Ohiofarmgirl's Adventures in The Good Land is largely a fish out of water tale about how I eventually found my footing on a small farm in an Amish town. We are a mostly organic, somewhat self sufficient, sustainable farm in Ohio. There's action and adventure and I'll always tell you the truth about farming.


Saturday, April 23, 2016

Seed notes and plantings

Is everyone scrambling to get their seeds in? We are moving fast here. Yesterday I waited for it to rain the whole day and nothing..... Drat. So I ended up mowing the grass and it just made me mad. I did not kill the mower so I'm calling it a win.

How about this variety? I bet it tastes like victory. 

New and different varieties... has anyone tried the Polish Lingursas?

Someone asked what seeds I direct sow and which ones I start in trays. Mostly I start just about everything in trays. We have horrific soil and our chickens are worse..... and then add in the regular bird loss. Starting seeds in trays is just easier for me.

I start potatoes, onion sets, and beans directly in the ground and then most everything else - including herbs and lettuce - in trays.  Half the time the stupid jays pillage the beans tho so I'm careful to cover the rows with half rounds of field fence covered with netting or row covers. This also defeats the chickens.

The only problem with the netting is that the snakes will get caught up in them.... and last year I found one of the tweety birds caught in it. It was very sad. So I try to stay away from the finer netting.

But once the seeds get started - or are transplanted - they take off.  I'm not sure what inhibits the sprouting but I've never had that trouble before. I continue to improve the soil but the going is slow.

I think I might have caught a glimpse of one of potatoes peeping up thru the straw yesterday. I'm pretty excited to see things growing.

Someone remind me that beside the potatoes I have a row of "rotten beans." They really aren't rotten. I kept them from last year but didn't do a good job of over wintering them. I just let them dry out, tossed them in a basket, and kept them downstairs. I put them, pods and all, directly in the ground. They are either going to grow or not. We'll see. I have high hopes.

Next to the rotten bean row I planted some dwarf horticulture beans. Maybe. I'm not sure. I should probably learn to label things better. Hey, surprise beans! Why not!?

Today we'll keep up with the garden prep. I did a ton of tilling over the last couple days. I mowed off and then tilled under the winter wheat/ground cover. I'm leaving a patch of turnips planted last year tho because they have gone to bolt and the flowers are making the beez happy.

Happy Saturday everyone! Are you getting your seeds going?


4 comments:

Vera said...

We have left kale and broccoli in over winter and the plants have bolted as well, and what a lovely show of flowers they make. As for the weather, what is forecasted never seems to arrive so now we don't take any notice of what our weather channels says, we just go ahead and do. No potatoes up yet, but keeping a watchful eye.

Kate said...

Onions went in mid-February, so they are about 18"; peppers and tomatoes are about 7-8". Zucchini is just sprouting, cukes just sprouting, herbs growing like crazy, along with asparagus and chives. Lettuce, spinach and carrots are about 4" high. Didn't check the turnips and bok choi today, or the beans. Also, the weeds are going gangbusters!!!

David said...

A long weekend in the garden, not too many seeds in, but beds and hardscape all done - some starts are in, weather looks good for them, cool and rain all week.

Have you read about tillage radishes? - Basically plant daikon radish in fall and leave tm in they can grow to a foot long then they rot over the winder leaving behind organic material improving the soil. Neat huh?

Ohiofarmgirl said...

soon, Vera, soon for sure!

great work, Kate!

yeah Dave, isn't that cool? some folks do that around here in their fields. that was my strategy with the overwintered turnips... but i went with them thinking that we could use the turnips for eating (we did). even tho the turnips arent as big as the daikons.... they still have a pretty deep root structure. the daikons are clay busters for sure.

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