Various Onion Sets
I started the weekend with plans to plant some Onion Sets, and so Friday, I was wondering where I could get some Sets. (If your new to gardening, Onion Sets should be thought of as Onion Seeds. You could grow onions from seed, but I’ve found it easier to buy sets.) I was thinking about the sets I planted last year, and decided I would find somewhere else to purchase them this year. Luckily, I was in Lucinda a few weeks ago, and remembered a sign that advertised Onion Sets. The sign turned out to be at Landers General Store. The store has a friendly atmosphere, and a long forgotten charm. I found just what I was looking for: a Healthy, and Diverse selections of Sets. That turned out to be the easy part.
I began turning the soil by hand with a shovel. I would dig down about 8 inches, and till the soil that way generations of farmers have: by hand. You see, I have a rototiller guy lined up to till the soil, but he is not scheduled to come for a few weeks. I made beds about 50 feet long and 2 feet wide. I dug three beds over the weekend, and was quite sore from my work.
Making Holes for the Sets
After me and the kids broke the soil up and made it loose, it was time to make holes for the Onions. At first we were using sticks to make small holes, but I soon noticed the lazy part of my brain thinking about an easier way to get this done. I found some old PVC pipe, about 3/4 inch, and glued some pieces together to make this crude hole puncher. It worked really well, and made the process much faster.
The view from the Garden
While taking one of my many breaks, I snapped this picture of the farm. Half of the fun of gardening is being outside, and enjoying the weather, and the view. I love the location of my home and garden. Trees wrap nearly the entire perimeter of the farm, and the hills holding the valley can block out the entire world. With so many issues facing our nation and world, it is always nice to unplug, unwind, and be free, if only for the weekend.
Working the soil by hand
It was a beautiful weekend, and I actually had fun doing so much work. The kids where a huge help with smashing the soil up, and a great distraction here and there. The work is not yet done, as there are still 6 Lbs of Stuttgarter onions to be planted, but that’s for another row, on another day. Thanks Kids !
