Friday, April 29, 2011

Franconia this week

More mulching with Fran on Saturday



Here are the beds that Cynthia and I maintained today. We were weeding and cutting back perennials and annuals from last year and then we mulched everything. The new mulch looks fantastic and will keep weeds down considerably!






Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Organic Vegetable Seedlings and Seeds Available

Hello All -




We will have some organic vegetable seedlings available this spring. I will keep you posted on what's germinating and how many we have. I will also have lots of varieties of vegetables for direct seeding if you would like us to direct seed anything from Alpine Strawberries to lettuce mixes. Most of our seeds are organic, to ensure a plant that has the best resources to work organic practices in the garden and will get the human the most nutrients from their food!

March 25: So far the Arugula has germinated. We also have Arugula seeds for direct seeding at your home.
March 29: Brassicas (Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts), watercress, basil, thyme, and Basil are up!
April 12: Tomatoes!!

We'll keep you posted!

See below for the seeds and seedlings we will have available this year. Where you see "DS" that means it should be directly seeded into your garden. Where you see "TP" we will most likely have transplants of that variety.

Common Name Variety Days Germ TP/DS




Alpine Starwberries Mignonette 21-28 days TP
Arugula Runaway 5-7 days DS
Basil Sweet 6-12 days TP
Bean, Scarlet Runner Magic Beanstalk 5-10 days DS
Brussels Sprout Long Island Improved 5-10 days TP
Carrot Scarlet Nantes 14-21 days DS
Cauliflower Chef's Choice Blend 8-10 days TP
Chamomile German 14-21 days TP
Chard, Rainbow Neon Glow 7-10 days DS
Cucumber Early Russian - Heirloom 4-12 days DS
Cucumber Chelsea Prize 5-10 days DS
Husk Cherry Golden Berry 21 days TP
Leek Falltime 7-14 days TP
Lettuce, Summer Bouquet Eurpoean Reds & Greens 5-14 days DS
Mesclun Mix High Mowing 5-10 days DS
Morning Glory Dawn Star - Heirloom 7-10 days DS
Morning Glory Scarlett O'Hara 7-21 days DS
Morning Glory Heavenly Blue 7-21 days DS
Onion Evergreen Hardy Bunching 14 days TP
Oregano
7-14 days TP
Sage, Common Salvia Officionalis 7-14 days DS
Sunflower Teddy Bear 5-10 days DS
Thyme Summer 14-21 days TP/DS
Tomatoe, Cherry Sungold 7-14 days TP
Tomatoe, Cherry Sungold 7-14 days TP
Viola Helen Mount 7-14 days DS
Watercress
5-15 days DS

Monday, April 11, 2011

Prunging Blueberries in Sugar Hill

I was pruning blueberries today. Its important to prune bushes while they are still dormant before they start budding out. I was pruning close to the end of the optimal time today. As you can see the bushes hadn't been trimmed in a few years.

Its important for the bushes that they have air flow through the leaves and fruit to prevent pathogens from colonizing in the patch. They also should have dead branches cut out as well as branches that are rubbing on one another. You should also cut out oldest branches first, getting new branches to grow. These bushes will allocate all of their energy to fewer branches and therefore grow higher quantities of fruit and more nutrient-dense, high quality fruit.
Happy bushes all around!!