By: Julia Holup, Assistant Manager We’re finding lots of earthworms in our small hoop house today as we turn over the soil and prepare to seed. They may be small, but earthworms deliver huge benefits to the soil, improving nutrient availability, drainage, soil structure, and productivity. Ever wonder how you prepare beds in tight spaces? […]
Tag: seeds
measuring, re-measuring
The sun is out today, and the winter rye we seeded in early November is still trying to grow! I just walked the perimeter of our fields again, double-checking my measurements. Now that I’m actually sitting down to calculate how many seeds to order, I need to know how much cultivated bed space we’ll have […]
turning over new fields
We are getting to know our new fields here at the farm in Brentwood. With the help of our neighbor’s plow, we turned over a few acres and seeded winter rye. Most of the land is sloped (some areas more than others), except this nice flat field at the top of the hill, which hadn’t […]
we’re taking orders for seedlings!
This Spring we are offering organic seedlings for your vegetable garden – 20 varieties of tomatoes, plus peppers, eggplant, and culinary herbs. To see our full list of seedling varieties and downloadable order form, click here. The deadline for pre-orders is May 10th. Plants will be ready for pick-up at the farm in late May. […]
april 18 field report
Exciting day here – we got a tractor! Elsewhere on the farm . . . tomato seedlings in the cold frame are getting bigger, and the greenhouse is filling up with seed trays of kale, chard, lettuce, bok choi, scallions, onions and leeks. nice and warm inside the cold frame Out in the field, we’ve […]
this week in the greenhouse
Onions are up and growing. Parsley seedlings are just starting to pop up. Cherry tomatoes and eggplant are germinating. Still waiting for the peppers to show signs of life. I’ve given them the warmest spot available (on heat mats inside the house) but they are taking their time. I don’t blame them, given all the […]
seeds sprouting, snow melting!
Greenhouse work has begun. This week I’m sowing onion seeds. To save space in the greenhouse, I like to sow about 400 seeds per flat, in a rich, compost-based potting soil made by the nice people at Ideal Compost. Onions grow slowly at first, but it won’t be long before there are thousands of sturdy […]
seeds have arrived!
Boxes from seed companies have been showing up on my doorstep this week. Opening them up is almost as good as getting a care package at summer camp! Heirloom and open-pollinated varieties are becoming a bigger percentage of my seed list each year, as I gradually seek out heirlooms that have the characteristics I’m looking […]
before the ground freezes
seed garlic ready for planting Winter is coming and I’m not quite ready. The last few mornings, the frozen crust on our fields has become a little more significant – a warning that pretty soon there will be no mid-day thaw. The last few weeks, I’ve been working on the list of things that must […]
how many cucumbers have you eaten today?
Cucumbers really are the perfect hot weather food. We’re eating them pretty much constantly at our house – in salads, on sandwiches and just munching on them in the field. ‘Lemon’ cucumbers are just perfect for eating like an apple. But I have to say, ‘Boothby’s Blond’ cucumbers are my new favorite. I like to […]