Kirk does a lot of 3D printing for things we need around the house and homestead. It really is cool how many files are posted so that if you need something, chances are you can make it. He uses a Pruska MK4.
Of the pots Kirk has printed for me, these two swirl pots are my favorite. They are bigger than the rest he did.
With the recent changes in the USDA Grow Zones, if one searches for the last frost date for grow zone 8b, one might get the results of April 1st. I’d say this, though, based on years of watching the weather: That’s a huge April Fool’s joke; you’re risk-taking.
Why so?
Weather can be fickle. While the days are warming up, the nights are still cool. And come mid-week, the weather is predicted to have a chillier day with rain. Rain is not your friend in early Spring. It can drown the seeds, move them and cause havoc if it is hard rain, and seedling have just sprouted.
It’s one thing to have plants outside hardening off (that is a good thing to do!), but the soil in the ground or a raised bed is still cold.
(And I have a lot of plant starts outside now, getting ready to go in the ground)
It needs the nighttime temperatures to be higher than 40°:
While yes, many seeds will germinate at 35°, if nighttime temperatures are higher, they will germinate and grow faster. You will be on less of a struggle bus. Waiting just two weeks will make it much better. As we enter mid-April, the rains get gentler and less often. If you can wait until nighttime temps are near 50°, without dips, your plants and seeds will love you so much more.
And by April 15th, we will be over 13 hours of daylight—every minute counts in activating plant growth.
Instead, take the next two weeks to work on your garden beds:
Weed
Till as needed (I use a very light hand tiller to break up clumps of grass and weeds that are then hand removed)
Shape the rows
Lay down weed fabric to suppress growth on the edges if needed
Do pruning that is needed for any plants that are taking over spaces
Start more seeds inside or in your greenhouse – do this often!
We spent the last two days working on this beast. It isn’t entirely done, but I am nearly there. The story on this bed is that it was once raw land. Kirk ran the tractor over it five years ago, breaking it open (it had evergreen trees on it) and removing stumps and a lot of big rocks. Then, it became a test bed for plants and a chicken coop for a couple of years. Then, it sat empty last year and got covered in weeds. After weeding, doing a light till on top, laying down fabric, and making lines….it will soon be ready to plant.
I am working on another large bed this week as well. The fence is fixed, and weed suppression is in place. The final is removing the weeds and shaping the rows.
And removing rocks. Constantly removing rocks as they float up.
All to keep me occupied so that I resist the urge to plant everything…..
PS: And remember this sage advice, don’t plant tomatoes and peppers outside till at least mid-May in the PNW. They need warmth!
White Sage (Salvia apiana) is a sacred plant native to Southern California and the northern part of Baja, Mexico. It craves an arid existence. Seeing it wild is pretty amazing, and well worth traveling to see it (no touching though, do not harvest wild).
I always try to grow at least one White Sage in our greenhouse. I picked up a new one as soon as the plants showed up at a local plant nursery this winter. I view it as an every-other-year purchase here in the chilly PNW. I get 2-3 years out of each plant before we get a deep freeze/or water-logging episode. It just happens. Thankfully I can replace them.
The local plant nursery got a lot in this year. At around $25 a plant, it’s a money maker for them.
My other White Sage, it is a few years old, and lives full time in the greenhouse.
A fresh cutting that I delivered to a friend who was in need of it. I never sell my White Sage; as an herbalist, I believe it must be given freely. To those who need it. Blessed with love.
When working in the greenhouse, I periodically take cuttings and let them dry inside. The pungent aroma clears the air, especially nice in winter on rare blue-sky days when it warms up inside.
Why You Should Grow It:
There is much angst over buying commercially dried White Sage, as much of it is taken illegally off public and private lands, leading to issues with the plants’ futures. By growing your own, you can know your supply is ethical. Provide for yourself.
Deer don’t like it. It is too intense with essential oils.
The large plants grow to between 4 and 5 feet tall and are covered in beautiful seasonal blooms; during bloom time, they put on arms that can grow 10 feet high. Bees cannot resist visiting, so it is a great plant that encourages more bees.
There are many medicinal uses for the leaves. It is consumed as a tea when needed.
It is used in sage smudging.
The seeds are edible. By both humans and birds (quail love them).
As Winter works its way through, the thought of starting seeds is on our minds. Whether you start seeds inside under grow lights or in a greenhouse with natural light, it’s time to think about the seed-starting soil mix you will use.
Having a light soil mix is essential. You want to avoid a heavy compost mix until the plants are established. Compost is far too rich and can burn the seeds as they sprout. It also can be too heavy, making the growing seed work too hard to push up and through the soil. Start with a light and airy mix. Save the compost-heavy mixes for when potting up tomatoes starts in late spring, and the established plants need to be heavily fed.
Buying commercially made seed starting mix is expensive and typically comes in small bags. If you are only starting a couple of plants, then yes, this will work for you. If an entire greenhouse is packed with seedlings like us, you must make a lot of starter soil.
Seed starting mix can be straightforward, with as few as two ingredients, or you can blend premade potting mix with more lighteners.
Commercial mixes are often peat moss, pumice or vermiculite, and sand. It’s that simple. And those tiny bags are not worth your time. That’s just limiting your growing potential, no?
Vermiculite:
“…. is a hydrous phyllosilicate mineral which undergoes significant expansion when heated.”
As I mentioned above, pumice (which is heavy) or vermiculite was the traditional choice of a lightener; however, something even better exists.
Perlite:
“…..is an amorphous volcanic glass that has a relatively high water content, typically formed by the hydration of obsidian. It occurs naturally and has the unusual property of greatly expanding when heated sufficiently.” Perlite is very light. And unlike vermiculite, it is more extensive and far brighter, so it is visible that it is mixed in well.
A tip? If you need to make a lot of soil up, the stock tanks sold at farm stores work well. Yes, it is a LOT of soil (this stock tank is big enough I could use it as a bath tub). But you’ll use it up if you are growing a lot. They are also very heavy-duty and handle winter well, year after year. I can fit a 2 cubic foot bag of perlite, a 2.2 cubic foot bag of coconut coir, and a 2 cubic foot bag of dry potting soil. Our youngest son happily mixes it up for me; then, I transfer what I need into a small potting tray (such as a concrete mixing tray) to work directly in our greenhouse.
I use perlite and a dry potting soil mix with a bag of coconut coir added for a modern take on it, or I will also do perlite and peat moss or coconut coir as the most simple blend. I find adding the ProMix soil gives a good boost, though. It isn’t heavy. It comes compressed, so it isn’t full of water and stinky. Bonus points always. Overall I keep it at a 1:1 ratio of what I add. So, even if you are making smaller amounts, keep that in mind as you mix it up. You can always bag up your mix, in teash bags, or in a plastic tote, and store it inside for when you need it.
I keep the mix dry until after I have filled pots and seeded. Then I water it, let it soak in, then water it a bit more.
With seed starting mixes, watch the pots to get dry and water gently as needed.
On our homestead, we are herb-friendly. In a legal state, that sounds like pro-cannabis, but what I mean is we grow many herb plants. Both medicinal and culinary, nearly all herbs are pollinator-friendly as well. Grow zone 8b allows us to grow both annual (yearly) and perennial (comes back yearly) easily. There aren’t many varieties that won’t grow here, unlike in snowy Idaho, where summer is fleeting. Living low in altitude and near the open water is sometimes a blessing. Being in Grow Zone 8b, we have freezes and snow, but it is fleeting. Our summers tend to be sunny and dry, which leads to a great growing season.
We write quite often about growing, preserving, and using herbs here. And while I love all we grow, I have a core group of herbs I have consistently grown, no matter where I live. I consider these must-grow plants whether you start them from seed or buy them in plant form, ready to put in pots or in the ground, having these growing will improve your growing experience. You will invite pollinators so your produce crops have a higher yield. This will also lead to a healthier local environment by letting the native ones know they are welcome to live on your land. See our recent article on how to grow herbs and start them.
I have noted what I consider to be deer-resistant as well, though, as always, your results may differ. The resistant ones are grown without fencing, and our local deer never seem to munch on them.
Spring is coming, it is time to start planning!
Favorite Herbs For Grow Zone 8b:
Basil:
It is an annual in our grow zone and will collapse and die after the first freeze in late fall to early winter. While prized for culinary uses, the hardy versions are known for their intense flower spikes that pollinators cannot resist. I grow it next to our tomatoes most years. Some people pinch the flowers to get more leaves; I would suggest that you simply grow more plants instead. The flowers smell amazing as well.
Calendula:
Is it a flower or an herb plant first? It depends on what you want really. The flowers are prized for medicinal use, and pollinators love them. I have found it to be deer-resistant. Not known for its aroma, however. It is an annual, but self-seeds efficiently.
Chamomile:
It is grown for the flowers and used in teas and herbal concoctions. Yet, it is also very pollinator-friendly. Once planted it self-seeds easily and usually pops back up every year, randomly across your land. I say sprinkle seeds everywhere and let it grow rebel-style. The smell is heavenly.
Comfrey:
It is prized for its medicinal uses; it produces long stalks of purple-blue flowers that bees cannot stay away from. It is also great fodder for stock animals. One plant will produce enough for an entire family each year. Give it a lot of room, and it loves the sun. Deer do not eat it on our homestead. Comfrey is not edible for humans. It doesn’t need fertilizing and comes back yearly from its deep root system.
Lavender:
There are varieties for culinary and ones aimed at essential oil production. All are highly deer-resistant, have long-lasting flowers, and smell wonderful in the breeze. If there is one plant you put many in the ground, make it lavender. It has many uses, is drought-friendly once established, and takes punishing cold weather. With annual shaping, it will grow for many years without the need for fertilizing and often not even supplemental water once established.
Mint:
You can grow so many varieties: peppermint, spearmint, etc. But be sure to grow them in a pot so they cannot escape and take over your garden. This includes all of its cousins such as Lemon Balm. They can be used in both culinary and medicinal. Deer resistant. Is normally a perennial.
Rosemary:
It is a plant I grow all over our homestead. Deer leave it alone, it is rich in natural essential oils. Used in culinary, medicinal, and yes, oh, those delicate blue-hued flowers will lure native bees in. Deer resistant. Once well established it won’t need fertilizer or watering unless in a heat wave.
Sage:
Let’s just say it: pollinator-friendly. And it smells amazing in the sun. Be it regular sage or tricolor, this herb is cold-hardy and grows for many years with little care. Highly deer resistant.
Thyme:
Regular thyme or a fancier variety like lemon thyme grows for years with minimal upkeep. Cold hardy. Culinary, medicinal, and its tiny flowers are a joy. Deer resistant. Once established, it often does not need watering.
If you are looking for seeds, I recommend Sow Right Seeds, which sell many herb varieties. Use code “SARAHK10” for 10% off! They are also running their annual Early Bird sale through 2/29/24, where if you buy 10 or more packets of seeds, you get 25% off automatically.
Sow Right ships quickly, and yes, we have been growing with their seeds the past year and found success with them. And yes, if you spend $25 or more, shipping is free.
