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Before the Last Frost (7 Weeks)
This week we are talking about cold frames. A cold frame is similar to a greenhouse, except that it is only used in the cold season to help tender seedlings grow before optimum climate conditions by trapping in heat overnight. A cold frame is not climate controlled. My previous “greenhouse” was really just a large cold frame. Here is a great article explaining the two: The Differences Between a Greenhouse and a Cold Frame Our old cold frame Do you have a cold frame? I don’t currently have one, but I just ran buy Habitat Restore and picked up 6 windows for $4 each so I could put something together this…
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Before the Last Frost (8 Weeks)
Here in Raleigh, we are about 8 weeks ahead of the last killing frost of the season. Last weekend was so cold and frozen that I did no soil prep until yesterday when I picked up some bags of soil on clearance at Walmart. I don’t often have to add new soil to the garden because we compost a good amount of the old plants, but anytime there are tomato vines suspected of disease, the go down to the curb for yard waste pickup. As soon as the pile of composted chicken bedding starts to break down, there will be some great “free” stuff for us. This weekend is forecast…
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Before the Last Killing Frost (9 Weeks)
Nine Weeks Before the Last Killing Frost This week is about soil preparation. There are tons of methods to preparing the soil, and some of those resources are listed below along with places you can find supplies locally. I prefer to use Black Kow and Black Chicken Compost and apply them early enough to give the chicken compost time to cool. This year we have our own source of chicken poo! This link lays out exactly what and how much I used in my garden for the first few years of gardening (I am not paid to endorse any brands, I’m just a gal with preferences): “Preparing Soil in Raised Beds”.…
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Before the Last Killing Frost (10 Weeks)
Ten Weeks Before the Last Killing Frost In Raleigh, NC (Zone 7b), there are approximately ten weeks before our big outdoor planting weekend. If you buy mostly vegetable starter plants for your home garden, this countdown may not be very significant (ten weeks seems far off ), but if you enjoy starting your plants from seed, this is a reason to scurry to action. Some plants require sowing seeds indoors 10 weeks before the last frost. Have a Dream and Cross-check it with Reality First, take time to dream of what your garden (and your dinner plate) will look like this year. Determine how you want the garden to make…
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Before the Last Frost
Way back in 2011 I posted a series “10 Weeks of Vegetable Gardening” sharing how I prepare for the upcoming spring and summer garden before the last killing frost of the season. That series was created on my previous blog, and some of the content and pictures have been lost in the migration. As I was scrolling through those old posts yesterday, I also realized how much has changed in the garden and how much my boys have grown! Just look at this bit of sweetness: I want to breathe new life into those old posts and into my own vegetable garden preparations. The past few years seem to have…
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Prepping for Fall in the Garden
For the past several weeks, my basil plants have been trying to flower, and I have kept pruning them back to extend their flavor and longevity. Now, I’m starting to let several plants have their way knowing that I want to make sure there are seeds to harvest before the first frost comes. My spring lettuce, which was all too bitter for consumption, has now begun dropping seed heads, and I’m hurrying to create some open spaces for the seeds to take root. While the garden really doesn’t need watering with the wet summer we’ve had, lettuce seeds require a moist soil surface to take root and not be choked…
