Author: ckelly

Believe it or not this bed could have been oriented the other way. What?! Won’t the soil all run downhill? Not at all. Since the no-dig method does not disturb the soil below, erosion is minimized. Building “terraced” raised beds is also an option, but with more expense. This no-dig bed was ready to plant in about 30 minutes, and the only cost was about one cubic yard of compost — even less since some homemade compost was used as well.

I can never grow enough peas. Green Arrow and Lincoln have been very reliable, but I’m always on the hunt for the MOST prolific variety that does well here in the Hudson Valley. I love building trellises because it can be creative, and it gets me out in the garden the second the ground thaws.

We eat so many peas in early Summer, it’s hard to believe that any make it to the freezer. A 90-second bath in boiling water, and the little babies are tucked away in the freezer. Hopefully next year I’ll remember to GROW MORE.

Garlic is one of the most satisfying crops to grow. It takes up little space, it’s easy to care for, it provides its own “seeds” and it stores fantastically. Here’s the timeline:

• Late October. Planting
• Late Nov/Early Dec. Mulching
• March. Remove the mulch and give a shot of fish emulsion (depending on your soil)
• Early June. Cut scapes after they curl around once.
• Late June. Harvest when about half the leaves are brown.

Of course there’s more to it than this, but garlic is also very forgiving. The most important thing is to get it out of the ground at the best time. Pull it too soon: small heads. Pull it too late: poor storage.

This is a great way to get lots of potatoes in a small area—grow up!!

The usual technique of “hilling” potatoes is employed, but if you use containers that stack, you can keep hilling for a long time. Some gardeners have reported 50 lbs from a 4 square-foot container. The ones shown here are simple 4-sided boxes made from scraps of rough sawn pine. Another possibility (not as pretty) is old tires.