2010 Season has begun!

Hi Folks,

Last season we had a huge harvest from the garden, but the weeds got away from us and made the garden look ugly. We also ran out of time and energy getting things planted on time while doing other homesteading things, as well.

We are beginning the season earlier this year, and we have corrected the things that caused problems with seed germination in our first season here, last Spring. We won't be late planting some things out this year! We also have adult son and daughter working along side us this year.

We planted 4 flats yesterday of cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower, along with the tomatoes and some of the peppers. We will finish planting today with a few more flats.

The tom and pepper flats are upstairs on a heat mat where they will be quite warm, and the cole crops are in the basement on heat mats at about 7o degrees.

I am using Black Gold CoCo Blend and Fox farm Seedling Mix for planting this year, after using the awful bagged soil locally available. The cost of the better potting soil is well worth it in my book.

More to come! Come back to visit during the year!

Severe Storms

Yesterday we had bad storms here. I wanted the rain, but not destruction. We got pounded by heavy rain for a long time. Our garden survived okay, and it got the water it was desperate for. To our west, in West Union they got hit by 70+mph winds, plus hail that was baseball or tennis ball in size, about 4" diameter. We drove there for lunch today and took pics of the damage. Many trees were downed or damaged with limbs ripped off. And this house was badly damaged, too. We saw metal roofs ripped loose on outbuildings, and even the ditch weeds were laying flat, all pounded down.

Sunflowers and Walla Walla onions

Here are more photos! I planted several kinds of sunflowers around the garden perimeter, these are for the birds, the giant ones aren't blooming yet. And look at the peppers around the lettuce!

Here are the Walla Walla onions, which we are now harvesting. I'm freezing them and we're canning carmelized onions, and any way we can think of.

July Progress photos #1

Here are the latest photos from the garden. The weeds and space have been overwhelming. We had to hire help to weed since our boy isn't here to help. I gave up getting the squash and melons in. Too late. We just aren't young in body any more, our minds want to do more than we really can because we remember being young and able.

Here are my petunias, growing in pots around the kitchen garden and hydro units.

More pictures of Garden

First, left, we have the rows of peas, Maestro, Laxton's #9, and Serge. Next we have the onions, a portion of them. And below is the new addition, space behind the barn. We will have pumpkins back there, and the raspberries, rhubarb and asparagus.

Yes, we have some weed problems, but we are dealing with them. We are mulching with hay, and hand weeding.

First Pics of New Garden

Memorial Day we spent tilling the garden space that was waiting for late crops. Now we are planting it. Got over 200 pepper plants put in yesterday. Got the sweet corn planted. The onions and leeks are doing great, as are the mixed lettuces.

2009 Season Begins!

Well, so much has happened since last Spring!

First off, we decided to move to rural NE Iowa. We found an old farmhouse we liked and that was it. It took all summer to move all the farm stuff and household goods, so we had no garden in 2008, other than donating our seedlings to our former community garden.

We got to Iowa by late July. I had been diagnosed with a serious medical problem and so the Fall was taken up with that, and with getting ready for Winter.

In November 2008 we got a huge space plowed up.

In Spring 2009 we enlarged it to half an acre, and had it manured and disked by a farmer neighbor. Then we rented a tiller for our tractor and went over it 4 times. We had the soil tested and added sulphur and nitrogen. The soil is very good here, great corn land, top-rated.

So far I have planted onions, garlic, and potatoes. Am trying to get the peas and carrots and beets in now. Will take pics today once the light improves.