Is This A Drought Yet?

If the rainfall for a given period of time is more than 20 percent of its average rainfall it is generally considered  a drought for that area. This does not necessarily mean that there will be any water restrictions placed in the community or changes made to how water is allocated, however, it should be taken into account when trying to maintain a garden. Here in Columbus this year, our observed rainfall amount has been 3.86 inches for the months of May and June. The average amount of precipitation for those months is 8.55". This amount definitely would qualify for that layman's definition of a 'drought,'  and we at RTCO thought it might be a good idea to explore some ways to protect some of your parched plants. Check out some solutions that we have thought of below.

Those Rascally Rabbits and Groundhogs

Two of our three garden beds have been flourishing this season, but the only non-raised bed in our lot has been the victim of some pest activity. We had originally planned on growing some green bean bushes along the edges and some cucumbers right up the middle of the bed. In the photo above you might

Double-Deck Composting

One other development that is still in progress is our attempt to build a double-decker drum composting unit. The goal is to have two barrels lodged within the unit, and after one fills up it is set to compost, while the other begins to fill up. As of now we have only one of the barrels lodged within the frame, but we plan to have both barrels up and running in the near future. This addition is key to our attempts to heighten the sustainability of our Demonstration Garden in 2012. You can see what our double-decker drum composting unit looks like now in the picture below the jump on the left, and what the double-decker style will look like as a finished project (minus the blue).

Something Borrowed, Something New

Another addition to our garden includes a table-top style raised bed that was constructed after viewing a similar bed at Franklin Conservatory. It can be seen on the right in the photograph below, after the jump. This construction is perfect for those who don’t have the knees to garden like they might have used to, but still have the desire to make the most of their green thumb.

2012: Back At It

After a triumphant inaugural harvest from the RTCO Demonstration Garden in 2011, our staff was put to task to repeat its success and continue with the mission to share economical, safe and healthy ideas for home gardeners. A key component of the Demo Garden is to develop a plan for sustainability and continued success year after year. The opening year harvest of 2011 featured plentiful cucumbers, tomatoes of several varieties, basil, zucchini, sweet potatoes, and peas. This year we are planning to continue our success with these plants, as well as adding a variety of squash, regular potatoes, and some herbs connected to our upside-down tomatoes. As far as construction and layout are concerned we have added multiple new features to showcase a few possibilities that might be useful at home.

Summer Bounty

August 25, 2011

It seems like we just put the little plants in the ground and already, Alec has cleared out the first round of squash and beans and put in some late season crops. This morning buckets of green beans, tomatoes and peppers were harvested to share with the staff and our members.  On last inspection, I found lettuce, peas, radishes and beets poking up where the squash and beans used to be. 

The tomatoes here at the warehouse are doing so much better than those at home. We have had a problem with blossom rot, which I understand to be the result of inconsistent watering- first too much, and then, not enough. Here at the warehouse, the yellow cherry tomatoes, tiny yellow pear tomatoes, and grape tomatoes are producing like crazy and are just delicious. It is really helping me stay on my diet, because they are better than any kind of candy you can imagine. We also have these amazing pink tomatoes Alec tells me are an old fashioned variety called “Brandywine”. Yummy! Other good producers are the “Better” type and a small round variety which we don’t know the name of. The Zebras and the Mr. Stripeys are just now getting ripe.

The staff has really enjoyed all of the goodness of the garden- fresh tomatoes on our sandwiches, pasta sauce full of peppers, squash and tomatoes, grilled squash, baked squash… then David found a great way to use up some of the zucchini when we all started getting tired of it. Chocolate Zucchini Bread http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/ChocolateZucchiniBread.html really gave us all a new appreciation for this prolific fruit! He substituted “Reece’s” chips for the regular chocolate ones and it made this bread just a little bit “more better”J.

I told you earlier in the season we had a natural pest deterrent to our aphid issue- ladybugs! Now, we have a new issue. Alec is a little worried because his tender little pea shoots are looking a little ragged. Could it be that the cute little rascals in this picture are helping themselves to a moonlight snack? Dot and Lindy would love to see if they squeak when you squeeze them!

All ‘Topsy Turvey”

One of the things that keeps us all gardening is optimism- that the sun will shine, the rain will fall, the seeds will germinate and with a little luck, we will have beautiful tomatoes mid- July. We will have the tomatoes, but not from our original Topsy Turvey planting. As you can see the plants in the purchased topsys flopsied!  Too much water was the culprit. These poor plants simply drowned.

David came up with another set of directions to build our own upside down growing container (directions below). This second round of tomatoes is growing strong and seem to be holding  the water just right.

You may also notice another garden favorite growing out of the top of our planters- it’s basil. Not only is this a delicious planting pairing, it is a practical one. Tomatoes and Basil require similar soil, sun and moisture and are complementary to one another. Planting the Basil in the top of the planter creates a natural umbrella for the soil, again assisting with moisture control.

The plant on the right is bearing fruit. The brown leaves are because                                                                                             we are gone over the weekend and Topsy Turveys require regular watering. 

Hanging Bucket Tomato Planter

Purchase an empty 5-gallon bucket. This bucket can be found at hardware stores. Clean the bucket with warm sudsy water to prepare it for planting your tomato plant.

Cut a hole in the bucket using a drill or a utility knife. The hole should be right in the middle of the bottom of the bucket and about 2 inches in diameter.

Opposite of the handle, drill two holes to accommodate a sturdy cord to form a cross handle. If the bucket does not have a handle, add a second cord to form an X.

With the bucket hanging, place several layers of newspaper in the bottom of the bucket, covering the hole. You can also use a 4 x 4 inch of 1 inch thick foam rubber. This will later be used to anchor the tomato plant.

Cut a slit in the newspaper or foam rubber at the bottom of the bucket to allow you to plant the tomato plant. Plant the seedling with only about 3 inches of the plant coming out of the hole. Use soil to anchor it in the bucket.

Fill the bucket with soil. Soils with vitamin additives, like Miracle-Gro, are the best for growing tomatoes. In the top of the bucket you can plant your favorite herbs. This will help to retain the moisture in the bucket.

Hang the bucket in a sunny area and water. Tomatoes require at least 50 percent sunlight. Move the bucket according to where the most direct sun is during the day.

Harvest tomatoes as they ripen on the vine. Tomatoes will begin to form not long after the tomato plant flowers. The fruit should be red and firm before cutting from the plant.