Hi Folks…
Yeah, yeah, I know – this isn’t monthly, but so much is happening right now that I needed to just blast out an update.
There are about three big events that all are going on right now (this week): Setting out the plants for green season, bed prep for March planting (Potatoes, you know who you are), and work on the Vole Attack Plan. All of this is a consequence of the End Of Cold (YAY!!!!)
The forecast for the next 10 days has the highs in the mid to upper 50’s – there is this interesting concept call Growth Degree Hours (GDH) which has a “sweet spot” for cool season and warm season crops, broadly speaking. The end of February seems to be pushing the number of daylight hours to the good while at the same time temperatures cross the magic GDH level of 47F for the cool season crops. The blue circle of death has zero GDH. The red circle of happiness has them – and can actually be observed in the Kale, for example, which is one extremely hardy veggie.
The GDH ‘breakthrough’ allows these cold-hardy greens to be set out. Brassica, Lettuces, Spinach, Chard all rock that cool Spring, with happy dances and steady growth. If. The Voles and Mice and Birds can be kept under control. The new and improved “Integrated Pest Management Plan” A.K.A. Farmer attack program is having early success – the population drop is getting to be pretty steady from those efforts that actually have a measurable result (snap traps) but also from fewer active runs. Castor Oil, VoleX, Snap Traps, habitat removal…
The next step, of course, is bed prep. This is right at the 6-8 week window before when the chances of a hard frost drop dramatically – when things need to be set out. SO… is the soil in the NE and SE high ground (warm and dry) workable? Those are spots where the spade test was applied with postive results. There are two ways to prep: Plow or Spade. Rototilling does bad things with the rhizome weeds that are highly invasive – plowing or spading turn the Rhizomes up where they dry out. The NE and SE beds will be getting individual plants like brassica or lettuce and then planted through paper mulch to keep the weeds at bay…
These onions will need a nice safe place in a raised bed where the Rhizomes have been removed as far a possible. The current scheme has bunch onions planted every four weeks, bulb onions get a major planting Real Soon Now, and chives, which also will be in a protected bed because the grass loves to infiltrate.
These two bags are worth noting along the way. Historically, our turnips and radishes in particular have been prey to cabbage fly larva. There was a test last fall of using diatomaceous earth to ruin the fly larva’s whole day – which proved successful. Enter a formal larva bag of death. The potting soil is used for most things, and has been proven to be a good go too for that. The Next Big Thing will be a genuine compost system, soon to get underway. Probably. Oh. And the world’s slowest ever germinating plant is carrots – but they are up. Finally. After 3 weeks.
Onward to the Equinox!
