Healthy, wealthy and wise

Growing your own food is like printing your own money. ~ Ron Finley

Isn't that a great way to look at gardening?  I derive joy from knowing how my food is produced but for me the joy of watching plants grow and mature is satisfaction in itself.  There is a connection with the earth that happens every time your hands and feet become one with soil.  Does anyone else feel that or am I crazy?

2014

I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring.  Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth?  ~Edward Giobbi

It has been too long since I posted anything and for that I apologize.  Winter was long and cold but the good news is that having snow cover for so many months was actually good.  There have been studies that show the microbes are busy under snow cover.  If you are interested in reading what they have found here is one link. http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/microbes-busy-under-snow-ecologists-1.366160

It is good to be able to get out in the garden again.  I love having a no-till garden because as soon as the ground thaws, the seeds go in.  No waiting until the ground dries to till, just part the soil/compost and stick the seeds in.  I do have row covers on two rows to help warm the soil. 

I planted peas two weeks ago and they have sprouted but have not emerged from the soil.  I also have kale and Chinese cabbage in the soil that were started inside.  I directly sowed a leaf lettuce mix and spinach and that is starting to sprout.  I set onion bulbs out earlier this week and they are starting to root. Today I planted carrots, red beets, more lettuce and some old onion seed. I also planted a variety of green beans that tolerates cold soil under my row cover.  This was just for fun to see what will happen.  

My eggplant, peppers and tomatoes are ready to transplant to bigger pots. This is the best time of year.

Dr. Elaine Ingham from Rodale Institute

I had the pleasure of attending Dr. Elaine Ingham's soil biology classes at Rodale Institute last spring.  If you have the time to listen, this is an interview that she did on Sunday.  The interview was the first half hour of the show, it is approx. 30 minutes long.

http://www.kgnu.org/tributaries/5/12/2013

The point that she kept emphasizing during the classes is that our soils contain everything that a plant needs to grow.  We don't need to be adding any extra minerals, etc. to our soil for plant growth.  The microbes will mine every mineral that a plant needs and give it to the plant in the exact quantities that the plant needs. We need the microbes not the additives but chemical companies want us to be dependent on their products.  Without the soil microbes present in our soil, we are dependent on their products.  We don't have to be.

Simple Tips for Better Garden Soil

Here is a great article from Mother Earth News to help with making great soil to grow great plants.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Better-Garden-Soil.aspx#axzz2RenwehnJ

The advantage of using vermicompost and vermicompost tea is the diversity of microorganisms that are present in it consistently.  The worms bins develop a balanced community of the necessary organisms that can be added to your soil food web to help it become all that it should be.

Gardener's Day at Zwingli Church

Just a reminder that I will be at the Gardener's Day at Zwingli Church in Souderton on Sat., April 27.  Here is the link -

http://www.zwingli.org/gday.php

April in the Garden

The weather is still on the cool side.  We had 33 degrees this morning.  I have still been using the row covers on cold nights but I will leave it off if the temp. stays in the upper 40s. 










I am anxiously waiting to cut some fresh lettuce.
This was Bibb lettuce that I started in Jan. and
transplanted in the garden in March.  I have one
short section that I planted in black plastic to
help warm up the soil.  I hope that I will be able to enjoy some fresh lettuce this week.  I have been spraying the garden with compost tea every 2 weeks.  I didn't start spraying last year until June.  I want to see if there will be any difference.  The lettuce is beautiful and filling out nicely.












Spinach

Swiss chard

Onions




Broccoli with carrots from last fall

Here are some other crops that are in the garden



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What does a groundhog know anyway?

Six weeks ago Punxsutawney Phil made his prediction - an early spring.











 Here we are six weeks later and this is what my garden looked like this morning.










It has been challenging this year to get an early start in the garden.  I have planted my kale seedlings under the row cover and they are alive but not growing.  I looked at the 10 day forecast and they haven't predicted any days that will be in the 50's.  This is the middle of March.  We should be experiencing some exhilarating spring warmth.  There isn't any logical reason to plant peas or spinach directly in the ground, so I have not. 

I have trays of lettuce ready to go in the ground. I have been hardening them off every day outside for the past week. I have put black plastic on the ground and covered the row. I just can't make myself plant them when the forecast calls for snow. So I have been harvesting the leaves and enjoying fresh salad greens.

 

 

Carrots pulled last week from under the row cover
that were planted in September

And since it is St. Patrick's Day here is part of an Irish blessing -

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
... and rains fall soft upon your fields.