rachels.haven's Journal

[farmerjan]

My garden is getting plowed. It's going to be my best garden since we lived in Michigan.

 

[Finnie]

Nice pictures! I know your property has a lot of issues, but at least it’s picturesque.

 

[rachels.haven]

Potatoes in.

Peas, beans, beets, cucumber, and ground cherries in after the picture.
Tomorrow I'll do the greens, garlic, and hopefully herbs. I think I'll have it done in 4 work days.

It looks like it's trying to drought again like last year. It's very green but also very dry. It rained last night. Doesnt matter, it wasn't enough. I think its time to invest in a sprinkler (and small rototiller to keep things cultivated).

The rest of the day was mowing.

 

[Mini Horses]

That's a nice large garden!! looks to be a good till job he did for you, too.

 

[rachels.haven]

Thanks! He sure did.

 

[farmerjan]

Nice tilling job... Now a suggestion.... MULCH......DO NOT TILL.... save the moisture, water less often... keep the soil moist and don't spend all that time with a tiller and dust and drying out the soil....
Old hay, grass clippings, barn cleanings... leaves... cardboard, newspapers etc.... then covered with some mulch hay.
Also, good mulch cover allows you to get into the garden shortly after a rain without carrying 10 tons of mud back on your feet...

 

[rachels.haven]

Nice tilling job... Now a suggestion.... MULCH......DO NOT TILL.... save the moisture, water less often... keep the soil moist and don't spend all that time with a tiller and dust and drying out the soil....
Old hay, grass clippings, barn cleanings... leaves... cardboard, newspapers etc.... then covered with some mulch hay.
Also, good mulch cover allows you to get into the garden shortly after a rain without carrying 10 tons of mud back on your feet...

We're having a tree guy trim a mammoth silver maple (paired with a white oak neighbor) and he offered as many loads of chips as I can take. I wonder if I should take him up on that. (I kind of wish I had a tractor with a bucket to move it though)

 

[Baymule]

Absolutely take him up on that! In Lindale, we befriended a power line contractor crew and let them park their trucks on our farm at night. In return they brought us over 100 loads of chips. Our soil was white sugar sand, like a Florida beach. No nutrients, no humus, darned little fertility. We cleaned out the barn, spread the manure, put cardboard down in the garden and covered it deep with chips. A few years of that and we had black rich soil a foot deep. We even spread chips on our pastures to add humus to the soil.

Yes, you need a tractor with a front end bucket. Since you don’t have one, you have boys. Put them to work.

 

[Finnie]

We're having a tree guy trim a mammoth silver maple (paired with a white oak neighbor) and he offered as many loads of chips as I can take. I wonder if I should take him up on that. (I kind of wish I had a tractor with a bucket to move it though)

Do it! Do it! Get one!
(When you can.)