Fall soil change

After I pulled the summer garden out, I put a bag of chicken manure, added azomite and lots of the compost we made. Planted vetch wooly and fave beans and lettuce
It has been in ground for 3 months now. I think I will take a sample and get it analyzed. Been waiting until year 3 to do this, to get the soil built up.
Still not enough worms.

Lettuce ready.

The lettuce I planted after the tomatoes is done

First frost

We had the first frost this past week.
I moved the hothouse from the lettuce bed to cover the pepper tree. It didn't do so well, loosing many of its leaves. Looks like it will come back in spring
I bought another 20 clips and will drill out the wood to install the hoops over the rest of the bed length, using Home Depot 4 mil plastic again. Lasts about 2 years then gets brittle.
Plan on making something more permanent for the pepper tree.
Using electrical conduit.

iPad app

I just got the iPad app for blogger, should make this easier for me.

It is well into fall now, having skipped a year of blogging I have some catching up to do!

Progress

The garden has taken off.  Nonie has requested a spot for container gardening.  She misses the spot she gave to Linda.
Planted two pumpkins in the back area.
Tested the soil that George brought in.  PH 75., Nitrogen Med. , Potassium Med , Phosporus High.
Good soil for first year.

The lettuce I planted, 3/4 of the packets labeled as lettuce had tomatoe seeds....

Planning winter garden now.
Re-did the drip system in one section.  Seems to work better.  1/4 spray one directions, 1/4 soaker hose the other direction.  12" spacing.

Lettuce planted

I put the lettuce in the seedhouse.  I have some trays that fit 50 plants each, three of them.
Lettuce is in two, Misc in the third.

Expansion Done

We are entering our second summer growing season with the new expansion project complete with the fence in place the two new boxes are ready for planting. After the board meeting on 5/1 a few members expressed interest in participating in the community garden project.

Neal Wooley said he would help dig holes for future expansion and will contribute some cash. Neal will take half of one of the new planter boxes. Once the dead oak near the end of the garden is removed two more posts can be set, extending the perimeter of the garden. I'll mark the where the holes need to be dug after the tree is down on 5/9. Neal please feel free to start planting now.

Joanne Woldhagen helped move a few yards of soil and contributed cash and started planting in the low box. I would like to rebuild this box to match the lumber and height of the original planter boxes at the end of this summer season.

I thought I heard that the couple who are the web masters for the Chemeketa website are interested in participating. Linda, I don't have their contact information, can you check with them to see if they would like to join? If so the other half of the box Neal is in is available and if they decline that box is available for someone else. 

Dan will take one of the two new smaller planter boxes adjacent to his current boxes. 

Linda expressed interest in the second smaller box. Nonie Mosby indicated that Linda can take her spot where the strawberries are planted, Linda can you please confirm.

Jody, Claire, Yelena and I are taking one of the two new large planter boxes and will stay in our original planter box.

As for the expenses for the expansion project, I purchased wood from Mintons Lumber when they were going our of business last September. I needed to get some additional lumber and supplies to complete the expansion. The additional materials came to $800 which included additional planter box lumber, fence posts, cement, cloth wire to keep the moles out, screws, cement, soil/compost and the dump truck rental. So far I've collected $590 in donations, thanks to all that have contributed!

We now have enough area for 4 to 6 additional 6'x4'x2' planter boxes, depending on how they are laid out. I estimate the cost for one planter box including lumber, soil, truck rental and tax cost $400. If we butt them end to end and build more than one at a time the cost would go down. Once we have the current expenses covered we can gauge interest in expansion for existing participants or new participants and begin fundraising. I'm sure we would all enjoy more area for planting.