Looking a tad paramilitary, brothers I met at the market (they’re studying at the nearby environmental/forestry college) pitch in to clean out the greenhouse and loosen up the soil. The space, used for seedlings in spring and early summer, tends to fill up with odds and ends, and weeds, as the season progresses. Last spring, I tried growing early lettuce in here to get a jump on the weather. This year, an even earlier start is planned. Getting the place sorted and ready to go ahead of sked is great. On the tiny farm, nothing could be better for fieldwork than plentiful, like-minded labor. Especially, volunteers!
Fieldwork
Still alive? Not quite well
Rosemary, potted in the Autumn from the herb beds, has taken a bit of beating and probably not survived. It’s weathered several intensely cold nights already, out here in the unheated greenhouse, and I kinda wanted to see if they could make it through the winter. What a difference last night made, not colder than any others, it’s probably the night after night that got ’em. Well, inside they go to see if there’ll be any miraculous recoveries.
Starting over…
Cloudy, wet and cold, here we are right at the end of the season. The summer and daily farm blogging didn’t quite work together this year…it’s time for take two, starting over. This is when the new year begins, with field clean-up, and, of course, planting garlic.
To the greenhouse
Tomato, eggplant and pepper seedlings heading out from the Milkhouse (seedling room) to the unheated hoophouse for some real sunlight and a taste of the harsher field conditions, before transplant time in a couple of weeks. The small riding mower does double duty, mowing the paths and ferrying around seedlings, tools, harvests.
Compost tea
Here’s something easy that could come as a kit: a compost tea maker. One 55-gallon barrel, one strong, porous bag (this one’s a woven plastic grain sack) full of compost, some heavy twine, a strong stick, and water. Tie the sack to the stick, place the stick across the top of the barrel so that the sack is suspended, and add water. In a couple of days, a natural, healthy snack for selected seedlings. Apply by watering can.
Sprinklers in action
Two sprinklers in action. Morning and evening are usually good for watering: less wind, less evaporation… Still, sprinklers (a necessary evil at this point) are hardly efficient.
Rototilling
Tilling in compost with the trusty Kubota compact tractor. Frequent tilling eventually pounds the soil to dust, and driving the tractor over the garden beds compacts the soil, neither of which are good when taken to extremes. Most things in moderation are just fine (except, of course, SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS on the organic farm), and the tractor saves a ton of time.