We participated in the Tour on Dec 3, 2011. Our chickens were a great adventure. Alas, they are gone. In case we might get some in the future, here are addresses of the coops in 2011.

• • • 909 E Orange
    • 409 E Oregon – Meyer Hatchery
    • 51 W Cambridge – Idea: Large bucket with a hole going to a hose.  In the summer as the ice melts, the chickens have cold water.
    • 1614 W Avalon
    • 724 W Moreland
    • 902 N 6th Street – Community Garden
    • 743 E Portland
    • 910 E Washington St
    • 1544 E Cheery Lynn Rd
    • 2313 E Sells Drive
    • 4617 N 39th Street – Meat chickens
    • 4139 E Campbell Ave – pull out trays for poop
    • 4138 N 41st Pl – LITTLE BIRDS
    • 3824 N 50th St
      
    • 16001 N 40th Place.

 

Fun

• DIRT: The Movie

Buying Plants

Preparing Your Garden

Raised Bed Examples

• • Raised beds dry out and heat up more quickly
  • Make sure you can access all areas of the garden
  • Let them lay fallow in the summer with turned in compost

• Irrigation around the perimeter – Drip line, soaker hose
  Replace about every three years
• DO NOT USE above the ground sprinklers

Planting in the Ground

• Dig hole at least twice as big as the root ball
• Plant in 1/2 native soil and 1/2 compost
• Remove rocks
• Soil in Arizona is 7.5 – 8.5 – Add compost 2x yearly

Potting Mix Mixture

• Mortar Mixing Basin – Toss about every other week
• Egg Carton
• Compost
• Bone meal
• Coffee Grounds or Blood meal
• Local ground
• Lava sand
• Soak in milk

Starting Seeds

• You can use a clamshell package (strawberries, blueberries use them)
• Put a wet paper towel in the bottom
• Fill with potting mixture
• Keep soil moist until they are one inch tall
• Transplant at 3-4 inches

Transplants

 

 

Garden Maintenance

Test trees for soil moisture

• Push stick in.  It should go three foot into the dirty
• Water every two weeks
• Fertilize on schedule

Peppers

• Keep soil moist for peppers for milder and more flavorful

Plants with Moist Fruit

• Keep soil moist for plants with high moisture content such as cucumbers

Squash

• SUMMER Squash – Plant in spring, harvest in summer – quick growing
• WINTER Squash – Plant in spring, harvest in winter – slower growing
• EGGPLANT and ZUCCHINI – Cut off fruit to trigger more production
  • Oriental Eggplant grows well in Arizona
• Thin by cutting off at ground level.  Leave the roots.

Flowers attract pollinators and repel pests

• Begonia, Marigold, Petunia, Finias, Alyssum, Zinnia, Snapdragons
• Plant in early autumn for flowers in early spring

Fertilize

• Bone meal – Phosphorous
• Corn meal
• Blood meal
• Molasses
• Compost
• Organic fertilizer
• Manure
• Tomato Blend – summer winds
• Bury fish for tomatoes

Tips and Tricks

• Garden sink?  Route drainage to your tree
• Temperatures over 90º kill active pollen
• High temps can also kill roots – Mulch to three inches when temperatures go above 90º
• Start seeds inside 5-8 weeks before Transplants go into the ground
  – Clam-shell strawberry box works well for this
  – Consider a GREENHOUSE for your starts.
• Seeds should be planted at a depth of twice the widest measurement of the seed width
  – The problem is they will starve before germination if planted too deeply
• IF ROOTBOUND – Soak, then cut bottom in quarters – Soak again, then plant
  – Also remove a peat pot if this is used
  – Keep soil moist until germination
• Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit such as melons, cucumbers, etc.
• Re: SQUASH BEETLES – Pick them off in early morning
  • Put a board on the ground, they will collect there
• THREE SISTERS:  Corn, Beans, Squash – Wait for corn to be at least four foot high before planting others
  • Plan in a mound 1″ high and 2″ wide
• Thin your plants or they ALL will do poorly
• Sprinkle Cayenne Pepper around to keep cats off your new transplants
  Coffee grounds and orange peel also work
• Nurseries will special order plants for you

Education

Book:  The Garden Guy

Arizona Herb Association

Glendale Class – by Carol Stuttard

Handouts:  PAGE 1 :: PAGE 2 :: PAGE 3 :: PAGE 4 :: PAGE 5 :: PAGE 6
Other notes have been incorporated somewhere within this page

Carol’s Gardening Blog

 

Timeline by MONTH

• NOTE:  Any transplant can be started from seed INSIDE 5-8 weeks before moving outside.  Transplant at 3-4 inches.
• Go by the Extension Service Calendar NOT the dates printed on the seed packet.
• CLICK HERE for reputable seed providers.
• For average temperatures, CLICK HERE or click on the chart
  FREEZE RANGE – Worst case scenario –
• Climate similar to Spain, South Affrica, Australia

 

January

• SEEDS – Lettuce – Mustard – Peas – Radishes – Rutabega – Spinach – Turnip –  Bulb Onion – Green Onion –  Spinach – Bok Choy – Carrots –  Swiss Chard –  Collard Greens – Basil
• TRANSPLANTS – Lettuce – Kohlrabi – Broccoli – Swiss Chard  –  Collard Greens –
• BULBS – Onion –
• OTHER – Potatoes

February

• SEEDS – Mustard Greens – Onion – Peas – Watermelon – Green Onion –  Spinach – Sunflower – Bok Choy – Carrots –  Collard Greens –  Sweet Corn – Cucumber – Armenian Cucumber – Basil
• TRANSPLANTS – Tomatoes – Artichokes – Swiss Chard –
• BULBS – Onions –
• OTHER – Potatoes –

March

There is only a 20% chance of temperatures below 32º after March 1
Chances are 80% that the temperature will be about

• SEEDS – Watermelon – Cantaloupe – Green Onion – Pumpkin – Summer Squash -Winter Squash –  Sunflower – Basil – Carrots –  Sweet Corn – Cucumber –  Armenian Cucumber –
• TRANSPLANTS – Peppers – Tomatoes – Artichokes – Basil – Eggplant –
• BULBS –
• OTHER – Sweet Potato Eyes –
• TIPS – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

April

• SEEDS – Cantaloupe – Green Onion –  Summer Squash –  Sunflower – Basil – Carrots –  Sweet Corn – Cucumber –  Armenian Cucumber –
• TRANSPLANTS – Artichokes –  Basil –
• BULBS –
• OTHER – Sweet Potato Eyes – Peanuts
• TIPS – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

May

• SEEDS – Cantaloupe – Sunflower – Basil – Armenian Cucumber –
• TRANSPLANTS – Basil –
• BULBS –
• OTHER – Sweet Potato Eyes –
• TIPS – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

June

• SEEDS – Cantaloupe – Sunflower – Armenian Cucumber –
• TRANSPLANTS –
• BULBS –
• OTHER – Sweet Potato Eyes –
• TIPS – Shade bell peppers from intense sun – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

July

• SEEDS – Cantaloupe – Pumpkin –  Winter Squash –  Sunflower – Sweet Corn –  Armenian Cucumber –
• TRANSPLANTS – Peppers –  Tomatoes –
• BULBS –
• OTHER –
• TIPS – Shade bell peppers from intense sun – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

August

• SEEDS – Green Onion – Summer Squash – Brussels Sprouts – Carrots – Swiss Chard – Collard Greens – Sweet Corn – Cucumber –
• TRANSPLANTS – Tomatoes –
• BULBS –
• OTHER –
• TIPS – Shade bell peppers from intense sun – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

September

• SEEDS – Kale – Kohlrabi – Lettuce – Green Onion – Spinach – Bok Choy – Broccoli – Brussels Sprouts – Carrots –  Swiss Chard –  Collard Greens – Cucumber –
• TRANSPLANTS – Brussels Sprouts –  Swiss Chard –
• BULBS –
• OTHER –
• TIPS – Shade bell peppers from intense sun – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

October

• SEEDS – Kale –  Kohlrabi –  Lettuce – Green Onion – Bulb Onion – Spinach – Bok Choy –  Broccoli – Brussels Sprouts –  Carrots –  Swiss Chard –  Collard Greens –
• TRANSPLANTS – Lettuce – Broccoli – Brussels Sprouts –  Swiss Chard –
• BULBS – Garlic
• OTHER –
• TIPS –

November

• SEEDS – Kale –  Kohlrabi –  Lettuce – Green Onion –  Bulb Onion –  Spinach – Bok Choy –  Broccoli – Brussels Sprouts –  Carrots –  Swiss Chard –  Collard Greens –
• TRANSPLANTS – Kohlrabi –  Lettuce – Broccoli – Brussels Sprouts –  Swiss Chard –
• BULBS –
• OTHER –
• TIPS

December

• SEEDS – Kale –  Lettuce – Green Onion –  Spinach – Bok Choy –  Broccoli – Carrots –  Swiss Chard –  Collard Greens –
• TRANSPLANTS – Kohlrabi –  Lettuce – Broccoli – Swiss Chard –
• BULBS – Bulb Onion –
• OTHER –
• TIPS –

SHOULDERS ARE NOT COVERED WELL.  SEE THE BELOW IMAGES FOR MORE EXACT TIMELINES.

We will be buying a house in the near future. Here are some links to useful information that I may need sooner or later:

WebStaurantStore – Shelving, racks, etc