from their pots and grown in ground for next year.
My biggest surprise of all are the raspberries. They look like I will
be getting some -- not enough for a pie -- but at least they established
this year.
I think that is about all my news this month. Thank you to everyone
for your thoughts and prayers for us here in the United States. It was
helpful to know that the world cares about us and shares our sorrows.
Working together we can make this world a safer place.
November
Well, it is now time for the garden to rest. Me too!
All the gardens have been harvested with the exception of some lettuce
still coming along. My oats have been sown, although I think the birds
ate most of the seed. The strawberry bed has been planted for next summers
berries. And my main focus now is keeping the bird feeders filled for
the little guys to stay healthy and warm this coming winter.
See you back here next spring!
2002
July
Life is very scattered right now as we made the decision last fall
to move from Detroit to central Michigan this summer. Selling our
home has been a much more arduous task than I could have ever imagined,
thus all the gardens have suffered. Weather wise we had a very mild
winter, leaving many of my annual crops still growing in the spring.
I have been harvesting parsley, cilantro and lettuce that were planted
last summer for this summers salads. This growing season started
off damp and cold, then jumped into a miserable heat wave with no
significant rain for several weeks. Most everything that has not
had supplemental water is looking limp, there are already cracks
in the ground - uncommon for this time of year.
My strawberry patch did produce well this summer, although the
berries looked small. Next season should be a good crop as that
will be year two for the patch. The raspberries are ripening now.
I plant the variety that provides two harvests - mid and late summer.
I prefer to cut them back so I only get large fall berries, but
this year I let them produce the early crop so I could enjoy them.
Last weekend, I was finally able to address what to do with the
tomato and pepper plants I had bought for the vegetable garden.
I will be moving the first week of August and the thought of prepping
the beds with compost, setting up the support system for the tomatoes,
planting, setting up the irrigation hoses and then paying the water
bill for someone else to eat my tomatoes didn't sit well. So, I
planted my 'Jingle Bell' Red Bell Peppers, 'Mini Pearl' and 'Brandywine'
tomatoes in pots and they seem relatively happy. . The peppers and
the Mini Pearl tomatoes are ripening now. The Mini Pearl do look
like little clusters of red pearls. This is my first time growing
them, and I have to say I am not bowled over by the flavor. However,
I believe it is still too early to fully judge.
Our
new home is in Eaton Rapids, which is located mid way between
Jackson and Lansing. It is a rural farmhouse on 1.5 acres of land.
Although the soil is clay, judging by the agricultural activity
around it, fertility should be good. The property currently has
cherry and crab apple trees, grape vines, various brambles and a
small vegetable garden. I am moving to this area of Michigan so
I will be close to Michigan State University,
where I will be studying Horticulture for the next 2.5 years. I
will be concentrating on vegetables and small fruit using organic
methods. I am looking forward to sharing the many new things I learn
and experience with you in this monthly report.
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5 August, 2002
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