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ranunculusI tried really hard to take Saturday off. By "off" I mean to do something I -wanted- to do as opposed to something I felt I -needed- to do. Wanted = put a raised garden bed together.
My original idea was to build two 3' x 12' in the 1' deep "pit" that Dave dug for me. The depth was dictated by the "good" garden soil over a clay base. When I looked at that "pit" and thought about the clay bottom, I got nervous. In winter it would be a soggy morass without a trench dug to the downhill side, and even with the ditch the garden soil would get soggy. So I changed course and put the bed up out of the pit. My plan then was to load good garden soil into the raised beds and add a layer of mushroom compost. With the first shovel full of garden dirt I noticed the roots of field bindweed in the dirt. I had seen the bindweed in the garden but not realized the extent of the problem. Bindweed is a horrible pest, will sprout from a 2 inch bit of root and has a seed life of 50 years. Once a plant is established (and in the Ukiah garden bindweed is well established) it takes 3 years under plastic to kill a root, or you can spray with Roundup, probably multiple times. So. I guess I'll spray this year, and possibly next year as well, in addition to taking all the other precautions needed to root out young plants.
While building my first 3' by 12' planter I spent a full day bent over the wheelbarrow picking out even tiny bits of root from the soil. Eventually I decided it wasn't worth the effort and quit. The rest of the box was filled with beautiful, aromatic mushroom compost into which I have now planted the tomato plants.
Down at Howell Creek I began marking plant placement and weed whacking. Last year the grass was so high I couldn't see the little plants, but this year lack of water makes things much easier to see. All the shrubs still seem to be in very good shape. In deep "pool" areas the creek still shows damp gravel, so the water level isn't that deep. I'm torn between getting drip irrigation going early and letting the plants extend themselves to get roots deep down toward water. If they can get really good root growth they won't need my puny drip irrigation but till then it is essential. On the other hand I don't want to stunt or kill plants that need water, and this year will be a terrible year to be without water.
The horses, in their dusty corral, are getting better and better behaved. When I go out to feed they solicit petting and move briskly out of my way - oh and they don't chase each other around either. CD is still trying to put a nose in through the gate, but we are working on that!
Through all this activity I have been weaving phone calls about Echo. There was a family meeting on Saturday late afternoon that I declined to be part of. Emotionally I was not ready to deal with the entire family and Echo. Yesterday and today I've been getting reports. Apparently I was missed by our half of the family anyway. I'm putting out a proposal to the family tonight suggesting that I open and close the cabin for the fee that the family was willing to pay someone else to do the job. It would be a very good deal for them to take.
My original idea was to build two 3' x 12' in the 1' deep "pit" that Dave dug for me. The depth was dictated by the "good" garden soil over a clay base. When I looked at that "pit" and thought about the clay bottom, I got nervous. In winter it would be a soggy morass without a trench dug to the downhill side, and even with the ditch the garden soil would get soggy. So I changed course and put the bed up out of the pit. My plan then was to load good garden soil into the raised beds and add a layer of mushroom compost. With the first shovel full of garden dirt I noticed the roots of field bindweed in the dirt. I had seen the bindweed in the garden but not realized the extent of the problem. Bindweed is a horrible pest, will sprout from a 2 inch bit of root and has a seed life of 50 years. Once a plant is established (and in the Ukiah garden bindweed is well established) it takes 3 years under plastic to kill a root, or you can spray with Roundup, probably multiple times. So. I guess I'll spray this year, and possibly next year as well, in addition to taking all the other precautions needed to root out young plants.
While building my first 3' by 12' planter I spent a full day bent over the wheelbarrow picking out even tiny bits of root from the soil. Eventually I decided it wasn't worth the effort and quit. The rest of the box was filled with beautiful, aromatic mushroom compost into which I have now planted the tomato plants.
Down at Howell Creek I began marking plant placement and weed whacking. Last year the grass was so high I couldn't see the little plants, but this year lack of water makes things much easier to see. All the shrubs still seem to be in very good shape. In deep "pool" areas the creek still shows damp gravel, so the water level isn't that deep. I'm torn between getting drip irrigation going early and letting the plants extend themselves to get roots deep down toward water. If they can get really good root growth they won't need my puny drip irrigation but till then it is essential. On the other hand I don't want to stunt or kill plants that need water, and this year will be a terrible year to be without water.
The horses, in their dusty corral, are getting better and better behaved. When I go out to feed they solicit petting and move briskly out of my way - oh and they don't chase each other around either. CD is still trying to put a nose in through the gate, but we are working on that!
Through all this activity I have been weaving phone calls about Echo. There was a family meeting on Saturday late afternoon that I declined to be part of. Emotionally I was not ready to deal with the entire family and Echo. Yesterday and today I've been getting reports. Apparently I was missed by our half of the family anyway. I'm putting out a proposal to the family tonight suggesting that I open and close the cabin for the fee that the family was willing to pay someone else to do the job. It would be a very good deal for them to take.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-05 10:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-05-08 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-05-06 10:31 am (UTC)Our new site has creeping buttercups instead...
no subject
Date: 2020-05-08 02:58 am (UTC)I held off on spraying the bindweed until it became abundantly clear that the entire garden is covered with a long term infestation. Big roots going down, large areas carpeted with the stuff. I pull it in SF where it is just starting to try and get a foothold. In SF pulling it sets it back a bit and might even get rid of a plant or two. In Ukiah no chance. The plant is toxic to horses and if eaten in any quantity it can be deadly so I really don't want it around to spread into the fields.