Skip to main content

Garden Started

We consider Memorial Day to be the last reasonable day for planting the garden. Most years we have it planted before that.

This year is different. After weeks of rain, we finally had a dry week late in May. June 1 found us planting our garden (and getting ready to plant fields) in a frenzy.

Thought you might like to watch. These are some seed potatoes cut up and ready to plant. We try to leave two eyes on each section.


Stick the nifty potato planter in the ground and drop the potato section in (I wonder if there is a more technnical term for it?)...


Repeat. Before you know it, you've got a row planted. The string is so that we plant straight--important when you begin rototilling between rows.


We planted the rest of the garden that day, too, including our strawberries. Strawberries are supposed to be planted in April (or at latest) early May. June 1. That's a first for us.


It's important not to cover the "crown" of the plant with dirt--strawberries need to be planted just right--not too deep and not to shallow.


We've been very busy with field work--so busy that I can't keep up with blogging. I've decided that I may just stop trying for long blog posts over the summer--just a photo and a few words. No time for more!

Labels:

Comments

  1. Wendy (The Local Cook)June 15, 2011 at 2:00 PM

    wow, Memorial Day is when most of us plant our gardens since that's our last frost date. Best wishes on a successful harvest.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ShelleyJune 17, 2011 at 12:51 PM

    Our last frost is Memorial weekend, but this year the cold is hanging on extra long for us, too.

    I planted strawberries for the first time this year and was wondering if they need replanted each year?

    ReplyDelete
  3. LonaJune 17, 2011 at 9:06 PM

    Wendy, I think our last frost date is probably Memorial Day, too. But if it's warm enough and dry enough, we plant before it and take our chances. Thanks for the good wishes!

    Shelley, we do strawberries on a two-year rotation. Plant them in April, picking off all the blossoms so that the plants don't produce berries that first year and can put all the energy into spreading out. Plant another patch the following April (pulling off the blossoms), and harvest the first patch in June. Continue with the two-year rotation for best results.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AlwenJune 18, 2011 at 5:53 PM

    I've heard eyes and sets for potato sections.

    We had scads of tiny wild strawberries this year. No size at all, but so full of flavor.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bloggy Giveaway--Now Closed

**This bloggy giveaway is now closed** Thanks to all who participated and gave such great comments. Janette is the winner of the $15 gift certificate to our etsy store . I'm participating in the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival . Click the link to go to the carnival where you can enter to win literally hundreds of things. The good news is that even if you have no time to play on the computer trying to win hundreds of things, you can still enter to win one thing right here. This week, I will be giving away a $15 gift certificate to be used toward the purchase of an item in my etsy shop . This contest is open to residents of the United States or Canada only. The winner will receive free shipping on whatever item they choose. Items in my etsy shop include handwoven rugs, wool yarns and roving from our farm, and the ever-popular cotton dishcloth! To be entered in this wonderful drawing, you must go to the etsy shop and look around a bit. Then come back here and type a comment that ...
132 comments
Read more

A Major Set-Back

About six weeks ago, one of our hay fields looked like this. Simply gorgeous--almost ready to cut. We were in the fields, planting like crazy. Planting late, because of a cold, endlessly rainy spring. Despite the fog that envelopes those who are planting late, planting like crazy, one thing stood out in this hayfield. The tracks. What on earth? Someone had been in our hayfield! Not just an ATV, riding along the edge, either. This someone had carefully ridden back and forth across the whole field at regular, methodic intervals. And that someone was BIG. Ruh-roh. Trouble. The only huge thing that rides back and forth across a hayfield at methodic, regular intervals leaving only tracks is a spray rig. Someone must have sprayed our hayfield. Our organic hayfield. The Farmer started calling neighboring farmers. The first one said he does all his own spraying. Not likely he would be confused about which field was his. The second farmer told us he hadn't ordered any custom spraying late...
8 comments
Read more

This Giveaway Is Now Closed!

Today starts a giveaway at Farming in the Shade! I am happy to contribute this complete hat kit (needles not included) to someone who has a knitting obsession and a small person in their life. Here are the rules (contest open to US or Canada residents only): Giveaway ends May 1 at 9 p.m. EST. Winner will be announced by Sunday, May 3. Enter by posting a comment on this blog post. Tell me something about your knitting--who taught you to knit, your favorite yarn, the coolest thing you ever knitted. Make sure you leave contact information! Earn extra entries by: 1) Following me on twitter. (If you don't know what twitter is, don't worry. It's another way to waste your time on the computer.)  Add a comment here so I will count it as one entry. 2) Tweeting this giveaway (no more than once daily). Add a comment here so I know you did it. 3) Blog about this giveaway. Add a comment (with link) here so I can go visit your blog. 4) Follow or subscribe to this blog (or tell me if have...
45 comments
Read more