Cardboard boxes were placed over a grassy plot and then a load of last year's manure was spread on the boxes and on top of that a layer of soil covered the manure. The seeds will be planted in the soil and eventually draw nutrients through the manure and down through the decayed cardboard, which has smothered the grass. That is the theory anyhow. Let's see it work!
I worked on the skid steer today. It is a real help around the farm, small enough to get into areas and do a little digging, and powerful enough to move a large bale of hay, which weighs close to 2000 pounds. I wish it had a bigger bucket though, because there is a ton of wasted hay from the sheep and goats this year that needs to be cleaned out of the pens. I have almost finished the adult ewe sheep pen, and only moved a little around in the goat pen and ram pen. The goats were put into another section with the gate closed so there were safe. But the aim of using the skid steer today was to ready the garden for planting. There are three garden areas, one behind my little farmhouse for short term crops, like lettuce, peas, and spinach, and the other for root crops and longer season vegetables. I have started the potatoes under a towel on the kitchen floor and they are wildly sprouting, just begging to be planted. I had poor luck with potatoes before. It will take a few years to improve the soil here, as it appears no vegetative matter was used. I suspect the folks previous to me also used herbicides because there were no dandelions or weeds in the lawn. It does take years to bread down in the soil.
The little plot behind the house is ready, now called the Farmhouse Garden and the large berm garden is almost ready. There is grass growing thickly in everything. I guess with the grass fields surrounding the houses, it does make sense that the seeds would come on the wind and root everywhere. Now, if only the planted seeds do as well.
One dilemma is how to keep the dogs out. The Farmhouse garden is fenced, though the chickens go through the fence and the bantams just fly over, so netting needs to be established. First I will get some bamboo poles and attach them to the fence posts then put the 7 foot high netting up and attach it with zip ties. For the Old Garden, I will stick the bamboo poles in the ground and attach the netting. No one around here sells bamboo poles. If I was more patient, I would go collect willow poles and I may still do that, but a quick drive to the Wal Mart at Cold Lake should help and I will also pick up some baskets there, since they are the least expensive. I did get two baskets with black petunias, my favourite this year, at Sobeys, which is an IGA store.
Once the netting fence is in place, hopefully tomorrow, the planting can begin. The seeds were ordered from an Alaskan seed grower and are no more than 90 day crops, most being heirloom varieties. I got some Medalta crocks the other day and the plan for them is fermented pickles: carrots, cauliflower, cucumber and radish. The carrot crop was terrible in the hard soil last year. Some amends have been made, so it hopefully will improve the crop. I love gardening. It is just finding the time to do so along with all the other projects on the farm, like painting the out buildings and lawn furniture, to name just one. But that is what a busy life looks like, the life I so chose and enjoy very much. Won't you join me?
The little plot behind the house is ready, now called the Farmhouse Garden and the large berm garden is almost ready. There is grass growing thickly in everything. I guess with the grass fields surrounding the houses, it does make sense that the seeds would come on the wind and root everywhere. Now, if only the planted seeds do as well.
One dilemma is how to keep the dogs out. The Farmhouse garden is fenced, though the chickens go through the fence and the bantams just fly over, so netting needs to be established. First I will get some bamboo poles and attach them to the fence posts then put the 7 foot high netting up and attach it with zip ties. For the Old Garden, I will stick the bamboo poles in the ground and attach the netting. No one around here sells bamboo poles. If I was more patient, I would go collect willow poles and I may still do that, but a quick drive to the Wal Mart at Cold Lake should help and I will also pick up some baskets there, since they are the least expensive. I did get two baskets with black petunias, my favourite this year, at Sobeys, which is an IGA store.
Once the netting fence is in place, hopefully tomorrow, the planting can begin. The seeds were ordered from an Alaskan seed grower and are no more than 90 day crops, most being heirloom varieties. I got some Medalta crocks the other day and the plan for them is fermented pickles: carrots, cauliflower, cucumber and radish. The carrot crop was terrible in the hard soil last year. Some amends have been made, so it hopefully will improve the crop. I love gardening. It is just finding the time to do so along with all the other projects on the farm, like painting the out buildings and lawn furniture, to name just one. But that is what a busy life looks like, the life I so chose and enjoy very much. Won't you join me?
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