The Intermittent Gardener

Well, it was a beautiful day yesterday. I got out to the garden and raked the fall leaves off. Dave had finished painting my second hive on Friday (yay Dave! Love that man) so I didn’t have to worry about that. WARNING: this is a soil post. My study this semester is Pollinators, Plants, and Soil so things like this are bound to happen on the blog. You can totally ignore this and come back next weekend (we get the bees in six days!!!) or continue on if you like.

I’ve had my home soil test kit sitting on the counter for almost two weeks now; taunting me with its test tube and tablets. I broke down yesterday and gathered a soil sample. I let the soil dry in the sun and by 9:30 last night I couldn’t wait any longer.

A bit of background here. I’m an intermittent gardener. Last year I had a couple of plants that didn’t perform well at all. I figured it was because I know next to nothing about gardening. The first year I planted my garden was 1997. A real garden. Tomatoes, beans, zucchini. I think I had another the year after that. I was mulching with grass cuttings from the lawn. Then Dave stopped using the bagger and that was the end of that. I don’t use fertilizer or any other amendments. My thinking was that I hardly use the soil so it had to be packed with all kinds of good stuff. The soil test results, I imagined, would speak for themselves.

The first test I ran was for pH. I added the soil and tablet and shook the heck out of the test tube – which I would do repeatedly for the other tests – and in one minute I got a lovely green colored solution. My pH was 7.0. Neutral, neither base nor acid. I was hoping for a number closer to 6.0, but this wasn’t too bad.

On to nitrate testing. I was looking for a pink color. As you can see in the picture (first test tube on the left, by the pink dots), I was disappointed. Low. A mere 40 lbs available per six inches of soil. I was surprised. I thought that by neglecting my soil I was allowing organic material to accumulate, thus increasing productivity. My potassium and phosphorus tests were no better. Low in both cases. I needed to make a plan.

I hopped online and did a quick search of soil testing facilities. I thought that if I get a test by the lab, it will back up my results. The labs suggest amendments to the soil as well – another bonus. Here in Connecticut we can get our soil tested for free. It probably takes a little longer to get the results back (1-2 weeks), but it’s the end of March. I have time.

This morning I was out getting core samples from my pathetic patch of land. They’ll take a day or so to dry out and then I can send them on to the lab. Hopefully their results will be the same. I did request organic amendment suggestions on the sheet, so I’m looking forward to what the lab has to say.

This was a great experiment. I learned I have awful soil, which is my own fault. But I also know I can remedy the situation. No longer am I the intermittent gardener, thrusting plants in the ground without a thought as to how good the soil is. I understand the intricate play of macroinvertebrates, fungi, and bacteria in the soil that plants need to grow. I’m looking forward to the next step – the addition of materials to increase the productivity of my small patch of veggies.

In The Beginning

There were two unpainted hives. And about four weeks until I had to pick up my bees. But that’s not really the beginning. The beginning was when I decided to do a study on soil for college and what would be better than throwing in keeping bees. A first hand look at pollinators. A unique hands on experience that would supplement my online learning.
That was before the doubt set in. What if I killed them? I know they’re just bugs, but I would be responsible for their well being.

After reading a few books and going to the Connecticut Beekeepers Association’s all day class I felt a bit better. A bit.
I jumped right in and ordered my hives, assembled but unpainted. They arrived in three huge boxes that Dave put in the garage. Over the next week I would go out and visit the boxes, waiting for a day that would be warm enough to paint them outside. My painting skills leave a lot to be desired and I’m no longer allowed to paint in the house.

Last Sunday was just the day. It was slightly nippy, but warm in the sun. I set up my pallet and Dave let me use some of his equipment (now covered in white paint).
The frames that came with the hives had been used before and there are bits of propolis still stuck to them. Propolis has this wonderful, sweet smell to it and while I was working, a neighborhood honey bee flew up and checked everything out. I only saw the one bee and wasn’t able to get a picture, mostly because my hands were covered in white paint by then. But it was pretty cool.

After four hours of painting, I only managed to get one hive done. I’m not kidding about my skills. Dave has offered to paint the second one so I can move on to other schoolwork, like writing my papers and this blog. I’m pretty excited. Only about three weeks now before we pick up the bees. I have yet to decide exactly where I want to put the hives. I have to potential places picked out. My uncle has graciously offered me a spot on his land that looks to be way better that any place in my yard.
This weekend or next Dave will be making the stands so the hives will be off the ground and away from those pesky skunks. We’ve decided not to do an electric fence right away – I was worried about bears -but we’re going to take a wait and see attitude. There won’t be much in the box this spring to attract any unwelcome visitors and there’s always next year.