We're getting the vegetables in the ground! Since last Friday, when the ground was finally dry enough to till and prepare beds, we've seeded or transplanted the following:
Cucumbers
Sunflowers
Basil
Zuchini and yellow zuchini
Tomatoes (Early Girls)
Bush beans
Raspberries
Eggplant
Peppers
Potatoes
Kale
Chard
Carrots
Turnips
Cabbage
For each of these crops, of course, we've prepared the beds and set up the irrigation system. This involves tilling and amending the soil (which Allan does on his tractor, but can be done on a walk-
behind tiller); calculating and planning the lay-out of the rows and aisles for the crop (which crop should go here? how much and what kind of space does this plant need to grow? what kind of space is required for harvesting? what orientation should we lay these beds to achieve a flat row for irrigating?); preparing the beds appropriately (staking and running string to mark the rows and aisles, raking the beds (or digging the trenches, for raspberries and potatoes), or building trellis or stake systems for the plants to climb; and laying down the irrigation.
Cucumbers
Sunflowers
Basil
Zuchini and yellow zuchini
Tomatoes (Early Girls)
Bush beans
Raspberries
Eggplant
Peppers
Potatoes
Kale
Chard
Carrots
Turnips
Cabbage
For each of these crops, of course, we've prepared the beds and set up the irrigation system. This involves tilling and amending the soil (which Allan does on his tractor, but can be done on a walk-
behind tiller); calculating and planning the lay-out of the rows and aisles for the crop (which crop should go here? how much and what kind of space does this plant need to grow? what kind of space is required for harvesting? what orientation should we lay these beds to achieve a flat row for irrigating?); preparing the beds appropriately (staking and running string to mark the rows and aisles, raking the beds (or digging the trenches, for raspberries and potatoes), or building trellis or stake systems for the plants to climb; and laying down the irrigation. 
The irrigation system is set up by measuring and cutting and fitting 3/4-inch polytube to 2-inch T-shaped risers that attach two valves (with pressure reducers) to underground PVC piping. The polytube runs down the end of the bed, and drip tape is attached to this polytube and then run down each row. Stake everything in place, flush the system, and then drip drip drip! The irrigation system is fed from three large tanks sitting at the top of the farm property, into which water is pumped every evening from the well. During the day, though, the entire system is fed by the pressure of gravity only.
Once the beds are prepared, we can set our seeds, or plant our little transplants, which had been started in the greenhouse. The seeds are awesome: each one stores all information it needs, so that the seed "knows what to do" as Allan put it. We simply give it the environment it craves, (as best we can figure) and off it goes! In a matter of weeks, we'll be able to harvest its leaves or, a little later, its fruit!
Other tasks this past week: We've continued to cultivate the alliums and strawberries, trimming flower heads (and runners on the strawberries) so that the energy from the sun and the soil will continue to go into filling out the plant (for better production later), and of course weeding to reduce competition for nutrients and sun. We dug trenches for the 400 raspberry bushes we planted (our beautiful stick garden, we call it, as right now it looks like a bunch of twigs in the ground.) We built a re-bar trellis for the cucumbers to climb, and posted six-foot metal stakes to which we'll attach horizontal strings as the tomatoes grab and grow.
Talked more about building a chicken coop - a project slated for next weekend. The plan is to get around 20 chickens, enough to have a couple dozen eggs a week to supplement the veggie harvest.
Only a few more weeks until we can eat from the farm!
Once the beds are prepared, we can set our seeds, or plant our little transplants, which had been started in the greenhouse. The seeds are awesome: each one stores all information it needs, so that the seed "knows what to do" as Allan put it. We simply give it the environment it craves, (as best we can figure) and off it goes! In a matter of weeks, we'll be able to harvest its leaves or, a little later, its fruit!
Other tasks this past week: We've continued to cultivate the alliums and strawberries, trimming flower heads (and runners on the strawberries) so that the energy from the sun and the soil will continue to go into filling out the plant (for better production later), and of course weeding to reduce competition for nutrients and sun. We dug trenches for the 400 raspberry bushes we planted (our beautiful stick garden, we call it, as right now it looks like a bunch of twigs in the ground.) We built a re-bar trellis for the cucumbers to climb, and posted six-foot metal stakes to which we'll attach horizontal strings as the tomatoes grab and grow.
Talked more about building a chicken coop - a project slated for next weekend. The plan is to get around 20 chickens, enough to have a couple dozen eggs a week to supplement the veggie harvest.
Only a few more weeks until we can eat from the farm!
Love the idea of a re-bar trellis! What does it look like?
ReplyDeleteI'll post pictures soon -- there are upside-down V-shaped bent re-bar about 6 -8 feet high stuck in the ground and about 8 feet apart, with horizontal straight pieces of rebar wired to them at about 1 foot off the ground and 5 feet off the ground. then we just tied this plastic-y trellis/netting onto that! so it's like a long tunnel... :)
ReplyDelete