We've been eagerly awaiting the passing of winter for the past 5 or so months and it seems that the last bit of snow has finally melted from our field. So now what? I feel like I got caught up working too much and haven't made adequate plans for the impending spring which is now upon us.
There's so much to do and oftentimes I feel like I don't even know where to start. For the most part I feel like the point we are now at can not be taught by reading another gardening book. Now's the time to dig in, literally, and it scares the crap out of me. It's our first full growing season independently and although my motto is more or less, 'put it in the ground and it will grow', what if it doesn't?
The snow has barely been off of the field two weeks and the deer have wasted no time helping themselves to the winter rye we planted in the fall. It hasn't had the opportunity to do much growing so now we're left to wonder whether to till it under mechanically with the aid of our neighbors Kubota tractor or if we'll be able to turn it over by hand and work it in while making the garden beds.
This brings us to our next concern. Though the ground may be workable enough to plant some of our earliest crops, our garden is not yet prepared. As the space was only cleared of brush in the fall we have no established beds made. Our plan is to make an informal 'raised' bed garden. We'll start by settling on the positioning and size of the beds then use sticks as stakes to rope off the area where the beds will be. We're planning to turn the loose soil from the 'paths' into the beds, essentially lowering the pathway and raising the beds. We hope this will work. I'd say we could get to work on this immediately once we solve the till/no-till problem, but it's awfully wet out. Can this type of work be done before the soil dries up and becomes more workable? Will any damage be caused to the soil structure if we do decide to brave the mud and work the field?
Then there are the deer. Pesky and persistant they will be competing with us for the food in our garden. Part of me says that the deer will find a way to eat some of the crops no matter what kind of deterrant you install and it's just a part of growing your own vegetables. Pots and pans clanging from tree branches glinting in the sun probably stand no chance when pitted against deer which aren't afraid of much of anything anymore. So how do we combat this? Of course we'll trying pots and pans and shiny objects, dryer sheets and any other wacky method we read about, but what else should we/can we do? Row cover certainly will help while also providing added protection until the weather is stable. But what about fencing? How high would it need to be and would it actually be worth the potential investment/effort?
Most importantly is the planting. What to plant, when to plant, where to plant. What is the sun's pattern over the field and what does that mean in terms of where to plant the crops that like partial sun vs. full sun. Which plants grow best when interplanted along with others? What types of trellising to we need? How do we manage succession planting, etc?
It's all very exciting and very overwhelming and this only scratches the surface of the running farm to-do list that tear through my brain like a frieght-train. I quit one of my two jobs today and in doing so took the first step towards simplifying my responsibilities and focusing on accomplishing the aspects of my life that I really want. With less demand on my time from 'work' I can put more effort into my real work which right now is figuring out how to navigate the spring-time challenges of the first year farmer.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Cold Frame Mold Factory
We continue to have more above-freezing days and more sunlight has been been shining on the area where our cold frames are located. The only problem is that the cold frames were nowhere to be seen. Our most recent, and only storm to speak of this season, dropped close to 2 feet of snow and our cold frames were buried somewhere beneath it.
There was so much snow up on the hill that I had trouble even locating the first cold frame. When I finally did get it uncovered I noticed that the top pane of glass had a big impact wound that spread out into the opposite corners. I figure I must have damaged it while digging it out. Mike soon joined me in the digging and it wasn't long before 5 of the 6 frames were uncovered without any further damage. But where was the 6th frame?
We dug and dug where we thought the frame should be and then we dug some more. We struck dirt but no frame and were both quite confused. Neither of us could remember with certainty where the 6th frame was. I sent Mike inside to look back at our 'map' from the fall. Amazed at how easily we managed to forget something as simple as the placement of our cold frames reminded us of the importance of keeping accurate records... much to my dismay.
Once the bulk of the snow was removed it didn't take long for the sun to melt the remaining powder that covered the tops of the frames. Most of the vegetables inside looked decent with the mache continuing to be the real winter star, just as Eliot Coleman had promised.
Most of the greens continue to do well and some even appear harvestable despite the consistent cold and snow cover, but others are being conquered by mold. The mold is mostly on the dirt itself but there are several areas where patches of mold look like it is taking over some otherwise healthy leaves.
We're not sure why this is happening or what to do about it. Is it due to a lack of sunlight or daylight in general - too much time buried under the remnants of the last storm? Is it a result of excess moisture in the frames coupled with a warmish environment thus causing hospitable breeding grounds for mold? When the weather was warmer we did notice a lot of condensation build-up on the insides of the frames. Maybe it's a matter of airflow and circulation inside the frames. We're not sure. For the time being while we're getting some nice sunny days we're experimenting with venting the frames, not so much for temperature regulation, but for air-flow. If this doesn't seem to impact the mold at all maybe we'll just try removing it to see if it comes back.
In other news, today we finally finished cutting the pieces we need to construct our saw-dust toilet for humanure compost. Check out the simple and affordable design we're building here. There's an alternative to dumping 5 gallons of otherwise drinkable water along with incredibly nutrient rich material down the drain every time you flush. Read the book that started it all (for FREE).
There was so much snow up on the hill that I had trouble even locating the first cold frame. When I finally did get it uncovered I noticed that the top pane of glass had a big impact wound that spread out into the opposite corners. I figure I must have damaged it while digging it out. Mike soon joined me in the digging and it wasn't long before 5 of the 6 frames were uncovered without any further damage. But where was the 6th frame?
We dug and dug where we thought the frame should be and then we dug some more. We struck dirt but no frame and were both quite confused. Neither of us could remember with certainty where the 6th frame was. I sent Mike inside to look back at our 'map' from the fall. Amazed at how easily we managed to forget something as simple as the placement of our cold frames reminded us of the importance of keeping accurate records... much to my dismay.
Once the bulk of the snow was removed it didn't take long for the sun to melt the remaining powder that covered the tops of the frames. Most of the vegetables inside looked decent with the mache continuing to be the real winter star, just as Eliot Coleman had promised.
Most of the greens continue to do well and some even appear harvestable despite the consistent cold and snow cover, but others are being conquered by mold. The mold is mostly on the dirt itself but there are several areas where patches of mold look like it is taking over some otherwise healthy leaves.
We're not sure why this is happening or what to do about it. Is it due to a lack of sunlight or daylight in general - too much time buried under the remnants of the last storm? Is it a result of excess moisture in the frames coupled with a warmish environment thus causing hospitable breeding grounds for mold? When the weather was warmer we did notice a lot of condensation build-up on the insides of the frames. Maybe it's a matter of airflow and circulation inside the frames. We're not sure. For the time being while we're getting some nice sunny days we're experimenting with venting the frames, not so much for temperature regulation, but for air-flow. If this doesn't seem to impact the mold at all maybe we'll just try removing it to see if it comes back.
In other news, today we finally finished cutting the pieces we need to construct our saw-dust toilet for humanure compost. Check out the simple and affordable design we're building here. There's an alternative to dumping 5 gallons of otherwise drinkable water along with incredibly nutrient rich material down the drain every time you flush. Read the book that started it all (for FREE).
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