In between rain showers we finally got everything in this weekend! So glad the bulk of the planting is done and we can now focus on weeding and cultivating.
The hot season summer crops may be a week or two behind the average year but the cool season stuff like lettuce and peas are right on schedule and it looks like we will have our first harvests the last week in June and first week in July. Stay tuned on that front though, we will send out a notice when we know for sure.
So as promised here is some of what we’ve been doing over the last week.
Winter squash and zucchini. Think they look small? Just wait, they’re going to get huge!
Heavy leaf mulch over the squash suppresses weeds, keeps the soil moist, and prevents erosion.
The peas are up and looking great!
Broccoli gets special attention because the rabbits LOVE to eat it. So beyond the typical mulch we also cover it with fabric.
Peppers, picture before mulching. They’re all tucked in with hay now.
Ditto on the cauliflower.
Not pictured but planted just today are the melons, pumpkins, herbs, and tomatoes. It’s looking good out there!
Just a quick update for you.
Well, we didn’t get any severe weather over the weekend but we were forced to put off planting for a few days because of the massive rains on Friday, Saturday, and the showers on Sunday. Monday the ground was still saturated but we did get most of the fencing up for the snap peas to grow on. They’re about 5 inches tall already, can’t wait to snack on them!
By today the upper fields were dry enough to plant so we were busy! We planted all of the winter squash, zucchini, tomatillos, cucumbers, peppers, and eggplant. Plus we got some mulching done. Photos to come. 
The only thing left on the To Plant list are tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe and some of the more sensitive herbs like basil. If the rain holds off we can get it all done tomorrow. Looking forward to it!
We’ve had plenty of both lately with some lovely days, cool and nice for working, and some humid days. Whatever the weather, we’ve been hard at work planting!
We planted a few hundred onion, shallot, and leek seedling. Grueling work, but the weather was nice and shallots in particular are one of my favorites to cook with. Also planted are kohlrabi and cauliflower transplants, just didn’t get a photo of them.
Our greenhouse is still full of peppers and tomatoes. They will be going in on Saturday at the latest. We’re keeping an eye on the weather, with severe storms possible the next two days. It would be a shame to plant them and have them hailed on or flooded out the next day. This weekend looks awesome though so we should be finishing up all the planting by the middle of next week!
The recent heavy rains and cool nights (39F!) Have delayed the planting of the broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts by about a week. It’s not a big problem though, they will flourish now that the over night lows have popped up to the 50′s-60′s.
And in between rain showers we managed to get all the spring crops covered with fabric to keep the bunnies off, and the rows in between the crops are mulched with hay to suppress weeds. Here’s one section that is finished:
Love it when it looks so neat. It really gives the plants a boost when they don’t have to compete for resources with weeds.
We also have the first planting of green and yellow beans in and they have already sprouted. Looking forward to a great mix!
We are on schedule for planting melons, cucumbers and squash. The beds are all prepped so they will be planted this week, along with the tomatoes. We’ve started extra tomatoes this year just in case we lose some to extreme weather. We’ve had a rough time the last couple of years and have had to buy replacements, up to 1/4 of our stock has been lost to heat or flooding. So this year we are prepared!
We are only a few days behind schedule from the very late spring we had. The weather in the next month will tell the story, we CAN catch up and even surpass last season. All we need are some mild nights and NO record breaking monster storms. We always hope for that.
We have been loving the weather this last week! We’ve been able to put in 4 rows of potatoes, and have them mulched. A fifth row will go in tomorrow- reds for new potatoes, yummy! Carrots, kohlrabi, and beets are in.
And I’ve started the melons, zucchini, and squash in the greenhouse. The soil is still too cold for them to germinate so we’re giving them a head start inside. They’ll be planted out in about 2 weeks.
We are hardening off the broccoli and cabbage in the greenhouse, prepping them to be planted outside next week.
All in all we’re doing really well, making great progress!
Spring has sprung upon us at last! It looks like we have one more night of cold temps next week, then planting can begin in earnest.
We’ve already put in Snap peas, lettuce, radishes, and greens, stuff that doesn’t mind the cool temps. Next in will be potatoes, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, onions, leeks and shallots.
Last up (waiting for the warmer temps) are tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, eggplant. They’re being coddled in the greenhouse right now, growing bigger and stronger so when they’re planted out they can just take off.
And melons, zucchini, sweet corn and squash are waiting for the soil to warm up before they can be seeded. Don’t worry, they’ll catch up!
Instead of writing a new post every week or so about our lovely little tomato plants I’ll just update this one. Check out the latest picture at the bottom!
April 26
This is as of May 1. Just about ready to transplant into bigger pots!
May 8th. Transplanted and growing big!
Typically by this date the garden beds would be prepped with fertilizer, disced, then tilled, and we would be planting potatoes. This year the fields are still covered in snow and there is simply no way for us to get out there until it melts. If we try to push it and prepare the soil too early we end up with rock hard clumps of dirt that make it impossible for plants to thrive. So right now patience is the name of the game. But once the heat hits we will be ready!
The Cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage are all up and looking so happy!
And the first tiny tomatoes have sprouted just this morning!
Again, in a typical year we would have started these crops earlier, however the extreme cold and snow gave us a good indication this would be a late spring. And it’s SO MUCH better to start with smaller plants, than to try to get big, leggy, pot-bound ones to grow once planted out.
The official last frost date for our area is May 15. Around that time is when we start stuff like beets, radishes, carrots, greens, lettuce, and onions.
We like to wait until around May 22 to start stuff like sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, and melons. The soil has to be warm enough or they will become stunted. It’s truly amazing how quickly they can grow if you wait for the right conditions, and in contrast how slowly they grow if you try to force them in too early. I’ll post more pictures of our little tomatoes because it’s such a pleasure to see them grow week by week.
Our strategy for a late spring is to make sure the beds are extra fertilized and stay well watered. We have waited as long as the last weekend in May to plant the warm weather crops and we still had an excellent harvest that year. So even if we do have to wait we can still have a great season!
We are now sold out of Tuesday pick up shares. We still have 7 Friday pick up available. One thing to keep in mind is that your share is available anytime after 4:00 PM on your pick up day, that includes anytime the following day, or the one after for that matter.
We will work with you to keep your share fresh and available!
Update! Tuesday shares are sold out, we still have Friday shares available.
The signs of spring are upon us. The hens are laying again, the birds are singing, and the fields are finally starting to thaw. That can only mean one thing; it’s time to start thinking of fresh Minnesota grown veggies!
All of our information for the 2013 season is right here!
The complete list of what we’re growing this year:
Want to become a member?
We’re looking forward to another great season!