- Soil Improvement: fertilizer, soil-less mixes, manure, stones
- Raised Beds: layout, pathways, crop plan, critter control
- EarthBox: containers, operation, location
- Seed Germination and Vegetable Starts: how-to, care
- Transplanting: when, how
- Watering: how much, how oft en
- Feeding: how much, when
- Pest Control and Plant Diseases: organic-related, main concerns,
evidence - Composting: using leftovers, preparing for next season
- Seasonal Replanting: getting a second crop
- Th e Greenhouse: size, location, layout, operation
These subjects became my game plan, and my local knowledge gardeners guided
me in their practical application. Nothing was theoretical; it was all hands-on
practical.
So, this is where I record what I did and provide you with references and
recommendations to get you started on your own quest. You may even want to
take my topic checklist to your own local knowledge kitchen gardeners, who will
have had experience with your particular microclimate.1. Soil
Scott Titus, my neighborhood soil expert, arrived at our sogg y site in early March
carrying what looked like a giant apple corer. He proceeded to plunge it into
several parts of our lawn and deposited these earthen cores into a plastic bag, to
be sent away for analysis.
On our property, the soil depth, before reaching substantial stones, was less
than 10 inches. There was also green plastic netting, used by sod farmers to hold
together the instant lawn, that had been there for eight years.
We’ve got clay and some silt, so the ground’s wet, and our driveway slopes,18 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE