It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of year two. I will truly miss all of the encouragement from Rosie and classmates, as well as the camaraderie developed through classes, garden visits and plant pickups. I would have a lot smaller, less productive garden without this.
One of the first things I discovered was that the soil in my yard is full of rocks and clay. While I dream of a no till garden, I have a way to go before that is reality. Digging rocks was a daily reality last spring, especially when preparing holes for the sweet potatoes. (In the first photo the sweet potato plants look like they might not make it. As you can see in the second photo they are thriving now.)
The soil test revealed a need for lime. The addition of lime this year has definitely helped. Adding LOTS of compost and manure the first two years also helped. This year I added mulching with straw on top of cardboard boxes to keep the weeds at bay and add more organic matter. At the Jonesborough Farmer’s Market I met a mushroom farmer who gives away the substrate that he grows his mushrooms in. I received two truck loads and look forward to incorporating that into the soil next year after it decomposes.
Despite squash borers, cabbage months, Flea beetles, Mexican bean beetles, squash bugs and more, there has still been an abundance of veggies (albeit with some holes) for friends and neighbors. I am looking forward to trying Milky Spore this fall to try to reduce the Japanese beetle population next year. I planted borage this year to encourage pollinators and draw pests away from the veggies. I caught a lot of Japanese beetles on the borage and didn’t see them anywhere else until the sweet potato leaves started attracting them…now it’s hard to keep up.
In addition to setting up an irrigation system for the first time, I am also learning to can this year. A friend came over to help me with the first round of canning. The shelves are gradually filling up as I practice this new found skill.
With the arrival of crops for fall planting I decided it was time to set up a low tunnel. In the spring (based on the failure of my low tunnel last year to protect my plants), I thought I might be better off without the tunnel this year. That was a bad idea, so I going to try to be more diligent about protecting the brassicas this fall. I had planted the marigolds (companion planting) among the potatoes. My niece who is a potato farmer in New Zealand was here just at the right time to help me harvest potatoes. She is convinced that the potatoes planted near the marigolds produced the largest potatoes. The record for this year is one potato weighing 1 lb 6.5 oz!
My favorite recipe this year is a swiss chard (or spinach) herb pie that includes 3 cups spinach or swiss chard, 2 cups parsley and ¾ cup dill along with a few green onions. Once these are chopped, add 4-6 eggs, ½ cup flour (can be gluten free), salt and pepper. I started adding a bit of almond milk and creamy goat cheese for added flavor. Bake it in a 8 x 11” pan for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (F).
Recent visits to others gardens have given me lots to consider incorporating next year. Thank you Rosie and fellow classmates for a great learning experience and a lot of delicious food.
