Third Year SFG in Canada

trolleydriver wrote:Sown indoors on May 19 in 4 inch peat pots and at two seeds per pot (they will be thinned to one):

1. Melon - Sakatas Sweet (seeds received from SR ... with thanks )
   
2. Squash - Acorn Sweet Reba (Greta's Organic Gardens, Ottawa)
   
3. Squash - Canada Crookneck (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)
   
4. Squash - White Scallop Bush (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)
   
5. Squash - Golden Zucchini (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)
   

My understanding is that squash do not like to become root bound in the pot and need care not to disturb the roots when transplanting. That's why I used peat pots that I had on hand.  I may sow more as a backup in plastic pots or wait and direct sow outside if necessary.

How exciting! TD, once they are planted out how will you keep the Squash Vine borer from attacking?

CapeCoddess wrote:
How exciting! TD, once they are planted out how will you keep the Squash Vine borer from attacking?

CC ... I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I've not had a problem with SVBs in the past so I am hoping for the same this year. If the plants are attacked I guess I'll end up with a whole bunch of empty squares in the SFG and space in the regular garden where I plant the squash.

You only have one vining squash there Canadian Crookneck, and it is supposedly SVB resistant. The acorn is a bush.

When is your last frost date? I am trying to decide if I should start my winter squash now or next week.

Turan wrote:You only have one vining squash there Canadian Crookneck, and it is supposedly SVB resistant. The acorn is a  bush.  

When is your last frost date? I am trying to decide if I should start my winter squash now or next week.

Well that goes to show how much I know about squash. My Sweet Reba Acorn Squash grew some pretty lengthy vines last year. But from what I have read it does tend to be more on the bush side of things rather than a vine squash. So maybe I'll have to rethink my trellising requirements and/or grow more Canada Crookneck than I had planned. 

My official last frost date is supposedly May 11th but I usually take it to be the Victoria Day long weekend in Canada which is this weekend.  In fact it got pretty cold here last night and may do so again tonight.  I probably will wait until June to set out and/or direct seed the squash and melons.

Your direct experience with the variety is more valid than my reading the description and experience with a different variety.

My last frost date is June 7th. Sigh.

TD, What did Mel say about weed barrier?

sanderson wrote:TD,  What did Mel say about weed barrier?

ANSFG says to use "landscape fabric".  I guess I would not pass the CI course. 

I found two pieces of weed/landscape fabric in the shed and left over from previous projects. So I am all set to go.

I'm not sure one can grow too much Canadian Crookneck square. I peel. cut in pieces, roast until delicious, then freeze cooled pieces in Seal-a-Meal in serving sizes. Great to have on stand by on a cold night.

sanderson wrote:

I'm not sure one can grow too much Canadian Crookneck square.  I peel. cut in pieces, roast until delicious, then freeze cooled pieces in Seal-a-Meal in serving sizes.  Great to have on stand by on a cold night.

sounds like I may need to allow more room for the Crookneck. I've never grown it before so I'm looking forward to a good crop. Thanks for the idea on what to do with it.

On the vine one summer.

Daughter vines escaped the box on right and met up with melons from the left box.

Weed fabric underneath so they weren't touching the ground.  I have used straw to keep them from touching the ground.

Harvest one year.

Cooling for Seal-a-meal one fall. I think the dark flesh are my sweet potatoes.

Excellent sanderson.  Thanks for the photos.

Now I am getting really greedy for more SFG squares. The new bed "could" be 4x7 (28 new squares) instead of 3x7. Mrs TD and I just surveyed the available space. There is room for 

• a 36 inch wide path between the existing beds and the long side of the new bed
  
• a 30 inch wide path along the other long side of the new bed
  
• a 1 foot wide strip for regular soil planting
  
• then room enough between that 1 foot strip and the cedar hedge to allow me to get to the hedge for trimming
  

Decisions, decisions.

Didn't take long for me to change my mind on the new bed design. I'm now toying with a U shaped layout to make better use of the available space. This would consist of a 2x6 SFG area, a 3x6 SFG area, a 2 foot wide path inside the U, and a 2x2 SFG area connecting the two larger areas at one end. There would be a 3 foot wide path between the existing SFG beds and the new U-bed as well as a 3 foot wide path between the U-bed and the cedar hedge. Total number of new squares would be 34. If I ever get it built I will of course post photos.

On another subject, some of the plants in Mrs TD's 4x4 SFG strawberry bed have flowers on them. She is quite happy. 

I have one U shaped bed and I really like it. I have played around with the idea of making all the beds that shape. It is good for lots of trellis space, and for anchoring a cattle panel arch.

Here is the "mockup" for the potential new U-shaped bed.




I transplanted tomatoes (True Black Brandywine in each of the outside squares of the back row, Roma and Sweet Million in the inner two squares. I decided to try one plant per square and will prune to one main branch. Also transplanted peppers in front of the tomatoes. From left to right we have Early California Wonder, Banana, Jalapeno, and Chinese 5 Color). The tomatoes and peppers were started indoors from seeds.




The next series of photos shows what is currently growing in the SFG including Mrs TD's strawberry bed, as well as garlic and other things most of which are labelled in the squares.  In some squares I have had to resort to using white plastic forks for labeling until I can get proper labels (or maybe I'll just stick with the forks). 


Overview




Strawberries



Lettuce Butter King started in Winter Sowing containers.




Beet Detroit Dark Red




Red Onion from sets.




Kohlrabi from Winter Sowing.




Garlic from cloves planted last October.




Swiss Chard Bright Lights started indoors.




Daikon Radish volunteers self-seeded from last year.




Kale surrounded by radishes.




More Red Onion from sets.




Transplants grown indoors except for the flowers and blueberry plants. They are being hardened off and now spend the nights inside the mini greenhouse.




Rhubarb behind the mini greenhouse.




Neighbour's crab apple tree.

I know you thought you may not have a garden this year, but it looks like it is a success.

Everything is looking good TD.

sanderson and yolos ... thanks for your encouragement.

I feel like I am way behind with the garden this year. I only have three of the twelve squares in my TT planted.  Looks like I will have to buy some herb transplants to go in there.  Many of the squares in my 4x4 SFG beds are planted. Except for one Winter Sowing broccoli plant I have nothing yet in my old style SFG (part BTE) 4x4 beds. I've still got things in the Winter Sowing (WS) containers including lettuce, kohlrabi, chard and two Purple Coneflower seedlings (sown outdoors in a WS container back on Feb 4 I think).

Here is what I still have in Winter Sowing containers with the tops removed.

Top left - Kale
Top centre (center) - Purple Coneflower - seeds sown Feb 4 - two germinated
Top right - Hohlrabi
Bottom left - Lettuce
Bottom centre - Corn Salad
Bottom right - Swiss Chard

Today's gardening activities:

1. Transplanted Cilantro (bought at garden center) into one square of Table Top.
   
2. Transplanted Thyme (bought at garden center) into one square of Table Top.
   
3. Transplanted 4 Kohlrabi plants ( from Winter Sowing) into 1 square of Old Style SFG Bed 1 (OSSFG1)
   
4. Transplanted 1 each of the following Tomatoes (started indoors) into OSSFG1: True Black Brandywine, Sweet Million, Roma
   
5. Transplanted 1 each of the following Peppers (started indoors) into OSSFG1: Early California Wonder, Banana, Jalapeno, Chines 5 Color
   
6. Transplanted two Purple Coneflower seedlings (from Winter Sowing) into one of Mrs TD's perennial beds
   
7. Cut the 2x8 lumber for the new 3x6 SFG bed
   
8. Weeded and leveled the place where the new 3x6 SFG bed will be installed
   
9. Checked and graphed the temperatures in the two compost bins
   
10. Moved the remaining indoor started Tomato and Pepper seedlings to the outdoor mini greenhouse
    
11. Moved the pots containing indoor seeded (not yet sprouted) Squash and Cucamelons to the outdoor mini greenhouse
    

Not happy ... one of my Sweet Million Tomato plants has been cut off halfway up the stem and one of my Chinese 5 Color Peppers has been cutoff right at base.  These plants were in SFG bed containing MM.  I suspect cutworms. I usually put plastic cup collars around my tomato and pepper transplants but did not do it this time.

Since I learned what they grow into my tolerance of Miller moths has disappeared.

Wow you were busy yesterday!
May there be no more causalities to cutworms

trolleydriver wrote:Not happy ... one of my Sweet Million Tomato plants has been cut off halfway up the stem and one of my Chinese 5 Color Peppers has been cutoff right at base.  These plants were in SFG bed containing MM.  I suspect cutworms. I usually put plastic cup collars around my tomato and pepper transplants but did not do it this time.

Grrrrrr...
I haven't ever had cutworms ...yet. I feel like this is a warning, so my toothpicks are at the ready for when I plant out next time.

Here is an overview shot of the SFG beds. I'm really liking my mini-greenhouse in the background.  There is also a photo of the Yukon Gold Potatoes growing as an experiment in the leftovers of the "chicken wire / hardware cloth" compost bin.

TD, By any chance, have you been bitten by the SFG bug? Your garden is beautiful. Love the potato experiment.

sanderson wrote:TD,  By any chance, have you been bitten by the SFG bug?  Your garden is beautiful.  Love the potato experiment.

Bitten!!! I think I have been swallowed totally by the SFG bug.  Thank you sanderson for your very kind and encouraging remarks.

Here is proof of being more than bitten. Another phase of the SFG garden is underway with the construction of a 3x6 bed. As I did on my last two 4x4s I'm putting down cardboard and then weed cloth under the new bed. If all goes as planned this one will be primarily for winter squash. I am planning a trellis made of 1 inch PVC pipe. Sanderson and I have already discussed this type of trellis system for which I give her my thanks.