People ask us what we do with our spare time and we just blink and say “sleep.” Honestly, there is no spare time, as we’re going crazy, planting. After all, two old timers hand-planting 5 acres isn’t an easy task. Yesterday, I planted about half an acre of three different sweet corn varieties plus pole beans.
Today, it was (so far) lots of pole beans and some more dry bush beans. Then we took a couple of visitors out to the Wolf Garden to give the tour and Will discovered we have some ground squirrels out there, digging up and eating the sprouting sweet corn seed. I have to get a trap out there right away!
Will’s been busy with our new, battery-operated rototiller I got on Amazon, tilling the onion rows. It is the only one we know of that takes DeWalt batteries, which we have many. That’s a win-win for us! The good news is that it really works well. He tilled five 75-foot rows, and the battery still read 100%. We were amazed!
Our transplanted squash and melons look great, as do the peppers and tomatoes. Today, Will is busy, pounding in more steel T-posts and caging our flock of tomato plants — there are 219 of them this year.
I still have to plant the Damaun super-sweet corn and melons and squash in the main garden and Seneca Sunrise sweet corn in the Berry Patch Garden tomorrow. Then, I’m about done planting and it’s on to weeding. Thank God, the weeds are a little slow as we have had very little rain for over a month. We did get a trifle last night, not even a quarter of an inch, but it did help!
— Jackie
I got a hand tiller several years ago for Mother’s Day. It is my favorite Mother’s Day gift. I wanted to ask how you plant your corn? I have back and knee issues and have great difficulty bending to plant seeds. I’ve switched to using a pvc pipe and I’ve heard others use a 2 pocket carpenter’s apron to put the seeds in. I use the pvc for peas, cukes and even radishes and carrots. I can get everything evenly spaced so there is zero thinning. I just hoe to proper depth and then go back to drop the seeds, then go back and cover. It is so much easier than bending.
As we have lots and lots of seeds to plant, we use an Earthway Seeder. This little gem has different discs that are interchangeable, for different types of seeds. You just put in the right disc (1 minute), fill the hopper with a pack or two of seeds and walk down your garden rows. It plows a shallow (adjustable) furrow, deposits the spaced seeds, then covers them up with a dragging length of chain. Very, very nice as I don’t bend well nor walk so great either. It’s sold online and in many gardening catalogs.
Personally I don’t know How you do as much as you do?? You are truly workaholics 😁. I do love watching plants grow though. Hopefully you’ll get a bit of water to help things along..
We did get rain!! Over two and a half inches. Now the gardens…and weeds are happy.
Oh I am glad you mentioned your battery run tiller. I am looking at that and several other things to make life easy. Right now I am trying to work at walking faster with the battery run mower. Thanks for sharing!
We sure love our little battery operated tiller. I wasn’t sure if it would be strong enough, but Will shoved it down deep and it didn’t even slow down.
Dear Jackie,
It has rained every day for the last 7 days, so we need a dry day; but the blueberries at the Amish farms are producing record breaking amounts. I am snapping Contender green beans today. A young Amish girl told me yesterday that she would pick a bushel for me last evening (after it quit raining) And she did; but we both got drenched when I went to pick them up today. My foot is still in an ortho boot from surgery; but I figure I can sit and snap beans at least. I love the fields of green and long for the days when I was young enough to farm. Keep at it as long as you can; but even when you can’t, there will be happiness in doing what you can! Take care. (love your flower pictures)
Isn’t that great that you got a bushel of green beans? We always try to figure out what we CAN do when we’re down with an injury. Good for you!
I am so very interested in the battery operated tiller. I have been thinking of one. Would you please tell me what brand you got off Amazon? An 80 year old needs all the help out of tools and equipment that she can get. Thank you so very much. Love the peonies.
The tiller is a Chinese brand, ZagJaw (I think). If you go to Amazon, here’s the description: Cordless Tiller Cultivator Compatible with Dewalt 20V Battery(Tool Only), 360RPM Battery Powered Garden Cultivator, 9In Tilling Width & 7In Depth Tiller for GardeningCordless Tiller Cultivator Compatible with Dewalt 20V Battery(Tool Only), 360RPM Battery Powered… It’s the yellow one. Hey, I’m 79 next month and I totally get it! It’s less than $150, including shipping.
Thank you ever so much.
Busy for me-I’ll have to look up that tiller. I’ve gotten mantis tillers at garage sales for minimal price. Now crazy busy with weeds and “every thing is planted”. 5 acres is a LOT. I do 1/2 acre plus and it’s exhausting. I try to remember to take breaks and smell the flowers. I still have wood to cut but it is too hot-but winter will come.
Yep, there’s always wood to cut. We’re still busy planting. And we do take breaks! If we didn’t, we’d simply die out there. : )
Beautiful peonies! Onions are so healthy and weed free! Most of my onions, no matter How wind protection I added or careful watering, have just not taken off I’m so disappointed. I did get a nice row of bulbs take off, but we’ve been having unusual winds even for the gorge 150 homes and buildings were lost last week due to winds pushing a wildfire. Just thankful no lives lost. ‘Spare time’!! What’s that? Take care and enjoy what moisture is sent your way
Wow, 150 homes and buildings lost! Wildfires are horrible. Let’s all pray for the folks who lost them.
It seems like there’s always some garden crop that just doesn’t do well each year. We’ve learned to just be thankful for those that do.
I so relate Jackie being crazy busy planting. It’s just one old timer here planting so working my tail off. Between planting, weeding, animal care, canning, dehydrating and rain showing up continually I just keep at it. My family isn’t real interested in helping or growing food but I do it with them and others in mind that may need some of what I’m growing in days to come.
Definitely I’m out when my head hits the pillow lol
Thankfully the squirrels are busy with the tons of mulberry trees I have.
I look forward to ordering more seeds from you to have on hand for next year and be better prepared.
I’m glad you’ve got a little rain and favorable temps. I’m sure the plants appreciated a nice drink.
It’s been hot and very humid. Today is so much better and makes working outside a lot nicer but isn’t always going to be this way so I press on.
Your peonies are beautiful. I don’t have any yet since moving here 4 years ago but hope in time to get some going.
I’m glad I got to read your post and respond while eating lunch.
May your day be the best.
You’re a busy gal too! I hope your crops thrive. I have a feeling we’ll all be very glad to have a productive garden this fall… I love mulberries but they won’t grow up here.
Glad to hear of both types of small tillers; I am Done arguing with the Mantis, can’t convince it to be a reliable starter anymore.
I used to love the Mantis, years ago. Then they began to make them cheaper. They wouldn’t start and even after being taken in for repairs several times, they would not last more than two years. Yes, we used ours a lot. But I did the old ones too and they lasted forever. I won’t be buying another Mantis. : (
We’re supposed to get three inches over the next four days (most coming the next two days). Again, we’ll see.
I have a group of bad boy tom turkeys. I barricaded my straw bales. Today they scratched up a few small potatoes which is NOT acceptable. I put up fencing around the area they hit, will finish fencing off the plants tomorrow.
Strawberry season is about over. Will pick one more time in the morning. While we need the rain, it will end strawberry season.
While only a few weeds in the garden, any rain will kick them into overdrive. See some grass in the asparagus.
We’ll be in the 90s this weekend so hoping the rain hits and I can do some weeding on Thursday when I am off work. If not, weed, stay hydrated, and take breaks this weekend.
We have a small electric (corded) tiller which we’ve found quite handy for weeding.
We’ve seen the corded tillers but as nearly all of our gardens are WAY off grid, we never bought one. This battery operated one is just the ticket!
We got two and a half inches of much-needed rain last night and boy oh boy are our seeds loving it. Beans are popping up everywhere as it’s hot today. Not 90s but high 70s, going upward more. Happy Jackie and Will! And weeds…..