Wednesday
Oct142009
The chill in the air
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 8:38AM
With the chill in the air now - things have been slowing down around the farm - and also speeding up... if that makes any sense at all.
For example, just like the seasons change, so do our activities in response to the seasons. We have all the gardens plowed user now. The newest plot is heavily mulched to build up the soil in the spring - others have some of the green manure down on them to be rolled under in the Spring. But there no longer a hurried harvest and preservation drama going on nightly - he season is closed. The seed pots and planters are all put away.
At the same time, I was out until dark on Monday night planting for next spring - 4 types of garlic went in this fall: German, Purple, NY white and Canadian. So already the seeds of another season are awaiting their awakening after what I think is going to be a brutal winter. The signs are all there - apples were ripe weeks early, trees dropped leaves faster than usual, birds headed South sooner than later... Nature knows something and is willing to share - we just have to listen.
The bush hog is off the big tractor now, the parts of the field that didn't get knocked down have little need for my attention now as the plants have turned brown and dead. The cutter was swapped for the 2 bottom plow for a bit to put the gardens to sleep - and now the tractor awaits the attachment of the snow blower.
On that topic we are getting ready to stand up the snow fence and make the driveway edges and corners with posts and stakes...
For example, just like the seasons change, so do our activities in response to the seasons. We have all the gardens plowed user now. The newest plot is heavily mulched to build up the soil in the spring - others have some of the green manure down on them to be rolled under in the Spring. But there no longer a hurried harvest and preservation drama going on nightly - he season is closed. The seed pots and planters are all put away.
At the same time, I was out until dark on Monday night planting for next spring - 4 types of garlic went in this fall: German, Purple, NY white and Canadian. So already the seeds of another season are awaiting their awakening after what I think is going to be a brutal winter. The signs are all there - apples were ripe weeks early, trees dropped leaves faster than usual, birds headed South sooner than later... Nature knows something and is willing to share - we just have to listen.
The bush hog is off the big tractor now, the parts of the field that didn't get knocked down have little need for my attention now as the plants have turned brown and dead. The cutter was swapped for the 2 bottom plow for a bit to put the gardens to sleep - and now the tractor awaits the attachment of the snow blower.
On that topic we are getting ready to stand up the snow fence and make the driveway edges and corners with posts and stakes...
Reader Comments (1)
I do think winter is gonna be a big one this year...
As for green manure cover crops - I stick with the basics...
Winter Rye is a staple - it sprouts this fall and establishes under the snow and grows like the weed it is in the spring so there's decent "green" getting rolled under with the spring plowing.
For fast cover of vacant areas during late summer - I use buckwheat - really fast grower and frost kills it off. I tend to mix in some harry vetch since that's a nitrogen fixer (like peas and clover) and it is a really good way to have some cover for spring growth after the buckwheat kicks the bucket.