Organic Part 2

Well mystery solved- Home Depot carries organic fertilizer (see previous post). Not that I bought it (too low of an NPK ratio - went for a 17-17-17er) . . .pass the fish.

Am I organic?

What is organic? I don't use any pesticides and I pull all my weeds by hand, but when I saw my pepper and basil leaves turning yellow, I reached for the Miracle Grow. Then it dawned on me - is this organic? It doesn't kill anything, but I would guess its petroleum-based. Perhaps organic gardening is a sliding scale like vegetarianism - am I the equivelant of a vegetarian that eats fish? Currently, I think the garden is lacking in nitrogen (and I will probably find it later lacking in phosphorus and potassium too!). My worm tea can't begin to fertilize that whole plot, so i'm going to investigate something like blood meal or fish emulsion. Then again, those are natural, but are they organic?? Chipotle may be doing better than me!

Tasty Burrito

Now that i've got a mouthpiece, got to give a shout out to Chipotle! Not only are they a tasty choice when one's kitchen has been taken over by floor repair men, but we Meat Minimalists can't be eating beef from just anywhere! Their piggies are not confined, and while they are vague about chickens and cows, it sounds like it is part of their mission to continuously find new, humane suppliers - and they are antibiotic free at least. Their cheese and sour cream is rBGH free, which means milk cows don't have to deal with nasty infections. And mmm mmm mmm, burritos don't come much tastier. Check out their Manefesto. Back to lunch . . .

Hubby

Nate getting hands on with the Romanesco Broccoli

(Holes in those pretty leaves are damage from a hail storm)

Spinach

Mmmmm made a tasty salad with strawberries, pecans, blue cheese and some home grown spinach. Got to enjoy it while it lasts - think the spinach is on its way out.

Climb Away

Nothing like a little middle of the night frame building. The climbers have room to grow now. This back row has 6 tomato plants (variety of tasty-looking heirlooms), 3 cucumbers, and a lot of beans. We need to build one more row of frames for 3 more tomies and a lot more beans. Word of advice: don't try to spray paint in an organic garden, in the dark, when a storm is blowing in . . .

Square Footing

This is the square foot method i'm using - doing it the Mel Bartholomew way. I've got 4 squares - 4x4 feet each. There are quite a few veggies packed in there! Don't mind the weeds and bag o' compost - some day i'll get to that . . .

Great Success

Full bowl of lettuce. This is the second or third big harvest of the season - plenty more where this came from!

Bolting

Question of the Day: What does bolting spinach look like?
It is June 18, and here in Denver, my lettuce has been doing great! I have a carpet of green and red lettuce that seems to replace itself every time I pick it. The spinach has not been quite as productive, and I feel like, with temps rising into the 90s, its only a matter of time before everything goes to seed. I'm seeing some suspicious signs of bolting of the spinach . ..

Hello!

This is the first official post on Chronicles of an Urban Garden! My intent with this site is to keep my "fans" posted on the goings ons in my little plot, and you know i'll throw in a good helping of urban homesteading and sustainability in general.