The Miss Bee-Haven meadow, elderberries, and seed starting in hot weather

One of the many, well millions, of projects on “the list” is to plant a bee meadow.  That would be a meadow for bees–a place that provides nectar, pollen, and a safe place to hang out.  I applied for a grant from USDA to convert one of the fields and a strip right through the middle of the apiary on the farm into pollinator habitat.

Didn’t get the grant.  That doesn’t mean the bees can’t have what they were asking for.  Using the 30×96 piece of plastic that came off the large high tunnel, I started smothering the weeds in the apiary itself.  I put it about 10 feet from the hive fronts and left it in place for about 3-4 weeks.  It did a great job of killing everything underneath.  Yesterday I moved the plastic over and started mulching the dead area with leaves.  I’d like to get the leaves on before it rains and before the seeds in there see daylight and start to come to life!

As you can see in the photo, the beehives are along the left, the tan area is the dead plant material, and the plastic has been repositioned to smother another area 30×96.

My plans are to cover the entire area with a thick layer of leaves then run the mower over it to chop them up.  Hopefully by the time I’m ready to seed (late fall) there will be a little protective layer of composting leaves on top to help the seeds germinate.   So far, I’ve gotten a pound of a pollinator seed mix and other exuberant perennial seeds to plant here and there in the field as well.  Several pots of bee balm, rudbeckia, mints, obedient plant, and lemon mint are going to be actually planted around the field as well because they love to spread and multiply and that’s exactly what I’m looking for in the meadow.    Will keep you posted on the progress of this project.

Yesterday I took a bucket of leaves for mulching down to the elderberry patch. A few weeks ago I planted 65 elderberry bushes   beside the large high tunnel so I could attach netting to the side of the tunnel to cover the bushes when they get berries on them.  I want to make things with elderberries….jam, jelly, wine, syrup.  To collect them from the wild you’ve got to race with the birds to get the ripe berries.  I decided to just grow my own.  Last winter I ordered cuttings (sticks) and rooted them in soil then grew them on up to planting size.  Hopefully in a year or two there will be berries to pick.

While checking out the elderberries I spied a wonderful size patch of portulaca…….

I couldn’t really tell what it was when I first pulled up to the bed, and I dragged a bag of leaves over there to mulch whatever it was that was taking over that spot in the garden.  Once I saw what it was, I weeded it, thanked it for being there, then continued to weed out all the different grasses that want to be in the same spot with the elderberries.

Portulaca is really good in a salad.  It adds a nice crunch AND it’s bursting with Omega 3 acids–yep, yet another “weed” that’s awesomely healthy.

Another project that I’ve been busy with the last few days has been getting the high tunnels planted for winter crops.  One of the hardest parts of my job is to get things started from seed, outside, this time of year.

Lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, arugula–all are synonymous with cool weather.  The weather is not cool right now.  The weather is miserable right now.  So what’s a farmer to do?  Try to fool Mother Nature-HA!  I did use the Old Farmer’s Almanac to plant on the best days for planting, tried to get the soil in as good a shape as I could, then I planted.  The seedbeds get watered twice a day if they need it and some of them have.  I noticed this evening that the spinach is beginning to germinate in the smaller high tunnel.  That’s always a relief!

One thing I’ve got to work on though–when I’m dragging the water hose through the center pathway it pushes leaves onto the seeds in the rows just adjacent to the center pathway–that’s not good!  I’m thinking something hanging from the ceiling to slip the hose through so it’s suspended in the air rather than dragging around on the ground.  Hey, another project for my list 🙂

 

Timing is everything

After enjoying awesome fall weather with bright sunshine and mild temperatures, that darned “Polar Vortex” is in the news again.  Gee, I never had heard of that term until last year–where has it been all my life?

Today’s temp was supposed to get up to 51 and the most it’s been so far is 35 and it’s time for dark now…..I can handle cold weather, but the plants in the high tunnel are protected for a reason.  This summer a few of the screws holding the plastic down on one side of the tunnel started pulling out of the wood.  No matter how hard I tugged and pulled, the plastic had shrunk and there was no getting the track back down onto the wood where I could screw the screws back in.

Night before last we had wind, lots of wind.  Yesterday morning I awoke to this:

The wind had grabbed hold of that side of the tunnel and ripped all the screws out, tore the plastic loose from both ends, and stabbed the plastic over 4 metal fence posts in the garden.

The screws are self tapping so they can cut through the metal, then into the wood.    I remember asking about these screws when I started using them and was told they would be fine…..hmmmmm.  I contacted the manufacturer today and shared my experience and they informed me that 1-1/2 years ago they switched to 1-1/2 inch wood screws in addition to the self tapping screws.  Yay for everyone who bought one after that!

Guess I’ll have to drag out the row covers until the new plastic arrives and it’s warm enough to put it on the frame.

What’s the buzz?

These past few weeks have been simply awesome fall weather……bright sunny days and not-too-cold nights.  It’s been dry, dry, dry, though and couple that with late October, and there’s nothing for the bees to do outside!  I see them everywhere looking for something to carry back to the hive.  I think that the girls appointed one bee to follow me around the other day and just buzz me.  It almost seemed like she was saying “I’M BORED”!  So, I started thinking like a bee…..they like sugar syrup….so voila!  I poured a little syrup on 4 plates and scattered them around the yard.

 

Happy bees!

There’s a cold front moving into the area soon so I dragged out the frost blankets for the late season greens that are outside in the garden…..

Although the high tunnels have the same crops; lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, mixed greens–they have a ways to go until ready for harvest, so maybe I can stretch the outside season just a little.  I always have problems keeping the covers on the hoops when the wind blows, but maybe I can put enough rocks on the edges to hold them down for a few weeks.  When the weather gets really cold, the covers will be moved into the high tunnels for extra protection during freezing weather.

One of the projects I’ve been picking away at during the summer is to build a fire pit in the front yard.  I detest grass and would rather watch paint dry as to mow, so I figured this would be a creative way to wipe out a good-sized area.  I’m waiting for a good deal on a load of attractive tan/brownish color gravel to  cover  the landscape fabric!

🙂

Winter is hanging on……..

Okay, so March 20 was officially the first day of Spring. There were a few days of nice, sunny, spring-like weather BUT winter has not quite let go yet. With nighttime temps at 24 degrees last night, about the same tonight and even colder tomorrow night, I’m sure getting a workout with the row covers and high tunnels in this sort of weather.

Today I transplanted 5 flats of Broccoli Raab into individual cells for replanting outside, really soon!

the chives outside the high tunnel are happy, happy….

One of the projects on the wintertime funky weather list was to install a dry creek bed at the back of the house to drain the roof (no gutters yet) and a spring that is under the house.  Here’s a start….

It will evolve over the course of the season, but at least the landscape fabric is down and the outline of rocks is in place.

I’ve been planting comfrey around the farm for the bees and the mulch.  Comfrey is a perennial that will produce lots of organic matter over the course of a season.  Several plants were planted in the orchard and at various places around the farm….

Two weeks ago a new puppy arrived at the farm.  His name is “Blue”.  His father is a Cur dog and his mother is a Catahoula.  I call him a “Curtahoula”.  It’s been awhile since a new puppy was here at the farm, and it is a constant battle to teach them not to kill chickens, cats, and not poop on the porch.  So far he hasn’t threatened a chicken, hasn’t caught a cat, but, hmmmm, has pooped on the porch several times…

 

In this photo he is really fascinated by a bunch of acorns he found on the ground–I could not get him to look at the camera.  He’s a good dog so far 🙂

I dug a clump of daffodils from my Nanny’s house in Newport about 25 years ago, and moved them to my place in Lenoir City.  After that they moved to Crossville, to Crab Orchard, then to Wild Things Farm.  In spite of being relocated several times, they still remind me of my Nanny and I smile when they bloom.

 

In the photo below you’ll see the “Front Bluff” gardens planted in Swiss Chard, lettuce, kale, onions, mixed greens, and spinach—all covered up with row cover.  Maybe I can fool Mother Nature long enough to get a few things under way a little early!

The area nearest the camera is the newly established berry bed.  I killed the grass in this area last year, mulched with chicken manure, and will mulch with leaves before the raspberries, tayberries, blackberries, and hazelnuts are planted.

 

I’ll go throw another log on the fire and dream of warmer days……

 

 

Twas the week before Christmas

And all around the farm, the creatures were stirring….

 

 

 

Really looking for something to harm……did you think I was going through that whole poem?  Really……..

Today was one of those wintertime treats!  Sunny….mid 40’s at some point during the day.  It’s funny how 50, cloudy and breezy is intolerable but 33 and sunny calm is great!

One of the projects on my “to do” list for the winter is to mulch around the blackberries and blueberries and I got started on that yesterday……

 

I know, I know, the black leaf holders are kind of ugly, but they do keep the leaves from blowing around until they are put in their place.  I’m using layers of newspaper around the bushes then lots of leaves to keep the weeds down.  I do have lots of leaves….

 

I LOVE my leaves!

 

Each season, John, Dear (that would be my tractor) and I spread a thick layer of leaves over every inch of garden space, in the chicken pens, and wherever I want new garden ground.  I did get the orchard completely mulched last week as well—yay!

 

One thing I’m experimenting with this year is planting seedlings in the high tunnel throughout the winter season.  Most of the crops in high tunnels are planted in late September/early October but in the hurry of getting another high tunnel built this year and all the other chores I have around the farm, the big high tunnel wasn’t completely planted before cold weather set in.  I’m experimenting to see if everything doesn’t need to be planted at the same time.  So far I’ve planted endive, yellow and scarlet mustard, braising mix, assorted varieties of lettuce, sorrel, and kale.  The first test plot was planted about 3 weeks ago and I’ve harvested a few greens from them.  Today I planted another 5 flats of seedlings and we’ll see how they do.   True, things do grow slower this time of year, but they do still grow!  I say hopefully next year I’ll have time to get everything in earlier 🙂

Okay, now scroll back up to the first pictures.  The kittens follow me into the high tunnels and catch and eat grasshoppers!  I don’t know how to reward a cat, but I make a big deal when they catch one.

(2nd pic) Hattie the Catahoula dug in that bed for hours–then she came up with a mouse!  I was so proud–that’s one I won’t have to deal with 🙂  Notice one of the Happy Hens had made her way up to the bed…..see next pic….

The chickens were in their pen and I was in the back garden spreading leaves.  This garden is really close to their pen, and they were following me up and down the fence.  I got to thinking–hmmm what is there to keep them in the pen?  Just a fence–no gardens to scratch up and destroy, so I let them loose.  They had a ball!  I think I’ll let them out again tomorrow…it’s supposed to be pretty here again (yay).

Until next time…..

Figs in the house!

Last year I planted a Brown Turkey fig tree in the back portion of the hoop house.  It died all the way to the ground during the really cold part of winter but sprung back up when the weather warmed up.

I’ve never had any experience with fig trees, and actually have never had much experience with figs at all–except for Fig Newtons–

A few weeks ago I was in the back of the high tunnel gathering tomatoes or something and noticed figs on the tree!

As of today they are still green and hard and actually probably won’t ripen before frost.  Sunday I stopped by a friend’s house to deliver eggs and they had GORGEOUS muscadine vines, loaded with hard green muscadines.  He said this year was the first year that frost might get the fruit before it ripens……..

Global weirding at its best!

 

Bad bugs gone “good”?

We’ve always heard the expression good guys gone bad, but bad guys gone good?

In the hoophouse, tomatoes were planted in late winter.  During the summer they produced and produced bunches of tasty tomatoes.  In the process, the tomato hornworms found them, even inside the plastic surround of the hoophouse.

There are parasitic wasps that like to feed upon these giant green monsters that devour tomato plants, and I haven’t really experienced them in the hoophouse yet, so I sort of panicked when I saw so many hornworms on the tomato plants, but then I noticed that most of them were decked out with little white globules on them.  “Parasitic wasps”!  They did venture into the tunnel!  I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many hornworms on tomato plants, BUT I’ve never seen so many parasitic wasp eggs either.  The hornworms that had eggs on them got to stay on the plants (it was hard to do, but I left them).  These are the “Bad guys gone good”.  I’m hoping the parasitic wasps will find a place to winter over in the warmth of the high tunnel.  The hornworms that didn’t have any eggs on them?  Well, even the chickens won’t eat them, so they must be bad.

By the way, birds fly freely in and out of the high tunnel too.  I sure hope they are working on the grasshopper population in there!  It’s a lively place 🙂

 

Late winter “blues”

Here in Tennessee this winter has become one of the nastiest and coldest that I remember and much of the winter has been spent working inside.   Several projects have been completed inside the house, namely flooring and stair railing.

Yesterday was a late winter “blues gift” of blue skies and a beautiful day where one could get outside and do a few cleanup chores.

Protecting the chickens’ domain are two huge sycamore trees.  Anyone who has had the opportunity of sharing the same piece of ground with a sycamore tree knows how messy they are.  I renamed them “Stick-a-more” trees because I picked up a pile of sticks that was about 4 feet wide and 6 feet tall in no time at all.  I burned them on top of a stump I’m trying to get rid of that is in an area where I want to plant basil this season. 

I spent a while in the high tunnel cleaning out crops that just didn’t enjoy being in there over the winter.  Broccoli didn’t appreciate the cold temperatures so I put them out of their misery and into the chicken pen.  There was also one last bed of spinach in one of the outside gardens that the chickens enjoyed immensely.  I folded endless numbers of frost blanket and stacked them to be ready for unexpected frosts and finished pulling all the wire hoops, posts, and stakes out of the gardens in preparation for that day when suddenly the ground is dry enough to till.  That day seems like an eternity away right now because if you step off the pathways you just might lose your shoe!

The greenhouse is also getting busy.  Seeds have been started on propagation mats for a mesclun mix, lettuce, lots of onions, swiss chard, kale, and arugula.  I’ve also started seeds for an early tomato to be planted in the high tunnel just to see how early one can get a tomato here in this area.

Yesterday’s case of the “wintertime blues” was much welcome–I hope everyone else within shot of it got to enjoy the day as much as I did.

High Tunnel project at the farm

I remember hearing about the fall gardens going in at the White House and it kind of drew my interest so I watched the online video of the project, but being easily distracted as I am, I didn’t pay too much attention to the video because I noticed a popup ad from the USDA NRCS about a program for high tunnels, so that’s where I went.

Fast forward through all the phone calls, and stacks of paperwork,  and Wild Things Farm was approved for a 20’x96′ square foot high tunnel—whoohooo!

Progress on the high tunnel has been minimal throughout the summer because its priority fell behind the CSA produce, so it’s been slow, but steady.  Lo and behold yesterday the project was completed. 

The frame is from Grower’s Solution in Cookeville, TN.  It’s a great frame, met all the specs, and the price was reasonable.  Oh, and they delivered it for free (cute college guy in a pickup truck!)

The local NRCS person came out to the farm and helped me lay out the rectangle–he had surveying equipment that made it much easier. 

After that, I pulled strings, drove in the ground stakes (as straight as I could) then started assembling the bows and placing them in the stakes.  Attached to that is the 2×6 baseboard.   My friend Kim helped with some of the stake and bow project, but most of the job was just a minute or two here and there all season,  by yours truly. 

Once the bows were up, the purlin was to go on.  I looked at the diagram on the net on how to install the cross connectors, and I interpreted the purlin to be on top, right?  I get the whole purlin installed and I keep looking at it thinking that something just didn’t look right.  I’ve been in hundreds of greenhouses and never paid any attention. 

 

Okay, so I’m looking at the video and “uh-oh”, the purlin goes on the bottom.  Oh yeah, I was wondering how that big hump was going to work out with the plastic.  Under is much better 🙂  So, I get the ladder out again, go all the way through the greenhouse and move the purlin from on top to under. Lots of up and down and twisting with a rachet.   Lesson learned.

Several trips to the local Lowe’s  punctuated with spurts of carpentry work ended up being the ends of the house.  The doors are 6′ wide x 8′ tall, just inches larger than my tractor. 

The plastic goes on the ends first because the big plastic on the house is supposed to go on last, and they share the same wiggle wire channel along the end purlin.  I used clamps to hold the plastic in place while I adjusted and attached the plastic to the ends. 

Once the ends were on, it was time for the big  plastic.  The plastic made me nervous for some reason–I don’t know why, maybe because it’s SO BIG!  Several people offered to help, but when I got outside yesterday morning, it was like, really still, and I thought “oh what the heck; I’ve got 2 ladders and 4 clamps, let’s go for it!”

Lots of trips up and down the ladder, dragging it from end to end several times, twisting clamps, and 2-1/2 hours later, the plastic was on!  A slight breeze began to blow just as I was attaching the last side of the plastic–perfect timing!

The wiggle wire system is fun to use but makes my hands sore from so much gripping and pulling.  It tightens up the plastic very nicely.

The roll-up sides were another story.  I had a time getting the poles to roll up evenly from one end to the other.  I redid the first side 4 times before I was satisfied with the results.  The second side took only 1 try–thank goodness for small favors!  The black webbing holds the side in place while it is rolled up and down, and the webbing plus the weight of the pole holds it all in place during cold weather.  The roll up side sure cools off the inside of the house–it’s almost the same temp as the outside with the sides up–good decision to add that option.

 

It has changed the landscape of the farm, for the better, I think.  There’s already a pile of leaves outside ready to be placed around the crops and in the pathways, and 2 scoops of chicken manure inside ready to be tilled in–yeah!

Being a CSA farmer means very long hours for several months of the year, and a welcome break at the end of the season.

So WHAT WAS I THINKING?  High tunnel, extended season?

Why certainly!  After a full summer of intensively gardening  just over 4 acres, this little garden should be fun!  (Once I figure it out!)