This Spring has been exceptionally cool and wet! We’ve been getting rain every week, without a lot of warm, sunny days to dry out the fields, before the next front comes through. We were able to get into the field to plant peas today, barely before a rainstorm approached and watered them in. Our alliums are in a holding pattern right now. They are living on the coldframe right now, which is just outside the greenhouse. They outgrew their time inside and are much happier outside, waiting to get planted. Once their spot in the field dries up, we’ll plant them. We cannot go into the fields with equipment to set up our beds and to plant crops yet, because working the soil when it is wet is damaging. It breaks down the soil aggregates, which help our soil hold moisture and drain well.
We were able to plant scallions, however. They were planted into the high tunnel and have already taken to the soil and are doing well. We have also seeded carrots and beets into the cathedral greenhouse. We will be moving the big cathedral greenhouse in a few weeks, once the seeds have sprouted and the carrots and beets have gotten a head start on growing. Then, we’ll plant tomatoes in the cathedral greenhouse, in its new location. We are lucky to have the greenhouses to plant crops in, this Spring, since our fields have remained so wet.
In other news, we are busy transplanting flowers and nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant) in the propagation greenhouse, encouraging them to grow in their new, larger pots, so that we can put nice, healthy transplants into the ground in May. We have also uncovered our strawberry plants. We mulch them with leaves in the fall, to protect them from cold winter weather. This was a big job this year, and our work for shares and staff did a great job making it happen. Thank you!
Sharer work hours are starting up this week, and we encourage people to sign up early and often! Come work with us! Bring a sandwich and stay for lunch with us afterwards!
See you soon!
Susan
