Garden 2022

So… yeah, a garden. This last year I didn't do anything but let the weeds grow. Probably a mistake but things just weren't happening, not evening conditioning the soil. Speaking of which I need to bring the soil ph down a few points (like from 8.5 to 6) and add a bit of fertilizer. Anyway, the following is what I'm thinking about for this year, could change, may get scraped all together. Guess we'll see.

What I'm Planting 2022

Artichoke

Green Globe

Imperial Star

Violetto

Beans

French Filet (Bush)

Beet

Bull's Blood

Chioggia

Cabbage

Golden Acre

Tropic Giant Hybrid

Carrots

Danvers Half Long

Mignon

Rodelika

Corn

Glass Gem, Popcorn

Golden Bantam

Cucumber

Wautoma, Pickiling

Spacemaster

Melon

Crenshaw

Melon, Cantaloupe

Hales Best Jumbo

Onion

Patterson

Red Mountian

Utah Yellow Sweet Spanish

Red Candy

Tokyo Long White (Scallion/Green)

Pea

Lincoln

Pepper, Hot

Carolina Reaper

Early Jalapeño

Ghost Pepper (Chocolate)

Greek Pepperoncini

Habanero (Chocolate)

Pepper, Sweet

Cal Wonder

Grand Bell Mix

Yolo

Radish

Cherry Belle

Shallot

Conservor

Zebrune

Squash, Summer

Black Beauty (Zucchini)

Early Prolific Straightneck (Yellow)

Squash, Winter

Blue Jarrahdale (Pumpkin)

Kabocha (C. maxima)

Tomato

Brandywine Black

Gary Ibsen's Gold

Golden Gem (Cherry)

Rose Quartz (Cherry)

Turnip

Purple Top White Globe

Watermelon

Charleston Grey

Propagation by Stooling

Stooling or a Stool Bed is used for propagating rootstocks.

This is a good way of using up failed grafted rootstocks from the previous year. If you do a lot of grafting it may be worth setting up a stool bed. The method is shown below.

1. In Feb or Mar, plant the rootstock in the ground. If the failed graft is still attached, remove it, also any unhealthy-looking shoots. Make sure the ground is kept kept clean and free of weeds, and keep aphids off. They spread virus and stunt the plant. You are aiming for lots of growth before winter arrives.
2. The plant should be relatively large and vigorous by Oct-Nov.
3. A year after planting, cut the plant to near ground level.
4. A cluster of small shoots should form in the spring. Again, watch out for aphids. When the shoots reach a height of about 6 inches, probably during July, earth them up with fine soil or compost, pressing it down firmly to a depth of about three inches.
5. Continue to earth up the plants for the rest of the season, but do not swamp the shoots, and don't earth up to more than about 6 inches in total.

At the end of this time, Oct-Nov, the stools can be dug out. The rooted shoots can be broken or cut off, and planted elsewhere. The larger ones may be graftable after the winter; the smaller ones have to be left until they're big enough. The stool is replanted carefully. It should send up a cluster of new shoots in the following year,when the process can be repeated.

If you set up a bed, the stools need to be about a foot apart in each row, and the rows about a yard apart.

Note that some rootstocks may have protection under law: individuals intending to propagate rootstocks for commercial purposes should check the regulations for their own country.

ND / Diversity website

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A saved draft from 2017, not sure where I coppied the info from but here it is.