First Monday in Spring

Another productive Monday with Anthony and Donna. We planted 4 apple trees in the front yard. Rubinette, Hawaii, Wickson Crab and Williams Pride. These 4 TINY trees all came from Kuffel CreeK—our SoCal apple expert (see link at right). I am finally following through with the idea of putting my apples on the east side of the house, where they will receive plenty of light without the blazing late afternoon rays that can burn the fruit. I plan to add 2 new low chill cherries to the same area next spring: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee. I think cherries will benefit from the same treatment. My Stella cherry in the back orchard has succumbed to borers which entered (as they often do) through sunscald wounds.

We spent the remaining hours weeding one of the veggie gardens and refreshing the paths with a thick layer of newspaper and straw. The plant that took 99% of our weeding time was Oxalis, the eradication of which former LA Times garden editor Robert Smaus said was his single most time consuming garden chore. I think I would agree. At this time of year these devil plants are busy forming little bulblets underground that will stick around to annoy you again later. I dig them out carefully— trying to get the bulblets and smashing the loose ones between my fingers. Squish squish.

We also prepared the pumpkin bed- an area between 2 rows of trees in the orchard where I loosened the soil with a garden fork and then papered and mulched. When my pumpkin seedlings are strong I will punch holes in the sheet mulch, plant four hills and lay down a drip line. I was happy with the way the vines wandered through the trees and near the beehives last year, but was disappointed in the number and size of fruit. I will adjust the drip lines so they get a little more water and try to feed them more.

We are eating from the garden this week: cabbage, lettuces, cilantro, arugula, Fuerte avocados, thyme, Bay leaves, tarragon, green onions, leeks, snap peas, kohlrabi, Swiss chard, beets, curly endive, tangelos, tangerines, lemons, oranges, grapefruit, limes and undoubtedly something else.

One of the lettuces I planted last year reseeded itself all over the yard- I love the way it looks in and around my roses—bright green and ruffled. Yesterday I noticed it coming up in cracks in the driveway. Hardy and determined. John asked "what kind of lettuce is it? It must have a name— like Farmer's Joy or Pride of the Driveway?"

Finally, for anyone who wants to read a witty, informative and humorous food growing adventure I recommend "Farm City" by Novella Carpenter. Her successes and failures squatting on an abandoned lot in west Oakland shed an interesting light on food growing in the city. I loved her story of dumpster diving at upscale East Bay restaurants to feed her two pigs, and was touched by her beautiful wording of a belief and experience I share with her: that you can love your farm animals, treat them with respect and care and then eat them.

http://www.amazon.com/Farm-City-Education-Urban-Farmer/dp/1594202214/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269321879&sr=1-1

It's spring crunch time. Time to prepare for the biggest garden season, mulching, feeding and seed starting. How many tomatoes will you grow???