I'm passionate about a couple of avocational pursuits; California history and organic gardening. It's already almost the end of July and I've already picked about 75 pounds of gloriously red, fresh tomatoes, 15 pounds of home grown Yukon Gold potatoes, about 25 pounds of broccoli and ten pounds of fresh Brussels Sprouts.
I've put more than 120 pounds of Bandini Steer Manure om my garden, used two 25-pound bags of worm casings, and spent lots of time shirtless in the sun weeding and fighting bugs, burrowing rodents and some particularly malevolent mocking birds that have developed a taste for my heirloom beefsteak tomatoes.
I'm out in my two gardens before 7 a.m and I go out again in the afternoon. In the mornings I weed, work on my vegetables, turn the compost heap, and water or fertilize. In the afternoons, I record some basic measurements, like daily sun hours, soil pH levels, average day time temps and actual versus relative humidity.
This is the first year I've experimented with "control" crops--the plants against which I compare like hybrids planted in similar conditions in my garden's various "sub plots."
The big surprise in my control tomato plants after their first production has been the effect of worm casings added to my potting soil. Last year, the average size root ball for my beefsteaks was about 16 inches and most of my plants yielded only 6-8 fruits. Since I started using worm casings and an organic calcium source, the root balls in my control plants are 19-23 inches across and the primary stems on the vine are just under one-half inch thick. More importantly, the per plant yield is between 10and 12 fruits per a huge increase.
The other big surprise has been Brussels Sprouts. This is the first year I've grown them as a crop and after harvesting, the soil id still quite viable and has a near neutral pH level. I'm a Sprouts convert, now that I know how to cook them and to strip the plants of leaves, leaving only a crown--which facilitates the growth of the sprouts. Again, I suspect that my liberal use of worm casings and twice a month feeding with manure is just one of the reasons my Sprouts have done so well, in spite of the fact that I live in Zone 9 in San Diego County.
The most enjoyable thing in my garden this year has been two gopher eating female weasels. I never tire of watching them hunt by going down head first into a gopher hole or vole race, and seeing them come back up headfirst cleaning their little faces. From now on, I'll never disparage anyone by calling them a "weasel." Fascinating animals and I"m glad they moved to my mountaintop.
Today, I'm going out for some "retail therapy" at my favorite nursery in Escondido, "El Plantio." I love the selection of vegetables that are adapted for the local climate and they're quick to provide answers to my questions on organic gardening. Besides, the $5 in change I have to spend is burning a hole in my pocket.--Jim Forbes 07/25/2007.
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