Friday, October 6, 2023

Email to Ellen Beaman, September 2020

 

Is this like what you expected for this assignment?:

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My desired outcome is to grow some healthy foods for most of the year, practically I think up to half the produce that my family eats. Also I want to trade food with my friends who will have different crops. 

My early ideas for foods are - cabbage, broccoli, spinach, onion, garlic, beans, peas, bell peppers. I think it'd be best to have companion plants growing together. And I want to plant what grows well in this region.

I have about a 30 by 30 foot space that gets nearly full sun. After a handful of seasons, I can see it filling up with beds and veggies/fruits/berries, if things go well.

The yard soil is a lot of clay and rock. I may spend up to half my budget on soil and amendments. I have a pretty fertile compost pile about 6 ft. by 3 ft., from which I want to harvest a lot of soil.

I think I will start with a 4 by 4 raised bed, probably about 10 plants to rotate by season.

My budget is probably about $200 [a season], maybe a bit more. Time is not a concern for me. I believe I will have a garden going early next year. My friend is planning to help, probably one or 2 Saturdays, and I'll help improving their garden. I will probably spend at least a month or 2 researching and planning crops a bit each day; I began forming my garden/raised bed ideas at least a year ago.

- Water -

We just had an idea to use grey water from a washing machine to irrigate a flower bed and maybe veggies. I have doubts about finding a safe/healthy detergent.

I will get drip tape or a soaker hose. Water will come from a spigot. I might want a splitter. It will cost very little to irrigate initially.  

I hope next year we can install a rain barrel or 2 and use some to irrigate.

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- Thanks {:

- Greg W.

And see ya tomorrow, I should get there between 1 and 2. Thanks!

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