Transplanting is Transformational

The Micro Farm is a “buzz” with activity.

Pollinators are enjoying the black raspberry flowers

The strawberry patch is also producing lovely berries this year.  Such a nice crop mean I need to protect the ripe berries from animals nibbling.

The strawberries protected

I use a bird netting purchased at a local nursery.  It keeps most of the critters from eating the ripe fruit.

I spent a good deal of the week transplanting seedlings.  One evening while working on the Micro Farm.  I noticed small movements near my neighbor’s shed.  Sure enough two small rabbits.  I knew I needed to do something to protect my tender and young plants.  Fencing is what I needed, but I wanted to avoid the traditional woven metal fence.  A local home store had landscaping timbers on sale, decision made.

New “fencing”

Hopefully this will keep the rabbits out.  We will have to wait and see.

I transplanted tomatoes, peppers, celery, cabbage, and cauliflower.

Cabbage transplants

Cauliflower transplant

Tomato transplants

I also planted five pounds of seed potatoes, another 75 onion sets, beets, edamame,  popcorn, and carrots.

Growing greens has been a failure so far this season.  So I am tried putting some seed in six-packs to determine the quality of the seed.  The seed produced well.  I In another week I will put them into the ground.

Lettuce seedlings

As the rain falls tonight.  I am excited to see how the young plants spring to life over the next week.

Enjoy this season, learn from last season, and look forward to next season.

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Tred Here, Not There

In the original garden the planting beds have not been walked on in over two years. Preventing soil compression is significant to my gardening method.    Last week I harvested the garlic.  I pulled it easily from the loose soil.  Then I  washed off the soil, and now the garlic is drying in my garage.

Garlic drying

The heads were larger last year.  Regardless, I am pleased with the harvest.  I was late in planting and cutting off the scapes.  All in all a good year.  The garlic is drying on a large window screen to allow air to flow.  When the out layers feel papery, about two weeks, I will cut off the tops and bottoms and store them in our dark cellar.

After my garlic soil I let the growing beds rest for a week.  I was preparing the garlic beds for a second crop.  Accidentally I stepped in one of the growing beds.  I was amazed at how far my foot went into the soil.

The planting bed I accidently stepped in

The soil looks, and feels, in good shape.  I was able to plant bunching onions, kohlrobi, cauliflower, and cabbage today.  I know it is a bit late, but hopefully I can use enough season extension devices to make get everything to harvest.

Currently, I am harvesting cucumbers everyday.  So far from two plants I have over 35 cucumbers with many more to come.

Enough cucumbers to start a batch of pickles

I have tried growing sunflowers three or four years.  Each year a chipmunk eats the tender seedling.  I finally gave up.

Volunteer sunflower

This year in a corner of the garden this lovely sunflower has bloomed. This afternoon while taking a closer look at it I could see several bees floating around. This variety has several blooms.  This lovely surprise is welcome at the Micro-farm.

A view from above – Click to enlarge

This afternoon I climbed up a ladder to see if I could get a good picture of the Micro-farm.  I was hoping to capture the color and feeling of the Micro-farm.  I think the picture is close.  What does the picture evoke in you?

Enjoy this season, learn from last season, and look forward to next season.