Harvesting Onions

Posted on July 10, 2010 by itfarmer
4 Varieties of Onions

4 Varieties of Onions

Many things in the garden are still new to me, such as when to harvest onions. I did a search on the internet, and found out that any time is the right time to pick them. The key to a good long lasting onion is how you harvest it. Here is a very good explaination from the National Gardening Association. The basic idea is to allow the bulb time to “cure” so that it will not rot in storage. Above you can see four types of onions I’ve started this year. Some are doing better then others, and I suspect the placement of manure is the reason. I’ve placed a brick into the picture area to show size.

Before and After

Before and After

After reading the tutorial, I pulled one onion, and let it sit in the sun for a day. On the left of the photo above, is the first onion set out, and the right onion was freshly picked. Notice the changes to the roots ? In the left, they have started to wilter and dry, whereas on the right they are still healthy. This is an important step, and I really recommend visiting the Garden.org site mentioned above. Last year, I had not known about this process, and all of my onions were rotten before Christmas.

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Checking on the Tomato Patch

Posted on July 9, 2010 by itfarmer
Me and the Little Gardener

Me and the Little Gardener

Here’s me and my little gardening helper. We were checking out the size of the Yellow Brandywine Tomatoes, which are almost taller then my nephew. The heat has been quite warm lately, hence me and the little guy figured we’d show off our Muscles. He’s quite a strong kid !

Yellow Stuffers

Yellow Stuffers

The Yellow Stuffer Tomatoes are doing very well. This particular plant was placed in the ground on May 24th. These tomatoes are growing a hollow portion in each of the lobes, much like peppers are hollow. Many recipes which use this variety recommend stuffing the hollow cavity with meats, cheeses and other veggies. I can’t wait to try it out.

Amish Paste

Amish Paste

The Amish paste tomatoes are setting some very healthy sized paste tomatoes. When I ordered the seeds, I expected this plant to grow tomatoes about twice the thickness of my thumb, and here this green sample is more then four times my thumb. My Amish neighbors always seem to look at me odd when I tell them I’m growing tomatoes named after their devotion. Maybe I can talk them into growing them in the future, and judging by the size that shouldn’t be a hard task.

Red Alert - Determinate

Red Alert - Determinate

Finally here is my new early summer favorite, Red Alert. This is the only type of Tomato in my garden of the Determinate variety. Determinate tomatoes will set fruit once, and then be done for the season. Indeterminate will set fruit and continue to do so until the frost kills them. I am quite happy with the speed at which these tomatoes are growing and rippening. They are plum sized, but will do wonders for my salads from here on, holding me over till the flood of other types kicks in.

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“Opportunity Salad”

Posted on July 9, 2010 by itfarmer
Ingredients

Ingredients

I’ve been known to throw all kinds of ingredients into a salad, which is where I got the name from. It’s called an “Opportunity Salad” because that’s what is available from the garden. No trips to the store needed, just use what you’ve got growing. This particular salad contains the following:

Endive
Swiss Chard
Lettuce
White Onion (Small)
Boston Pickling Cucumber
Unripe Chablis Pepper (Hence the lack of color)
Two Hard Boiled Eggs
Farmers Cheese
Chilli Beans

Finished Salad

Finished Salad

The idea of this salad is to get as much protein and vitamins as possible.  I should note, this was a particularly flavorful salad. You may want to try it without the beans and hard boiled eggs first…

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First Melons

Posted on July 7, 2010 by itfarmer
First Melons

First Melons

Melons are something I didn’t think I was very good at growing, as last years melons never got bigger then the one in the photo above. This year, I’ve changed three things: Manure, Water and Weed Cover. These changes have caused the plants to grow much more rapidly, and set fruit far earlier then last year. We used black weed cover, which helps prevent weeds, but also heats the soil up. I’ve also made it a point to water huge swaths of the garden daily due to the high tempuratures. I usually get started around 7:30 and finish up well after 10. 

Composted Rabbit Manure

Composted Rabbit Manure

I’ve been adding composted Rabbit Manure to the last portion of the garden, where we’ve planted winter squashes. The plants in this area were all started from seed, after everything else was planted, and they were a bit slow starting. I’m hoping to encourage them to grow faster with some good old black dirt. This manure has been cooking for about 6 months, and I had to wheel it by hand from the other side of the valley where it was piled up. So far the plants have responded quite well.

Weeding Helpers

Weeding Helpers

For the most part, I spend a good amount of time in the garden alone weeding, watering, and turning the soil, but every few days I get a whole bunch of helpers at once. Many hands makes short work for sure ! When I get all of these helpers weeding at once, I can relax easy at the end, knowing we’ve put forth a huge effort in the war on weeds. The garden has very few weeds this year. I should find some pictures of last years garden… I was a bit lazier then…

Unkown Tomato Pest

Unkown Tomato Pest

I’ve had a few tomatoes affected by some sort of affliction. I’m not sure what this pest is, but I’m fairly confident it is not Late Blight, as the whole tomato patch would surely be in ruins if it were. I’ve ripped out three plants, all of the same variety that showed damage. I’m not taking any chances this year, after loosing several hundred plants last year. If you can identify this affliction, please leave a comment with it’s name.

The rest of the tomatoes are doing great. I have Not been watering them, since I do not want to foster the conditions for blight. The tomatoes seems to be getting enought water though, as their leaves show no signs of need. If they begin to look wilted, I’ll definately give them a sprinkle.

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“Micro Twister”

Posted on July 6, 2010 by itfarmer
Micro Twister

Micro Twister

It’s official, I think I’ve seen everything now…

The day started like any other, hot, and dry. I was in the greenhouse cutting some hose for a different project when I heard a huge gust of wind, and felt the structure move a bit. I have been in there during lightning storms, so I really didn’t give it much thought. I was actually happy to hear the wind, as that is usually a sign of rain. I went into the house only to notice papers scattered everywhere, and a lamp knocked over. I then began to feel the wind again, and it was a bit disorienting. I rushed out to the porch, wondering if I would need to find cover. When I stepped out, I noticed one of the largest trees in my yard get literally beaten and thrashed by wind like nothing I had seen before. It was almost as if nature was out to break this tree apart. I also noticed the still air everywhere else. I ran to get my camera, and got it just in time to capture this twisting air carring dust up off the drive way.

When it dissipated, I got curious, and began looking for other signs of it’s passing.

Micro Twister Damage

Micro Twister Damage

When I got to the tomato patch, I noticed about ten plants knocked over, and beaten up a bit. The plants should grow back and be fine, I’m just amazed some times thought; of all the possible reasons to have trouble growing in the garden, I just never thought a twister would damage these plants. I’ve worried about bugs, blights, rusts, watering and minerals and here wind is what’s setting these plants back.

Once again, Hazel was knocked over…

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Urey and Ada’s Garden

Posted on July 5, 2010 by itfarmer
Urey and Ada's Garden

Urey and Ada's Garden

This morning while getting some water out of the fridge, I noticed once again the vast amount of eggs piling up. I decided I would give them to my neighbors Urey and Ada, as they are always nice to me. When I got there, I couldn’t help but ask to take some pictures of their garden. The family is of the Amish devotion, so you will not see pictures of any of them, but they didn’t mind me taking a couple shots of their hard work.

Compost Pile on Wheels

Compost Pile on Wheels

One of my favorite shots was this compost pile on wheels. Lately I’ve been using my wheel barrel to haul compost nearly 400 feet across the farm to add it to my garden, so I can totally appreciate this amazing idea. When it’s ready to be spread, they hitch up a horse and pull it through the garden. This method would save me a ton of work !

Broccoli and Beans

Broccoli and Beans

Ada planted broccoli this year, something I was planning on doing, but I guess that got lost in the hurried shuffle. You can see a few bite marks from the same type of pest that has been eating my Mexican Husk Tomatillo’s. It could even be the same animal, as our gardens are only a few hundred feet apart. This pest only eats what it likes, and leaves everything else alone, so I guess I shouldn’t complain. It’s better then having a goat walk through…

Cultivator and Watermelons

Cultivator and Watermelons

Here is a cultivator that they use to turn their soil. They tell me it’s much easier to use then turning the soil by hand. I am in total agreement, as I’ve turned the soil where the onions are planted in my garden by hand. It’s brutal work, and keeps you sore for days. This neat tool is easy on a horse, and does a great job mixing the dirt.

Potato Plants

Potato Plants

Before leaving, Ada showed me a potato growing method which she is trying this year. They take just the small eye from a potato and plant it. Most sources suggest planting potatoes in 2 inch chunks, so this is an experiment for them.  If it works well, they will continue this practice in the future.

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Turning Problems Into Solutions

Posted on July 4, 2010 by itfarmer
Rocks From The Garden

Rocks From The Garden

My garden used to be a field, and when I moved in, I mowed it, and treated it like a back yard. I don’t think it was ever used to grow crops, but it may have been horse or cow pasture. The problem with turning a field into a garden is simple: Rocks, and lots of em. There are so many rocks that Davie took a few days to build me a rock rake to pull behind my small Case tractor. This helped collect them into neat piles, but what on earth do you do with piles of rocks ? You build walkways of course.

Making a Walkway

Making a Walkway

I’ve laid down a base of larger rocks, and then covered them with small gravel. Then, I simply sprayed it all with a hose to cause the smaller rocks to settle in the cracks of the larger ones. This keeps the rocks from moving around when your walking.

Garlic Bed

Garlic Bed

I am also using the rocks as a weed suppressant, since the area between the back of my house and the greenhouse is totally out of control. I figure I’ll leave a few small areas for flowers to grow up through the rocks, such as the garlic bed above.

I now have a new problem: I’m almost out of rock piles in the garden, so I guess I’ll have to dig a little deeper to find more, as the landscaping is only about a third of the way to completion.

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Happy 4th of July !

Posted on July 4, 2010 by itfarmer
The Garden as of this Morning

The Garden as of this Morning

Here’s a picture of the majority of the garden. I’ve left out the lettuce patch as the rabbits and the weeds have decimated it. It’s not all bad though, that was the part of the garden I’ve put the least amount of work into, and also the cheapest to replace from the store.

San Marzano Three Leaf Seedling

San Marzano Three Leaf Seedling

I wanted to leave a note about that three starter leaf seedling I noticed in the greenhouse weeks ago. At the time, I was unsure if it was a stray flower seed, which would explain the third leaf. It turns out this is a tomato, and it has set small fruits before all of the other San Marzano plants. It could be explained by better soil conditions, so I will have to keep experimenting with the seeds this plant sets.

Watering the Cucurbits

Watering the Cucurbits

I also wanted to note for future reference that I’ve been watering the cucurbits (Watermelon, Cucumbers, Muskmelon, Cantaloupe) daily just as the sun  folds behind the trees. This keeps the sun from burning the leaves, but also allows me to finish up earlier.

Finally, farmers always say “Corn should be knee-high by the fourth of July”, and this year, it is.

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Plants That are New To My Garden

Posted on July 2, 2010 by itfarmer
Detroit Red Beets

Detroit Red Beets

In the past when I planted beets, they never did too well. It may be because I never weeded past gardens nearly as well as this one.

Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is something I’ve only heard about in the past. I haven’t tried to eat it yet. A quick google search has informed me that the leaves of  this plant are the portion that should be eaten. I had no idea. The small plant in the bottom right is pig weed, a nastily invasive garden weed. Of all the weeds I’ve ripped out, I would image 9 out of 10 were pig weed.

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi I have tried in the past, and although I didn’t really enjoy it as I do tomatoes or strawberries, it wasn’t offensive to my taste buds. I imagine if I find the right way to cook it, it should taste fairly good. It is an odd plant to see fully grown, with a large ball at the base, and leaves poking out like a vegetable from another planet.

Okra, Clemson Spineless

Okra, Clemson Spineless

Okra is a wild card of newness to me. I’m not sure if it will even grow to fruition, as it’s a generally a southern crop.

All in all, I’m on pursuit of new crops with new tastes. In the past, I’ve grown Chinese Red Lightning Tomatoes, Mexican Husk Tomatillos, and even odd cucumber from Asia similar to Dosakai. If you have a suggestion for other new crops which may grow in the area, please let me know.

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The Late Overfill Garden

Posted on July 1, 2010 by itfarmer
Corn

Corn

This spring, I’ve met a new friend, who hasn’t done much gardening in the past, but was quite interested in trying it out. There was some nice dirt next to the barn, and the previous gardener decided not to plant anything this year. I had some extra seeds left over from my garden, so Becky and I worked away in the soil for a few hours. We planted these crops later than the ideal timing of Memorial Day, but I think this soil will help them grow to fruition quicker then most. You see, it’s all horse manure, composed for years next the the barn. Last year, George decided to spread it out and his friend planted it. It was still a bit too “hot” then, but this year it seems to be ready to grow plants quickly.

Cucumbers / Melons

Cucumbers / Melons

This winter while planning the garden, I decided to place an order for a half an ounce of Cucumber seeds. The price was right, and I had no idea how many seeds this would be, but I knew I would need many more then the tiny packs they sell in most places. When the seeds arrived, my niece counted them for me, and there were about a thousand seeds. There are about five rows in the photo above.

Pumpkins

Pumpkins

Here are some melons in the foreground, and pumpkins in the back. Notice the hill in the far background. I love how this hill blots out the rest of the world, and makes the valley almost seem like my own little world. Don’t get me wrong, I like people, however, everyone needs an escape sometimes.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers

I also saved a bunch of Sunflower seeds from two plants which grew along my walkway last year. I had planted a bunch in my garden, but there are no where to be found. I’m quite happy that I suggested planting them here as well. There are several rows of this short-for-the-season plants, but they are picking up momentum each and every time it rains.

My Garden from Across the Valley

My Garden from Across the Valley

Finally, I just had to get a shot of my whole garden, as seen from across the valley. The top half has only Tomatoes and Corn, and the bottom half is where we’ve planted everything else.  The corn starts right around where the greenhouse is shown in this photo.  I love how the rows look so planned, and well taken care of. On a personal note, from all of the weeding and general work, I’ve found that six pack of abs I lost so long ago. = )

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