Highlights: The longer days, the weather, and available free time continue to dictate our daily schedule and routine. We are now at a high point of activity outside, caring for the vast estate known as Serendipity Farmhouse. There is much demand for physical labor and very little time for writing posts. In addition to our first harvest from Vegetable Garden #1, here’s a sample of what we’ve been doing.
First Harvest: Industrious Spouse planted six curly kale plants on April 1st. By the 28th, the kale had grown to the point that we could harvest enough for a salad to go with our evening repast. The plants are thriving and will contribute to many more fresh salads this Spring.
More Plantings: The danger of frost is nearly gone and this is the time when beautiful Wife goes into high gear purchasing plants, starting seeds, and planting, planting, planting. Go to our SFH 2019 Plantings page here to see a listing of what she has done to date.
Vegetable Garden #2: We have decided to start a second vegetable garden (Vegetable Garden #2). When finished it will contain two twin, raised boxes, requiring a total of 28 cubic feet of soil. It will be surrounded by 76 feet of four foot high fencing. This new garden will be almost exclusively dedicated to growing tomatoes. With the exception of 14 cubic feet of soil, we have all the materials and construction is well underway.
Manure: If you want your vegetables to be good for you, you have to do good things for them. In addition to giving them a suitable place to live and grow, you need to feed them nourishing food. That is why we were elated when the owner of Reality Farm sent us an email offering us a huge supply of fine cow manure. I suppose you wouldn’t really want to me go into great detail about the virtues of high-grade manure. But, please allow me the opportunity to show you some pictures.
Compost Bins: Vegetables require a well-rounded, healthy diet. While fresh cow manure is a welcome treat for our veggies, we need to supplement the manure with other natural nutrients that can be found in good compost. Although we have two compost bins made out of pallets, we haven’t really done a great job of following through with proper execution. This year, I have cleaned out the bins and added chicken wire to hold the contents together inside the bins. Eventually, I will add doors to keep varmints and critters out. It’s a work in progress and we have to do some study on technique in order to get it right.
SFH WX Station Report: We’ve had rain, temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s, and sunshine – a relatively good Spring weather mixture. So far, the gardens are responding well. Below you will see a summary of conditions for the month of April.
