Fall Chores

Well, I have been planting my head off, and I think I can see the end in sight...

Except I forgot to leave enough empty beds for all the garlic I plan to put in.
Oops!
My plan is to at least double the garlic I planted last year. I kept a bunch of the biggest, bestest bulbs to replant this fall. I hope to have at least 600 of the Galiano garlic, plus I've ordered some Russian Red, and some Yugoslavian. Yugoslavian is my ultimate favourite garlic, and you have to order EARLY. Last year I tried to get some in early August, but the garlic growers were already sold out. This year, I ordered the day the catalogue came out, and should be getting my shipments any time now. I didn't order a lot of either variety, but I will keep saving my own seed from each year, and should be able to sell a few, and then double my inventory each year.

Anyway, I have almost finished planting all the seed starts I did... a bit later than I had hoped to get things in, but so far the weather is co operating with me. It is still really warm out, even though we are getting rain on and off. I hope this warm lasts a while longer! It's nice to enjoy it without having the constant worry about water.

I think the best thing I did this year was the mulch. I got the idea from Ruth Stout. She was an old gardener who gardened into her nineties using mulch and more mulch. People would come for miles to drive by her gardens and watch her at work.
But this is mainly because she often gardened in the nude.

NO KIDDING!!!

Anyway, I digress...
A client of mine just loaned me one of her books. The principle is simple. Plant everything in mulch. Keep adding mulch. There were several crops of mine that were doing just lousy, so I covered them with a bunch of hay, with the intention of replanting with another crop, and within a week or so, BOOM! Little green plants started to pop up all over, when I had completely given up of ever seeing anything. EVERYTHING is planted in mulch now.
I am making more garden area as well. I keep collecting cardboard. Lots and lots of cardboard. I am putting it down over the pasture, then putting a row of hay, then putting yummy horse poo on that, then some soil (mostly to keep the dogs from eating the poo!) then another layer of hay. By spring, it should be nicely composted, and perfect for planting all the crops I have planned. And I have a zillion crops planned. I am excited for spring already!! I am already eagerly anticipating the fall run of seed catalogues, so I can start deciding what to grow, and which varieties to try next year.

I really want to take a bunch of pics for the blog, but my memory card ran out of room in my camera. I need to remember to go buy a new one soon. I like to take pics each year in Sept, so I can see how things change and progress over the years. I will get more pics soon, I promise!

Busy Days again

This is the first slow day I've had in weeks on the farm, and it is pouring rain out, so I've decided to take a break while I can... you never know when you may get another slow day again! Besides the dog boarding, I've been busy in the gardens, planting tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, melons, potatoes, etc. I made enough money this month to get another load of soil in, so I can really get going again. I am quite often out there at 9 pm, weeding, and killing slugs, and hoping everything will grow on time for my CSA shares. Which start next week.... my first lettuce planting got decimated by the slugs, and I am a bit worried about having enough ready for my CSA members. Thankfully I didn't sell a million shares! I'm glad I only did a few for my first year... gives me a much better idea of what I am doing. I have also sold 5 egg shares for this year... something I didn't expect! I have 29 more laying hens coming up, so maybe I will be able to sell a few more shares as time goes on. Anyway, my first few shares will be a bit skimpy. I talked to one of my members, and she said the shares she got last year from elsewhere was the same, so maybe I'll be all right. Won't be long until other things come along... my peas are starting to bloom, and the fava beans are also blooming, and I've replanted the lettuce and mesculin, and have a lovely crop of radishes coming along. Keep your fingers crossed for me! I am starting to build more garden beds, so I can plant more of everything, and also get started on a fall crop in June/July.

I had one of my favourite dog boarding clients tell me about Ruth Stout. She was a lady who gardened into her nineties, and never really worked in the garden. She just planted, and laid mulch around everything. She hadn't watered or hoed or dug the garden in 14 years. So, I am trying it out to an extent. I really like the idea of not having to water.... that would be a huge pressure relief in itself for the summer. Really, water is my biggest worry. Besides the slugs. I've got about 8 or so beds planted, and put hay and mulch around everything. Should keep everything toasty warm, and moist for the summer. I'll let you know how it goes!