Thursday, April 12, 2012

Early April Planting 2012

Heirloom seeds from a neighbor,
 a farmer's market friend
This week we got a lot done here on the farm. In preparation for the chicks arriving next week, we cleaned out the barn, and got the brooder built. We had to rebuild it a little bigger since we are getting 125 chicks instead of the normal 25. Pray this goes well!

In the garden the radishes are sprouting. I inter-planted them in the lettuce beds, and they should be out before the lettuce even needs thinning. At 28 days, radishes are as close as you get to fast food in the garden. ;)

In the "spring bed" by the house, my horseradish, rhubarb, garlic and welsh onions are coming up nicely. I put up a raised bed there and planted cabbage, broccoli, dill, and a few more radishes. Once the plants are up and established, I plan to curl a soaker hose through there and switch to only drip irrigation, to see if I can keep those cabbages from cracking again. I also plan to hang netting over the broccoli, dill, and cabbage bed, as it was hardest hit by grasshoppers last year, and I don't want to spray it.



We still have LOTS of corn husks to rake up around here, but with every new wind-storm, those pile up all over again, like drifting snow. This afternoon we FINALLY had a lovely spring rain...


...and I hear that snow is in the forecast for the weekend. I couldn't be more thrilled!!!! Perfect slow-release moisture for the garden. Germination, here me come!



Related Posts:
2012 Garden, Part one: Cold Frames, lettuce, and potatoes
Winter Farmer's Market
The 2011 Chickens
2011 Spring Garden: Lettuce, Spinach, Onions, and Peas

Today I'm thankful for #18-24
soft dirt
RAIN
school time
sunshine after rain and that wonderful smell of the earth drinking
leftovers making lunch easy
snuggling with Wyatt at nap time
Mayda's soft heart, tearfully worrying about her kitty out in the rain


2 comments:

  1. one hundred twenty five!!!! are you selling them or eating them?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are sharing the ownership with friends. Not really selling chicken. ;) We will have a big day of butchering with everyone helping, and everyone gets 20 for their freezer. :)

      Also 25 of those are new layers, it's time to retire a few of my older hens. If the egg eating continues, maybe all of them...

      Delete

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