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Zone 7 Gardening

@calebs.plants

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It’s pea planting season! I made this trellis from those free hardwood off cuts I got from a local cabinet maker.

Check out my YouTube for a full tutorial! The video is linked in the DIY highlight.

This design is incredibly easy to build and it can scaled up or down to fit any size or application.

Credit to Mitch @pnwnodig and his “DIY pea trellis” reel for the inspiration behind my design. I did make a couple changes so that mine is collapsable and can be adjusted to fit your planting needs but also packs up flat for storage.

#trellis #pea #peas #beans #gardening by @calebs.plants

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2 months ago

I’ll admit, when I ordered this drop, I was expecting a pile of 100% wood chips. My plan was to mulch my pathways and pile up the leftover chips for bulk carbon (browns) to make compost at some point when I had enough nitrogen (greens). I guess my assumption was based on my last drop that I ordered years ago in late winter before the trees had leafed out. But this was even better than I had expected! Since this pile is roughly half leaves and half chips, I can find the pockets of chips and spread them in the pathways while also taking the mixed sections and leaf pockets to the compost pile. The mixed sections have a fantastic ratio for composting and have already begun to break down right where the truck dumped them.

This is because of the balance between carbon and nitrogen. Carbon is often referred to as browns. Common sources include dry leaves, cardboard, straw, and wood chips. Nitrogen, often called greens, commonly consists of sources like green leaves, freshly cut plant matter, grass clippings, manures, and coffee grounds. Achieving a perfect balance between these two ingredients can be tricky, but funny enough a pile of wood chips and leaves does trick without the headache. by @calebs.plants

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2 months ago

It’s pea planting season! I made this trellis two years ago from free hardwood off cuts I got from a local cabinet maker. It has performed and held up very well! The legs are screwed to the bed for wind control. The strings are natural jute so they do gradually loosen over time but that’s totally fine with me! In fact that actually makes it easier to clean up the vines when the plants are done producing. I simply clip the strings and throw the whole thing in the compost pile.

Check out my YouTube for a full step by step tutorial! The video is linked in the DIY highlight!

This design is incredibly easy to build and it can scaled up or down to fit any size or application.

#trellis #pea #peas #beans #beantrellis #organicgardening #raisedbeds #raisedbedgarden #nodig #nodigallotment #nodiggarden #zone7gardening #zone6 #zone8b #zone7a #zone7b #springveggies by @calebs.plants

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7 months ago

New year, new techniques. Gardening is a skill you never stop refining.

Have you tried soil blocking yet? by @calebs.plants

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8 months ago

Wood chips might just be the single greatest free resource that we as home gardeners have within our reach. Just a simple layer of wood chips, with sufficient moisture, will begin to break down with the help of bacteria and fungi into nutrient dense soil. This process is relatively slow, but the tradeoff is that you can do it passively! Just spread the chips and let the microbes do their magic. These videos were taken two years apart from each other.

Wood chip decomposition can be expedited through the use of hot composting in a pile or simply just mixing in nitrogen sources into your paths.

The benefits of this process cannot be overstated! Organic matter is fundamental to proper soil health and it can make or break your garden. The soil food web is an incredible ecosystem in which plants exude bait, in the form of protein and carbs, that attract microbial life to eat those exudates. The microbes, in exchange for those nutrients produce a whole host of micronutrients that the plants need for healthy growth and disease/pest resistance. The chain continues as Protozoa and arthropods like springtails, along with another consumers, eat these microbes, releasing their locked up nutrients for plants to utilize. The process again continues as larger consumers come to eat the smaller and so on and so forth. It truly is an astonishing world inside your soil, of which, we are just beginning to scratch the surface.

This is just one of the many incredible benefits of adding organic matter to your soil.

For more info on this concept, check out:

Teaming with Microbes - Jeff Lowenfels
@gardenerjeff

Grow Your Soil - Diane Miessler @aginghippiechickgardening

Various episodes from @joegardener podcast!

As well as many other accounts like

@blossomandbranchfarm
@charles_dowding by @calebs.plants

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2 years ago

In honor of my first spring planting of peas yesterday, here’s an incredibly simple, yet effective pea trellis! I built this trellis last year with some free hardwood off cuts from a local cabinet maker.

Check out my YouTube for a full tutorial. The video is linked in my DIY highlight!

This design is incredibly easy to build and it can scaled up or down to fit any size or application.

Credit to Mitch @pnwnodig and his “DIY pea trellis” reel for the inspiration behind my design. I did make a couple changes so that mine is collapsable and can be adjusted to fit your planting needs but also packs up flat for storage.

#trellis #pea #peas #beans #beantrellis #organicgardening #raisedbeds #raisedbedgarden #nodig #nodigallotment #nodiggarden #zone7gardening #zone6 #zone8a #springveggies by @calebs.plants

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2 years ago

March is when my garden truly comes alive. It’s time to direct sow a bunch of different seeds and transplant a few things that I’ve started inside! I also tend to do a lot of the larger maintenance tasks this month like my wood chip paths and finishing a batch of compost since the weather is so much nicer this month than the last.

What task are you most looking forward to this month?

#spring #springgarden #gardening #garden #directsow #organic #organicgardening #organicgardenlife #startfromseed #backyardgarden #howtogarden by @calebs.plants

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2 years ago

My last frost is usually the second or third week of April which means the window to begin direct sowing is right around the corner. Here’s a list of things I’ll be direct sowing and the timing for each of them. Grab some for yourself and get ready!

#garden #startfromseed #seedstarting #directsow #kale #spinach #tennesseegarden #gardening #backyardgarden #seeds #raisedbedgarden #radish #beets #carrots by @calebs.plants

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2 years ago

Practical tips for planting herbs:

Understand the differences between them and what that means for planting time!

1. You may want to avoid planting perennial herbs in your regular garden beds. They will continue to spread year after year and can interfere with planting plans. The frequent turnover of the other plants could also interfere with their deeper root systems.

2. A mixed terra cotta planter with Rosemary, thyme, and oregano works great due to their shared low water needs. Bring them inside for the winter to keep them thriving for years and enjoy fresh herbs throughout the winter!

3. Annual herbs are just fine to plant in your garden beds and may actually benefit from it since they have higher water needs. I love to plant basil all over my garden.

4. Avoid combinations that don’t make sense. A planter with different requirements is possible, but it’s an uphill battle.

5. A mixed planter with basil, parsley and cilantro can work well since their water needs are similar, but keep in mind you’ll want to wait to add the basil until things have warmed up a bit! by @calebs.plants

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2 years ago

Before you call me crazy, hear me out. We started letting Teddy try all kinds of different foods just for taste around 6 months old. We’ve always tried to be very intentional with what we feed him and I personally feel like his palate is proof that it paid off. I don’t say this to feel superior over anyone else, but to encourage anyone with a young baby to just keep giving them a wide variety of foods. And don’t write it off until they’ve tried it at least 3 times! There’s been a lot of things that he wasn’t a big fan of the first time around, but he loves now.

These are some of my toddler’s favorite things to snack on:

1. Berries - If you’ve ever met a toddler this needs no further explanation
2. Beets - I know it might sound crazy, especially when many adults have never really given beets a chance, but pickled beet sticks are a staple for my 2 year old.
3. Cucumbers - Pickled or fresh, these abundant producers are great snacks to have on hand. And they’re so easy to grow.
4. Peas - My son has always loved peas since he was old enough to start solids. We’ve always done shelling peas because they’re easier for young mouths, but this year I want to mix in some pod varieties for fresh and fun snacks while we’re playing in the garden.
5. Bell peppers - Another easy to grow and abundant producer, thin sliced bell peppers make a great snack for toddlers on the go. My son also loves these picked as well!
6. Carrots - By now I’m sure you’ve sensed a theme with the pickling, but this is another great option. As he gets older though, I imagine fresh carrot sticks will be worked into his snack routine.
7. Pumpkin - Pumpkin has held a special place in my son’s heart for a while now. He loves to eat the purée by the spoonful, but pumpkin is also a really versatile nutrient dense filler for homemade bars and other toddler snacks.
8. Cabbage - Probably the craziest sounding one on the list… my son absolutely loves sauerkraut as a side to his meals and often just a little dish for a snack. And since I made some homemade with a red cabbage last spring, he’s asked for “kaut” routinely. I will definitely make more this time around!

#toddlersnacks #snack #gardensnacks by @calebs.plants

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2 years ago

Here’s a list of things I’ll be looking to get accomplished for the garden this month. Please keep in mind that being in the same zone does not necessarily mean this advice applies to you!

February is an equally exciting yet frustrating month to be a gardener. There’s so much to do in preparation for a good season, but the really fun stuff is still weeks/months away. This month I’ll be starting some of my warmer season transplants indoors while direct sowing some of the hardiest frost tolerant plants outdoors. Among other things, I’ll be attempting to finish a batch of compost before March and refreshing all the wood chip pathways. The last time I did this was two years ago and they’re definitely needing it. There’s a lot of little chores this month that will set me up for success in the months to come!

#seedstarting #startfromseed #organic #directsow #garden #gardening #raisedbeds #zone7gardening #compost #woodchips #seeds by @calebs.plants

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2 years ago

A lot of people have asked me how the pea trellis worked out. I’m happy to report it’s gone incredibly well! The structure is plenty sturdy to support the weight. The 2” spacing is definitely tight for the peas, but not too tight to make anything difficult. The hemp twine has held up great. Harvesting is easy and it’s very productive! All things considered I have no complaints at all about the design! I would definitely make more in the future.

#pea #peas #trellis #peatrellis #beans #beantrellis #backyardgarden #nodig #nodiggarden #nodiggardening #organic #pesticidefree #zone7 #zone6b #zone8a #zone8b by @calebs.plants

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2 years ago