Putting Practice into Practice

In keeping with last year's Theory and Practice series of posts I took what Jeavons had written and tried it in my particular spot of land. Results varied but I think the overall principles I learned are sound. I decided to once again document my plan for all the world to see, and lay out the results.

I tried to follow the sample layout as closely as possible, this time I have taken my favorites, added a few newbies and come up with a list, arranging them by companion guidelines at a spacing density as recommended in "How to grow..." The entire list does not exist in any one place, but in planning I came upon a theory of my own...or at least a method. Rob over at Onestraw described a great rotation system based on keeping plant families together using a six bed rotation model. I don't have the kind of space he does, so my beds have to be more diverse, but that doesn't mean it can't follow the same kind of orderly system.

As discussed in the previous post, nutrient cycling based on plant rotation is not much of a concern. Like a lot of people by now I dump compost on the bed wherever and whenever possible. I'm a firm believer. Crop rotation will be to satisfy disease avoidance. That being said I get considerably more freedom to plan and plant what I choose (within reason).

Therefore I've divided my plans into "Bed Modules," groups of plants with known complimentary properties and seasonal requirements. As it stands I believe I have four beds planned. Currently I have been alloted two officially, and two unofficially. Were I to have six I could put comfrey and other compost crops in rotation. Back to the modules. Each one has its own specific single year succession and place in the overall rotation.

Since I've already written quite a bit I'll just introduce one bed module. This one is probably the simplest as it goes pretty much unchanged throughout the season, until the middle zone gets replaced in the fall by something else. The onions (leeks actually) and carrots go in the ground first to get a head start. As things warm up, the tomatoes and peppers go in before the petunias which will try to take of the place if not kept in check. Note that orientation matters with north being at the top of the diagram.

So thats bed module #1

Theory and Practice: a map after the fact

I actually intended to do something like this when I first started, but I think its more relevant now that I have changed from the original plan.

Here is how things started, by the book, and I am intentionally leaving the exact square footages of the crops out. If you want those numbers, buy the book.

(click for a larger view)

Then phase two came along and This is essentially how things stand now.


So thats where I am at now, and you can kind of see with the late summer crops where things will be this winter. If all goes according to plan, the remaining warm weather crops in the lower bed will get swapped out with cold weather veggies to overwinter, before the cycle starts again with minor changes (most notably a change of bed locations).

My new goal is to come up with a reliable rotational system that keeps each plot continually productive. It is going to be an evolutionary process to achieve a real sense of flow with the seasons. And of course ideally I'd like to add another bed or two into the rotation.

Theory and Practice: onion edition

The onion tops had bent over and are now showing signs of withering, so out they came, apparently I have to dry them off for about 2 weeks before braiding them and putting them in storage but I can't say they lived to my expectations. I don't fault the method for this, I'm sure it has more to do with the clay they were planted in than its companions or spacing. I ended up with just a touch over 4 lbs from 5 square feet, some formed what I would call decent size but a lot were no bigger than a large shallot. I have family a couple towns over in what is locally called "onion country" so I will consult with some of the locals there about variety, planting times etc. Things I should have done this year basically.

Got the first cucumber a 4 oz curved specimem. The variety is not known to be curved and in the past, curvy cukes were a bad sign, but so far the babies that are following it all seem straight. No word on taste yet. I'm leaving that to the expert, my wife.

And of course another yellow squash, 11 oz, bringing the zucchini/squash total to 2lbs 5 oz. With more likely a few days away.


My total just a touch below 23 lbs, not what I had expected, but I don't think I was being realistic in the beginning. After all prior to trying the grow biointesive method I had never done a succession, never grown most of the things I have this year.

from the dept of weights and measures

I wasn't lying about the rain, 2.5" in 3 days.



Saturday thankfully it was sunny long enough to get at some of the potatoes. I got about 16 sq. ft. dug up. Behold the results.


Thats what 12 lbs of blurry potatoes looks like. Based on the picture you'd probably guess there are slightly more of the purple caribes than the yukon golds. You'd be right, especially when you consider that I pulled up 4 more yukon plants than caribes. The yukons were an abysmally poor producer. And given that I like the taste of caribes better, yukons are out of next year's plan. Originally I picked two varieties for earliness, in accordance with the plan in Jeavon's book. The bottom line is that I simply do not have time in the season to follow potatoes with something so long growing as corn. Next year it will be potatoes first and then something like beans, or maybe a second potato crop. Suggestions are welcome of course. I will say that having never tried the caribe I was pleasantly surprised by the fine texture and taste. The skin however, is frail I don't think I pulled a single one out of the ground without scratching or nicking the skin. I did however notice a couple yukons and caribes having what looks like the early stages of scab. A season or two away from spuds is in order. I may have to dig another bed to make a three year rotation in coming years...aw shucks

So what did I do with the spuds, well all of the small ones and some of the medium ones went into the briny deep of my stock pot for some NY salt potatoes. Well recieved at the picnic, though I was left with several of the larger caribes left floating in the salty, buttery, oh so healthy slurry. What to do? We had friends coming over for dinner so I figured a little recycling was in order. I cut up the potatoes into smaller pieces, (almost losing a finger in the process) pulled a couple small onions from the garden, cut a handfull of garlic chives, reused the aluminum foil that covered the salt potatoes to make a pouch for the melange, drizzled some of the butter over it with a little poultry seasoning, and threw it on the grill. Behold the attack of the 50 foot grilled potatoes. It was delicious even if I do say so myself.



By the way, since I haven't exactly been forthcoming with my totals I am at about 18 lbs of produce for the year, the inaccuracy due to an old scale which has been replaced now. I know it looks light, but please remember most of the things I have been pulling up were light, like lettuce, peas, broccoli, etc. There are ten more pounds of spuds in the ground, the onions ought to get me a few pounds, and the zucchini...well, I think we all know how that is going to end.

100 pounds from 100 square feet in upstate NY seems a bit high in retrospect, but I think its possible, maybe not this year, but with experience and improving soil, possible.

Theory and Practice: success(ion)

well, out came the bok choy, chinese cabbage, peas, lettuce, and radishes. The carrots, beets broccoli shouldn't be too far behind, and the onions are starting to swell nicely. In went green snap beans and corn. I know its a bit late, but this is going to be sweet corn, not dent, so I can likely get it finished before the end of the season.

Since it is way to late to start the popcorn, that will have to wait until next year. I'm gonna give the potatoes more time in the ground and fill the holes as I harvest those with more beans. Once I have a big enough area I will start the fall crops that should have gone into the above bed in the potato bed. Its amazing how fast the seasons go when you are planning and planting. Got some more seed today from SESE, I plan to start leeks and overwinter them under (hopefully) a hoop house.

By the way, I had a taste of the Kimchi and it is getting nice and sour, not as hot as I'd like, but then again I didn't pulverize the dried cayenne, I just sliced it up in strips.

Theory and Practice: coloring outside the lines

I don't know about any of you, but I was never happy with the drawings in the coloring books unless I had added some extras, its just my nature, I have to add something. Couple in my aforementioned and oft repeated tendency to worry, and it means I can't stick to a garden plan I know was not specifically designed for my spot. So here it is, my decision to go off the map, specifically the garden map in "How to grow...".

Its not that I haven't been happy with the results thus far, its just that there are some timing considerations. Mainly the schedule of some of the successions. My "growing season" (as traditionally defined) is shorter than what is perscribed in the book, and I thought that by picking the earliest varieties I could rush some of the successions. Despite the advertisement of some seed packets not every variety of seed is on target for the number of days to maturity. In the future (and thats what this is all about isn't it?) I'm going to start some spring plantings earlier (beets, broccoli, and heck I'll even try transplanting carrots again).

So back to the here and now. What to do? I have an open spot where the radishes were, the lettuce is starting to get bitter, the cabbage is almost ready (kimchi here I come). That leaves broccoli, peas, carrots, and onions with what I estimate is a good bit of time left. Now according to the plan, I am supposed to follow this crop with a block of early corn and a block of bush beans. One of the sections of the book describes intercropping exactly those two plants so I had planed on one large mixed block. After perusing some sources I was able to confirm that with the exception of onions, the rest of the stragglers are indifferent to corn and beans (some being actually on good terms). Since the onions don't get along well with beans I'll start with corn in that area. The result will be two groups of corn and beans, one going in soon, and one in a couple weeks when the others are done. The corn seedlings wont immediately shade out the stragglers, and having two groups of corn means we stretch the harvest. And when the first of the corn comes out it will give shade for the lettuce and spinach which is going to follow it before winter.

As for the other bed (zone 2 I think I called it) a longer season corn is going to follow the potatoes...which have already started to flower. Potatoes get along well with corn and beans so I am going to thin them a few weeks after they stop flowering and use the earlies for salt potatoes, then give the remaining ones the space to grow larger tubers, though not too much longer. Corn and beans go in sparsely in the holes, and I dont want to dig too late and disturb the corn's roots, nor do I want the spuds competing with the corn. After the spuds come out I haven't decided if I want to fill with more corn and beans or something else. Its a popcorn variety and despite the fact that green beans are probably the number one consumed vegetable in the household and I do intend to can a good deal of them, the variety I am using is known for being prolific.

So there we have it, I'd like to hear some thoughts from people. If someone feels I'm making a huge mistake here, please, stop me.

Early crops

Well it would appear the early crops of cabbage, peas, onions, lettuce, radishes, and beets are fast approaching harvest time...or at least I think they are. I have picked some lettuce and radishes already, and I have grown peas before, but the others I am guessing at. According to the Jeavons book, I should start the beans and early corn for transplant in about two weeks. I'm guessing I should go by feel on this one as I think we are probably going to be a tad later than that. I'm not really concerned about getting the same crops back in the ground in time before a frost after that because I will be using tunnels come late fall. (Introduced to me courtesy of another book: Four Season Gardening which is definitely a gem).
Anyway, here is the garden as it stands today.

And by the way the paw paw showed its first bud yesterday! I bought two varieties, "sunflower" and "wells" this one is the wells. I have no other reference for bare root trees except for the DOA ones we got for free on arbor day a couple years back, but I'm impressed that they didn't take long to break dormancy and make me nervous for two long. heh.

The First Harvest

Ladies and gentlemen, the first produce of the season, and appropriately around the same time of year I used to start the garden in the past. Thanks to mr. jeavons and the almighty we had a nice salad with dinner that traveled exactly 0 food miles. My wife remarked that she had never had lettuce so fresh....get used to it hon.

And for those who are part of the growing challenge, this was from seed so I guess I met the goal...but I'm not stopping here.

By the way thats green salad bowl leaf lettuce, a head of tom thumb lettuce, and my bahco pruning knife which works great for reaching under the head and cutting. I usually leave the roots in the ground when I harvest a plant, what about you?

A visual smorgasborg

First, you MUST take a moment to view Path to Freedom's amazing video. They're close to the 100,000 mark, so if you've seen it once, well, watch it again. It really is that inspiring.

and now without further ado...

my own meager progress.

Thats two types of lettuce (started a week apart) and peas.

More Peas, chinese cabbage, broccoli, and even though you probably cant see it, the beets and carrots are in there too.

The onion sets are starting to take off, and the radishes have sprouted off to the left below the marker stick.

and with the exception of the onions, all were started from seed! So far I have been following the perscribed method in the jeavons book as close as humanly possible. And despite my doubts about the beet and carrot transplants, they seem to be doing ok.

Theory and practice part 5: fear and trepidation

Following the schedule jeavons outlines, I transplanted a TON of stuff this week, peas (a labor of love to be sure) lettuce, (I jumped the gun on the broccoli and cabbage but they seem fine), onions, carrots, beets and radishes. The radishes were direct seeded, but the carrots and beets were transplants. Here's where my objection comes in. At this point in the schedule, they are still tiny. I wouldn't dare put them in anything less than perfect soil. Actually did dare, I put them in anyway. only time will tell if they make it.

The book is a still a fantastic resource, but I think it really needs some disclaimers about the expected conditions for the "sample" beds.

who knows, I could be wrong.

Theory and practice part 4

Here it is, my first critique, thought, ammendment, whatever to the schedule in the Jeavons book. Peas.

I started the peas last week in flats and they are sprouting up now. Peas are very cold tolerant, given that we have had such little frost this spring, (I spotted one patch yesterday for the first time in weeks, but it was not widespread)...wouldnt it make more sense just to direct seed them in the bed? So I ask all you experienced pea growers, is there a minimum temp these little guys need to germinate? is that why they were started in beds? I direct seeded last year but it was too late in the season for them to really thrive.

first sprouts

its official, yesterday afternoon I came home to find a whole mess of things growing. Unsurprisingly the lettuce broccoli and cabbage led the way. However, amaranth was also peeking out in shades of purple...weird. (ok not rare but I have never seen anything sprout in purple.)

still waiting on the beets and bok choy, and of course the herbs, but those I know will take longer.

According to "How to Grow" In two days I am supposed to prick out the lettuce into new flats to give them space I guess, I am nervous about this, I dont want to snap the little buggers.

Theory and Practice: pt 2

growing times and seedling starting

Despite what some see as being too rigid (and for the advanced and intuitive gardener this is likely true.) Jeavons offers a wonderful schedule of seed starting and transplanting wherein you simply plug in your frost dates in the appropriate blanks and count backwards or forwards x number of weeks for each crop and task. Orderly and foolproof, exactly what I need, given my proclivities for disorderly foolishness.

The fun begins 6 weeks before the last frost date (which I fudged slightly to better align with the phase of the moon, hey, couldn’t hurt) Job 1 happens March 19th. Not surprisingly it is starting seed of some of the cold weather crops in zone 3 (broccoli, beets, lettuce, etc.) So lets focus on zone 3 for a moment. Given the schedule outlined in terms of weeks, and when it is recommended to plant the next crop in succession, The first crop in zone 3 gets roughly 55 days in the ground. Seems a bit short but I managed to gather together everything I needed thanks to the wonder of heirloom seeds. I realize that the 55 days to maturity means from date of germination, so technically I could get longer maturing varieties, since I will be starting the seed long before it actually goes in the ground, but because of the aforementioned less than six month growing season, I am trying to “rush” the first succession in this zone to give plenty of time for the other two. Particularly the final succession of cold season produce to plant longer maturing varieties I chose for their reputation to do well into winter months or their reputation for “keeping.” More on that later. Based on my experience with this first year I may try longer maturing varieties in subsequent years.

Here’s what goes into flats on the 19th (I am omitting quantities, if you want those, buy the book, its worth it.)

Broccoli: Green Goliath (purchased from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange)
Cabbage toraziroh 45 day, blues Chinese (hyb) 52 days Both purchased from Fedco, toraziroh is a bok choy type and given its quick growth, I can stagger the plantings to stretch the harvest and still get them mature and out of the ground in time for the second succession. I tried to keep to non-hybrid seed, but the blues Chinese seemed like such a good fit, and it was hard to find a fast maturing head cabbage.
Beets dolce di Chioggia 52 days (SESE)
Lettuce tom thumb 46 days fedco, arugula 40 days (SESE) green leaf salad bowl 50 days (victory seed co)
Amaranth (love lies bleeding (fedco) this is technically not part of the 100 sq feed going into the bed, but since it contributes to the overall diversity of the local ecosystem I felt I should include it.

Next week’s job is easy ( I hope) prick out the lettuce seedlings into new flats. Not sure how necessary this is, but I’ll follow the directions anyway.

The difference between theory and practice

As my regular readers (s) know, I am abandoning the “amateur” method of one spot, one crop whole season gardening for a more extensive succession based plan outlined in Jeavons’ How to grow more… book. The following series I shall dub “Theory and Practice,” will deal with my effort to mimic as exactly as possible the 100 sq ft garden Jevons offers as the introduction to the growbiointensive plan. Jeavons dictates that this plan should be adequate for areas with a 6 month growing season. Since I am not blessed with such the succession timings will be one of the items which will need to be accommodated. I will leave that subject for further installments.

First I intend to deal with the physical layout of the ideal as proposed in the book, and the modified plan I will require to accommodate the physical considerations of our small backyard space. Since copying the page from the book would be a bad thing from a legal perspective I will do my best to relay the gist of it.

His diagram outlines a 5x20 ft area with what are not named as such but I will call succession zones. The first zone, contains for the most part either long season or indeterminate producers like pumpkins, tomatoes, cucurbits, peppers, etc. As indicated in the planting schedule, this zone is not immediately planted, as many of the crops require warmer soil temperatures, and when combined with the expected days to maturity, the result is no time left for subsequent planting in theory. Given my previous experience with peppers and tomatoes, I see no reason why this sector will not be productive well into fall. By and large this is the only zone of the garden I have familiarity with.

The second succession zone is composed of two separate crops, first potatoes planted in spring and harvested at roughly 65 days, and second a main crop of corn to make the most use of the warmer longer days. I call this succession zone 2 (as in two crops).

The third zone seems to be a yo-yo of sorts, and the most interesting in my opinion. Starting with cold hardy salad vegetables and greens (if you have never had fresh peas in a salad you are missing out) and going to an early crop of corn immediately after, then returning back to greens, legumes, brassicas in the fall. This will be Zone 3 (as in 3 plantings)

As indicated before all this lies in a single 5x20 raised bed, certainly the most flexible layout but unfortunately not suited for my case. In planning I quickly found that I could not evenly divide the zones into two beds without splitting the crops and interfering with what I believe was an attempt by the author to ensure that even the border crops in each of the zones are somewhat complementary. Unfortunately the size constraint mandates that I make do with what I have been allotted, and therefore the first zone (long season, will be split into two identical segments, each having half the allotted number of plants. The original plans do not indicate equal size of the zones, so I will make the 3 zones of size equal to the largest zone, in this case zone 2 (the tomato -> corn zone). Since that means extra space in the other zone I will make the plantings larger rather than add additional types. Where appropriate I will try to estimate what the harvest totals would be using the original sized plantings. If you are curious click on the image of the backyard to see the two roughly trapezoidal bed areas, each of roughly 60 feet so as to allow for equal size in each zone.

In the next part I'll go over the schedule and variety of plantings.