Raised Bed Gardening Blog

March Madness

Created on Thursday, 01 March 2018 13:50

Spring is springin', the birds are singin', the bulbs are poppin', so why you shoppin', when you could be growin' your own!

Its early Spring, and for those who have been growing year round, your beds should be erupting pretty soon. We had an aberrant Winter, with higher than normal temps, and very little precipitation. For those folks who already have beds, its time to revitalize the soil, and plant things for the Spring/Summer. If your beds are empty, then you can turn the soil, as deep as possible, and pull out any dead or old roots which will inhibit growth by choking out any newly-planted roots. We then add in Moonshine Potting Mix, which you can only get at Agua Fria Nursery in Santa Fe if you live nearby. It has about 28 different organic ingredients, and its like rocket fuel! You can use as much as you want. If the bed is empty of plants, then we usually add in a bag. If there are still existing plants, then turn the Moonshine in around as many plants as possible. Agua Fria has vegetable and herb starts year round, so you can get a jump on propagation with these. Otherwise, you'll be waiting on seeds to germinate. Normally, it takes a consistent temperature of 60 degrees and above to get things going. With the weather we've been having here in Santa Fe and surrounding areas, it might not take too long! You can also add in any compost you might have that has been biodegrading over the Winter. And you can throw worms in your bed to increase aeration, and benefit by their castings. 

Its also a good time to get any damaged covers repaired. We are going to be replacing the white polypropylene fabric with a 55% hemp/45% certifed organic muslin. In October, we had a 1 hour jagged egg-sized hailstorm, 70 mph winds, and 6" of rain in 20 minutes, that caused thousands of dollars of damage to our vehicles and homes. When it was over, I went out to survey the damage to my 4 beds. The three that had the polypro were shredded, but the hemp cover didn't have a blemish! I test-drove the hemp cover since last April, and it performed beautifully. Convincing enough for this gardener. Most of our Winter covers have lasted for 10 years, with only minor tearing on some. So we're sticking with the 6 mil, UV resistant Flex o'Glass. 

We can either help you to refurbish your beds, or answer any questions that you may have. There's a new video on the homepage, with a bag of Moonshine as the starting point, that will take you through the entire Grow Y'own process, from installation to planting. 

The kiln-dried, Western Red Cedar that we have been getting out of British Columbia has gone through the roof price-wise, so for the first time in many, many years, I've had to raise my unit prices a small bit. Taxation on trade from outside the US has also caused the increase. I'm trying to keep the entire system as affordable as possible, but times and situations have changed, and I've had to go with the unfortunate flow. The hemp fabric, which is twice as expensive as the polypropylene, is going to give everyone extended wear, without the need for replacement or repair. We're tryin'!

So please call or email if you need instruction, advice, or help continuing or starting your growing experience, and we'll be glad to come over or talk and get you growin'! 

Look for us at the Albuquerque Home and Garden show April 21st-22nd, and at the Santa Fe Master Gardeners Fair on May 5th at the Rodeo Grounds. Till then, get set or get dirty, and we look forward to a prolific year of growing once again!

Grow On!!!

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