12:25 PM [04 May 2009 | Monday] |
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Planted a row Purple Majesty potatoes that we'd save from last years crop today. I've yet to till the garden because I fear the roto-tiller is broken and I'm avoiding the pain in the neck it is to get it fixed. So I'm preparing the garden bed by bed with my pick ax. An eco-friendly alternative and since it's in the mid 50's F and cloudy today it's not such a chore. But when the Earth starts to heat up, we'll see how that goes. The May flies are out in full force as well, they are worse near the end of the day but fifteen flies versus 100 doesn't make that big a difference. To keep them off my face I wear a fly net over my head, a bee keeper like accoutrement that does the trick but, when it heats up. . .
Forgot to mention we planted Melody Spinach from Pinetree Gardens on 4/29. That has yet to come although the peas are coming along just fine. Our tulips are up in all their glory as well.
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Mood: busy
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12:00 PM [30 Apr 2009 | Thursday] |
1st Post of the Year |
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The garden is happening. We have plenty of baby plants growing in the greenhouse which I put on 4/10. On the 19th planted the sugar snap peas and the garlic and shallots from last year. The garlics are going strong and the peas broke through the dirt on Monday the 27th. We planted a strawberry patch in the lower garden where there is an invasive weed that has taken over. I dug out as many of the weeds as I could and got them. The flies are really starting to bite now. The temp has been in the 80's F this week dropping back down to the 60's yesterday. Today I planted the first of the potatoes, red gold. those are all from last year's crop. It's cloudy and threatening to rain later. The first Red Wing Blackbird arrived on March 14, first bear showed up on March 25, first Robin on March 28, first Cowbirds on April 6, first Tree Swallow on April 18 and first Ruby Throated Grosbeak on April 25.
We shared seeds with our friend Joe at the Mount Laurel condo. He's all set to start gardening. I described the problems I'm having with my roto-tiller (it runs for ten minutes and then stops) and he thought it might be a faulty temperature coil. So I've been tilling with the pick ax. Not so bad for now, but man that can get tiring when it's hot out. Lots of winter rye grass in.
Here are the baby garlics. The shallots just starting coming up yesterday.
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Mood: busy
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12:54 PM [09 Nov 2008 | Sunday] |
Garden is Put to Bed for Winter |
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It's done. The entire garden has been tilled and put to bed for the winter. The snow had finally melted away (officially yesterday) and I was able to grab a shovel and get those tunrips and scorzonera. The turnip out put wasn't that great but it's nice to have them (small bucket). The scorzonera more or less the same but what an interesting vegetable. One foot to two foot long thin fingers like roots and a challenge to extract from the ground without breaking. I used the shovel to loosen the dirt from a foot away, sort of like digging up a weed with an eye toward getting all the root except in the case of the scorzonera since it's not a weed you can actually get it all out. The first one I dug about a month ago snapped halfway, not this time out, only snappend about four of maybe twenty. They are like a very long thin carrot. The root hairs to the side were extracting a milky white liquid immediately after being extracted and they were covered with mud. We washed around seven of them later and cooked them with butter mushrooms with white wine reduction and salt. Peeled them easily. Excellent. It could be because there's nothing better than eating something you've grown and the fact that I've never eaten one before, not without being aware of it at least.
Pretty huh? They look better cleaned up.
I then dug up as many weeds as I could in the lower gardens and started up the tiller. The soil was really moist and the tiller kept pooping out after ten minutes or so of tilling. Don't know if it needs a tune up or what. I finished tilling with my trusty pick axe. We planted the winter rye (which is already coming up in the upper garden) and called it a day. One more thing, still have to plant the garlic and shallots, then we are done for a while. Nice. |
Mood: accomplished
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1:56 AM [07 Nov 2008 | Friday] |
Score One for the Government |
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Lots of people think the government isn't good for anything. Nothing? How about canning and preserving tips? Don't wait for Wal-Mart to feed you, grow something in your yard and feed yourself. Put this link in your pipe and smoke it. I bring you the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning! Beets don't fail me now.
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html
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Mood: jubilant
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7:52 AM [03 Nov 2008 | Monday] |
Things to Do In November |
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Hey come on, you thought your gardening chores were over? They're just beginning. Here's a list of things to do for your garden during the month of November. Please send written proof you have accomplished these tasks.
http://ecgardening.cce.cornell.edu/TipsNov.html
Thank you Cornell.
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Mood: shocked
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12:28 PM [02 Nov 2008 | Sunday] |
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This morning at 6:16 AM it was 17 F. What the heck am I doing up at 6:15 on a Sunday and shouldn't this cold wave be over by now? There's still snow all over the place. Went to Kingston today and it's actually fall there. Fall color leaves on the trees, brisk but not freezing weather, it's like our town is a little island of winter and there's the rest of the world. So, we weren't able to do anything for the garden. It's packed with snow. My outdoor activities consisted of grabbing the chainsaw and chopping up all the branches and trees that have fallen because of the copious snow. Ahh, well.
This weather is good for the root cellar, 45 - 50 F down there, there's lots of warmth still coming up from the ground so you see steam rising from the stream and the lawn when the sun hits it. The dehumidifier is also humming away.
The bad part, several of my neighbors had no electricity for up to three days. Nature can be very cruel. Here's steam rising from the stream.
Cool huh? Very cool, freezing, I'm looking forward to Indian Summer. In the meantime a trip to Australia is in order. Here's a link to Scarecrow's garden http://scarecrowsgarden.blogspot.com/ it's warm there, the veggies are sprouting and the flies are buzzing. |
Mood: exanimate
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9:48 AM [30 Oct 2008 | Thursday] |
Still Snowy |
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I don't know if this snow is going to melt. Woke up at 6:00 AM and it was 22 F. I see online people are snowboarding up at Belleayre Mountain. All last winter there were maybe two days you could have had a decent snowshoe experience in my neck of the woods and for three days straight we have snow. About an inch fell this morning. I didn't shovel because I assumed it would be gone by now. My cheap ice packed gutters are threatening to break under the strain and my Halloween demon's teeth are chattering.
The big fear is we get a warm day combined with a heavy rain, then we have a real Catskill flood and those can be devastating. That can play hell with Rt. 49 A leading up to Belleayre. But, I'll think positive thoughts, positive thoughts, positive thoughts . . .
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Mood: hopeful
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12:35 PM [29 Oct 2008 | Wednesday] |
15 Inches of Snow! |
I was down in NYC this week but was summoned yesterday by my wife because we were hit with a major snowstorm. It's hard to believe when you're all warm and cozy in the apartment but the proof was in the email photo she sent. So I packed up car and headed north. There were 30 - 50 mph winds and rain predicted for my drive so it was gonna be a tough one. It was in the mid 30's F and raining for the whole ride but when I rounded the corner 10 miles from home I was suddenly in a blizzard. Deep slushy wet slippery snow on the road, people driving slow, freaking out. When I tried to climb the hill up to Belleayre, the old car, she just wouldn't do it. I stopped halfway up the hill, tires spinning, mouth cursing. I had to turn around and attempt another ascent. Just six lousy miles from home. I got out of the car, checked the tires and my left front tire was low, 25 psi. I thought, I bet that's what's messing me up. Fortunately the closed gas station I was parked in had one of those pay air machines and I pumped that tire up and decided to give it another shot. Gunning the accelerator and praying I made my approach. It was touch and go but I kept climbing, sliding, climbing, passing another poor hapless bastard on my right who wasn't going to make it. I got to the top and presto a plow truck pulled out from Belleayre and I followed it down the mountain and made it home safe and sound.
Thank Nietzsche we already tilled and put out the rye grass in the garden cause it is buried in snow now.
Here's the before:
 
La, la, la spreading the winter rye, not a care in the world.
Here's the after.
Somewhere under there are the parsnips and scorzenera.
It's only October, it'll melt and I'll finish tilling, maybe. |
Mood: cold
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12:35 PM [26 Oct 2008 | Sunday] |
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Let The Tilling Begin
Well, the carrots came out of the ground late Friday afternoon. The sun was setting and the weather was getting brisk as I pulled out the final purple hazes. I got them in the bucket and put them in the basement. I like to hose them off beforehand but I didn't have time. The next day's weather forecast predicted a terrible rain and they were correct so Saturday was spent cleaning the house and watching the tube.
Sunday however was beautiful and sunny but brisk, an average of 52 F all day. I had stuff I had to do but at 4:30 realizing I would lose sun soon I knew I had to go out to the upper garden and roto till. First I had to clean the dirt off the carrots, I connected the hose and got to spraying. Four kinds to clean, Red Dragon, Flyaway, Bolero and Healthmaster. It wasn't a huge crop but still very beautiful.
Carrots cleaned I attempted to awaken the tiller from it's fall slumber. This is always a tense moment as I never trust things to cooperate, especially mechanical things over which I have minimal supremacy. I pulled and pulled the starter cord to no avail and I thought, damn, it's dead, I'm screwed. What am I going to do?
I checked the gas and there was some but what the hell, I gave it some more, several more tugs and yes, it purred to life. Oh my tiller, giver of pleasure and pain. So I navigated it up the hill and tilled the upper garden as the sun set and the air got even more brisk causing my breath to be visible. So I just have two more gardens to go.
Winter in on the way, this week's weather is predicted to be blustery rainy and slushy. Time to check out Spring in the southern hemisphere. They're just starting up. We'll see if last winter's garden's are now being tilled.
All that remains in the ground are the parsnips and the scorzenara. They'll be the last to go. |
Mood: content
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8:13 AM [22 Oct 2008 | Wednesday] |
Flurries |
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It's 30 F outside right now and we're having mild flurries. I was up at 6:00 AM and the flurries were more intense. Yesterday we had pellet sized hail in the afternoon. I shudder when I think of places that have baseball sized hail. Winter while not technically here is starting. They say it will be a cold one, they being the farmer's almanac but what is their track record? They say the more black hairs a wooly worm has the colder the winter will be. They also say if the wooly worm is wearing a wool cap in October, look out. Later I will search for wooly worms and give a report. Right now it's probably too cold for them.
It's supposed to rain this weekend, when will I get that garden tilled? I also have to plant garlic. I have shallots out there already I'll cover with mulch and harvest next summer. I hope the tiller starts.
By the way, I am fond of winter weather, not a big fan of shoveling.
Here's a link to an exweatherman's take on predicting the coming winter ala wooly worm.
http://www.semissourian.com/article/20081014/BLOGS0149/810149997/-1/opinion
More wooly worm info at this site from "OutdoorWoman ".
http://www.ehow.com/how_2143194_predict-winter-wooly-worms.html |
Mood:
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