My familys' Gardening Journey Journal

[Arielle]

Looking for a new way to put food on the table. Though decades in the making, the last 5 years since adding chickens to the farm, and joining BYC,the efforts to produce our food has escaladed multifold.

I'l put in info here and links as recourses and see where I am in a year from now.

 

[Arielle]

www.gardenrant.com please top liming your soil based on pH
An interesting take on pH. Not as fully explanatory in reguard to what the chemistry behind pH, but brings in other mineral issues that are valuable and shouws the complexity of minerals and their availability because of pH.


grow it organically.com a look at potash natural sources like sea weed and firewood ashes. and the balancing act with the other two NPK buddies.


azomite available at worms way in Sutton ma rte 146, 121 Sutton-Worcester tpk,800=284-9676 or 508=865-6458; green path garden supply northboro, 276 w main st aka rte 20 877 867-5202 www.greenpathgardensupply.com

 

[Arielle]

wwww.yara.us/agriculture/crops/tomato/key-facts/role of potassium holy cow tomatos have a lot of potassium

irrigationdirect .com one source of supplies. definiteloy need to have a better watering system for one of the plots. two plots if I get the space at the community garden.

northernhomestead.com/no-till-gardening-methods the basics of three types of no till gardening: squarefoot, lasagna, and mulching Back to Eden method.

 

[Arielle]

sketchup.com son trying to see if a garden can be sketched. lol

 

[Arielle]

THe pea plot---planted a few weeks ago, I was really excited to have a good look a t the tiny shoots. Only black soil, black and blank. NADA. Digging deep , I lifted up a heafty portion and sifted for pea seeds. NADA. The rodents that make furrows had made off with every seed. Buggers. Checked the second plot and the delight of roots and shoots put a smile on my face. Now if only the rodents dont visit.

weather is very up and down. Like in a a crazy extremem fluctuation. from 60 to 28 and then to 40, 50, Still m any nights that are below 32.

 

[Arielle]

Grafted about 40 pear trees. ALready have bosc and bartlett and they seem to be in good shape after 20 years. Bought 40 rootstock of OH x F97 from Cummins nursery, Received box two days after placing order.

Learned by watching utube videos-- some better than others so this has been several months of viewing when I had the time. Clean sharp tools a must.

Cut the scion wood and stored in cool basement in wet sawdust. BUt they were starting to sprout so will be surprized if many survive the major surgery.

Figure if only a few survive we are ahead. Having learned a new technique. And at $150 for the rootstock, need about 6 to survive to break even. ( Pear trees are about 25$ at Stark)

Made a hoop house green house by purchasing 10 foot 1/2 inch pvc poles and duct tape.Plastic was recycled. Carefully set in place the newly potted tomatos in the wally bags.. 9 bushsteak and 4 baby boomer. both determinant so as to not fight about size, especially height.

To experiment, gave a gallon of water to half the transplants, and a 75% strength of a miraicle tomato fertilizer to the other half.


For got to add eggshells and epson salts to the soil mix.

Curious to see if these bags breath or can let out excess water.

 

[Arielle]

rain arrived at 5, warmish. need a plan to water the tomatos in the greenhouse

 

[Arielle]

looking at johnnys seeds for sales. not sure if leeks are worth the effort. Scallions might be a better choice for time space and use of veg.

 

[Arielle]

LOL Perused thru the Jo.hnny seeds and only listed the items I really really really thought I needed.....jeez.....over $200. already...loly

Toured the new garden area....smaller than I realized......guess I have eyes bigger than my stomache syndrome..... ordering enough corn seed to feed an army, enough mixed lettuce seed to feed an army......oh right I have an army to feed!!!! Teen boys and dang the hens are already going broody!!!! It is only April for goodness sakes.....

 

[Arielle]

Looking for barrels to set up a watering system. Town water is available to fill barrels but not directwatering. Which is ok as I am thinking it would be good to let the barrels of water sit for a few days to get the chlorine to evaporate and there by not kill the microbes in the soil that I need.

When I look at this soil and touch it, it feels stripped. Sandy. Little in the way of humus and indespirate need of improvement. Invested in a bag of azomite. To be sprinkled on only the beds that will be seeded and not the whole area. ANd after the tilling, to set up several comapost bins to speed up composting and then add to each bed, by either top dressing or mixing in before replanting.

Nothing is one size fits all. I keep searching for ideas that will fit each circumstance.