More on the mint bed (six-week update)

Posted by: roundrockgarden | November 9, 2009

More on the mint bed (six-week update)

The corner of the yard is slowly filling up with spearmint and peppermint plants. At the end of September, I took a bunch of stem and root cuttings from the mother plants as well as a few established clones and stuck them in the ground in the southeast corner of the yard. The spot is pretty shaded from the Texas Lilac tree growing in the corner of the neighbor’s yard, but the mints don’t seem to notice. They’ve sent out runners in all directions now, and I see the tips of many more cuttings poking through the dirt (click on images below to see larger pics). Both varieties should be hardy in this zone through the winter, and I should have a very well-established and FULL bed of mint by next Spring. I’m sure I’ll have plenty to offer for cuttings if anyone is interested.

The mint bed, 11/8/09. These plants were either established clones (3 largest) or buried cuttings and root sections.

the mint bed, 10/17/09 (three weeks after planting)

Posted in Gardening | Tags: clones, cuttings, mint, peppermint, propagating, spearmint

Responses

Give the mint a few years and it will be everywhere.
By: awarewriter on November 9, 2009
at 11:23 pm

Reply
- that’s okay, i won’t be here in a few years – i hope the next tenants enjoy mint! LOL!
  By: roundrockgarden on November 10, 2009
  at 1:01 am
  
  Reply

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Organic Fertilizer List

We're doing everything using the best nature has to offer. That starts with organic dirt. The dirt used in our beds is a mixture of 35% loam, 40% compost, 10% bank sand, 10% granite sand and 5% composted manure.

Seeds are started in sterile Jiffy Mix.

In addition to these organic ingredients, we apply the following fertilizers as needed:

1. fresh compost mulch after plants are large enough

2. side dressings of worm castings (1-0-0)

3. aerated compost tea (1-0-0)(foliar spray and watered in)

4. aerated worm castings tea (1-0-0)(foliar spray and watered in)

5. fish emulsion (5-1-1)

6. bat guano (10-5-2)

We use only good old-fashioned rainwater or filtered water.

Why Organic?

Nothing in nature exists in isolation from anything. Life is full of relationships and good relationships bring about positive results. This is as much true for one's personal life as it is for the lives of our garden plants.

Organic farming takes into account the delicate relationships that exist in our environment and attempts to build good relationships that bring about healthy conditions for plants to perform their best.

This all begins with building healthy soil, for the soil is the medium of growth for all important members of the ecosystem, including fungi, bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, worms and animals.

Non-organic (now called "conventional grown" - which is an oxymoron since we've been using organic methods for thousands of years before the advent of Big Agriculture) methods of farming introduce synthetic chemicals to the soil, destroying the relationships inherent in the soil and disrupting the balance of every level of the soil's ecosystem.

These chemicals prevent nature from doing it's job - preventing disease, decomposing matter into readily available plant nutrients, building texture and increasing the biodynamics of the soil.

Organic methods rely on nature to do the job it has been doing since time began.

Weather Outlook

A good frost two days in a row killed off the tender plants like beans, green peppers and basil. The rest of the yard recuperated without an issue and are soaking up some light and steady rain.

Temperatures will be pretty mild this week. After showers on Monday and Tuesday, expect a light freeze going into Wednesday. Temperatures will warm slightly through the week before another chance of rain on Friday, and will continue to rise going into the weekend with mostly sunny skies and averaging 63/50.

There is also a likelihood of rain next Monday.

In the Garden this month: December

December is going to be a slow month for the garden. I'll be getting married, enjoying the holiday and taking a much needed vacation/honeymoon. It's a good thing that not much needs to be done this month.

I will continue to let the veggies do their thing. The lettuces are all developing at different stages and I've already begun harvesting. I'll have to sow more seeds around the third week. The carrots will continue to grow this month, along with (hopefully) the spinach and broccoli.

I'm sure the frost will kill the green pepper sometime in early December. I'll have to harvest the peppers and then pull up the plant when it's dead - the same with the beans as well as the basil. I plan on taking the jalapeno plants inside for the winter, growing them under lights and trimming off flowers so that the plants can grow bigger in anticipation for Spring transplanting.

In late December, I'll purchase the grow lights and set up an area in the garage and side room to start plants for Spring. After that, I'm going to get started on some big landscaping plans for the yard. I can't wait to get it going and show everyone!

Today, I received some seeds in from Seeds of Change. Mexican Mint Marigold, Tendergreen Bush Beans, Ring-O-Fire Cayenne Chilis, Cal Wonder Orange Bell pepper.

December tips and tasks

December is one of the quietest months of the year, but not one completely devoid of tasks for the diligent gardener.

1. Protect your tender plants from freezes.

2. This is the best time of year to plant/transplant trees and shrubs.

3. Rake up fallen leaves and compost them! Leaves make a wonderful addition to the pile - sometimes neighbors will even donate their leaves if you offer to rake them up!

4. After the first frost, cut back perennials to near the surface and cover with a heavy mulch for the winter.

5. You still have time to plant perennial herbs like sage, thyme and rosemary.

6. Plant cold weather greens.

7. Make plans for your Spring garden and begin buying necessary supplies (especially seeds).

Got a tip or task for December? Let me know!

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