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Title: The Civil War Begins - Arizona threatens to cut off power to Los Angeles over immigration law boycott
Source: www.abc15.com
URL Source: http://www.abc15.com/content/financ ... on/RBINaWwt1kOaUTJxnHs5Xg.cspx
Published: May 19, 2010
Author: by: Dave Biscobing
Post Date: 2010-05-19 08:46:23 by Mind_Virus
Keywords: None
Views: 2073
Comments: 139

Arizona energy official calls L.A.'s bluff on total boycott

Reported by: Dave Biscobing Email: dbiscobing@abc15.com Last Update: 5/18 11:16 pm

PHOENIX -- Last week, Los Angeles officially boycotted Arizona to send a message about the state's new immigration law.

Now, the Arizona Corporation Commission is sending back a message of their own.

On Tuesday, Commissioner Gary Pierce wrote a letter to the Los Angeles Mayor and City Council. He said the intention was to "call them out," and see if they are committed to truly cut off all Arizona resources.

"I don't think they thought this through," Pierce said. "There are consequences that involve energy."

Across Arizona, Los Angeles gets 25 percent of its power from three plants, including the Palo Verde Nuclear Station.

The state can't literally pull the plug as the city owns the power.

But if tough-talking Los Angeles officials really decide to go through with this boycott fully, then they will have to go without this electricity.

"You can't call a boycott on the candy store and then pick and choose the candy you really want," Pierce said. "You either boycott or you don't."

However, Los Angeles councilmembers have been perhaps the most outspoken about Senate Bill 1070.

"We want them to be the last state to do this," Councilmember Janice Hahn said after the city first threatened boycotts. "We think we have a lot of leverage over that state."

"This is not a paper resolution. It is real," added Councilmember Ed Reyes after the boycott was approved.

When the Los Angeles City Council made their vote, they were given a report that contained information about the city's contracts with Arizona.

It did not include agreements about water and power.

"I think this boycott is going to backfire," Pierce said. "And they are just going to want it to go away."

After the letter was sent, the Arizona Corporation Commission said by the end of the day, they received dozens of calls and more than 100 emails in support from officials of 18 different states.

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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 139.

#2. To: Mind_Virus (#0)

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-05-19   8:48:38 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

Boy, things really appear as if the lid can blow off of this pot-o-shit any day now.

Yes, it does doesn't it?

This isn't something to desire, lots of innocent people, truly innocent like kids and sick folks, are going to be in a world of pain if "something" comes to pass. The only silver lining, for our family anyway, is that we're relatively young (early 40's), mobile, fit and self sufficient.

Looks like all the prayer in the world didn't solve any of this. We appear to be headed into a big ass bloody confrontation. Be ready, be patient, lay low I guess.

SonOfLiberty  posted on  2010-05-19   18:41:24 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-05-19   18:54:37 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

Our garden this year is huge. Even have blueberry bushes planted, early summer yielders and mid-late summer yielders. If push comes to shove, we have 51,500 heirloom non-hybrid seeds for a variety of foods that grow in this region (veges, melons, herbs, etc) that can be planted across the entire back yard that could sustain us for years if need be (though honestly we'll probably retreat to 40 acres out in the country that is being bequeathed to us soon).

SonOfLiberty  posted on  2010-05-19   19:04:18 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-05-19   19:10:13 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

I need to find out what kinds of crops grow best and quickest for our climate, which is probably a lot like yours except with a slightly longer growing season.

We're zone 5(b). Where you live is mostly 5 in the north-central, with a range across your state of 5a to 6b.

Figure on lots of tomatoes, green peppers, onions, potatoes, garlic, beans, chili peppers, lettuce, cabbage, etc. If you're in the southern part of your state, you could even swing tobacco successfully. That sir, would be a much better "investment" than gold right there, talk about a good trading crop!

Berries and vines (think raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, hops) take at least a year to establish with no return, with some of the fruiting bushes taking up to 3 years before a return. That said, after 3 years, you're golden for another 50+.

I wish I had that country option. Our space for growing much is limited.

Yeah, 40 acres of land that is being used even now for farming. Rich, rich soil. Where we live now we have a decent garden, but it can't match 40 acres of Growing Goodness. :)

SonOfLiberty  posted on  2010-05-19   19:16:22 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-05-19   19:25:59 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

No doubt.

Looks like we're in zone 6 actually, 6b. You have a good site for appropriateness there?

And yeah, tobacco would no doubt be very good.

Zone 6b gives you a lot of options. I am 8a and have more na, na, na-na.

Kidding aside you can grow most tree crops, except citrus, apples, pears, plums, peaches, and nectarines. Most berries are hardy in your zone and it is warm enough to grow short season melons in the summer. Winter hardy Leeks and Cabbage can be left in the field till needed, as well as overwintering carrots. Most lettuces and other greens can be grown well into the Fall and again in late winter/early spring. The late and early would have to be done with protection, but a simple tunnel system can be made from plastic pipe and Tufflite IV Greenhouse plastic.

A good source for tree fruits, and a lot of berries, is Raintree Nursery which has about the most extensive selection, and good quality, that I know of.

Original_Intent  posted on  2010-05-19   19:42:22 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-05-19   19:53:23 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

Also, which crops yield the most food, as I won't be looking primarily for preference, really simply survival?

Also, I'm pretty novice when it comes to this stuff, so the more foolproof the better.

Potatoes?

wudidiz  posted on  2010-05-19   21:01:00 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-05-19   21:12:52 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

You can get Excalibur dehydrators (the only brand I would ever recommend) off eBay for ~$149.00 and up. Adjustable thermostat, and get the 15 square foot drying space types, the more the better. Those things dry super fast compared to the crap 'as seen on TV!' ones that take forever and make huge messes.

SonOfLiberty  posted on  2010-05-20   8:14:00 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-05-20   8:18:41 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

Thanks! I'll have to look into them. Still, they take electricity to operate, no?

Yes. It's a tool to use for immediate dehydrating of things you can buy from the store (veges/fruits and some jerky). You can put through tons of produce in one of those very quickly, seal it in vacuum bags and if you do it enough, be good for a year or at least a couple of months. Since time is of the essence, it seems like the best tool for the job.

After electricity goes out, you can fall back on either canning, or construct a no electricity dehydrator out of wood, mesh screen and a decent sized window (assuming you have a hand drill and saws). Of course you could just lay the stuff out on the back porch in the sun, but I have something of an issue letting swarms of flies defecate all over drying food.

I'm thinking just a good stock of dried rice and beans for immediate action.

Rice is a semi-poor storage staple, it will last you a year tops unless you freeze dry it and #10 can it. Whole kernel wheat and beans on the other hand, will keep you in bread and beans for a long time (don't forget to hold back lots of salt as well, which stores indefinitely). Ensure that if you have whole grain anything, that you have a good hand grinder.

No matter what you choose though, if it is bulk stuff like grains/rice/beans, ensure that you kill any critter eggs in it before you store it in oxygen free mylar bags (stuffed inside 5 gallon buckets). It's an easy thing to do, get some dry ice, put a 5-6 gallon mylar bag in a 5 gallon bucket, fill it half way with the staple, throw in a chunk of dry ice, fill the rest of the way with the staple, throw in another chunk of dry ice, and put the lid on the bucket loosely, let the air bleed out. Seal the bucket after that and let the CO2 kill all the critter eggs. Seal the bag with a household iron after throwing a desiccant inside and you're good for 5-7 years most of the time (and probably a year after you open it).

SonOfLiberty  posted on  2010-05-20   8:29:29 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-05-20   8:43:06 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

Would there be critter eggs in store-bought rice bags?

All grain contains critter eggs, Eric.

Even milling flour doesn't destroy them. Keep a bag of flour long enough and you will see teeny mealy bug worms spawning in it, even if you've kept it sealed.

randge  posted on  2010-05-20   8:51:57 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

Would there be critter eggs in store-bought rice bags?

All grain contains critter eggs, Eric.

Even milling flour doesn't destroy them. Keep a bag of flour long enough and you will see teeny mealy bug worms spawning in it, even if you've kept it sealed.

That reminds me of a sealed box of Quaker Oats that I opened up and then immediately trashed. It was disgusting the damn bugs had webs and probably 2 generations of the bastards in there.

Original_Intent  posted on  2010-05-21   11:16:58 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-05-21   12:17:31 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

That reminds me of a sealed box of Quaker Oats that I opened up and then immediately trashed. It was disgusting the damn bugs had webs and probably 2 generations of the bastards in there.

Reminds me of the time I found mouse turds all over our kitchen counters. Finally trapped the little bastard. Fortunately it was just one.

One of the advantages of having cats that are good "mousers" is that any mice that are unfortunate enough to make it inside tend to have short lifespans. ;-)

I remember one that got in and had a particular covered path of travel, but had to scamper across a hallway to get from the closet to the kitchen. My cat Stormy basically camped out for 3 days waiting for her chance, but she got her mouse. :-)

Original_Intent  posted on  2010-05-21   12:32:52 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-05-21   12:43:11 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

The advantage of cats is that they'll catch them "just for fun". Stormy, in particular, loved catching mice, but then she would just play with them till they "broke". Dusty however, ate them with relish (or without).

Original_Intent  posted on  2010-05-21   12:53:48 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-05-31   13:55:14 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

Not good for lettuce or other cool weather crops such as Snow Peas (once temperatures move stably into the 70's and above) - great for Tomatoes, Melons, Squash, Peas, Carrots, etc., .... Also good for Basil, Dill, Pickles, and most other annual herbs. Alpine Strawberries would do well, but they take a lot of room for a little production - however they are a wonderful gourmet treat. A perennial berry such as a black Raspberry (variety Jewell) would be a productive and tasty addition. I would put it on one end or the other so you could use hoops over the rest to extend the growing season. Lettuce would probably do good in it through November in your Climate Zone. Also Green Onions and leeks could likely be left standing most of the year.

The cheapest way to build the border, if you don't already have lumber on hand, would be with cinder blocks (stacked 2 high) filled with a good rich mixture of compost, glacial rock dust (for its mineral content), and enough topsoil to hold it together. The holes in the cinderblocks can then be filled with soil and used as mini-planters for individual small herbs such as Basil and Parsley. Adding Coir fiber, which is cheap, would aid in moisture retention. More expensive, but more elegant, would be to use loose set stacked "wall rock" from a landscape supply yard. There are other rock options but they get more expensive. You can also buy manmade blocks that have a sandstone finish and those are very attractive too. Plant a few Marigolds, which repel aphids, to give it a homey country cottage look (I like the White Marigolds).

My suggestion would be to carefully grid it out and use something resembling The Square Foot Planting System.

With Poly Pipe and greenhouse plastic or Row Cover material it should make a good 3 season mini-farm capable of producing just about all the veggies you need for 2 people.

Original_Intent  posted on  2010-05-31   14:14:02 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-06-01   7:58:44 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

I was kind of guessing/hoping that the foundation would serve as your "back" wall. I built a similar arrangement, by hand, about 12 or so years ago. Not quite as large mine was about 5 by 20. I had a special problem with it as the ground was a prehistoric stream bed. So, I had to sift out, by hand, about a yard of river rock - which I washed and turned into a garden path under an oak tree. However, when I was done a spot that before had trouble growing weeds became a spectacular veggie garden. I grew some tomatoes back there that got so tall my neighbor called it my "Tomato Forest" - it was a Brandywine (a wonderful old Amish Heirloom) and I forget the other two. The Brandywine got so big it broke my bamboo supports.

Original_Intent  posted on  2010-06-01   13:26:58 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-06-01   14:28:17 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

Twenty inches is plenty deep enough for your planting bed - actually I figure "rule of thumb" 18 inches. I would still rototill the underbed and maybe add some sand and a little bit of pea gravel to loosen it so that deeper rooted plants like melons and squash can penetrate into it. Don't worry about fertilizing that deep though as nutrients will naturally filter down over time. Most of the action takes place in the upper soil i.e., the topsoil. So, what you will be doing over time is to increase the fertility of the soil from top to bottom. Water and drainage will carry minerals and nutrients down for you.

Other considerations - since it backs to a wall - you want to lay out the garden with tall stuff in back and short stuff in front. So it might go Tomatoes (a side consideration on tomatoes is that their position should be rotated on a 3 year rotation to minimize disease so you might rotate left, right, center, left, right, center, etc., ...), pole beans, peas, and cucumbers going up supports in the back, then medium stuff like peppers, bush beans, melons, squash, cucumbers, broccoli, and cauliflower (also taller herbs like dill), then lettuce or other greens like spinach, chard, purslane, endive, etc., and then root crops in the very front area like carrots, beets, turnips, and rutabagas etc., and herbs in the cinderblock holes if you use cinderblocks. I did on my new bed and have them planted with Parsley and Basil (lots of basil - I love Pesto).

Rules of thumb on spacing - tomatoes an 18" square (2 feet to 3 feet for larger heirloom varieties like Brandywine), melons and squash 2 feet square - although vines will stretch out further than that but that is just enough room to allow the plant to reach its genetic potential.

You are also going to want to plan for access to the garden so you'll need some stepping stones laid out allowing you something to stand on without compacting the soil next to your plants. I would put a 2'x 2' square of aggregate pavers about every 4 feet about 3 feet out from the wall with a few individual stepping stones allowing you a place to step without stepping on your plants. A dark color is better because then they will act as solar heat collectors to help warm your soil.

You will also want to plan for watering the garden, and there are several strategies you can follow.

1. Just water with a sprinkler or hose nozzle.

Pro's: Simple and inexpensive. The most flexible watering method.

Con's: Time consuming and some plants like melons and squash do not like having there leaves wetted and it promotes fungal growths like powdery and downy mildew.

2. Soaker Hose (on the soil surface).

Pro's: Takes a lot less time to water as you can just turn it on and forget about it for an hour or two. Gets plants watered at the root line which they prefer. Less flexible than hose irrigation but more flexible than drip irrigation. By using bulk soaker hose and various fittings - "T's" and etc., you can make an almost infinite variety of custom layouts to optimize your watering. Some fertilizers, mostly liquids, can be fed into the hose to do what is called "fertigation" which waters and fertilizes at the same time. For a garden your size you'll need a three or four way screw on gang valve and then simplest is 3 or 4 25' runs straight down the bed. The soaker hose will water about an 18" swath.

Con's: It is a royal pain in the *** to get the initial set up in - particularly on the turns - the damn hose has a mind of its own and you need to buy soaker hose stakes or very long landscaper's pins to hold it where you want it.

3. Soaker Hose using feeder pipes. What this is, is you run poly pipe as feed lines and then branch short runs off of the feed line to create a more customized watering system. You can buy tubing and fittings designed specifically for this kind of a layout. In your size and shape bed one line run near the center would probably be adequate, and then branch shorter runs off of it. You use a tool to puncture and install the fittings to run the branches off of. Each branch, as well as the main line, is terminated with a cap.

Pro's: Very flexible and allows getting the right amount of water to the right spot. Allows for a more customized layout designed for specific plant needs - such as creating a loop around a plant - good for melons and squash. Good for fall and winter gardening as all you have to do is turn on the water and so it minimizes the number of times you have to hunch over and walk down the bed under your hoops for the cover material.

Con's: Initial set up is more time and labor consuming and the fittings add a little cost over just running multiple straight runs. Has to be carefully planned out.

4. Buried Soaker hose. Same as with the other soaker hose layouts except you make a trench, lay the hose in it (and pin it), and then bury it about 2 to 3 inches deep.

Pros: More economical on water usage as you lose less to evaporation, and it gives the garden a more elegant appearance. Also allows the easy use of plastic mulches to warm the soil, reduce weeds, and increase the rate of growth. (Red for tomatoes and Strawberries, and Dark Green IRT 76 for melons, squash, cucumbers, and peppers. All held in place with landscaper's wire pins.)

Cons: I don't know how many times I've ruined a soaker hose by forgetting where it was buried and then cutting it with a shovel or puncturing it with a fork. @#$%!!!! Also less flexible than surface layouts as it is harder to rearrange each year.

And finally:

5. Drip Irrigation - using poly pipe and smaller diameter branch lines utilizing little drippers called "emitters". You can also attach small sprinklers to it for areas than need broader coverage and are not sensitive about getting their leaves wet like melons and squash.

Pro's: Allows customization of your watering using a variety of emitters and sprinklers. Allows tailoring the water flow to specific plant needs. Allows fertigation.

Con's: Least flexible, and most expensive, as far as making changes you have to plug any holes from emitters moved, and the piping is relatively inflexible. Takes a lot more time, effort, and planning to set up. Requires occasional flushing and cleaning to keep it from clogging. If everything is in a fixed position it's the best as it allows for the perfect water flow for plant needs, but for a vegetable garden that the layout and planting is going to change in every year I think of it as too much effort and expense. Personally I think of it as good for straight runs and watering perennials which are going to be in the same place for years. Great for a berry patch such as with Blueberries, Gooseberries, and Raspberries where the plants will remain in the same spot for many years.

Original_Intent  posted on  2010-06-01   16:18:07 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-06-01   20:50:42 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

Keep in mind that this is a gradient slope away from the house, so near the house it won't be 20", it might be a few inches. Recommendations?

Once you have the bed marked off and a first rototilling to loosen it up pull some of the dirt in the back to the front so that you can establish a uniform, or nearly so, depth for the planting bed topsoil. By using the front border as a retaining wall you can can then proceed to make the bed more or less level instead of heavily sloped. The sides of the bed will be above the slope at the front and nearly even in the back, but the depth of the topsoil in the bed will be relatively even front to back. The other way to do it would be to terrace it with two three foot or so wide strips - with a short retaining wall cutting through down the center parallel to your house's foundation. Sort of a stair step effect. But since you are building a new bed from scratch I would go for 18" of worked and build up topsoil. There's an old English gardener's rule of thumb - "A penny on the plant, a Pound on the hole". Meaning of course that your soil is the foundation of the garden and building good rich soil will pay dividends in the success of your garden.

When I say rotating the tomatoes I mean from year to year - one year in one spot and then rotate to another the next year. While they can seed from tomatoes that drop off and rot (referred to as "volunteers" in gardener's slang) they are an annual crop meaning that they have to be planted anew each spring. Again a good place to check for your area is the University Ag Extension for whichever University is the big Ag School for your state.

Original_Intent  posted on  2010-06-02   1:52:09 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-06-02   11:33:08 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

The ground is tremendously hard however and I'm not sure tillable. I'll poke around though to find out.

Sounds like Pick, Mattock, Shovel, and Fork work. Been there, done that. That 5'X20' bed I mentioned earlier, in addition to all the rock, was hard baked clay. There is no way I could have run a tiller through it so it was all hand work - blisters, and sore muscles. However, you'll have that much more pride when it turns into a lush green garden - not to mention no small amount of relief that it is done.

I'm afraid that there is not much in the way of shallow rooted edibles. Tomatoes are relatively shallow rooted and can get by in a shallower bed but you still need the top 12 inches to be good and loosened - although 18 inches is much better - and really needed for root crops like carrots as well as squash and melons which do root deep (oh, you will find that the melons you grow yourself will change your viewpoint on them - the difference between a vine ripened melon and those boulders in the store is night and day - I can recommend some good short season varieties when we get that far). It won't be perfect the first year - it will really take two more seasons of adding compost and minerals and working the soil with your Garden Fork before it really gets into good shape. The very bottom layer, below 12 inches, does not require as much amending but it does need to be loosened enough for easy root penetration. Lettuces, herbs, and green onions will do in a shallower bed, but the bottom line is that if you want the most production from your space you're going to have to bite the bullet and break up the clay and loosen it enough to till it and add compost, sand, and a bit of pea gravel to break it up. For one your plants roots need a certain amount of aeration and tight hard packed clay is not very porous.

Probably the easiest, not that working hard clay is ever "easy", is to keep the soil moist but not wet or muddy, break it up with a Pick, Mattock, and that good Garden Fork that I said was an essential. A good fork will pay for itself here - as all you really need to do is force the fork down as far as you can and rock it back and forth until the soil begins breaking up - move it about 6 inches to a foot and repeat - over, and over, and over (LOL! I've done it). This is also why you want a good fork because a lesser tool will bend or break with the kind of stress needed to break up hard clay. If you have a helper or two they can follow behind and break it up more with a good mattock so that it is in smaller chunks that will let the tiller work easier. You can do this the day after a good rain or give it a good hosing the day before. The key is moist not wet which turns it into muck nor so dry that it is like f**king cement. Once you have it loosed enough you should be able to get the tiller to run through to break it up some more. With the initial break up done you'll need a pick-up load (or possibly 2) of what is called "Mason's Sand" - which is a coarser grade of sand than child's play sand (If you can't get it then any good sand - from a fresh water source will do - even better if you know a place to "load up" from for free) - which should be available through a masonry supply or your landscape supply yard - buy in bulk if at all possible rather than bagged to save $$$$. If you can get the real deal you can omit or lessen the amount of pea gravel in the subsoil layer. Although were I building it myself I would still add about 2 good wheelbarrow's full - given the size of your bed. Once you can till that in it will start breaking up the clay and making the soil more porous so that water, nutrients, and air can penetrate. Since you are dealing with heavy clay, from the sounds of it, you will want to add some organic material into this lowest layer - a good cheap compost - another pick-up load. If you get the wife and kids involved this can all be done in a weekend - of hard work. That should be sufficient to prepare the subsoil layer (below 12"). Once it is permeable water, nutrients, and natural travel of particulates will finish the job over time (one of the Spring chores in future years is to loosen the bed with your fork - you don't have to turn it over just loosen it up and then rake it smooth - add compost and minerals and rake it in to the topmost 4 to 6 inches - a mini-tiller like a "Mantis™" or equivalent would be useful to speed it and make it easier but is not absolutely necessary). You might want to leave the clay tight in the center where your intermediary wall will go to give it a firm footing. Think of it as two beds closely separated by a short wall in between. It is not necessary to do that but could be handy. Also the mason's sand comes in handy here for creating a level surface for your middle wall.

The hardest part of setting up a new garden is the soil prep, but cutting corners there is a false economy as the life of the bed, properly prepared, is indefinite - as long as you want to garden it. As well, done aesthetically, it will add value to your property. That likely will be the single most onerous chore in building the bed. Of course I'm a gardening nut and would regard it as a "fun" project (my forearms are aching just at the thought of it).

And the 3 tier twenty inch beds would probably work as that is a wide enough row for most crops - heirloom tomatoes would extend out over the wall but as long as they are well staked it would not be a problem. Of course squash and melons would grow down over the wall, but that could look attractive too. However, you would lose a little growing space. The rule of thumb is "can you reach the back of the bed to weed and harvest". With the three tier the bottom tier would probably be enought lower to be used for tomatoes as most varieties won't get tall enough to seriously shade the top tier and the tier behind them could be used for summer lettuce which needs some shading from summer heat to prevent tip burn and early bolting. Putting the tomatoes in the front also makes for easier tending and harvest. Also if you wanted the top tier could be turned into a Strawberry bed - which requires a lot of compost but 12" depth is fine for them as they are shallow rooted. A good everbearing/day neutral variety would, kept well watered, provide you with Strawberries from June till frost. If the entire row was planted with Alpine Strawberries 25' is enough row to get enough production to make it worth growing them.

Original_Intent  posted on  2010-06-02   15:06:51 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-06-02   23:38:18 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

Not sure how much clay is there if at all.

If its real hard it is what is known as clay soil. A way to check is to wet it. Dig out a handful and if it sticks together in a large clump it's clay. However, from what you were describing it very likely has a high clay content. Which is not bad per se as it is generally rich in minerals, but it does not drain well, water runs off and does not penetrate, and it is hard for roots to penetrate. Root cops will not penetrate e.g., Carrots, Beets, Turnips, etc., ....

On Day Neutral, sometimes called everbearing, Strawberries they will produce a large flush of berries early in the year and then continue to produce berries at a slower rate throughout the summer. Seascape is a good cultivar and is the one I chose.

Original_Intent  posted on  2010-06-02   23:57:09 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-06-03   0:21:17 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

Thanks!

My pleasure - I'm a Gardening Evangelist.

Ever heard of salsify?

A.K.A. the Oyster Plant? Nah, never heard of it. LOL!

Original_Intent  posted on  2010-06-03   0:31:27 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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Eric Stratton  posted on  2010-06-03   7:55:19 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

I haven't grown it for probably 12-13 years, but the reason it is called "The Oyster Plant" is that it makes a fairly convincing substitute for real Oysters in Oyster Stew. I imagine it would be good other ways but that is the only way I've used it.

Original_Intent  posted on  2010-06-03   12:02:57 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  

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