We’ve been having a lot of rain lately, with a few sunny days stuck between them, thank goodness. Will pounded 104 T-posts in the garden to stake up the tomatoes we have growing in there. Our big tomatoes would break off wooden stakes in the wind! Then he weeded and mulched them with our seed-free reed canary grass hay. Once mulched, they’ll need no more weeding.
Yesterday, he finished putting wire cages over most of the tomatoes but he had to start making more cages as we’re growing so many more tomatoes this year in the garden. The ones I planted on the new forty acres won’t be mulched or caged; it’s just too much work for us.
Today the sun’s out and Will’s busy making more cages and also side dressing our small household patch of corn in the garden with rotted manure. The corn sure jumps once that’s done and it already looks pretty good. On the end of the sweet corn is a small patch of Glass Gem popcorn.
Unfortunately the chickens got in the garden (we do have a few “wild” escapees) and scratched around in that patch. And ate some corn. But they are ousted from the garden and most of it has come up anyway.
The pumpkin patch/corn patch is doing well as is the pig-pasture corn and pumpkins. So we’ll pray for warm sunshine and alternate days of rain to keep it going. Lookin’ good so far… — Jackie
Will, I may be able to save you some work and some money. Our garden is set up with 25′ raised beds. Last year grew the tomatoes with four 8′ t-posts per bed, with 4′ field fence securely attached, even with the top of the posts. This year went down to three 8′ t-posts per bed, with 8 tomatoes/3′ spacing, per bed…since we went from three beds of tomatoes to eight. Those t-posts are expensive and even at 5’10”, I am not tall enough to pound in the 8′ posts. Thank heavens hubby is 6’4″! We put the tomatoes on the west side of the fencing, so the prevailing winds blow the plants onto the fencing. Put a short piece of sapling next to each tomato to support it till it reaches the fencing, then tie the plant on the fencing at first. Then as it grows, just weave it through the fencing for support. Makes it so nice and easy to remove suckers and pick, provides good air circulation and allows sun to reach all parts of the plants. And later in the season, you can throw plastic over the top of the fencing and make tents to protect from those pesky early frosts so prevalent here in the north. You might lose the tops where the plastic touches the plants, but can save most to extend the harvest.
Loved the updates on what’s happening at your place. Glad things are going well!
I don’t know if you are still writing how-to books, but something of interest to me is how you have raised the pastured pigs, etc. Old timers around here say that when pigs were raised in the woods they had a superior flavor.
The mulched tomato patch looks awesome! Seed free hay, wow! Any real homesteader can truly relate to the amount of hard work that comes with the lifestyle, but usually the rewards are worth it. This is a banner year for weeds and all the rain has boosted their growth. Love your pic’s that you share and wish you luck with all your gardens. Also tell Will that we ate our first “Mule Train” tomato’s this week and they were Great!!
You will have sooooo many tomatoes! Could you sell the surplus at a farmers market or some such place. That would be a nice source of income from all your hard work!
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