Melons Grow Vertically and Look Beautiful

 

This crenshaw melon plant is enjoying its vertical support with nylon netting and inexpensive electrical conduit.  This frame by is supported and fitted over 2' long  rebar pounded in the ground on either side of the box. There are several advantages to growing this way. It really saves on space! A melon like this can sprawl over several feet in the traditional garden plot. The plant leaves receive more sunlight because of growing at a different angle. The plant will also be safe from being damaged by ground insects, footsteps and lawn mowing.

 

In this photo you can see the fruit beginning to grow. You may ask,"How can that climbing plant hold the weight of a big melon?" Mother Nature has made arrangements! You can observe the plant vines actually thicken as the fruit grows heavier. Mel says that the crenshaw melon is one of his favorites and I have to say I agree with him. It is similar to a cantelope by much larger, juicier and sweeter. I plant them every year and don't even bother with the cantelopes now!

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Cole Slaw from the Square Foot Garden

I really like to grow cabbage in my Square Foot Garden. I grow one per 12" square and plant by seed in the early spring. I harvested it in July and came up with this coleslaw mixture using my fresh cabbage, parsley, chives and carrots. Simply chop these ingredients up and add a sweet vinaigrette or poppy seed dressing to your taste and mix well. It will stay delicious in the frig for several days. The plain cabbage head will stay fresh in the frig for weeks or you can cut a wedge at a time off your cabbage plant as its still growing to keep it even more fresh.

Simple Composting on the Back Porch

My Mom and I with her Square Foot Garden

After I installed A square foot garden for my mom on her deck she became passionate about producing her own compost to replenish nutrients for her growing vegetables. She placed a small bucket beside the box on the deck containing a dowel to stir and  a spray bottle of water hanging over the side. Compost needs to be moved often and moistened regularly to break down. She then set out on a mission to find compost ingredients and gathered old flower petals, house plant leaves, kitchen vegetable peelings and waste,grass clippings, and tree leaves to add to her bucket. She also asked me to deliver manure from my chickens whenever I came for a visit. She diligently stirred and sprayed her compost daily taking joy in her learning experience. To my surprise, her compost bucket on her deck produced a rich black mixture that really added to her garden success. Compost happens! I love to tell this story as an example of how easy it can be to produce and then use to sustain a garden on your own property.
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Garlic Harvest

I was up early this morning and noticed my garlic plants were tilted over,dried and somewhat brown. I had planted these bulbs 9 per square last Fall and now they show signs of maturity. Using a trowel, I carefully lifted the bulbs up and harvested some nice large garlic!  I love to use garlic in my cooking and it has many health benefits too.

I hang them up to dry like this in my mud room for a couple of weeks for the best flavor. I save some of these bulbs in a cool dry place to plant again in the Fall. I separate the cluster and plant each clove pointed tip up.

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Growing Vegetables in Part Shade

I'm experimenting with the placement of this box that sits on the east side of my house. Above, the sun starts to shine on it at about 11 AM.  It contains broccoli, parsley,spinach and several lettuce varieties. These plants tolerate a lot of shade and as you can see they are all thriving with very limited sun exposure. They get about 3 hours of sunlight each day. I'm hoping the lettuces will stay cool enough to keep from bolting or tasting bitter. If I can,  I should be able to extend their life to enjoy a tomato from my sunny garden in my salad.

At about 2 pm the shade creeps over this box for the remainder of the day. Only certain types of plants like these tolerate shade well. Other vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, squash and melons need 6-8 hours of sun daily.

Vertical Support for Growing Peas

Why use Coarse Vermiculite in the Square Foot Garden Soil