Baby chicks are here!

A golden comet chick explores its new home.

Outside, the air is warm, hyacinths, cherry trees, and peach trees are in bloom, and cool weather crops are sprouting out of bare ground.  These events lead to one undeniable conclusion:  Spring has arrived!  After months of waiting, we are the proud parents of a dozen healthy chicks.  Rhode Island Red and Golden Comet chicks are happily peeping in our brooder; they have taken their first drinks and meal well.  I'll spare you all the details and get on with the show.

Baby chicks in their box.

Rhode Island Red chick.

Getting their first meal.

Taking their first drink (electrolytes have been added to
the water).

Happy in their new brooder.

March 19, 2012

Swiss Chard planted last September gives us
greens while we wait for spinach.

Spring has come and is on the way out before the calendar says it arrived at all.  Everything is happening a week ahead of last year, and last year was two weeks ahead of normal schedule.  Peach and cherry trees are finished blooming, and apple trees are budding out.  There was no time to waste during our 80-degree weekend since everything seems to be on an accelerated schedule.    It left us feeling truly breathless. 

Broccoli under milk jug covers.

Tomatoes, dill, and basil are sprouting indoors while this list of chores were accomplished:
1.  Planted 50 ft. of sprouted pea seeds.
2.  Planted 50 strawberry plants.
3.  Transplanted 8 broccoli plants into the garden.
4.  Transplanted bell peppers to larger cups.
5.  Pulled all brussels sprouts plants; cleaned, blanched, and froze 6 quarts.

Brussels sprouts on several stems.

We've managed to tune the lawnmower since the lawn needed an early cut, and the tiller is next.  Red clover is reaching skyward about an inch a day, and it's just about the height it was last year when we tilled it under.  Last year we used "red" clover (named red because that's the color of its blossoms, but we don't let it go to seed) as a green manure or cover crop because it fixes nitrogen in the soil.  After incorporating it into terrible subdivision soil, we had the best corn crop we've ever seen!

Peach blossoms on the way out one week ahead of last year.

April 11, 2011

Spring has arrived in earnest:  once again trees are shading us with their emerald green canopies, while a robin has chosen the grapevine wreath on our front door in which to build a nest.

Seedlings grown under fluorescent lights indoors are stocky and green, but they would wilt and scald if moved suddenly to full sun.  Hardening off is the process of conditioning a plant grown indoors so it is tough enough to withstand direct sun, wind, and rain.  Moving plants in and out every day is a lot of work, so a simpler method of hardening off is to set plants in shade and gradually move them to full sun.  There is a perfect spot under the dappled shade of a river birch in our yard that receives ideally sheltered conditions for these seedlings to acclimate to the great outdoors.  Plants purchased from garden centers usually require no process at all.

These four-week old broccoli seedlings are already acclimated and ready to transplant to permanent growing locations in the garden.  I use a shovel to dig holes large enough for each mature root system, back fill some top soil, and mix well with composted manure and a sprinkling of 10-10-10.  I top each transplant with a milk jug with the bottom cut out, to protect it from insects and the elements while it is still vulnerable.  Greenhouse conditions inside help ensure each plant is off to a good start.

The garden is changing to green as we are harvesting leaf lettuce and spinach.  To keep these crops in production longer, we snip just a few outer leaves from each plant and spare the crown to keep producing.  This weekend saw the completion of a cucumber fence and some needful weeding; I also re-tilled the future corn patch to better incorporate organic matter from last week's decaying cover crop.  Though the summer vegetable patch is still taking shape, the spring garden is ready to harvest!