Another Homestead Garden Update

With the daytime high temperatures reaching 80 degrees and above, it's time to plant heat loving plants like tomatoes, okra, squash, cucumbers, melons, and corn.

While others direct sow their seeds directly into the ground like Mel did, I find I get better results by soaking my seeds in a 10% hydrogen peroxide solution overnight, and then starting my seeds as transplants. I don't like the hit or miss of direct sowing. You end up with gaps in your planting area. This may not matter for those that have a large acreage to plant, but we have a little over 500 sq ft of gardening space to provide our needs. By using a combination of sq ft, back to Eden, and lasagna organic gardening techniques, I get the most bang for my efforts.

So while Mel does her direct sowing method, I'm going to eek out a small space to do my thing. I can't let her have  all the fun. While we actually have enough corn and pickles to last another year, I'm  going grow field corn to supplement our chicken's winter rations and popcorn. While Mel doesn't care for cucumbers or squash (didn't plant any), I love them so a few plants are in order. I'll start 6 and pick the best 4 plants. My gochugaru and bell peppers didn't get started so I'll start a half dozen of those too. They will keep the rats, and squirrels away.

I'll grow the field corn down in the orchard and the popcorn in a (3'x6') "raised" bed area. This way there is no cross pollination between the two types of corn with several hundred feet and the barn between them. It's a raised bed because I'm raising the soil about a foot to two feet from ground level with no containment boards.

On the short ends with popcorn, I'll use a variation of the three sisters method and sq ft gardening method. I'll plant my cucumber or luffa sponges at each of the corner with one corn plant in the center. I'll plant a squash (zucchini and yellow) plant in outer most edge of the corner and 4 garlic plants along the inner edge.  In between the corner squares I'll plant three corn shoots in the 1 open squares.

On the long sides for every other square, I'll plant one corn two peppers (1 gochugaru and 1 bell), and 4 scallions, or small onions with garlic planted along the the back edge. I'll have 2 squares on each side four a total of four of each type of peppers.For every missed sq ft, I'll plant three corn plants. I'll intersperse peppermint  or cosmos flowers along the the front of the rows. About five plants in each square.

In each interior square, I'll plant three corn plants. Again, I'll plant three cosmos flowers or dill with them in every other or there about. Sound nuts? Believe me, there's a method to my insanity of  planting like this.

As a small-time, organic gardener, I believe in companion planting and natural pest deterrents. My number one problem in growing corn is squirrels and rats. Onion, garlic, and hot peppers and peppermint. they even shy away other predatory animals and pests. Rabbits love mint, but not the others so the young shoots are protected.

My second problem is corn earwig worms by planting cosmos and dill around the corn shoots encourage green lace wings to come and stay. Green lace wings just love the corn earwigs and other pests that can destroy your garden. Besides, it looks pretty and you can eat them too. Be sure to plant the Cosmos Sulfureus type only if you want to eat them. The other varieties will poison you! I get my seeds from Baker Creek. They give my garden bright spots of color specially after the corn stocks dry and turn brown.

When you harvest your dried corn (popcorn and field) you can also harvest the seeds from the flowers for next year. I've done this for a couple of years now. Although they are an annual, they reseed themselves easily. this year I've got an abundance of seed of cosmos and dill so I mixed them into the orchard grass seed (I plant the corn with  it) this year. Rabbits and chickens love cosmos and dill! It's and extra treats in their hay.

See there was a method to my madness. Oh, after I transplant the shoots, I sprinkle rabbit poop over the whole area. I'll mulch it 3" deep around the plants in the raised bed and 6" deep with loosely scattered hay or straw in the orchard. I'll let Mother Nature do her thing. I don't have to do much except pull the occasional weed and water it if we have a dry spell over a week or two long. That's the beauty of raised bed gardening. It also meets my dual or three prong of use status in small area homesteading.

Y'all have a blessed day.

Cockeyed Jo