Will tilled the old pig pen with our Troy-Bilt and we planted our open pollinated Seneca Sunrise sweet corn, which Will has bred from hybrid to open-pollinated, and several rows of Howden pumpkin. The pen should be very fertile due to all the pig manure and urine and all of the grass roots on the near end have been dug up and eaten by our piggies. Will used our push-type Earthway seeder and I used a hoe to make “hills” for the pumpkins. It was a big patch but we got it done.
Today, we started the BIG job — planting corn, pumpkins, and squash in the three acre patch that Will worked up on the new forty. When you stand on one end of that patch, it’s a LONG way to the other end!
I planted two rows of squash and pumpkins, then Will hit the next patch with the Earthway, planting more Seneca Sunrise, some Smoke Signals popcorn from Seed Savers Exchange, some extra early field corn, and Painted Mountain corn. This big patch is our experimental patch, so we don’t care if anything crosses. And it’s half a mile from our other corns and squash; our wind blows mostly from the west so we figure it should remain pure. The corn, squash, and pumpkins will be used for people and stock feed (if they grow!). And we’ll eat them and harvest seeds from the ones in our garden and isolation patches nearer home. Luckily, most crops you harvest seeds from, you can also use to eat. What a win-win situation!
I’m also putting one row of Dakota Pearl potatoes in the new patch as I have the seed potatoes and just want to see how it works. It’s sort of like pioneer planting only the soil is worked up much better and we did get manure on it last fall. We’ll see what happens.
Our lilacs are in full bloom right now and, wow, do they smell great all over the homestead. We have five different kinds, each different from the others. One of our favorites is Beauty of Moscow, a Russian old-time double white with pink bloom. The blooms are pointed, giving the blossoms a lacy look. But it also has less fragrance than the others. Oh well, we sure aren’t lacking for lilac fragrance! — Jackie
Sheryl,
I wish I could send you a good sniff. Sorry.
Beth,
The pigs ate the roots of grass and all of the weeds for two years. If we do get some, we’ll till between the rows. In the big patch, we’ll use my oldest son, Bill’s three point tractor mounted cultivator and hope Will got the rows straight!
The lilac looks so lovely. When I lived in Ohio we had them all over and they are so fragrant. Here in SE Virginia they are very hard to grow as they need more chill hours than we usually get. Please send me a sniff !
What are you guys doing for weed control in these big corn patches?? Or will the pig pen area be more weed free cause they were there? Hated to hear about the corn planter! We have the same situation here… small farms sold off that small equipment and now we don’t have the ability to plant or harvest unless it is by hand.
Jackie your piggy pen looks great and I bet it will be very productive, Lilacs, oh how I wish they would grow here, but I swear I can smell yours! I don’t know how you two can keep up with everything, it’s truly awe inspiring !
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