Cold Frame Construction

My previous neighbor had her windows replaced and I asked her for the old windows which are now going to serve as the glazing for cold frames this year. I used some scrap lumber and put together some frames from 2x6's. I tried to angle the boxes to the south to collect as much light and heat as possible. I will use these frames to harden off the plants from the greenhouse and start some lettuce this week.

Favorite Days

I have a few favorite days in the calendar year. There are the obvious holidays and birthdays that everyone looks forward to each year but some of my favorite days do not have a special meal to go with the date. Daylight savings started this weekend and that means I can enjoy the daylight even after my 8:00 to 5:00 job is finished.
The other day I look foward to each year is December 21, winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, this gives me new hope of the longer days to come. I can remember my Dad looking forward to winter solstice, but it never bothered me as a kid. That could be because I was home after school at 3:00 and could enjoy some daylight.
Now as a working adult I understand his angst. I think it has something to do with the feeling of wasting the best hours of the day at a job and the idea of being held hostage indoors without natural daylight when I am on my time.
I shouldn't be so depressing on the celebration of such a great day. I can enjoy some time outside after work without a headlamp.

peas and radishes

We planted peas and radishes this weekend. It was so much easier this year. We could follow the pattern of the hills from last year and no tilling was necessary. We were not fighting grass and weeds and it took only a few minutes to break up the ground with a spade fork. We then followed with a potato fork to remove weeds and rake the soil smooth. The last step before planting was not planned, but the chickens, seeing fresh ground, followed right behind, scratching out the last weed seeds and bugs. We then planted sugar snap and snow peas and a short row of radishes. We will plant more radishes in the coming weeks so as to extend the season. The rows were covered with a floating row cover so as to keep weeds at bay and chickens away from the seeds.

Replanting Raspberries with Dad

I had about 900 feet of raspberries planted in a field down the road. I decided to move a few of them this fall. I dug up some canes and hilled them in some compost over the winter. This weekend with help from Chris, we were able to plant 200 feet of Tulameen raspberries, a summer bearing berry that is delicous.

Here is a photo documentary of the process:



Plowing to hill up the soil. Raspberries require dry feet and good soil drainage.



Discing the hilled soil to break up soil clods.



Loading compost to topdress the rows before planting.



Safe tractor work requires the operator's full attention which includes awareness of your surroundings.



Compost is placed every 10 feet to be spread along the row with shovels.


The berries are set out about every six inches. Ideally with new root stock I would space them every 2 to 3 feet but I need to established the row a little sooner.


Anna uses the shovel to open up a hole and Dad burries the roots and firms up the soil around the cane.


Supports are placed every 25 feet.


We try to reduce, reuse and recycle. This bailing twine was used on the hoophouses last year. This will suffice until we have a chance to install tall posts, braces and high tensile wire to make a more substantial trellis for support.


I am dreaming of fresh berries and cream. It might be hard to get the picked berries all the way up to the house before eating them all.

Cleaned Fence Line

BEFORE

AFTER

The neighbor John and I took down the fence with some help from a friend of theirs. After we freed the New Zealand Fence (3 strands of smooth high tensile wire)from the berries, we pulled the wire into our field and mowed down the blackberries into a mulch. Above is a picture from this summer, notice the highlighted area, that is what we mowed down.
The next day John and I repaired broken wires and restrung the fence. I think we both reclaimed about 1/4 of an acre from the Himalayan blackberries.

Starting Seeds

drip tape, small hoops, bailing twine, plastic mulch and floating row cover

I have started some onion, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage seeds this week. Last year we moved into the new place in March and I did not have many starts so the spring garden was a little late. I will be able to plant lettuce, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower under a hoop house to keep the rain and frost at bay. My goals in the garden this year are to improve water management (irrigation) and timing. I am planning to use more floating row covers, small coldframes and plastic mulches to start my season earlier and extend it later.

rain collection from the shed roof

To help with irrigation I am collecting rainwater and using drip tape. We have water provided by a municipality and they sent us a letter stating that our rates will be increasing. I don't like to use city water to irrigate, it seems like such a waste to use treated water on a garden. There has to be an old well on this property and If I can find it I will use it for irrigation. The rainwater I am collecting is nice but it is dry here in the summer and I cannot easily store enough water in the rainy months to provide irrigation all summer. I plan on using the stored rain water to make some compost tea in the containers and irrigate with that concoction. It is called chemigation when irrigation water is injected whith chemical fertilizer. There must be a term for irrigating with compost teas or organic fertilizers, perhaps organigation or compostigation, they just sound like dirty words.

drip tape close-up, a hole every 8 inches

TP mischief

Last night was the last girl's varsity basketball game. Apparently the girls weren't ready to end their season on a losing note, so they decided to work together to drape toilet paper ALL over their coach's house and yard, including way up in the only 2 pine trees on the property and every fruit tree. I guess they didn't work hard enough this season to be too tired to be out in the middle of the night. So much for our guard cats, who didn't alert us to anything, but thought it was really fun to play with the streamers blowing in the wind as I was cleaning up. The neighbors and I discovered tree pruners are the best tools to reach really well-thrown-toilet paper. All 3 tractors were decorated as if they were ready for a parade. Luckily, all was in good fun and could be handled with a sense of humor since it didn't rain. I might find a good way to get them back somehow, but for now I'll let them giggle away and enjoy it since we don't have school today. What I really want to know is why they used such expensive toilet paper!