Ideas For Keeping USFG Raised Bed Warm In Winter

I'm growing my first winter garden after building a Ultimate Square Foot Garden Raised Bed. To hold the greenhouse fabric in place I tried some stainless steel tablecloth clips that are meant to be used on picnic tables but they're not working out.

The slide off and leave the plastic flapping around allowing cold air to come in.

There was a quick solution to that problem which creates a much better air seal and I have an idea for an easy way to provide some additional heat which won't cost a lot of money.

Winter Square Foot Garden 2013

I was so excited to have built my first Square Foot Garden based on my raised bed plans that I wanted to put it to use right away by trying to grow a winter vegetable garden.

For the soil I went the easy route and purchased bags of Mel's Mix from Home Depot. It seemed pretty good. The soil is light and friable. Just handling the bag you can tell it's good because it's loose and not clumpy and solid feeling like other soil mix bags. It wasn't screened very well and I did see some small twigs and stems but it was better than some other organic potting mixes I've purchased in the past. From what I understand it's manufactured by different companies based on the region according to specs so quality may vary across the country. It wasn't too much more than buying individual components but saved me the work of mixing it myself. It took 6 bags to fill my 3' x 4' raised bed but it settled about an inch after a couple of weeks. Next spring I'll top it off with some of my own compost.

I planted late, I've never done this before and I'm not quite sure what I'm doing yet so I don't have the highest expectations but it should be fun to try. Here's some info on how I'm protecting the plants from frost and what I planted.

Ryobi 24v Li-Ion Cordless Edger Review

I started using the Ryobi 24-Volt Cordless Stick Edger (model RY24310) this year and I've been completely blown away by how well it works and decided it's about time I posted my review here. I've used it practically every time I've mowed and it has become one of my favorite lawn power tools.

This came as a big surprise to me as I really expected it to be horrible. With only a 24V battery I didn't expect much from it. Boy was I wrong!

I received the RY24310 from Home Depot in order to provide feedback on it. If it wasn't for that, I never would have even thought to buy it thinking it wouldn't be that good. I just didn't think it would have enough power to do as good a job as the Black & Decker LE750 Edge Hog corded electric edger I've been using.

To be fair... It's not as powerful but it is powerful enough that I haven't used the LE750 at all this year. Understanding the power limitations of it helps. I have some tips for using it to get the most out of your RY24310 edger.

How To Turn Compost In A Geobin

There are a couple of different ways I aerate the compost in the Geobin Composter. One is more labor intensive and I only do it once a year. The other is easier and I do it more regularly throughout the year. I'll go over both methods.

I could probably compost a little better. I'm not sure if what I'm doing is right but this is what I do and this is the method that works for me. It's a somewhat hybrid of active and passive composting.

In the spring I empty out the compost from the Geobin and spread it around the garden beds. With the Geobin empty, I also make it smaller since there isn't much material to compost and I want to conserve space.

Compost: The Silver Bullet

When I first started learning about organic lawn care and gardening much of what I read advocated the use of compost to help solve almost any lawn and garden problem. At first I was a bit skeptical but after reading more I started to believe and a few years ago I started composting. If there ever was a product you could use that would solve a multitude of problems it would be compost. Best of all, it's something you can make yourself.

I still don't think just compost is enough and the combination of compost plus fertilizer will yield better results but there's no denying how effective compost is.

The use of compost can:

• Improve soil structure
• Reduce soil compaction
• Improve nutrient storage in the soil because of the high cation exchange capacity of humus
• Buffers the pH of soil
• Provides nutrients to the soil
• Reduce the need for fertilizer input
• Increases microbial activity
• Reduces incidence of plant disease
• Increases the water holding capacity of the soil
• Remediates toxic soils by binding heavy metals and degrading volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Prevents soil erosion

On top of all that, composting reduces the amount of waste that goes to the landfill. 

The EPA has a number of publications on compost which were what made me start believe in the power of compost. They cover the traditional uses of compost and the not so traditional such as using compost to deal with TNT in soil around an old explosives factory.

If you haven't started composting it's something you should try. It doesn't even have to cost you anything to get started.

Thoughts on Garden of Eden SWAT Raid in Arlington, TX

I read a story earlier today on Huffington Post about Garden of Eden, described as a small organic farm, being raided by the Arlington, TX SWAT team. The original story was reported on WFAA.

At the same time, code enforcement officials executed a warrant to remedy code violations that included blight conditions. They wound up removing 20,420 pounds of materials which they deemed to be a nuisance or hazard.

The story caught my attention because one of the violations had to do with uncut grass.

Normally, I don't like to talk about political topics on this site. I really don't care what other people do. I know what I like about organic gardening for myself and I choose to share the information I learn and my experiences here. I'm too lazy and uninterested to be any sort of activist but after what I saw I had to ask myself what the heck is going on here?

I absolutely understand the need for police to have certain procedures to insure not only their safety, but the safety of suspects when it comes to investigating certain crimes but it seems very suspicious that the drug raid and the code enforcement happened together.

The address of Garden of Eden was listed as 7325 Mansfield Cardinal Rd, Kennedale, TX 76060 so I checked Bing Maps to see what Garden of Eden looked like and was pretty surprised with what I found. Depending on how far you zoomed in I got to see what appear to be satellite images that were taken before and after Garden of Eden was established. The images are included later in the post along with some more of my thoughts.

Watering Grass Seed With A Pump Spayer

For patching small areas of lawn you can use a pump sprayer as a sprinkler to help keep the seed moist to aid germination.

One of the major issues people have planting grass seed is keeping the grass seed moist. If the seed dries out it will germinate slowly or even die so it's important to lightly water the newly seeded area multiple times a day. On hot, sunny days it can be as much as 4 or more times a day.

At the same time, applying too much water can cause problems. The seed can become waterlogged and die, the water can wash the seed away or push it too deep into the soil and the water can cool the soil slowing down germinate just to name a few.

If you have an automatic sprinkler system it's easy to program it to program it to run multiple times a day for a short cycle. I don't and over the years I've been trying different ways to keep the seed moist while the new grass germinates because lugging the hose out to the farthest areas is a real pain since it takes about as much time to get the hose out and roll it back up as it does to water the lawn.

I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier but this year when I overseeded a few areas that were damaged in the storm last fall I've been using my Smith 2 Gallon Pump Sprayer.

The Smith sprayer has a clip that will hold the wand in place as well as a switch to keep the water flowing.

It comes with an assortment of different nozzles that allow you to control the volume of water. I usually keep the fan nozzle on the sprayer and find it works well to evenly distribute water over the lawn. It provides a gentle mist that will seep slowly into the soil. (Picture shows me using the yellow fan tip nozzle, the red fan tip nozzle is higher output and will work faster.)

Normally I'll just walk along slowly spraying the lawn a few times a day to keep the top portion of the soil where the seed is moist but other times I'll just set it up, flip the switch to keep the sprayer going. Checking it every few minutes to pump it up, reposition or refill it. I will still drag out the hose out at least once every other day (usually once a day). This just makes it easier to keep the seed moist in between hose watering.

About 2 gallons per 100 sq ft multiple times a day seems to be the right amount for my soil and climate.

Not the most practical way to water a large lawn but for small sections, patching bald spots, watering new transplants or syringing plants during the summer the pump sprayer as a sprinkler works well and is cheaper than installing a dedicated sprinkler system for that purpose.

Connecting Multiple Drip Irrigation Zones To A Garden Hose

Designing my Square Foot Garden raised beds got me thinking about installing drip irrigation in other parts of the landscape. To handle different watering requirements for different garden beds I'll need to split them up into different zones.

I don't have an in-ground sprinkler system so I have to come up with a hose-end connected solution like I'm using for my hose-end lawn sprinklers.

They do make multi-zone garden hose timers like this Orbit Complete Yard Watering Kit or the Melnor AquaTimer 4-Zone Digital Water Timer but I don't need to have the system run automatically since my area gets plenty of rain most of the year. I also don't want to have garden hoses running all over which are both unsightly and a trip hazard.

Instead I figured out a way to to connect multiple drip irrigation zones to a garden hose without having to buy multiple expensive timers or faucet connection kits. Since I use quick connects for most of my lawn watering gadgets (wands, sprayers, Dial-N-Spray, hose-end sprinklers) I'll be using them here too. They really make changing watering accessories quick and easy but you can omit them to save some money if you don't mind taking a few extra seconds to twist on the connections.

How To Draw A Landscape Plan With Sketchup

Having a landscape drawing allows you to quickly plan changes to your landscape as well as measure the square footage of your beds and lawn area so you can buy the right amount of materials such as compost, mulch, fertilizer and more. This can help you save both time and money.

Let's say your lawn fertilizer is meant to be spread at 20 lbs per 1,000 square feet or you need to add 3" of mulch to your beds how much should you buy? It's simple. Just point and click to find out the areas you're interested in to get square footage. It won't be exact but it'll be close enough for most uses.

Sketchup is a 3D modelling program that's very easy to use. Best of all it's free. There are two versions, the Pro requires a paid license but SketchUp Make has all the features you'll need for free.

In this post I'll go over how to quickly make a 2D diagram of your property to help you plan and manage your landscape. Best of all, you won't even need to step outside and take measurements.

Milky Spore Dispenser - On a Stick!

Everything's better when it's on a stick! Here's a cheap and easy tool you can make your self to spread Milky Spore powder over your lawn.

Last fall when I was renovating my lawn I noticed some, but not a lot of grubs in some areas. Skunks were also digging up some areas to get at the grubs. They like to eat them.

After my lawn started to grow back I purchased some St. Gabriel Organics Milky Spore Powder to spread over the lawn. They also sell a Dispenser tube for Milky Spore and a spreadable Milky Spore that can be applied with your seed spreader but I didn't get either of those and need to come up with something on my own.

My solution was to poke some holes in the bottom of an old coffee can and tape it to a stick.

How Milk Treats Plant Disease

When it comes to organic lawn care and gardening you hear things that sound downright crazy. One of the more odd suggestions is to use a diluted milk spray on your lawn and plants to help treat and prevent fungus and other plant diseases.

Years ago when I first read about using milk in the garden, not much was known about how milk fights plant pathogens but a lot has changed since then.

Some people have had great success with milk sprays and other people, not so much. I'm putting this article together to share what I've learned regarding milk sprays and plant disease to give you a better understanding to increase your chances of success.

Over the years I've been taking a peek at some of the research and it's all starting to make sense so here's a more complete picture on the how and why to use milk in your garden.

Controlling Powdery Mildew with Neem Oil

Neem oil is recommended as an organic insecticide and fungicide. There are a number of studies that show its effectiveness for various insect and disease problems. One of the most observable uses is in the control of powdery mildew on plants such as peonies, zucchinis and cucumbers.

The picture on the left shows a peony beginning to develop powdery mildew. The claim is that neem oil can treat powdery mildew in 24 hours but my experience has been that you will see results immediately.

Powdery mildew is a parasitic fungus that attaches to plants and sends down roots into the plant cells to feed. This eventually causes damage to the foliage that can be seen as yellowing of leaves, curling or black or brown spots.

Organic Lawn Renovation: Results

Last fall I undertook a large lawn renovation using organic products to get a darker, greener lawn that wouldn't require as much effort.

I documented the steps I took and products I used through different posts. Now let's look at the results and my final opinions and thoughts.

But before we do... a little recap.

I started out by neglecting my lawn from around the summer on. It got baked, weedy and diseased as it normally would unless I maintain it.

In the fall I killed the lawn and weeds so I can test 2 different organic herbicides.

When the grass was dead I prepared the soil by amending it with composted manure and did some grading. Followed by seeding with a tall fescue grass seed (Jonathan Green Black Beauty.)

On to the results, but first...

Ultimate Square Foot Garden Bed

I've been thinking about Square Foot Gardening again and even bought the Kindle edition of All New Square Foot Gardening, Second Edition: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More In Less Space and I might actually build the garden beds this fall. Over the years I've been working on the best Square Foot Garden design for me.

I wanted my boxes to be somewhat attractive, easy to maintain and versatile. Additions such as trellises for vines (tomatoes, beans, squash, melons, etc.) and hoops to extend the growing season should be easy to add as should drip irrigation. This is the design I came up with which I'm hoping to build this fall.

In this post I'll discuss the main features of this design. For detailed instructions to build your own see my post on how to build a raised garden bed.

Reader Question: Heavily Compacted Soil

Sean wrote in to ask a question about dealing with heavily compacted soil in his lawn.

Question

"I purchased a soil probe last summer to test watering coverage and moil soil.  Unfortunately the soil is so compacted that I couldn't get the probe into the ground more than 3-4".  Lawn aeration and top dressing with compost have little to no effect.  Should I remove existing turf, rototill in fresh compost and seed/sod or continue aeration and top dressing?"

Answer

Sean, thanks for taking the time to write to me. Dealing with soil compaction can be a difficult and there are no quick fixes. The short answer is I would continue with aeration, aiming for at least 20 holes per square foot or more then top dressing with a good compost. Rototilling your lawn is not only a lot of work but can leave you with problems such as uneven lawn surface, create a hard pan compacted layer and brings up a lot more weed seeds than aerating.

Before deciding on how to best fix soil compaction it's important to determine why your soil is compacted. Now for the long answer.

What Causes Soil Compaction In Lawns?

The primary cause for compacted soil in lawns is foot traffic. This isn't something that can be fixed because a big part of having a lawn is enjoying it. You walk on it, kids and pets play on it, etc. It's just not something you can avoid.

Soil gets compacted more when it's wet so if you can avoid walking on your lawn and cutting it when the soil is very moist it will help alleviate some of the problems. If there are high traffic areas you may want to consider installing some sort of path. Gravel, stone, pavers, etc. 

If there are areas of your lawn where water pools when it rains you may want to do some regrading and adjust any drainage.

Watering your lawn too frequently can also cause compacted soil in your lawn. Raindrops as well as water from sprinklers not only keep the soil moist but their impact compacts the soil. Aim to water your lawn deeply and infrequently.

Soil Composition For Laws

The texture of your soil as well as it's mineral composition will also effect the porosity and resistance to compaction of your soil. The best type of soil to have for lawns is a loamy soil that is about 40% sand, 40% silt and 20% clay.

I would recommend you send a soil sample to your local extension office. Make sure you get a test that includes a soil textural analysis. It will also indicate the fertility of your soil as far as macro nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that can help you determine your fertilizing schedule as well as the pH of your soil and what you need to correct it. 

A good amount of organic matter in your soil can also help with soil compaction and I would aim for at least 10% organic matter content.

For a textural analysis you can also try the jar method but since you're dealing with a persistent problem it's important to get a better understanding of your soil including it's pH, OM content and calcium/magnesium content.

Your issue may also be due to a low topsoil depth. In some areas there may be insufficient topsoil to get a healthy lawn. Take a spade and cut out a 12" x 12" square of sod, then dig down about a foot and examine your soil profile. You want at least 6" of good topsoil but the more the better. If you have a very shallow top soil zone I would consider rototilling to improve the soil quicker.

Earthworms: Nature's Lawn Aerators

Ever since switching to organic lawn care practices I've noticed increased earth worm activity in my soil. The worms aerate the soil as they move around and they help incorporate organic matter.

Synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and other lawn chemicals discourage earthworm activity. Mulch mowing your lawn and using organic fertilizers make the earthworms much happier.

Improving Soil Takes Time

Improving your soil doesn't happen overnight, expect at least a couple of years until you get your soil where you want it but you should see some results of your efforts the first season.

For now I would stick to heavily aerating your lawn (20-40 holes per square inch) and top dressing with a good compost mix (1/2" or more depending on how heavy you aerate). Switch to organic lawn care practices to help increase organic matter, microbial and earthworm activity unless the results of your soil test or a shallow top soil depth indicate you need more drastic measures like rototilling.