TD's 2023 Garden

**trolleydriver** 4/24/2023, 10:57 am

A few things are underway for my 2023 gardening year. I've harvested some parsnips that were left in the ground over the winter to sweeten up. My tomato and Kohlrabi seeds are sprouting indoors. A heating mat sure speeds up germination. The garlic is doing well from the cloves that were planted last October.

**trolleydriver** 4/24/2023, 1:33 pm

Here is my 2023 SFG layout planner. Sorry for the poor photo. I draw the beds and squares in ink and then add the names of the veggies in pencil. Crude but it works for me. I've got 145 SFG squares plus a round non-SFG area. I reduced the number if squares by 18 this year. I also plant some things like peppers and chives in our flower beds. In addition we have an area of raspberries.

**sanderson** 4/24/2023, 2:18 pm

Simple and it works.

I draw the beds/squares with Excel because I wouldn't do as neat a job as you do with a pen. Razz

Then fill in with pencil.

**Scorpio Rising** 4/24/2023, 5:41 pm

I draw mine in pencil too. Every year is different. This year, I had 2 serviceberry trees put in the general area. And I have a new 4x4 to put in—my old legacy beds are over.
I like it!

**trolleydriver** 4/28/2023, 12:38 pm

I think this is my ninth year of SFG. One of my original beds is showing its age. The 2"x8" lumber is rotting and coming apart at the corners. Newer beds should be ok for a while.

**sanderson** 4/28/2023, 1:56 pm

TD, I think your wood is in remarkable condition for its age. In my Mediterranean climate, the wood that contacted the dirt was well on its way with termite and dry rot.

This 18-month old bed was going to be elevated to a table top bed following root invasion.
Look at all the damage!

**trolleydriver** 4/28/2023, 3:36 pm

sanderson wrote:TD, I think your wood is in remarkable condition for its age. In my Mediterranean climate, the wood that contacted the dirt was well on its way with termite and dry rot.

This 18-month old bed was going to be elevated to a table top bed following root invasion.
Look at all the damage!

Wow that is unreal. The one I posted from my garden is nine years old!

Mikesgardn 4/28/2023, 9:58 pm

That is not what I would expect in California. Here in Maryland, we get about 60" of rain per year, and my raised bed lumber lasts 4 to 5 years. Based on the internet, Fresno only gets 13" of rain. Do you think that is mostly termite damage?

**sanderson** 4/29/2023, 5:59 am

You are correct in that my area does not get much rain. It varies around 8"-17", primarily during December-March-April. I was surprised by how fast the subterranean termites found them, not to mention the dry rot. But, in hind sight, the beds were set on deeply amended raised flower/rose/shrub bed. In this old photo August 2013, you can see 2 of the little beds and a vague impression of the 3rd one farther down.

This is right before the beds were set down in March 2013. The red hardpan was amended with 13 cu. yards of black compost in 1996.

**trolleydriver** 5/5/2023, 3:18 pm

My first job today was to put together a mini greenhouse. The one we had previously was destroyed last Spring in a Derecho (widespread windstorm) that also brought down our 70' high spruce tree and tore shingles off our roof.

**trolleydriver** 5/5/2023, 3:23 pm

My second job today is emptying our two plastic compost bins and sifting the contents to get the black gold. I love making compost.

**sanderson** 5/5/2023, 3:40 pm

Black gold.

**sanderson** 5/5/2023, 3:42 pm

trolleydriver wrote:My first job today was to put together a mini greenhouse.

Love it. You can actually stand up inside.

**trolleydriver** 5/10/2023, 3:16 pm

The Square Foot Garden (SFG) is slowly being populated. Sixteen new Fort Laramie Everbearing Strawberry plants just planted. The garlic is doing really well. Garlic cloves were planted last October.

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