Urban farming in Calgary

[Blader]

Weather
Besides environment Canada I visit Time and date
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/canada/calgary

Xeriscaping and urban forest
3 photos of my front yard
Please excuse the fingers in one of the photos.

The above is an example of xeriscaping. I haven't watered in 10 years. The base are low lying junipers with a 6 to 7 foot spread. I then added cottoneasters and peking cherries. Followed by dwarf high bush cranberries, a nanny berry, a Brandon cedar, and other shrubs. I covered the soil with wood chips. This took place over several years.

Backyard

9 swedish columners and a hedge is dwarf cedars. All the soil is covered in 3 inches of shredded bark.
I'm not suggesting that what I've done is ideal. There are many things that I would do differently. That said, I very happy with the direction.

 

[Surrealplaces]

It's time for me to get out and pick my tomatoes. I've picked a few here and there, to use for salads etc, but it's getting close to that time of year where I want to make sure I don't lose them to frost.

Update on the drive way Cukes...they have done okay...not as good as being in the garden, but I picked my 7th or 8th one today, and there are still 3 left to pick. Reasonable haul for the effort involved I think.

These are supposedly Beefsteaks...but they are quite small. I think I may have grabbed the wrong pack of seeds or something. They are definitely tasty though...possibly the nicest tomato I've tasted.

 

[Surrealplaces]

My tomato plants are falling all over the place, but a good number of red tomatoes ready to pick.

 

[Blader]

^^^
There's a frost warning for Airdrie and north. I'm close enough that I've covered what I can. If you have time, pick the ripe ones. My tomato plants are standing tall. That said, mine are staked and secure. Your plants look healthy.

 

[Blader]

below is a fascinating video on corn pollination and corn beards. 6 minutes.

 

[Blader]

Harvest day
I'm harvesting all warm weather crops which is 90 percent. Killing frost in the forecast. Tomorrow is likely the last day before damage. I'm tired. I should have started yesterday..

 

[Surrealplaces]

I really should get up and get my tomatoes picked. I like to leave them on the plant as long as I can, but would hate to lose a bunch to frost.

 

[Blader]

If pressed for time cut the whole vine and then the next and the next. Sorting and separating can be done indoors. No hurry once they're inside. By vine, I mean the hanging grape structure. And if there is no time cut the entire plant, major stems and stuff in plastic bags and take them indoors.

I really should get up and get my tomatoes picked. I like to leave them on the plant as long as I can, but would hate to lose a bunch to frost.

 

[Blader]

tomatoes are inside
12 kg
I'm hoping for a 70 to 80 percent ripening over time.

 

[Surrealplaces]

Quite a load there! I went and got mine too. I really slacked off on picking them this past month and there were lots of ripe ones. Unfortunately quite a few were over ripe and burst from leaving them too long. Grabbed the squash. There are some potatoes and carrots still in the garden. I'm going to leave them though.

 

[Blader]

Quite a load there! I went and got mine too. I really slacked off on picking them this past month and there were lots of ripe ones. Unfortunately quite a few were over ripe and burst from leaving them too long. Grabbed the squash. There are some potatoes and carrots still in the garden. I'm going to leave them though.

View attachment 156461

Your tomatoes look great. I can see blush. They'll ripen quickly.

Immediacy:
I've drained all my hoses and attachments.
I've covered my remaining potatoes with squash leaves and stems.
I now have my tomatoes covered in shallow trays. I'll provide the reason tomorrow.

 

[Blader]

Actually I'm going to change direction. Rather than talking about my show and tell, I will post videos of master gardeners that I trust. After all, I am a novice gardener. Repeat novice.
But first a few photos

The above is an illustration of what my backyard looked like 22 years ago. In that time frame my adjacent neighbours have done nothing.

Oh, I just watched a magpie take a bath.

Video on coniferous wood chips, needles and affects on soil acidity. No affect.

 

[UrbanWarrior]

A couple weeks after my first harvest of the beans and spinach, and a couple days before the full harvest just before the frost. Possibly the most successful frat house vegetable garden ever?

 

[Surrealplaces]

With the gardening season coming to a close, I'm going to try and do some garden preparation for next year in the fall, so i don't have to do it all in the spring. I'm going to expand my root garden section, so I can have space for carrots and also do some beets, or maybe some cauliflower. This year was the first time I'be grown carrots, since I was younger and we grew them in my parents garden. I had forgotten how good, fresh garden carrots tasted.

 

[Blader]

So what I'm really interested in is permaculture. This is a 10 to 40 year plan.
Here is the video of a 6-minute plan. It's the bottom end. What's missing is the time required for the gathering of material. It could be cow manure, and leaves instead of straw. The whole notion is to build soil. Since now is fall, there's an abundance of leaves that will fall in your neighborhood. If you can, gather and use them.

Just over 3 minutes

And the result just over 15 minutes

CX