Planting, planting, planting … between the rains

We’ve been getting very little sunshine between the rains. When it’s nice, we’ve been planting like crazy. So far we’ve got in tons of different corns in various isolation gardens around the 120 acres, lots of beans from all over the world from Maine to China! We also have 107 tomatoes, including 68 varieties, this year. I also got 11 hills of Atlantic Giant pumpkins planted yesterday. We planted all of this just before the rain hit this morning. It looks like it will continue for a couple of days.

tomatoes_0271

Inside, we’ve started several pumpkins, squash and long-season beans to set out when the weather is warmed up for good. And on these rainy days, we keep busy inside. Will is painting polyurethane on the home-sawn oak planks that will be the mantel shelves behind our wood stove. So far they look great! What a wonderful addition they’ll make.

Mantel_0279

For those of you who are wondering how Sir, our wonder goat kid, is doing, he’s growing like a weed! He’s still very friendly and follows me all over the pasture when I go out to check the electric wires on the fence.

Sir_Aunt_0274
— Jackie

4 COMMENTS

  1. Sheryl,

    Homesteading is never “easy”! It seems that every year there are different challenges. At least ours aren’t health this year (so far!). We’re even supposed to get “scattered frost” tomorrow night. Bummer…with us with 107 tomato plants out of Wall’O Waters. We’ll have to cover them with tipis of hay. Luckily nothing else is up yet….

  2. Deb,

    No, I don’t use a ladder. What I do is turn the sprayer nozzle to stream and use that for high branches. Lately, though, I can’t keep up the Surround as we’ve been having rain every day and that washes it off.

  3. I agree with Deb. It has been an interesting ride so far this spring. I lost my cherries again this year due to tons of fruit drop when still little and then the rest rotted on the tree. Much of it is too hight to spray if I even knew what to spray. I also lost 2 apple trees to fire blight. I think the humidity here in SE Virginia requires strong fire blight resistant varieties which I did not know when I put them in. Basil, kale, cukes, and peppers seem to be fine and I have a few peaches on a young tree. Now, if I can just beat the raccoons to them! How is everyone else doing? Sheryl

  4. I think the past few weeks have been a blur for all of us as we try to get seeds
    and plants into the ground. Everything else is on hold. Weeds have taken over, meals have been easier, the house has gone without cleaning as we all try to fill our gardens. Then the rains come and slugs become an issue. I am already dealing with flea beetles. Germination has been poor on several crops including cucumbers, melons and carrots. I wish I knew how to just plant once. Then a lot of us have had heat waves right around 90 which is early and that means watering seeds twice. I have so much empathy for farmers and organic growers. There are so many challenges. Yet, when you see those little sprouts and the tomatoes start growing, the beans coming up, it is a great
    reward. I hope others will share their successes and failures. Your orchard is doing great, Jackie, and I must say I am jealous. Do you use a ladder to spray? I have a Solo sprayer and some of the branches are just too high for me to reach. May the sun shine brightly and the rain fall gently on everyone’s crops.

Comments are closed.