instead of using a separate greenhouse, have you thought of using your raised beds as a greenhouse?

 

We did look at that, yes, but right now we are just trying to build the garden slowly and with as many beds as we have, it is too cost prohibitive. It's definitely something we are considering for the future.

Forgot to mention... any raised bed greenhouse that we build would have to be way tougher than the hoop beds your link shows. We live in Oklahoma and we have wind here. Lots of wind. No really. Lots.

 

Last night talking to my mom, she said, "Good thing you are starting a garden again. They say that if you don't grow it this year, you aren't going to be able to afford fresh vegetables." ... I really hope that is not true. I also wish my family lived closer.

 

Very nice. Good deal on growing borage. You don't see that much anymore. And Portulaca is delicious steamed and in stir fry.

 

Be careful! Only sme of the portulacas are "delicious" in stir frys. Some (a majority) are downright nasty.

 

2/25/2011 Update

Some semi-boring pics of various seedlings. Should be able to get out this weekend and do some outdoor pics so that should be more exciting.

I also got a shiitake mushroom log set (of 2) and am attempting to grow those indoors. Just started it but I'll post my results as something begins happening.

 

I'm very interested in how the mushrooms turn out. I've been looking at the kits and whatnot, and would like to try growing. I've always just been a hunter/gatherer, which reminds me, morels are just around the corner. :drool:

 

Yes please keep us updated on the mushroom log, I am wanting to do one of those also.

 

Nice set-up, from your pictures it looks like you have used wood on some of your raised beds and concrete blocks on others; do you have a preference?

 

I actually don't have a preference. Each has good and bad points.

The concrete blocks have those handy little spaces that are great for small herbs, onions, marigolds, etc. However, they seem to be fairly porous and need watering more frequently.

The wooden beds hold water fairly well and are nice and deep but of course they will probably only last 3-4 years. (I'm not sure, this is only their second year and so far they seem fine.) I do think that the wooden beds look nicer and more natural, though. The concrete blocks seem rather ugly to me. It may be functional but for me, I like a garden to have beauty and purpose.

 

2/26/2011 Update

Moved all the seedlings from indoors out to the greenhouse. I had some tropical plants out there when the outside temp got below freezing and they were doing fine today so I figured it is safe to let everything go outside.

Will have to replant some of the seeds that did not make it (portulaca & lemon balm).

Here's some pics from inside the greenhouse:

Some of the things I planted last fall or left over winter are back.
Spinach:

Belgium Endive:

Onions:

Scallions:

Lettuces:

I'm going to go out in a bit and get some of the potato tires started. Needed to take a break and thought I'd post some pics.

 

After a week of not seeing any pins in the log that I shocked last week, I decided to give it another quick soak and put an oven turkey bag around it to hold in humidity. It is also sitting in about 1/2" of water. If it doesn't pin this week, I'll have to let it rest until another month. I got the set of two logs so that I could have one log making mushrooms each month while the other is resting. I guess we don't have enough humidity in the house or else I need to shock it in the freezer instead of the refrigerator next time. Will keep trying.

 

Update 2/27/2011

After last year's dismal failure to produce potatoes, I've rethought my entire process. The first thing I did is move the tires to a newer, sunnier location directly against the south fence. They will get lots and lots of sunlight here so this should make a huge difference in pest control. Second, since the potatoes did not form at all inside the tire rims, I stuffed the edges of all the tires with straw.

I plan to only take my tires up to 2 tires this year and do a lot more booster shots of fertilizer (every 2 weeks) along with early morning watering. These things should make a difference in overall production.

In total, I planted 10 tires with the following varieties:
1 tire white potatoes
3 tires Yukon gold potatoes
1 tire Blue potatoes
3 tires Red potatoes
2 tires Freedom Russet potatoes

 

Started onions this week in the regular beds and also in all the other beds around the borders as I have heard they help with pest control. I am not growing any beans in any of the regular beds. I plan to do some in my Lowes buckets but won't be starting those for another week.

The seedlings in the greenhouse are still alive but not really growing much. I did have to put a small space heater in there this past weekend for overnight because the temps outside were getting below freezing. Hopefully the extra heat will help them to do more than sit there looking sadly at me. I did break down and get some shelves for the greenhouse as my impromptu tire shelves are too large and unwieldy to get around inside such a small space.

Still no mushrooms on my log. The directions did say that it could take 2-4 cycles before mushrooms begin to appear. I am planning to shock the other log in another 2 weeks and I will put that one in the freezer. That should be a larger shock than the ice water and refrigerator that I did of the other one.

 

Update 3/7/2011

Welp, something is happening in the land of shiitake log #1. I am thinking these are the beginnings of the mushrooms forming. I have to keep the turkey bag on it to keep it moist and spray it with water twice daily but it looks like it might be making mushrooms. And on my first try, too. *crosses fingers*

The first "pin" looks like this:

It gets a little bigger and looks like this:

Little bigger still:

(note, these pictures were all taken from the same log on the same day)

All together, it looks like about 8-10 mushrooms started so far. The directions say that once you get a log started, it has to keep producing and that the production will get larger with time.

Basically the way the shiitake works is that the spore take the place of the log over time until about 4 years down the road when they stop producing. Neat trick.

 

By the way, since I haven't shared it yet this year, here's the link to all of this year's garden pics.

 

Forgot to mention that I have started two baby fruit trees. One dwarf meyer lemon and one dwarf venous orange. They will stay in pots and get moved into the greenhouse in colder weather and probably in the house when it gets really cold. I also ordered 4 other dwarf trees to grow on the deck but they haven't arrived yet. All are around 2-4 years to first harvest.

 

Congrats on the Shiitake Log! I hope it continues to grow. We are watching...DH is VERY interested. He LOVES his 'Shrooms!

 

Little Update

Moved the temporary tire shelves out of the greenhouse and moved the plastic shelves in.

The shiitake mushroom log that I shocked has continued to create the weird white formation that I hope is the shiitake mushroom.

There are lots of white buttons and growths all over that one.

In addition, the one that I did not shock seems to be growing some mushrooms.

I'll try to take some pics later this week. Almost all of the red norland potatoes that I planted have already started growing. Nothing else has made an appearance as far as the potatoes go.

I did see that at least one of the 10 Asian lillies that I planted last year is coming back again. All the other perennial herbs are already back and thriving. So good to see something alive outside.

Oh... and best news of all... we are about 2-5 days from full bloom on the Redbud tree. That means Spring here in Oklahoma.

 

oktx, love the spoon labeling :thumb:

We didn't have much luck with potatoes last year either and instead of tires, went with stakes and 3 mil garbage bags as "containment" (you can check it out in my garden sticky).
So far, so good and they seem to be loving the idea as they have grown in height almost daily.

 

So the one log that was growing the weird white stuff turned out to be something other than shiitake. We consulted with the company and they are sending us two new logs and we disposed of the one infected one. The other has begun growing mushrooms without being shocked.

We harvested them and had them on a burger yesterday. :

 

That log is pretty cool, I've never heard of this before. Interesting!

 

Really good news the company is standing behind their product and replacing the infected log! Your Shrooms look gorgeous!

 

March 19, 2011

So much going on around here.

Starting with the perennials in the herb bed:
Feverfew

Thyme

Oregano

Lavender & Lillies

Sage

I added petunias to the small hanging baskets attached to the lower deck for color.

View of entire herb bed:

I've got 6 dwarf trees ordered. Two have arrived so far, the lemon and the orange.

Potatoes are all starting to pop up except for the blue potatoes (leftover from last year.) Might start something else in that tire soon if nothing appears.
Yukon gold

Russet

Red Norland

White

Onions are popping up all over the garden beds where I've planted them.

(Some leftover from last year & new this year)

Greens in the lettuce/spinach bed.

First asparagus spear!!!!!

Gratuitous shot of my house that I love.

SPRING SPRING SPRING!!! REDBUD MEANS SPRING!!!!

That's it from Oklahoma for now... plus one last bonus shot... may God bless you today and every day.

There's lots more pictures at my album if you're still in need of more.

 

Little song to inspire you.

 

And a funnier version if you really need a laugh: