Boy, we could sure use some rain! The upside of this dryness is that we’ve got all the gardens tilled up twice, with manure spread in between tillings. As Will and I do nearly all of the planting, and most by hand, we have to get an earlier start than we would like to. As the ten-day forecast shows no temperatures diving into the thirties and the daytime temperatures in the 70’s, we started planting today.
I had saved a bucket of Grandpa’s favorite red potatoes, Bliss Triumph, which are now very rare. Three years ago, we had special ordered them grown in Alaska. We’ve had good crops and, today, we planted a 100-foot row. Will goes ahead of me, making furrows with a little plow called a middle buster, which goes on the three-point hitch of the tractor. He makes furrows about eight inches deep, throwing dirt up on both sides. I follow with the seed potatoes, placing them about a foot apart. Then, he follows me, raking dirt from one side of the furrow, over the potatoes. When the plants are about a foot tall, we’ll hill them with the dirt from the other side. This makes more potatoes and discourages weeds.
I also planted a bucket of Dakota Pearl seed potatoes in the second row. God willing, we’ll have lots of potatoes this fall. When I got back to the house, I went in the greenhouse and picked out a flat of hot peppers to plant in the second hoop house. In the first hoop house, I planted our inside batch of sweet peppers, Early Red Bell, Ozark Sweet Snack, and Oda. I need to get them all planted. Then I can go in and water and mulch well as it looks like a drought is here!
Tomorrow, I’m going to till some more next to the potatoes and start planting beans. Where the potatoes take about eight days to come up, the beans only take about five. But, without rain, they will (hopefully) just sit there until we water. As I’ve said, it’s early and frost is possible yet. But with as much as we plant, I’ve got to get an early start because my darned knees don’t work as well as I’d like.
We had another baby calf born two days ago. Then the cows got through the fence and the mother hid her calf. Will and I looked and looked and couldn’t find it. Will thought maybe wolves had gotten it. Finally, the mother got out when he was hauling manure and started off toward the woods of the horse pasture. Will followed and then spotted the calf lying next to a tree in the woods. Mom and son are reunited and fenced well in the cow yard. Whew! — Jackie
I read in your last post about canning rhubarb and muttered, Why Didn’t I Think of That? I’ve got it in freezer from last year and more coming now. Although it probably wouldn’t work in recipes like Rhubarb Bread, it sure would for crisps, and would it also for pie?
Celery is barely hanging on, garlic has some that are turning yellow, cauliflower dying and several other different hills did not show up, but despite getting hail the garden is coming along. Potatoes, peas, onions, peppers, tomatoes, cukes, broccoli, pole beans, carrots, radish, dill, asparagus, rhubarb, flowers, and fruit on the trees are all making me smile. Going to be in the 80’s in middle Iowa this week.
Hang in there and remember that you have taught thousands of us how to make food for ourselves and others. Even if you only planted a tiny garden for yourselves, the knowledge you continue to share and the food it has produced, has spread exponentially. Food for thought as you rest your knees! I am grateful; thank you.
+ Amen, amen! Jackie and Will have blessed countless numbers of families, sharing their wisdom and experience, not only with this generation, but to pass on to our children and children’s children. Erin, you stated it perfectly.
Thank you, Nancy. Yes, it truly is generational, just as it was for Jackie.
Yes, you certainly can use canned rhubarb for pies. I usually drain off about half of the juice so the filling isn’t too soupy though. When I have time, I use my steam juicer to juice up a bunch, then after about a quart of juice comes, I can up the rest. That way it’s not so liquid. If you’ve never made rhubarb conserve (in my canning book), give it a try! It’s wonderful in tartlets, filled cookies, on ice cream and peanut and jelly sandwiches.
We’re planting like mad. We’ve got in about half an acre of various pumpkins, a lot of squash, tons of beans and some peppers along with the potatoes. Today, I’m working on a big patch of corn. Still no rain…
Oooh, more good ideas! I haven’t done the conserve yet. Good to know to drain some off for pies; I do it for frozen when thawed so it makes sense with canned too. I can use my Mehu Liisa but not sure what rhubarb juice would be used for in my house?
I need some assistance with my 55′ x55′ garden, so am praying there will be a school group, or 4-H, or FFA etc that can come to learn from you as well as help. I know some gardens you can water, and there are several newer ones which are a challenge. We gardeners all love what we do, and it’s good for us to keep on. Simultaneously, I was wondering if you’d consider diversifying by less challenge to the body and more writing. Besides food growing and preserving articles, we are still waiting to hear what happens next in Jess Hazzard’s life….
That must have been a Hallelujah when you found the calf before the wolves did! Our drought is over for now, Monday before last we got 2.60 inches of rain in an hour. Pasture was flooded and water was over the road. All together last week we got 5.15 with another half inch so far this week and more to come. Sure wish it would swing north to you!
Your petunia baskets are beautiful! My planter is a 8 foot across hollow maple stump near the house. This year I planted zinnias, snapdragons and marigolds in it. The broccolini and peas are loving the cooler rainy weather, but it looks like I may have to replant some beans & corn that may have rotted in the ground.
With prayers for all to have good weather and a safe gardening year, Vicki
Thanks Vicki. We still have not had any rain and could sure use some. Meanwhile, we’re planting and praying like mad! Hope to get a lot planted before it does rain….
I’m glad you guys are able to get out and get things done and wishing you a good potato harvest later. We’ve been grateful for the past few days of temps in the low 70’s with some much needed rain. Some years we get hit with a few 90’s in late May!
Here, the English peas are done, garlic was dug last week, potatoes will be dug this week and turnips are being pulled. I saw the first flowers on some beans yesterday so maybe two weeks until the first of those are picked. Cabbages are ready so yesterday was kraut making day. The changeover from winter veggies to spring and summer stuff is happening!
Wow, that’s so cool. I love hearing what other folks in other climates are doing. I haven’t even planted my cabbages yet!! We sure could use a bit of rain though.
Mama cows are like mama cats moving kittens. The 3/4 rain over two days turned into .1 inch in one day. We had to drive today (with looking like not good test results from the vet school) and that area got maybe .2 inch. We’ll take it, beggars can’t be choosers.
We hill our taters but my grandpa never did hill his. He pretty much lived in the same area his entire gardening life.
I have seen some berries on the strawberry plants so will keep an eye out.
Thankful for my knees which are aging quite well, squatting is not an issue.
We’re real happy we didn’t get that late spring frost so our fruit trees and bushes are going to bear nicely, unlike last year when we didn’t get much at all. One reason to can all I can, when I can.
You probably gave the anti dairy guys ammunition with the story about the cow and calf! They think we (former dairyman) cruel because we take the calves right away and usually the mothers don’t care. I know it’s different with beaf! I’ve got my tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in the green house and onions in one of my hoop houses. Here in my part of Copper basin Alaska we had 24 last night so it’s a good thing we have a stove in the green house. I was a little leery about going out as I had to shoot a black bear in the chicken pen yesterday evening and the grand kids thought they saw another in the woods! It broke a window and made a mess but couldn’t catch a chicken! I gave it to the neighbor because some of my crew won’t eat it. I plant potatoes with a tube device you poke into the ground and open the jaws, drop potato in and rake a little dirt over. Work along drip tape, pull it just before hilling after a big watering.
We have had very warm, unseasonable temperatures. It doesn’t look like (if you can believe the forecasters) like we’re going to have any more frost or freezing. Of course, they’ve been wrong most years….
Wow, a bear trying to get your chickens! We’ve been blessed in that hasn’t happened to us yet. But they’re definitely out there.
I attended a class at a local gardening center. The man was older and had built a simple device using a PVC pipe to drop his seeds through. It might be something you could do to drop the potato pieces through so you don’t have to bend down so much and save your knees 😊
Yep, I’ve seen them. But, for me, carrying the bucket of seed potatoes and the PVC pipe doesn’t leave a hand to put the potatoes in the tube. I look on it as exercise or PT…..
Wow busy as always! Potato planting is sure hard for knees and back. Worth it though. I ‘lost’ a heifers calf years back, mom didn’t get out, baby continually crawled under fence, cross the road into patch of woods! Get him back in nurse and he’d sneak out again! Finally got to big to crawl out.. got my beans in with 80 degrees forecast and no rain, gave them a wetting to encourage sprouting. Corn in along with a row of okra. Just starting to set out my peppers and tomatoes when came down with terrible head cold. Hope to be able to get back out soon though. Drought. Flood. Wind’s Mother Nature sure has been hard on a lot of us. Hopefully you will avoid any frost s!
Sometimes I think God is just testing us to see if we have the fortitude to garden seriously or not. No rain but no frost either. We’re happy but could sure use a little rain. Sorry to hear about your head cold. Spring colds are no fun!!~
I have searched for days for a missing calf-mother cows can really hide them. We have many coyotes here. When I transplant tomatoes and peppers I have to do it while sitting on the ground and drag the flat of plants. It’s too hard on my knees to kneel or squat. I do take a bucket to push off of to get up. I get it done but it’s becoming more difficult. I enjoy it so much it doesn’t matter. My potatoes are “up”-7-30 foot rows, onions growing and peas up. We had a 1/2 rain today. Ground is still very dry. My garlic had been eaten in the ground by a vole or mole. It’s frustrating when critters dine on my plants. I had a bucket of celery growing by the house and the deer enjoyed that snack. It makes growing food challenging. More planting to go-it’s still cool here in Southern Wisconsin.
It’s hot here and no rain in sight. If I sat on the ground, you’d have to get a tractor to get me up! I can bend easier than sit, for sure. I, too, enjoy gardening way too much to ever quit. I just have to go a little at a time with a short rest in between times. Moles just eat grubs so I bet your culprit was either a vole or rabbit. Ugh, those darned critters!
There certainly is a lot going on at your place! Planting time is always a race against either drought or drenching it seems. We continue to be very dry here, but we did get a little shower of about 2 tenths last night. It has been cloudy and cool here this past several days. My Cole crops sure love it! Radishes are sweet and the lettuce is producing well for the first time is a couple of years. I’m planning to make wilted lettuce this weekend. It is supposed to turn on very hot, so the little moisture we have may evaporate quickly. I’m glad your calf was safe after all. Those mothers sure can hide them well! Sending prayers for warm weather, gentle rains and a blessed week.
Yep, we’re crazy busy! I was so glad when the calf turned up safe. We were both worried about him.
Here’s hoping your prayers bring gentle rain! Thank you.