Written by Greg and Mari Miller
How Does Our Garden Grow?
Well, the plots were rototilled and then raked thoroughly to make the soil very aerated . Some lime or fertilizer can be added to the soil prior to the 4 x 4 foot block being placed around the soil. Greg raises rabbits and uses a mix of water and rabbit droppings to fertilize but 10-10-10 general fertilizer available at the Lowes in Henderson would work the same. After the soil set for one week, Greg raked it one more time before placing his brick around the edge. He used 4x8x16 solid cement brick from Lowes (very reasonably priced for this project) and placed them on edge to create his 4 x 4 foot plot. He then added his sheeting along the inside edge of the brick letting a 5-6 inch overhang. This will allow a barrier so that when he waters the plot, the water will run into the dirt and not out of the porous brick. He filled in the plot using topsoil from the garden area that he placed his plots on. He scraped the top soil off last fall to use this spring, but standard topsoil mixed with fertilizer available at any garden center will do. Do not pat the soil, allow it to remain loose. He also built frames with attached plastic to cover the plots with, making an enclosed greenhouse of sorts. Next time, what we plant and where we got our seeds.
The picture shows the 4×4 foot box made up of cement blocks placed over a prepared 4×4 foot plot of soil rototilled about 16” deep then filled with top soil mix (top soil with 10-10-10 fertilizer ) 8” making dirt bed 24” deep. A 4 mil thick plastic sheet lines only the inside edge of the plot to keep the water from seeping out.
This picture shows what the plot looks like when it has the heavy plastic topper. The topper is made of 6mil thick heavy visqueen available at the local Lowes hardware store. The plastic is stretched and stapled to a 4 ft. x 4 ft. 2×4 frame. This cover allows sunlight to enter and will create condensation on the inside for moisture to the plants inside. The frame just sits on top of the plot blocks and can be slid to the side to access plants.
Any Questions????????
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW TO ASK QUESTIONS, WE WILL TRY TO ANSWER AS MANY AS POSSIBLE IN THE FOLLOWING ISSUE!
Best Buys in Local Produce
Hey, Do you want to get that fresh produce at a good price? Here are two local Henderson food markets that have savings on those items you may want to add to your table. These prices are directly out of the stores weekly ad.
Food Lion: ad expires Feb. 18th
Zucchini or Yellow Squash $1.49 lb.
Red Potatoes 5lb. Bag $2.99
Red Delicious Apples 3lb. Bag $3.49
Save-A-Lot: ad expires Feb. 22nd
Strawberries cello pack $2.49 ea.
Red or White Grapes $1.69 lb.
Roma Tomatoes $.99 lb.
Vance County/Henderson Farmer’s Market
This section will keep you updated on the new Vance County/Henderson Farmer’s Market that is set to open in the spring of 2014. It will provide a cross section of available food and table items for the “retired” or “leisure” family gardener who wants to purchase already grown crops for preserving or family meals.
In our next issue on March 3rd:
- How to decide on what to plant
- Going to get our seeds for our plot garden
- Where to get the best seeds and plants in our local area
- Making the most of our 4×4 garden plots
See you in 2 weeks!