Digging the Sweet Potatoes

This is the first year I tried growing sweet potatoes. I put them in one of the water trough raised beds because I thought it would be easier come harvest time.

June 1

July 6

August 28

I must admit, I got a little impatient. Most of the references I checked said 90 days to harvest, so based on the time stamp on the first photo I waited until Labor Day to do a test dig. One tuber was bigger in diameter than a softball, but very oddly shaped - like it grew toward the side of the raised bed and had to double back on itself. The others that came up were on the smaller side so I decided to water deeply several times a week (we were in a mini-drought) and let them go a few more weeks before harvest.

Filling in the walking paths

Finally this week I took the plunge. I started by hacking back the vines, but as I pulled up the vines I discovered the vines had started setting tubers in the mulch and under the weed barrier around the raised beds.

Once I cut back all of the vines and pulled up all of the tubers in the mulch I attacked the ones inside the raised bed. Usually they came up in clumps around where the original sprigs were planted.

 One of the challenges with sweet potatoes is that the skin is rather delicate. I've read that in commercial sweet potato production they have to be hand-dug because mechanical harvest does too much damage. At one point I dug down in the dirt and tried pulling out one really big tuber, and this is what my fingernails did:

 Some were absolutely enormous, others no bigger than a fat finger. For reference, the holes in the sides of my plastic bins are about an inch in diameter. 

So here's all the tubers that came from the mulch. 

And this is what came out of the raised bed. 

What's next? They need to cure in a dry, dark place, and the weather we are having right now apparently is the ideal temperature for curing.

Not sure if I can wait much longer.

Plethora of Peppers

I have eleven bell pepper plants this year.

In some ways I have learned my lesson from previous years. In 2012 and 2013 I planted one red, one yellow, and four green bell peppers (there was a special on the four-pack at the garden center). I have learned that I don't care much for the green ones, or rather the bumper crop of greens that comes with that many plants.

So this year I bought one each of the red, yellow, orange, and green. And then I saw this in the seed catalog:

Sweet Rainbow Mix Peppers - Park Seed

I couldn't resist. I have seven plants from this, but in general you don't know which ones you have until they ripen and change color.

Which leads to my current plethora of peppers. Pecks of peppers. It's a pepper-palooza!

Here's Saturday's harvest:

That doesn't include the six other peppers already in the refrigerator, plus sections of three more from what I had sliced or diced up earlier in the week.

More are on the way. Here's a quick preview from the garden this afternoon. They taste better if they can mature (completely change color) on the plant, so these are several days away from picking.

Yellow

Red

Orange

Purple (matures green)

White (matures red)

Chocolate

Some I give away. Others I'm trying to cook and freeze. Any recipe that uses two or more peppers is fair game, even better if it uses more.

First it was home made pizzas with thinly sliced peppers and red onions. 

Then there was a grilled mix of peppers, mushrooms, and red onion that had been tossed with a teriyaki marinade.  Much easier to manage in a grill basket than on skewers.

Last week I made pork chops with peppers and onions. Probably won't do that one again, it was rather bland and I can't figure out a way to tweak it to make it better. 

Tonight I tried a recipe for one-pot lazy stuffed peppers. Quite tasty, good for using up those partial peppers, and looks like it will freeze well for lunches. I like stuffed bell peppers in concept, but I tend to get overwhelmed with ratio of pepper to filling. And who really wants to eat the same thing every day for a week when a single recipe makes 6 servings unless you really, really like it?

I'm eager to try this beef with peppers stir fry, especially since I loved the way the other beef stir fry recipes from this author/blogger have turned out. Actually, I've loved the way everything from this author/blogger has turned out.

And then there is my favorite basic chicken fajita recipe, though now after having made it a few times I have my little tweaks and adjustments (like adding fresh chopped cilantro, using three bell peppers, Mexican shredded cheese blend, etc.). Probably on the agenda for later in the week.

Making My Bed(s)

A friend recently saw my garden pictures and asked for the specs on my raised beds. I must admit, there has been a lot of planning and some trial-and-error lessons, so I am more than happy to share what I have learned.

But before I get into how I make my raised beds, I need to cover the why. Alabama in general, and this area in particular, is not known for having ideal soil for tillage and crops either due to native soil type or decades of soil-eroding farming practices beginning in the Antebellum Era and continuing through World War II. Heck, only a few miles from my house is Tuskegee National Forest, which was started as a federal land reclamation project during the 1930's; at the time of acquisition it had been described as one of the most abused and eroded wastelands in Alabama. (On a positive note, also nearby are two of the first, and still continuing, research plots that demonstrate how crop rotation and fertilization can allow farmland to remain productive for decades: the Old Rotation and the Cullars Rotation.)

So what do I have for native soil? I'm on the edge of the Black Belt region, so much of the soil around me is heavy clay. Trying to pull soil samples in my pasture for lab analysis was almost a herculean effort. It's also extremely acidic and high in phosphorus. Oh, and did I mention there is a tremendous amount of variation of soil type on the property? I did try putting in a traditional ground garden when I first bought the property but when I expanded I realized it would be easier to put in raised beds and control the soil blend than to amend what was already here.

I don't have actual step-by-step pictures of the raised bed process, but I think you can get the idea from some archived garden shots.

My beds are 4 feet by 8 feet. Most building plans recommend making raised beds no wider than 4 feet so that it is easy to reach for weeding, harvesting, etc. without having to step in the bed itself. And from experience, I agree. Some prefab beds measure 3 feet wide, but I thought that wouldn't make for an efficient use of space especially given the small area I had to work in. As for length, 8 feet worked for me but I've seen others as small as 4 feet and as long as 20 feet. Keep in mind, the longer the bed, the sturdier the sides need to be. Even at 8 feet, if I didn't have those side stakes the boards would be bowing from the weight of the soil. The 20 foot beds I've seen were made from railroad ties.

I use 2"x10" pressure treated pine boards, YellaWood to be specific. This is outdoor construction after all, so your options are cedar or something that's pressure treated. Cedar is not readily available or affordable  around here, so that leaves pressure treated. There are some health concerns regarding using traditional pressure treated (green-ish hue) wood, with the treatment chemicals leaching into the soil and possibly taken up by the plants in the beds, which is why newer-method pressure treated (like YellaWood) is preferred if you are going to use pressure treated because they don't use those chemicals. And, conveniently, YellaWood is found at pretty much any lumber yard or big-box store around here.

Site Prep

The first two beds were constructed in 2012. It took me the better part of a weekend to plot the location, mark out the perimeter, and remove all of the sod. This year I added a third bed, and began by spraying the grass with RoundUp (glyphosate) so I could just build right on top of it. I waited almost two weeks before the grass was completely dead before I started to build - if you are worried about planting, don't be. Label instructions say you can plant veggies and herbs three days after application.

There are advantages to each. It was easier to pound in the side stakes when the ground was disturbed from removing the sod. Conversely, it was easier to try leveling the bed when the ground beneath was solid. 

As for where to locate the beds, vegetable gardens need at least 6 hours of direct sun each day. I was trying to place my beds so they fell in a straight line off of the barn, with the idea that I could just mow in a straight line. String and stakes were helpful for locating this straight line. I also positioned my beds to have 36" between beds. This gave me plenty of room to go between the beds with my wheelbarrow.


Building the Beds

I get to use power tools! Isn't that reason enough to build raised beds?

I have a thing for Milwaukee Tools. Maybe because I grew up in Wisconsin.

But seriously, here's the list of needed tools:

• circular saw
• drill with 1/8" bit
• cordless driver (or cordless drill with driver bit)
• tape measure
• small sledge hammer
• 4-foot level (optional)
• string line & stakes (optional)
• cement block (optional)

As for wood and supplies, you can make the beds any length, width, and height you want. I'll talk you through the process as I did it. So for each 4'x8' bed:

• (2) 2"x10"x12' boards
• (2) 2"x4"x8' boards
• 3" deck screws (just get the 1 lb. box, they come in handy for lots of things)

 Ready? Here we go!

1. Using the circular saw, cut each 12' board into a 4' and an 8' section. 
2. On the 4' lengths, measure about 1" in from the ends and drill three holes in a line parallel to the end of the board. Then drill a second row of holes about 3 inches from the ends. These are pilot holes for the deck screws. The first row will be used to screw to the 8' boards, the second row to anchor to the corner stakes.
3. On the 8' lengths, measure about 1" from the ends and drill three holes in a parallel line to the end of the board. These will be used to anchor to the corner stakes. 

   

   Pilot holes will help prevent board splitting when driving deck screws.

4. Cut each 2"x4" board into four 24" sections. For each section, make two angled cuts at one end to create a point. I did this free-hand, but if you want to measure I won't judge. The point (ha!) is to make sure the tip is somewhat centered so that when you pound it in it doesn't pull one direction or the other. Ideally each stake should be at least 20" long, or twice the height of the finished bed. 
5.  (Optional) Use the string line to mark and locate one of the sides of the bed. In my case, for the first two beds I wanted the ends to line up with the wall of my horse barn so it all fell in a straight line. For the third bed, I used the string line to make sure it would line up with the first two beds.
6.  Using 3" deck screws, attach the 4' boards to the ends of the 8' boards and make the box. You can assemble right where the bed will be, or do it nearby and have a friend help you carry and place the box.
7. Line the box up with the string line (if used). If you will have more than one bed, measure a 36" aisle between boxes. Finally, square the box by measuring the length of the diagonal lines, and adjusting the box until the two diagonals are approximately the same length. This may take several attempts to get everything to line up correctly. But if you are anything like me, do it or else the lack of square will drive you crazy.

   

   Siting the beds

   
   

   
   

8. (Optional) Level the bed using the 4' level and various scraps of lumber - the pieces left over from making the 2"x4' stakes are handy for this. Again, for most people it probably isn't a big deal, but I know in my area that a heavy rain fall could wash the soil over the top of the boards if the beds were not level. 
9. Drive the first corner stake so that the 4" side is against the 4' board. You may need to use a cinder block or two to help hold either the stake or the box as you pound with the small sledge. In my heavy clay soils the stakes would sometimes pull away from the corner as I drove them in, or at least they tried to until I put a cinder block on each side to help hold them steady. 
10. Once the top of the stake is flush with the top of the bed, check again for squareness. Then anchor the box to the stake with deck screws. 
11. Repeat with the other three corner stakes.

    

    Corners are in!

12. Place and drive the support stakes on the outside of the long sides of the raised bed. These stakes are to prevent the boards from bowing outward, so place them such that the 4" side of the stake is against the board. Because my beds are 8' long, the stakes are set on center about 2 1/2' to 3' from the corners. You may need more or less depending on the length of the bed. Attach the stakes to the boards using two or three deck screws. Pilot holes are not necessary if the stake is still in good shape after all of the pounding. 

Filling the Beds

What you use for growing media is personal preference, except for one rule: Never use potting soil! Potting soil was created for drainage and water holding properties necessary for use in pots. By itself it is very light and fluffy which is great for pots. But this is not a pot, it is a raised bed. 

I've used two different mixes for my raised beds. When I built the first two there was a large rotted tree stump in the yard that the previous homeowners made into a planter by hollowing out the middle and filling with potting mix. Over time the tree based rotted and I needed to get rid of it. The combination of sandy-clay loam, organic matter, and a little bit of potting soil. And by little bit of potting soil, there was probably one wheelbarrow load's worth of potting soil out of the close to 20 loads that went into the beds. When it was mixed together it was still a little heavy but I had a good supply of composted horse manure that helped. I've since topped off these beds with a combination of commercial garden soil and more compost. 

The most recent bed was filled with a blend of commercial garden soil and bagged top soil. My preferred blend is adding three cubic feet of top soil to two cubic feet of garden soil, then top dressing compost and working it in the top few inches. 

My beds are 4'x8'x10", or just shy of 27 cubic feet. By the way, did you know you can freak out a sales associate at a big box store by running the math on this in your head?

Helpful hint: take the short end off one side of the box so you can drive straight in with the wheel barrow rather than trying to go over the top. 

Final Suggestions

1. The third raised bed is on uneven ground, which meant there was a big gap between the bottom of the board and the ground below.

To keep the soil from running out the bottom I stapled window screen material inside the bed. It's also helpful for preventing grass from going under the board and coming up inside. The drawback is when I watered the screening would wick the water down the boards and out of the bed rather than allowing it to soak into the soil. Until I decide how to finish off the outside edge I'm going to leave it be, just have to water slower so it soaks in before reaching the side boards.


2. If you plan to use any type of cover, make sure your bed will fit the product. The company I get many of these supplies from sells 3' wide beds and their materials are sized to fit those beds. I have hoop structures I use to keep the frost blankets off the plants. No big deal here because the blankets are 12' wide, more than enough to cover the hoops and the side boards.

The problem was with my shade nets which are only 6' wide, leaving some of my tender plants exposed and susceptible to sunburn.

3. Finally, the beds will settle over time. I've been adding about 2-4 cubic feet of garden soil/top soil per year, not to mention a couple wheelbarrow loads of compost either as a top dress or mulch depending on the crop. I'm only two years in on the first set of beds, so I don't know yet if this settling will slow down over time.

Happy bedding!