Fall in love with gardening! Get planting...

Fall is the best time to plant many perennials, with once/month deep waterings through the winter, to foster deep and well-established root growth before spring comes along.

Following is a list of excellent edible perennials hardy to at least 15°F without special care, to at least 10°F with special care, and has some tolerance of or success in alkaline soils (Sources include the Native Plant Society of New Mexico and Joran Viers of the Bernalillo County Extension Office):

Almond (Prunus amygdalus)

Apple (Malus pumil)

Apricot; Golden Apple (Prunus armeniaca)

Artichoke, Globe (Cynara Scolymus)

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)

Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)

Bay Laurel - (Laurus Nobilis; Umbellaria californica)

Blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius; R. ursinus) ...photo

Burnet (Poterium sanguisorba)

Cherry, Nanking; Downy C; Mountain C (Prunus tomentosa)

Cherry, Sour (Prunus cerasus)

Cherry, Sweet (Prunus avium)

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum; A. tuberosum) ...photo

Chokeberry, Black (Aronia melanocarpa)

Citrus, Hardy (various)

Cornelian Cherry; Cornel; Cornet Plum (Cornus mas)

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

Currant, Clove Black; Buffalo C. (Ribes odoratum; R. aureum)

Currant, European Black (Ribes nigrum)

Currant, Red; White C. (Ribes sativum; R. rubrum; R. petraeum)

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Elderberry, American; Sweet E. (Sambucus canadensis) ...photo

Fig (Ficus carica)

Filbert, European; Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) ...photo

Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa; R. hirtellum)

Grape, American (Vitis labrusca)

Grape, European; "The Vine" (Vitis vinifera)

Grape, Muscadine; Scuppernog (Vitis rotundifolia) ...photo

Gumi; Cherry Elaeagnus (Elaeagnus multiflora)

Hickory (Carya ovata; C. laciniosa)

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Jostaberry (Ribes nidigrolaria) ...photo

Jujube; Chinese Date (Ziziphus jujuba) ...photo

Kiwi, Arctic Beauty (Actinidia kolomitka)

Kiwi, Hardy (Actinidia arguta) ...photo

Kiwi; Yang Tao; Chinese Gooseberry (Actinidia deliciosa)

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Lingonberry; Cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea)

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)

Lovage (Levisticum officinale)

Medlar (Mespilus germanica) ...photo

Mint; Spearmint (Mentha spicata)

Mulberry, Black (Morus nigra)

Onion, Tree; Egyptian O.; Catawissa (Allium cepa aggregatum) ...photo

Oregano; Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)

Passionfruit; Maypop (Passiflora incarnata)

Pawpaw; Michigan banana (Asimina triloba )

Peach; Nectarine (Prunus persica)

Pear, Asian; Sand Pear; Apple Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia)

Pear, European (Pyrus communis)

Pecan (Carya illinoensis) ...photo

Persimmon, American (Diospyros virginiana)

Persimmon, Oriental; Kaki (Diospyros kaki)

Pineapple Guava; Feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana) ...photo

Pistachio (Pistacia vera)

Plum, European; Prune (Prunus domestica)

Plum, Japanese (Prunus salicina)

Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

Quince (Cydonia oblonga)

Raisin Tree (Hovenia dulcis)

Raspberry (Rubus idaeus; R. occidentalis)

Rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum)

Rose Hips; Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa; R. eglanteria)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinale) ...photo

Russian Olive; Oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia)

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Saskatoon; Serviceberry; Juneberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Savory, Winter (Satureja montana)

Sea Buckthorn; Sea Berry (Hippophae rhamnoides)

Sorrel; English Sorrel; Sour Dock (Rumex acetosa)

Strawberry (Fragaria X Ananassa )

Strawberry, Alpine; Fraise de Bois (Fragaria vesca) ...photo

Strawberry, Musk; Hautbois (Fragaria moschata) ...photo

Tarragon, French (Artemisia dracunculus)

Thyme; Lemon Thyme (Thymus vulgaris; T. citriodorus)

Walnut, Black (Juglans nigra)

Walnut, Persian; English Walnut (Juglans regia)

Consider cultivating a habitat garden and reduce your hoe load: weed less and water less with a balanced landscape. Take your plant understanding a step further  and become familiarized with a beneficial weeds! While many insects and wildlife can be troublesome, some are beneficial and can be attracted or supported using the following plants.

Pest-repellant

Neem -- repels leaf eating insects

Edible

Cornflower various colours; can be served as edible garnish to decorate salads.

Painter's brush weed

Chickweed -- used in salads and also as ground cover

Burdock -- roots are edible

Horsetail -- prehistoric plant that produces its own vitamin D & is high in silica; tops are very similar to & may be eaten like asparagus

Lamb's quarters -- leaves and shoots, raw, also prevents erosion, also distracts leaf miners from nearby crops

Purslane -- prepared raw for salads or sautéed

Shepherd's purse -- leaves are edible and often sautéed or blanched

Watercress -- can be eaten raw or cooked; is considered a weed in some cultures

Habitat for beneficial insects

Wild blackberry -- attracts predatory insects, and produces berries

Motherwort -- attracts bees

Joe-Pye weed -- habitat for pollinators and predatory insects

Aster -- habitat predatory insects

Trap crops

Trap crops draw potential pests away from the actual crop intended for cultivation.

Cowpea -- attracts ladybird beetle, so planting around cotton fields protects them from sucking insects. It serve as source of food and niche.

Just start somewhere and come back to this when you want more info!

Also check out our facebook page and the GG LoveYourLeaves garden news for ABQ.

Ready to start more seeds?

...anytime is agood time! Find all kinds of Albuquerque-area info regarding seeds and their needs at GardenersGuild.org

Build beautiful salads this winter!

Check out this small triangular bed built with cinder blocks and protected by a barnboard fence... there were a number of beds build on this old parking lot, but this was the most productive lettuce plot of the lot. Guesses are that the protection from wind can provide a dramatic improvement for delicately leaved plants which are easily stripped by dry and gusty weather.

The first picture shows the triangular bed in March, with a carrot going to flower, lettuce continuing to grow and larkspur adding some color. While not chock full for the transitional season, a little color from 'bolting' plants and cool weather flowers can help!

In reality, a slightly bare bed is a small price to pay. When you see what can happen in fall and winter, the rest of the year just doesn't matter! Look below to see what wonderful things can happen in December: plant plant plant to keep up momentum and grow more easily year 'round too.

Sow seeds starting September

Or to grow more in your Fall garden, you can begin seeds earlier indoors to get a head start.
If the weather is too warm, cool season seeds will not germinate. Ideal temperatures range between 65-75 degrees during the day for germination. And many Fall garden varieties will want cool nights too for vigorous growth.
Fortunately, the single-cinderblock deep bed that was built is perfectly suited to veggies that grow through autumn and winter. While it wasn't deep enough for a summer garden, it is ideal for lettuces, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, cauliflower and radishes. Maybe small carrots will grow well enough, but carrots do not like Albuquerque 'soil' which is highly alkaline and difficult to shift.

To the left, you can see the difference in those plants that will sprout earlier, when it is too warm for others. The wood frame from recycled remnants and plastic bed cover shown is for those super cold nights. By the time January rolls around, and after mulch has been added around the bigger plants, it may not even be rolled down on a regular basis. Too much insulation under a clear plastic cover can actually cook your plants on a sunny day, so be careful! Moisture is well-retained when the plastic is closed so leave the garden covered while away on winter vacation.

If this is your first year, keep it simple. Pick your three favorite greens and focus on those. A fresh, beautiful salad to serve for the holidays is reason enough to grow your own!

Fall gardens are fun...

The first warm season garden was a bit of a bust in this short bed due to the reasons given below. Everyone that grows in hot weather wanted a much deeper bed. To be sure your zucchini, watermelon and other fast/big growers have enough space in their urban home, provide at least 12" soil of depth. As many of the asphalt garden projects (Detroit and Cleveland as examples) recommended a cardboard bottom, our summer bed retained much more water than expected and most likely kept the roots soggy -- not good! If the roots are soggy, there's no oxygen AND they will rot.

During a hot July, these tomatoes were planted by seed, though they would have been much happier planted at the beginning of the season. They were coming along and producing tomatoes, but slowly.

Then the monsoons came. Because this bed was shallow and lined with cardboard, an inch of rain in one day was almost the death of these plants! Fortunately, the strong sun in New Mexico can cure an over-watering problem pretty well and therefore, these plants recovered though the yellow leaves is a clear indicator of the problem. New growth on the plants finally started to look good, which is where you should always check to see if your solutions are working. Don't look at the old growth - it won't get better so you might as well clip or pinch it off!

Summer experiment...

Soon after beds were built, they were planted with warm season annuals. For those of you just becoming familiar with veggies and their growth 'habits', tomatoes and peppers are two of the key crops for a warm season or summer garden. These two varieties, in addition to squash, corn and sunflowers, need heat to do their thing. Some varieties like beans, peas and spinach grow well in the in-between temps: 80-90 degrees. But most summer varieties will want continuous days in the high 80s or hotter to really flourish.

The most important discovery regarding this summer experiment was that warm weather vegetables have an absolute requirement for more root space than the one cinder block provides. The plants just don't grow well if there isn't enough depth. Good drainage and enough space are critical for healthy plants, and the yellow seen in young plants indicates too much water/not enough drainage around the roots.

Fill'er up!

Time to top off the soil and put in some plants: Though the next stage can be awkward and ungainly. For a less stressful transplanting, mulch the surface of your soil to maintain consistent moisture levels.

These beds were planted in mid-summer, with both seed and plants: the season was half-gone! Tomatoes went in, but didn't have long enough to develop:+{   But no worries. It's always worth an experiment. And people learn best by doing.

This picture (right) is to show how bleak things can look before metamorphosing into an easy and beautiful raised bed garden for your urban space.

Cinderblock details.

Cinderblocks are generally non-toxic, and a much better material to use for raised beds than something like railroad ties (which are toxic) or wood (which deteriorates quickly in the Southwest). The best which were two bricks high when finished, were not mortared together which means this bed can be moved many times and provides flexibility. The holes were filled with sand to stabilize the bricks which was sufficient to hold the shape when filled with soil.

Consider painting the cinderblocks if you would like a little extra color in the garden. An acrylic house paint is the best way to go for low toxicity and because the blocks will soak up quite a bit of paint.

For those growing edible gardens in the Southwest, adobe bricks are most highly recommended and are priced about the same. They are very attractive and offer more of a sitting surface if used as a border brick. Be sure to contact New Mexico Earth Adobe if building your beds in Albuquerque!

construction begins...

These initial steps - phase 1 - took place last fall. In ABQ, edibles can be grown through the cool seasons too. So placing and constructing the raised beds on asphalt is the first priority. Raised beds, used for growing food, are best placed according to the best exposure for your favorite varieties. The low bed seen here runs north/south and is placed on the east side of this space. Beds can run in either direction, and rows are not necessary. Plant as it is convenient for you, and resist making the garden beds too wide. This bed is just a little too deep for the average height person, making maintenance more exhausting.
The specific steps in creating these raised beds include laying cardboard as a barrier to the asphalt, and straw to help reduce compaction. Months later, it's become apparent that this bed will need to be raised -- the cardboard retains almost too much moisture! Creating a barrier to possibly polluted surfaces is a good idea, just in case, so more depth or better drainage will be necessary for the most predictable conditions.

gardens on asphalt in ABQ

6 months have passed since a simple project was seeded in an urban lot to make the city plot more inhabitable. Unexpectedly relocated to a new spot 2008, Gardeners'Guild was ready to grow an outdoor space. Proving it was possible to support the urban gardening cause without a proper demonstration area over more than four years, the new off-alley outdoor 'oasis' has already drawn a number of benefits to this typical black-top setting.
Before...


Visit again to watch this city plot change with the seasons, into a healthier habitat.
With simple solutions an urban preserve can be cultivated from any space.

Find regular postings through 2009.
COMING EARLY SPRING: Building Raised Beds.
Though many detailed observations have been summarized, additional questions can be answered by email: info@gardenersguild.org! Create your own oasis.