Comments for Barbolian Fields

Comment on Permaculture by Nature by Blythe

Blythe — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:43:16 +0000

Good to hear from you again, Harvey! Hope the added mulch works out for you & makes your gardening super easy! And yes, the garlic definitely keeps the blood flowing, which, as far as I can tell, is a Good thing in this life!

Comment on Permaculture by Nature by Harvey Dringenberg

Harvey Dringenberg — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:46:24 +0000

I loved this page,,, gives me some ideas.

Of course, I must add,,, one can never eat to much garlic.

Comment on Permaculture by Nature by Blythe

Blythe — Sat, 05 May 2012 16:49:28 +0000

Thanks for the link, Bob – (I have it above, too, but it doesn’t stand out very well). For other readers: Bob’s link takes you to the interactive mapping page where people are posting where they live and sharing their gardens – very cool! Hope this takes off. Link to the film on the upper right. “It’s all about the covering.” I am always learning! It’s hard to find enough woodchips, though, is my only problem!

By the way – my Chinese Pinks are showing yellowing of the bottom leaves! I dug down around a bulb and don’t see anything wrong, but it seems waaaay early to be maturing! I might give them a little fish fertilizer to see if they perk up – but I feel like a newbie all over again, stressing over whether they’re ok! (Does this feeling ever go away?) BTW – Glad to hear your bulbils are up!

And yes, the bees are such a fun adventure! They are doing great!

Comment on Permaculture by Nature by Bob shaffer

Bob shaffer — Sat, 05 May 2012 16:03:46 +0000

This is Paul’s Back to Eden Site. where his technique/philosophy video can be seen. Last Fall I converted the garden to this …. Excluding only potatoes and garlic.

http://backtoedenfilm.com/news/gardens_worldwide.html

IF the Chinese Pink garlic scapes this year, they will probably start to show by the first week of June….they’re down turning and inconspicuous. Our Winter was warm so they may not scape.

Love your bee adventures.

Comment on Warre Beehive Update: Save the Queen! by Blythe

Blythe — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:13:58 +0000

Hooray for the Mystic Garlic! And I hope the Russian Giants are growing to gargantuan size for you! Yes, the commitment to get bees has been quite an adventure! Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time … we live in such an ideal place for them (other than our frequent windy rainy weather – but we have lots of good forage plants). The more I read about the difficulties they face in survival, the more I knew it was something we needed to do. Great to hear from you again, Linda!

Comment on Warre Beehive Update: Save the Queen! by Linda Santos

Linda Santos — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:32:05 +0000

I have been looking at all the blogs you have writte with joy. Thank you so much for all the great information. The garlic you sent me is up and looking wonderful! Do I dare try the bee hive root next? Warmer weather is on its way!!!!

Comment on Let ‘er Bee Free! by Blythe

Blythe — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:02:05 +0000

Thanks, Walt & Jan! So nice of you to stop by! And so fun to share how we’ve been trying to make them an ideal place to live and thrive!

Comment on Let ‘er Bee Free! by Walt

Walt — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:51:23 +0000

Blythe: Fantastic job installing your bees !!! When Jan and I visited you the day after you installed the girls they were all smiling and singing. Good luck with the bees.

Walt & Jan

Comment on 10 Tips for Growing Corn in the Pacific Northwest by Blythe

Blythe — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 03:59:00 +0000

Hi John – Not sure where you are, but the general recommendation is about 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Some folks plant them in hills; some space them out in rows. For me, I’m not usually very good with transplants, but in the case of corn, I’ve had the best luck with first starting them indoors in a greenhouse. Here in the Pacific Northwest, there are many years that we just don’t get enough “heat units” over the summer to ripen corn. Plus, the soil outside doesn’t warm up very early, so anything direct-seeded has a high risk of rotting or not germinating. One year, I planted about 100 seeds a couple of inches apart in trays in the greenhouse. It’s not much of a greenhouse – but it does the trick of getting the temps up during the day. They really took off! The roots grew like crazy – and even though there was just a little sprout on top, beneath the soil was a long network of roots! It would have been much better to plant them in pots! I managed to carefully pull them apart and put them in the ground about 10″ apart and in rows about 30″ apart (30″ seems like a lot, but it really helps to be able to get in there and hoe, fertilize, & water – amazing how big they get!) I was surprised that almost all of them made it! Last year, I started the seeds near the end of May and transplanted about the middle of June, so it doesn’t take long to get them going if they have a little warmth to begin with. I can’t remember how deep I transplanted them – but up to their necks, spreading out the roots as much as possible. I probably could have seeded them earlier, but we had a really cold, wet spring last year – so I waited. Once they’re growing, though, it’s surprising how tough they are. The corn tends to be rather shallow-rooted, so you have to be careful on how you hoe around them – plus, they have a tendency to blow over in strong winds – and they’re always hungry, so you have to feed them. Last year, I planted a 3 Sisters-type garden with the corn, beans, and squash. I used sunflowers as a windbreak on the west side. I fertilized mostly with blood meal early on, and worm tea and fish fertilizer later in the season. They did quite well, and we were still picking corn late into the season. Ah – I just read over my 10 Tips post from a couple years ago, and I see I just said some of the same stuff. Oh well – hope it’s helpful!

Comment on 10 Tips for Growing Corn in the Pacific Northwest by john hardin

john hardin — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 01:17:26 +0000

how many inches of soil depth is needed to grow corn please? thank you