Desert Flower Garden

Every year for a few weeks the high mountain desert region of the Snake River plain will turn green and bloom. If you're not ready for it, you may miss it.

We've devoted the south side of the house, the hot spot, as the desert garden. We have a variety of bulbs for color, yucca plants (New Mexico state flower - in honor of Renee's home state) and various other high temperature resistant and low water survivors. This will save on some watering and a few basement leaking problem spots.

Over the weekend, because March starts next week, we were able to transfer the yucca plants from the north side of the house to the new desert garden.

One of the great things about being an urban farm is that we get a lot of foot traffic and visitors returning from the library, walking to the city park, on the way to the bus stop, or just walking a dog. Today, while transplanting the yucca plants, two of our regular visitors were returning from the library and gave me a few extra green thumbs. That's a great thing about city farming.

While working this weekend I noticed the first bloomers, one of my favorites, the crocus, are everywhere and beginning to bloom. The tulips and daffodils are breaking through and reaching for the sun. It won't be long now and the desert will be green (for a few weeks anyway.)

Before the weekend:

After the weekend:

Early Thaw

February 2016 has been a rather warm month. It has allowed me actual time in the garden area. The soil has nearly completely thawed. A few weeks ago, on my daily glance at the free items on Craig's List I notice a greenhouse in Filer was closing up and giving away planter pots (FOR FREE). I now have approx 400 one gallon planter pots. How could I pass up on the word "free"? 

Early winter I had covered all my raised beds with mulching leaves from the dozen trees we have at Thompson Springs Urban Farm. I laid about two inch-deep layer of mulching leaves on the strawberry bed too. I pulled all the leaves off of the strawberries to see how things are looking... I can almost taste a fresh strawberry short cake dessert. But, I'll have to wait. don't forget... it's still February.

I also took a look at the spinach plants I planted late fall. After covering with mulching leaves for the winter. To my pleasant surprise, the spinach is green and beginning to even grow again. Time to start thinking about planting early seed for more spinach salads. Of course, the onion plants have broke ground and reaching for the sky... Don't forget, Paul, it's still February.

Germination Table

Winter in Idaho can bring about extreme cold temperatures.

This winter I decided to compost the leaves from the tress to boost the soil. After raking the leaves and mowing over them multiple times I filled all raised beds with chopped leaves and occasionally turning the leaves to aid in the composting.

By mid January I began planning out some ideas to start plants as early as possible. With night and day time temperatures still remaining below freezing it was obvious that no gardening can take place.

Unless one converts the old coal storage room in the basement into a germination lab.

The room is approx 4ft wide and 7ft long and stays about 58 degrees throughout the winter. That's not warm enough to germinate seeds but it is a good place to start off.

Following are some photos of the germination table project and ideas to warm up the soil to get successful seed propagation.

The table was already in the basement. I took the lower shelf and attempted to generate some heat under the planting trays to get warm enough temperatures. My first test was to use an LED light rope.

I had portions of some insulation foam from an earlier project in the laundry room last year. I placed this insulation foam on the shelf and divided it with strips of plywood, attempting to distribute the heat evenly.

I then placed some sheet metal on top of the LED lights (cut to fit the shelf) and placed a thermometer on the germination shelf. This generated only a slight increase of surface temperature. Not enough to aid in early germination.

I then added florescent lighting to hang under the table and above the germination shelf.

After a four day temperature test I was only able to get a surface temperature of 66. I was please but not satisfied that would be sufficient to get germination.

I removed the LED lighting and decided to try old Christmas tree lighting.

After repeating a four day temperature test with the Christmas tree lights I was only able to gain 3 degrees of heat. At 69 degrees I was still not satisfied. I wanted at least 72 degrees.

The next test was to increase the number of lights. To be sure the lights would not lay upon wiring I used electrical tape to secure the wiring in a way that all lights would lay uniformly under the sheet metal to evenly distribute the heat. This final temperature test increase the heat significantly. I have been able to reach a high of 78 degrees.

 It is entirely too early still to plant tomatoes and peppers. But not too early for the natural bad bug repellent marigolds and other early cold hardy flowers to begin attracting butterflies, ladybugs, and other garden friendly bugs.

 Within one week of planting marigolds, the germination table has proven to be a successful project.

With warming temperatures and a few other adjustments to the furnace I have been able to get a high temperature of 81 degrees and a constant 77 degrees.

The room temperature is still in the mid 60s but so far the winter gardening is working out.