We’ve been haying for a week straight; only two more fields to go and the hay loft is stuffed
Tuesday, August 28th, 2012It’s been sunny and hot. Perfect haying weather … although it was hot when I was on the tractor, baling yesterday and the temp hit 92 degrees.
I’ve also been trying to put up beans and sweet corn — they’re really producing. Thankfully, the heat has slowed down our tomato ripening, although we sure have tons. I’m especially happy with some heirloom Italian beefsteak-type tomatoes we planted this year. There are a lot of them and they are huge! (Photos next blog) We’re also happy with the Fortex and Lazy Housewife beans I planted this spring. They are very long and can up very nicely.
A lot of folks have been asking if we plant our corn/beans/squash in the Three Sisters method where you plant corn then plant pole beans at the base of the corn plants and squash in the corn rows. It’s the ancient Native American method of planting to get more food from a smaller plot. (If you’ve ever worked ground using a planting stick instead of a rototiller, you sure know why that is!)
Unfortunately, this doesn’t work well for us modern homesteaders. We like our pole beans green for snap beans. We like our fresh sweet corn on the cob. And the squash runs all through the corn patch, leaving it inaccessible for picking with huge squash vines twined across rows and all through the corn. I didn’t plant squash in the corn patch, but it’s found its way in there. I went to pick some corn for dinner and couldn’t walk down the rows! I sure hate to break squash vines by stepping on them. But I’ll have to get at that corn to can it up this week. We’ve got a huge amount of nice, fat corn ears just waiting for me to pick. Guess what I’m doing today?
August 28th, 2012
Your corn is great! A lot better than around here where it is brown and dead. What kind of sweet corn is that?
August 28th, 2012
Jackie, Are you saying that squash needs shade?
August 28th, 2012
Absolutely gorgeous!!! Lovely. lush green things. Congrats on the hay. Wishing you strength, endurance and good weather for these next busy weeks! Blessings.
September 4th, 2012
Cindy,
The corn we grew last year and this year is Seneca Horizon, but it’s no longer available, and it’s a hybrid. Boo hoo another one bites the dust. Every year we lose hundreds of good varieties, both hybrid and open pollinated. What a shame.
Jackie
September 4th, 2012
Jon,
No, squash doesn’t need shade, but it sure likes to run wild!
Jackie