Forums » New "Neighbors"

• erichess

  

  • 3 posts
   

  February 10, 2012 11:06:51 AM PST

  Hello everyone, I live out in California, Sunset Western Zone 7, for anyone that particularly cares. :-) Means it gets juuust cold enough to kill citrus.
  I have been doing the garden on my family's property for the last few years, trying some new things this year, and hope to build a greenhouse this summer. We're focusing on eating organically and living more sustainably, so really looking forward to learning more from all of you!
  Eric
• ihaveneatstuff

  

  • 20 posts
   

  February 29, 2012 3:00:03 PM PST

  Feels like I'm reading my own journal when I read your intro. We are at the same point on our family property. I'm really looking forward to reading your plan and progress! Maybe we could pick each other's brains, so-to-speak.
• erichess

  

  • 3 posts
   

  March 1, 2012 9:08:11 AM PST

  I have two primary garden areas. One is our main production garden, I have been given permission to use the 'back yard' this year for an experimental garden, to try different varieties and options for eventual inclusion in the main garden.
  First project this year is building a series of planter boxes in the back yard area, to do some raised beds. The soil is abysmal there, so I will be bringing in topsoil from our chicken run/compost burying area. It appears to be very high in nutients at the moment, so we'll see how it grows veggies.
• ihaveneatstuff

  

  • 20 posts
   

  March 1, 2012 10:01:51 AM PST

  That is fantastic! You mentioned building a green house, is that something that you are going to do this year? I feel your pain on the soil. We have to make our own soil here too. When using the chicken run make sure that the feces is not "hot" or it will burn your plants. I made that mistake already, lol. We have several compost areas now and I love it! Raised beds are the only way I garden. I love them! They are well worth the work. I just had my son dig the soil out of two of ours and re-do the bottoms with chicken wire to keep the moles out, soil cloth and newspapers to keep the weeds out. I have to do it about every 3-4 years.

  
  This post was edited by ihaveneatstuff at March 1, 2012 10:03:47 AM PST

  
• erichess

  

  • 3 posts
   

  March 1, 2012 11:32:22 AM PST

  Nice! I'm not too worried about the soil being too hot, there isn't a lot of concentrated manure anywhere in it. The back yard is currently decomposed granite, and almost sterile. I'm going to sheet mulch with cardboard and some organic matter (chosen based of what is growing there, and their nutrient needs), and fill over the top. What kind of wood are you using for your's? Any termite or decay problems you've encountered? Do you use any kind of a lining to keep the dirt off the wood?
• ihaveneatstuff

  

  • 20 posts
   

  March 1, 2012 12:57:12 PM PST

  Nope, not a lick of damage. We use 12" x 2" for the base. Five of the beds are seven years old, two we just added last year. It was the first time that I had done the raised bed thing and wouldn't do it any other way now. DO NOT use treated wood (it's green looking) because they use arsenic to treat the wood and it will leach into the soil and plants. I have a farmer friend that cuts the walls off of used tires and straightens them out and then staples them together end-to-end. They will last her forever! We probably have another ten years with our wooden beds.