Lettuce

Lettuce plants grow in cool weather, and with a little protection may overwinter. Most dark greens are good sources of Vitamin C and other nutrients. The rule of thumb is, usually, the darker the greens, the more nutritious the leaf.

For a market garden, you will get more income for leaf and lettuce crops per square foot of garden space.


Planting

Early spring is a great time to plant your lettuce seeds. Lettuce likes the cooler temps, generally 40 to 60 degrees F. In warmer climates, you can likely grow lettuce until it reaches about 80 degrees F. If you plant seeds in the spring, you should try to get started at least a month before the hot weather hits your area. You can also plant in the late summer for a fall harvest.

Something new that we are trying this year is the planting of lettuce in a shaded garden under a part of our forest canopy. The trees are large, and tree trunks are spread far apart. This area that is significantly cooler than our open field gardens in the heat of the day. A friend has reported good success with this type of forest planting. We will see how it goes for us this year! (UPDATE, this did not work for us in 2012. I think you have to get the plants started in the early spring. There just was not enough light in this plot to get the lettuce going.)

We make a shallow furrow, and sprinkle in the seeds. Then we cover with the slightest dusting of potting soil to help hold moisture. Some seeds need light to germinate, so don't bury those kind of seeds.

You should see seedlings sprouting in 7 to 10 days. When your lettuce is about 1 to 2 inches high, you should thin the plants a bit so that there is about eight inches of space between each other. If you want to have lettuce growing throughout the season, you can plant different types every few weeks (about 10 to 14 days apart). This is called successive planting. (web)


Planting Record 2012

This late winter, we noticed some small lettuce volunteer plants coming up from the Black Seed Simpson leaf lettuce patch. Last year we allowed the patch to go to seed, and new plants were growing even though there was snow outside. When we could work the soil, we transplanted these into a lettuce bed, and they filled the bed of 4' by 60'. We have been eating this lettuce all spring, and it is just now starting to rise up getting ready to bolt. For the past week or so, we have noticed this lettuce becoming a bit bitter as our temperatures have been rising.

From this experience, we can see that lettuce can really grow early in the season!

On May 21 we planted 5 rows in the woods consisting of:

1. Lettuce Sangria MTO
2. Lettuce Beleah Rose
3. Lettuce Cimmaron
4. Romaine Lettuce Red Amish Deer Tongue
5. Romaine Lettuce Parris Island

As of June 10, we can conclude that we waited too long to plant in the woods, or that our woods are too dark. There are some small weeds growing, but the lettuce planted does not seem to be doing well.


Pests

Lettuce can be attacked by a variety of insects and animals. I have seen small lettuce plants in a green house covered by aphids. Insecticidal soap can be effective deterrent for aphids.

Rabbits and deer could also be attracted to your offering of salad. Fencing is suggested if animal pressure is high.

Harvest

We suggest you harvest in the early part of the day. I think lettuce plants are crisper and a bit sweeter in the early morning as compared to afternoon harvests. Cool lettuce quickly and store them in a cool location. The crop should be cleaned, and then dried to prevent spoilage.


Resources

• Pests of Lettuce (web)

Creating an Orchard

Fruit is wonderful, flavorful, and healthful! If you get fruit varieties suited to your climate, you will have a much easier return on the investment of time as compared with vegetables. Fruit trees do not have to be coaxed to life each year.

Just as in my article: Creating a Garden, you have to prepare the ground of your orchard before you plant. Take special care to add mineral nutrients to make your soil a perfect location for a tree to thrive. In addition to these suggestions, I want to provide some planting guidelines and spacing suggestions for your orchard.


Orchard considerations

• Some trees need partners to pollinate well. Some trees are male and others female, and these surely need pairs to be successful.
• There are different tree root stocks which will help control the size of the tree. You need to plan your orchard spacing with this information in mind.
• How you plan to cultivate weeds, irrigate and harvest your fruit may influence your inter-tree spacing within the row, and the space between the rows. Orchards take a lot of ground, so plan out the grid and prepare the holes before you purchase trees.
• If you are wanting to go organic, or at least avoid toxic chemicals as much as possible, consider purchasing disease resistant trees. (See this reference also.)
• Orchards need attention at specific times of the year. An orchard is not something you plant and forget till harvest. There is something to do each month and some months, there are a lot of things to do. You need to be able to devote time to the trees for watering, training, insect control and pruning.

Propagation

• You may want to propagate free stock. Any tree cultivar less than 17 years in production may be under trademark, and should not be propagated without permission and payment of royalty.
• Starting fruit trees is not hard. Root stocks are selected for their vigorous growth. The grafted stock, or scion is also easy to grow. With one root and one scion tree source, you could have hundreds of grafted trees in a period of a few years.
• Some trees and bush varieties grow directly on their own root stocks, and are easy to self propagate and share with others.
• Vines, berries, and all of the trees are readily propagated. Find examples to take terminal clippings from. The normal pruning process will yield a large quantity of new starts if wanted.

Apple tree just after planting.

Spacing

I have enjoyed walking through surrounding orchards, and observing the pruning methods, and orchard layout. The spacing would depend on the type of root stock which determines the size of the adult tree: dwarf, semi-dwarf or regular.

Fruit trees need a fair amount of space. For the small orchard like ours, I would assume you will be looking for semi-dwarf root stock varieties (where possible.)  I do not suggest you work with dwarf stock unless you really have no room for any trees. Dwarf root stock stunts the tree so badly, that you have tree health issues ongoing. We chose to lay our orchard out on a 15 foot grid. This will be just right for the semi-dwarf trees, and a bit small for the regular sized cherry trees. We decided to place the cherry's on the north side of the orchard plot so as they grow they will not shade the other trees too much. Some full sized apple trees could use a diameter of 25 feet, so know your root stock, and plan your spacing accordingly.


Orchard Planting 2012

When looking to plant our orchard, we decided to focus on trees that were hardy and disease resistant. We wanted trees that would offer a low chemical spray requirement. Our selections are as follows:

• Pear: Moonglow, Starking Delicious
• Apple: Freedom, Crimson Crisp, Galarina, Goldrush x2, Gala-like Resista
• Peach: SunHaven, Contender, Cresthaven, Glowhaven, Stellar Glowingstar, Stellar Blazingstar, Stellar Autumstar
• Plum: Sugar/German, Mount Royal
• Cherry: White Gold Sweet, Black Gold, Stella

Orchard Update 2016

The Apple trees and peach trees had their first real year last season. This year the peaches have come on thick, and it has taken days to thin out the thousands of extra peaches. The peach tree borers have been hard on the peaches. Several trees are affected, and it seems also that some of the early limb angles were not enough to prevent bark being impacted in the growing tree bark, making for what looks like very weak crotches. I will have to support these, and watch this closer with any future trees planted.

In May 2016, I planted three more threes on the west end of the rows. This will make the three rows from North to South:

1) Royalton Sweet Cherry, Sugar/German Plum, Mount Royal Plum, White Gold Sweet Cherry, Chinese Apricot, (dying) Stellar Autumstar
2) SunHaven Peach, Contender, Cresthaven, Glowhaven, Stellar Glowingstar, Stellar Blazingstar
3) Liberty Apple, Crimson Crisp, Galarina, Goldrush x2, Gala-like Resista

Orchard Update 2018

The tree layout for 2018 is by row:

• 1: Pear: Moonglow, Moonglow
• 2: Pear: Starking Delicious, Starking Delicious
• 3: Apple: Freedom, Crimson Crisp, Galarina, Goldrush x2, Gala-like Resista (not doing well)
• 4: Peach: SunHaven, Contender, Cresthaven, Glowhaven, Cresthaven, Cresthaven
• 5: Royalton Sweet Cherry, Sugar/German Plum, Mount Royal Plum, White Gold Sweet Cherry, Black Gold Cherry (new), Stella Cherry

In the perspective of time, I would not plant any apple trees again (in my area). The diseases and pests make organic apples not worth eating (in my opinion), and conventional apples are readily available in our area.

Tree planting principles

1. For maximum production, trees need deep soil ~ 3 feet deep.
2. Many areas have a clay or hardpan under the surface, and this needs to be broken up and penetrated so the roots can develop and allow for proper drainage. Prevent a hard layer or clay glaze around the hole you dig. You want the roots to penetrate out of the hole into the ground beyond.
3. When preparing the planting hole, care should be taken to not include so much mulch that the tree settles and the crown sinks below the surface of the soil line. The tree needs to be planted at the same depth as it was grown at.
4. Do not let the roots dry out in the planting process. If bare root trees can not be immediately planted, the roots should be protected from drying out, perhaps even temporarily being planted.
5. Add to the hole: mulch (leaf mould), top soil and the soil from the hole. Add some kelp powder or a small amount of sea salt for micro-nutrients. Do not fertilize a new tree.
6. Deep in the hole, place a plastic pot upside down, a section of drainage tubing, or some object which can form an air / water cavity. This is not as needed in well drained soils such as sand.
7. Add some rocks deep into the hole, but not a solid rock layer.
8. Mound up the soil contents in the center of the hole, preparing a base for the tree roots to rest on.
9. In windy and exposed areas, consider placing a large rock on top of the mound, around which with tree roots could rest and grow. The rock would serve as an anchor for the tree.
10. Plant the tree to original soil depth, filling in around it with the soil mixture already prepared.
11. Plant the graft union notch to the north east to help prevent sunburn on the graft.
12. The soil line around the tree should be 1-2 inches above the surrounding soil. This is a slight mound around the tree.
13. Water the tree with 5 gallons of water after planting to help remove excess air from the roots, and provide moisture.
14. If the soil is heavy loam or clay, care should be taken to not drown the roots with too much water. Mixing soils as mentioned should remove this danger because of the mixture of the top soil and compost into the planting mix.
15. Water the tree regularly (2 times a week may be a minimum in hot / dry weather.) The tree must be nursed to life and its roots will not be able to stand much stress. Make a circular watering basin around the tree at the perimeter of the roots and beyond to water the planting area. Do not have the water pool around the trunk.
16. Mulch the tree 3 feet around the trunk to prevent competing weeds and hold moisture. The mulch can be wood chips or other mulch material, around 6 inches in depth. Do not mulch right up to the trunk as this could encourage crown rot and harbor pests that could damage the tree.

Initial Pruning and Training

Mail order trees may be initially pruned for you. If you buy local, the initial pruning will not be done, and you must prune the trees right after planting, so the branches and leaves are cut back to the level the disturbed roots can support. Bare root trees must be pruned to survive. How you prune depends on the type of tree. You want to prune to select the apical bud that will grow outward from the tree, rather than inward to the center.

On almost all fruit, it is important to train for wide crotch angles of at least 45 degrees. This measurement is from the trunk to the branch angle. A narrow crotch angle is weaker and more prone to break under the fruit crop load. Good healthy trees have crotch angles of 45 to 90 degrees.


Resources

• Choose trees that will produce in your area (web)
• Getting started with fruit production (web)
• How to grow organic peaches (web)
• Planting and pruning guide (pdf)
• Planting and care of young fruit trees (pdf)

Beans

Beans are a favorite staple on our homestead. You can pick them young and tender for steaming and fresh eating, or let them mature in the bean pod to a dried bean which can be easily stored and cooked for consumption. Legumes have the benefit of not only being healthy for us to eat, but they can fix nitrogen with the help of bacteria in nodules on their roots.


Nutrition

Beans are high protein food. As green beans, they are perfect fresh, canned or frozen. If you let the beans dry in the pod, they store will as seeds all winter.


Planting

Plant beans two weeks before your areas last frost date, and transplant them to soil one week after your last frost date. Then sow a new patch of beans every 2 weeks for a consistent and long lasting harvest through the summer. Beans generally take 50-60 days to mature, so take this into consideration as you approach the fall season.

Sow bush bean seeds 1 1/2" deep, and 12" apart. Sow pole beans along a climbing trellis.

In our area, there are a host of reasons we don't get good success with planting directly in the field. We have  had good success planting inside, and transplanting the established plant into the field. Soil temperature is a key factor, in that beans do not germinate well when the soil is below 50 degrees F. If sowing into the field, make sure your soil temperatures have risen above 50.


Harvesting and food preservation

For fresh beans, pick them while tender, and eat them as soon after picking as possible. They are simply outstanding! If you are going to freeze the beans, soak them briefly in boiling water (called blanching) to stop the enzyme activity from lowering the bean taste and quality. Cool as quickly as possible, such as dipping into ice water, and then package for freezing. We regularly use 1 gallon freezer bags, and as we set the bag into the freezer, I try to bunch the beans into two sections of the bag, so that we can easily extract 1/2 a gallon for a specific meal without having to thaw the entire bag.


Seed saving

Most beans are self fertilizing, and are very easy to save seed from. Bees can be pollinators, and for seed purity it is suggested that you exclude bees or separate crops by one mile. On select plants that you want to save seed from, allow the pod to fully mature, or be over ripe to a tough and dry pod. Then harvest the pods, and shell the beans for storage. Make sure the beans are well dried before over winter storage. It is expected that beans will remain viable for 4 years.


Varieties we are planting in 2012

• Blue lake - bush bean 
• McCaslan - pole bean 
• Bell's Corn Bean - pole bean * 
• Gregory's favorite lima  - pole bean *

*Non commercial varieties.

Resources

• Growing Beans in the Vegetable Garden (pdf)
• A followup post on the results of our bean plantings in 2012. (web)

Exhort

The other day, I was reading Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

I was interested in the verse, because of the very end of the verse: "As ye see the day approaching." Now, what day do you think this is talking about? As I looked at the context, I believe the "day" is the coming of Jesus. The first coming of Jesus was the focus and culmination of the old testament. The second coming of Jesus is the focus and culmination of the entire Bible and the great controversy between Christ and Satan. So, I get really interested in things the Bible tells us to do more and more as the soon coming of Jesus is approaching.

If you agree with me that the coming of Jesus is soon! then what is this that we should be doing. So my attention then went toward this old English word "Exhort." The verse says as we see the coming of Jesus approaching, we need to meet together, and in this meeting or gathering, we need to exhort each other. The meetings together and the act of exhorting needs to increase as Earth's time winds down.

So we gather together, and encourage each other, we call to action, and study together the Word of God. In this we exhort each other.

Follow these select passages that use the word exhort:

• Jer 11:7 'For I earnestly exhorted your fathers in the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, until this day, rising early and exhorting, saying, "Obey My voice." NKJV
• Act 13:15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, [Ye] men [and] brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.
• Act 15:32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed [them].
• Rom 12:5-8 So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, [let us wait] on [our] ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, [let him do it] with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
• Hbr 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
• Hbr 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
• 1Th 2:11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father [doth] his children,
• 2Th 3:12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
• 1Ti 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
• 1Ti 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort [him] as a father, younger men as brothers, NKJV
• 1Ti 6:2 And they that have believing masters, let them not despise [them], because they are brethren; but rather do [them] service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.
• Tts 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
• Tts 2:12-15 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

From these references, I get the idea that exhort is more than just preaching a cerebral teaching. It seems to also involve action on the part of the hearer. Action that is encouraged and mentored by the one exhorting. In this time of earth's history, we need to encourage and prompt each other to action like no other time. We need to gather in small groups, where we are engaged in helping each other grow and develop into the image of Christ.

My challenge to you is to exhort those in your sphere of influence.

Agent Orange Corn

I just heard of a very concerning event. The USDA is on the verge of approving a genetically engineered corn which can withstand the powerful chemical 2,4-D. This is one of the defoliant chemical components of Agent Orange. Agent Orange has been linked to "birth defects, cancer, and other health problems." (web) There is an opportunity for you to give critical feedback to the USDA by Friday, April 27, 2012. I stand in opposition of this technology being released to the gene pool.

If this gene modification is approved, a host of chemical companies are working on follow up species. The first two already in work are soy and cotton. "Of the 20 genetically engineered crops awaiting government approval, 13 are intended to be resistant to one or more herbicides." (web) Just as we saw with the exponential use of Round Up, I fear these even more powerful chemicals will dramatically rise in use. This is not the way to confront the weed problem! Already there is a weed that has shown genetic resistance to 2,4-D.

The effect is many fold:

1. Genetic modification to the plant which could stimulate allergic response just from tampering with the corn genes.
2. Increase in the use of the chemical 2,4-D is virtually guaranteed. This will build up in the environment and could affect other vegetable crops.
3. 2,4-D resistance substances made by the gene, and/or the broken down sub-components of the drenching of the plant in 2,4-D would be residuals on the corn. The inserted gene allows the plant to break down 2,4-D. Who is to say the sub parts are any better for our health? Corn is used in a lot of American food, and these substances WILL make it into the food supply.
4. 2,4-D volatilizes, and could affect land miles away from the sprayed crop as noted here. (web)

I encourage you to act.

The USDA is open to your feedback for a limited time. You can submit your feedback here:

http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=APHIS-2010-0103-0001


Resources

• New York Times article (web)
• Tell USDA you don't want Agent Orange corn! (web form)

Onions

Onions with potatoes are a wonderful fit, both in the skillet and in the garden. We have tried yellow, white and red onions, and it seems we always come back for the yellow ones. They store better than whites or reds, and storage is a big factor for us, since we cant eat hundreds of pounds of unions all at one time.

Last year we started from onion sets, which are small onion bulbs, and had over 50% make seed pods. This year I am trying onion plants in stead. The theory here is that it takes a lot of energy to make the seed pod, and if this can be avoided, you will have larger production toward the onion bulb. Another factor is that the seed stalk rising from the onion causes it to spoil faster. Since onions go to seed on the second year, if the onion set is too large, or undergoes unusual temperature extremes, it may think the planting is the second year, and go to seed. I am hoping that using plants will completely solve the issue this year.

When onions are first planted, their growth is concentrated on new roots and green leaves or tops. The onion will first form a top and then when a specific combination of daylight, darkness, and temperature is reached, bulb formation starts.

"The size of the onion bulb is dependent upon the number and size of the green leaves or tops at the time of bulb maturity. For each leaf there will be a ring of onion; the larger the leaf, the larger the ring will be. The onion will first form a top and then, depending on the onion variety and length of daylight, start to form the bulb. Onions are characterized by day length; "long-day" onion varieties will quit forming tops and begin to form bulbs when the daylength reaches 14 to 16 hours while "short-day" onions will start making bulbs much earlier in the year when there are only 10 to 12 hours of daylight. A general rule of them is that "long-day" onions do better in northern states (north of 36th parallel) while "short-day" onions do better in states south of that line." (web)


Planting suggestions

Onion plants are hardy and can withstand temperatures as low as 20 degrees F. They should be set out 4 to 6 weeks prior to the date of the last average spring freeze. Set plants out approximately one inch deep with a 4 to 6 inch spacing. We set rows in a bed, and space the rows 8 to 12 inches apart. We mark out a 4 foot bed, and have 4 rows in the bed.

Onions are not very good at supressing weed growth, and regular weeding will be needed to protect your crop yield. We have tried adding leaf compost and another year straw to the bed. These items help, but hand weeding seem a needed action on our farm. Always hand-weed any weeds close to your onions as they are easily damaged by garden tools.


Companion plants

Onions do well in companion planting, assisting nightshades and brassicas. If you are having pest pressure on the onions themselves, carrots can help confuse attacking insects. (web)


Resources

• Onion information (web)

Potatoes

Potatoes are a staple of our family. They are perhaps my favorite vegetable, and this year, we are growing a lot of them. By planting a lot of them, I am going to have to build a root cellar this fall to store all our harvest.

We have always enjoyed potatoes from the store, but when we grew our own for the first time, it was like an explosion of soft, tender flavor. "Wow" could be heard over and over around our table. Our youngest boy wondered if he had been transported to potato paradise. "These are the best potatoes ever!" I hope I have encouraged you to try growing potatoes. They are simple to grow, and don't take a lot of work to maintain till harvest. We had no pest pressure last year, and we are moving this years planting location to the other side of the garden. We hope if there was a potato beetle that we did not see, its larva will die before finding the location of the new crop.


Varieties

There are many varieties of potatoes. We have only tried a few, and will branch out over time to try more. If you are new at potatoes, try what other area gardeners suggest works well in your area. I suggest you get certified virus free seed potatoes. It is possible to plant again from your own stock, but I hear that the size of the potatoes will diminish over time if you have virus buildup.


Our history for 2012

April 19, planted:

Yukon Gold       75#
Red Pontiac         7#

We have found that 7# of red potatoes took up 80 feet of row space (one row). Also planted 50# of Yukon Gold, and we ended up with 4 additional rows of 80 feet. We have yet 25# to plant.

July 17: Counted up the potato early harvest: 560 lbs. This represents 6/10 of our planted rows,15 bushels. We sorted all of the potatoes and only the firm, uncut and completely dry potatoes went into the seller for longer term storage. Our rows are 90' and 6 rows equals 540 feet, yielding just over a pound of potatoes per foot of planted row.

When harvesting potatoes, we found some of the seed potatoes still intact, but soft or spoiling. We took care to sort these out of our harvest, to not spoil the new harvest.

August 2: Attempted a fall planting, by planting 1/2 bu of sprouting potatoes. We will see how this goes.

November 4: The second planting survived the early October frosts with just some slight leaf burn, but were dead by the end of October. We harvested perhaps 4 bu from the second planting. They were fine potatoes, but since the plants did not die down on their own, I think an earlier planting date would have been helpful to the yield.


Planting

It is suggested that you plant your potatoes about 2 weeks before your last frost. Potatoes can withstand some cooler temps, but not prolonged or hard freezing.

Potatoes can be planted in hills or rows. Last year we tried hills, and we did not have as dense or complete production as we would have had with a row. So, after testing it out, rows is our planting format of choice from now on. You set the seed potatoes 18 to 24" apart within the row, and set the rows from 3 to 5 feet apart.

We have a 3 point implement called a "middle buster" for setting a planting furrow. It will also work perfectly for digging the potatoes in the fall. We have seen this tool demonstrated by a friend last fall. We started with a straight track in the field, and then returned for the next pass and drove the wheel down in the previous track. This resulted in the furrows being just over 3 foot apart, which is perfect for potatoes.

Prior to planting, you can chit the seed potatoes by setting them in a warmer location, out of direct sun light. this will encourage the eyes to sprout, and speed up the early growth process. If you have sprouts, point the sprouts upwards. These will be stems for the plant. If you have large potatoes with several developing eyes, you can slice the potato into sections around each eye. Then each section can be planted on its own. If you do slice the seed potatoes, allow them to sit out for several days for the cut surface to harden a scab. This will help prevent rot that may happen if the cut potato was immediately planted.


Pests

Virus blight and insects are potato crop killers. Crop rotation will help in both cases.


Companion plants

Beans, cabbage, corn, and horseradish are excellent companion plants. Some even claim these make the potatoes taste better.

Tansy, nasturtium, coriander, and catnip planted nearby repel Colorado potato beetle.

Interplant potatoes with lettuce, scallions, radishes, and spinach. All of these crops mature fast and will be harvested long before the potatoes are ready to harvest.


What not to plant with potatoes

Avoid planting potatoes with tomatoes, sunflowers, raspberries, pumpkins, squash, and cucumbers. These plants may encourage blight.

Don't plant potatoes in an area that has been planted with any other Solanaceous crops in the last three+ years. This includes tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant.


Family story

Family history has passed down this true story: My great grandfather was Irish and a potato farmer in Iowa. At harvest, he had a wagon piled high of good sized potatoes, and with his horse team he pulled the load into town. Stopping by the grocery, he inquired as to how many potatoes he could sell.

The grocer came out to the street and said, "I won't buy any of your potatoes, not a one! These large Irish potatoes have a holes in them. My customers do not like the hollow space in their potatoes, and I will buy none from you!" My great grand father as convincingly replied, "Not a one of my potatoes has a hole!"  He picked a large potato from the pile, and taking his knife, sliced the potato in half. There to his dismay was a very large void -- a hole in his potato.

The story goes that he said nothing more, but got on the wagon and drove to another grocery. I would guess he limited his claims from then on.


Resources

• Potato Growing Guide (web)
• Potato Diseases (web)

Strawberries

Strawberries are a great food for your garden. Not only are they easy to grow but they don't require a lot of space. And the strawberries are oh so tasty. I suggest you plant varieties that work well for other area farmers, as some varieties will not grow well in all areas.

Soil requirements and planting

Strawberries love a soil pH in the range of 5.5 to 6.5. Work the planting bed into a fine fluff, and mark out the plant placement.

For a matted row bed, set the plants 18 - 24 inches apart along the row. Space the rows 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart. We leave a 2 foot walking path which we keep clear of spreading strawberry plants with a rototiller.


Plant care

Strawberries have shallow roots, and they should not be allowed to dry out. They need 1-2 inches of water a week, especially when fruit is setting.

Mulching is often placed in the spring and again in the fall after the first freeze to prevent heaving of the plants out of the soil.



Varieties we have chosen to plant in 2012

Ozark Beauty   50 plants
Honeoye          50 plants
Earliglow          50 plants

Resources

• Strawberries in the home garden (web)
• Strawberry planting guide (web)

Spring planting has begun!

If your area is like ours, it is a very early and unseasonably warm spring. We are planting the cold crops, and it feels like we could plant more!

Check out our spring planting post for details.

Yesterday we volunteered with a friend to prune a vineyard, and we were able to take all the trimming we wanted to propagate new grape plants. If all of these live, we will have lots of grape plants to share!

I have a lot of information I want to post in this blog, but I find less time available for the computer. My posts will have to slow down for the summer, but I will not forget you! I will keep learning and will share as soon as possible!

Blueberries

Blueberries have gotten some good press about their health giving properties. As perennials, small fruits and berries will perform year after year without the startup work required for vegetables. Since we live in the north, blueberry fields are common in our area, and we have grown to love them.

Our plan is to plant 10-20 blue berry plants this spring. The biggest challenge we face is that our soils are alkaline, and as noted below, these plants love acidic soils. This will be a major challenge to change the soil pH around this growing area.


Growing preferences

Blueberries come from bushy plants that love boggy and wet areas. They do not want to be covered with water, but they do like to keep their roots moist. We have a wet area along the side of our field that we think would be ideal for our new blue berry plants.

They also like acidic soil, as is found in a bog. Your target pH is 4.5 to 5.5, and most soil will need amendments to assist in the lowering of the pH. Amend the soil to a depth of 14 inches by two feet wide. Pine needles, pine bark, elemental sulfur, ammomium sulfate and peat moss can lower the pH in your garden bed that will hold your blue berries. Canadian sphagnum peat moss has a pH of 3.0 to 4.5 making it an ideal amendment for blueberries. If necessary lower pH and supply nitrogen by adding 1 lb. of ammonium sulfate commercial fertilizer to 100 feet per inch depth of sawdust. Organic growers can use elemental sulfur and cottonseed meal or feather meal. It takes several months to a year for sulfur to lower the pH. Prepare blueberry planting site well in advance for best results.


Varieties

Follow this link for a beautiful chart of blueberry varieties. (web)

Elliott has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of all blueberry varieties.

     Once picked Elliott has a storage life of up to 12 weeks. (web)


Varieties we have planted in 2012, and updated in 2014 replacing a dead Bluecrop.

Duke         x1
Bluecrop    x9
Blue Ray    x10
Earliblue    x10
Ka-Bluey    x5
Chandler    x5


Planting and soil preparation

"Select a sunny location with well-drained soil that is free of weeds and is well-worked.  It's best to locate your blueberry plants in an area where irrigation is readily available as best results will be achieved by keeping the root zone moist throughout the growing season.

"Blueberries prefer acidic soils. A fail-safe way to grow blueberries in almost any soil is to incorporate peat moss into the planting medium. For planting directly in the ground, work up a planting area approximately 2½ feet in diameter and 2 foot deep for each plant. Remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the soil. Add an equal amount of pre-moistened peat moss and mix well.  (One 4 cubic foot compressed bale will usually be sufficient for 2-4 plants.)" (web)

Space your bushes from 4 to 6 feet apart with 7 to 10 feet between rows. Commercial farms space the rows 10 feet apart which is large enough for tractor access down the row. The home gardener can plant them 3 to 4 feet apart in any arrangement fitting the home landscape. Set at the same depth plants grew in container or ground. Planting too deeply will smother the roots. Little or no pruning is needed for the first two years except to remove broken or rubbing branches. Strip off all blossoms and fruits until the plant is well established (36 to 42 inches tall).


Mulch

Blueberries require mulch. For the first year mulch with fir, pine, or hemlock well rotted sawdust extending out 2 feet around plant to a depth of 3 inches so roots will not grow up into the mulch. After the first year increase mulch to a depth of 6 inches mounded around the crown. As plants mature extend the mulch out to the drip line. Mulch will gradually break down to help feed the plant and supply the high rate of organic matter blueberries need. More important, mulch provides a cool root run and conserves moisture, both requirements for blueberries. Other materials may be used as mulch such as composted pine needles or shredded leaves. General compost made from vegetable materials may be too high in pH for blueberries. Fresh grass clippings can heat up and damage surface roots. (web)


Planting History 2012

We ordered one Ka-Bluey plant online via a sale, and 4 more from another online site. The 30 other plants were picked up at a wholesaler, at a much better per unit price. The single Ka-Bluey came in the mail a week before we had scheduled to get the other plants from the wholesaler, so we put it in the ground on April 2. We were gone to a retreat for the next week, and there were some cold nights while we were gone. We watered well, and a friend also watered the plant, but when we returned, the once green leaves were brown red. I thought it was dying. Looking this up on the Internet, I see this is common for plants that were used to the warm, being transplanted into the cold of early spring to have the leaves turn red. This is the normal coinsurance in the fall due to cold temps. I hope the plant pulls through. Since we have been back to the homestead, I have protected the plant by covering it with an overturned bucket on the nights of frost danger.

10 Bluecrop ready for planting

We have waited to plant any additional plants till the 10 day forecast does not include the chance of frost. Hopefully we will plant the rest of the blueberry plants this Friday, April 13. Since our soil is alkaline, I wanted to dig a large hole and amend the soil with ag sulfur deeply. With the backhoe, I dug a trench 2 feet wide and about 3 feet deep. I will mix peat, ag sulfur, and compost and return the soil to the trench, and then will plant the blueberries with a generous amount of peat around its roots (say 2 shovels full).

We are planting the blueberries in 2 rows of 20 plants. We are setting our plants 4 feet apart within the row, and the rows 7 feet apart. We are not planning to need to drive the tractor down the row, and can therefore save the space, and have the rows closer together.


Pruning

"One of the biggest mistakes home gardeners make with their blueberries is lack of pruning. Aggressive, annual pruning will result in healthier, more vigorous plants and more prolific fruit production. Here are some simple tips:

• Pruning is best done in the spring before the leaves come out.
• Remove low growth around the base.
• Remove the dead wood, leaving bright colored lateral branches. Cut out any short, discolored branches.
• Continue pruning until you have removed 1/3 to 1/2 of the wood out your plants each year. Remember, this will promote growth and berry production so prune away!" (web)

Propagation

When you prune your blueberry plants, remember to save your clippings to start new plants. Clip the root end of the swig at an angle, and the top cut flat. Dip the angle cut end in rooting hormone, and plant in growth medium, and keep the atmosphere moist.

When roots have developed, plant in a location where you can protect it through the first winter. Some suggest building a mimi-greenhouse of plastic, straw and more plastic. This would sandwich the straw between the plastic to keep the straw warm, and preserve the thermal blanket effect.


Resources

• Establishing Blueberries in the Home Garden (pdf)
• Blueberries for home landscapes (web)
• The Basics of Blueberry Culture (web)
• A beautiful chart of blueberry varieties (web)
• Health benefits of blueberries (web)

Building Construction

Proverbs 24:27 "Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house."

We need to set our priorities when starting to develop a homestead. Preparing our crop land would take priority. Crop land and orchards need to be planned, prepared and planted. For even the work of preparing the soil, you will need to properly store tools. You could store tools in a covered trailer. Or you could build a garage, or workshop structure to store tools. Remember to focus on the crops and to not get distracted with the early construction of structures.

If you are starting with bare land, you will have the advantage of being able to plan the ideal placement of your home, a barn, tool shed, etc. I encourage you to develop a master plan, so that you do not constantly have to redo previous work. If you have a master plan at the onset, you can coordinate projects to compliment each other, and in the end make the process more efficient.

Once you decide on your building master plan, set a time-line for the included projects. Organize your projects in order of importance, and so that the projects interact in ideal efficiency. Pray at each step for the Lord's blessing. Psalm 127:1 "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh [but] in vain."

I like the idea of having an exact materials list for what the project will need, and obtaining the materials in an efficient manner. The more you plan, the less you will have to make miscellaneous trips to the store for materials. The farther you are out, the more important this will be!


Structures

Structures that you may want to consider in your homestead (some of these may be combined):

• home
• root cellar
• firewood storage under cover
• garage
• tool shed
• work shop
• pole barn for tractor and implement storage
• greenhouse
• seed starting room
• produce washing / packing area
• canning kitchen
• maple sugar shack
• animal barn(s)
• chicken coup

I encourage you to take time and plan out your homestead even before you are ready to build. You can start dreaming of how you would best want these structures to work together and in what proximity.


Construction Tools

The minimum would be a good hammer, nails and lumber. A pneumatic nail gun can save a lot of nailing time! If you add nail guns, then you will need an air compressor, hoses and power to run the compressor. A good quality power hand saw, a chop saw and a good table saw will be indispensable. A speed square, framing square, plum bob, level, masonry string, and layout marking pencil are small tools that are also needed.

I hate to say it, but when looking at power tools, you need to condition yourself to looking for and purchasing the most expensive (ie best quality) versions of the tools you need. The economy (plastic) tools are not meant to last for what you will need when building a variety of homestead structures.


Permits and building codes

Find out what is required in your area for permits, inspections and building codes. You will want the best practices for your structure, and some locations allow the home owner to do their own construction. (I would have you find out about this before you even select your property, and don't go to a place with a lot of regulation and control.) Build with better than modern standards and safety, even if no inspections are required. Building codes have been created because of past tragedies, and you do not want to cut corners with safety on your own homestead. Also keep in mind that we will experience more and more damaging wind and storms as time goes by.


Home construction video series

• Framing Floors and Stairs (video)
• Framing Walls (video)
• Framing Roofs (video)
• Construction Companion Book (pdf)

Structures, Tips and Plans

• Greenhouse Structures (pdf)
• Farm Structures and Plans (web list)
• Farm Information, videos and information NDSU (web list)
• Root Cellar (pdf)

Resources

• Home Plan Ideas (web)
• FEMA construction guidelines for saferooms (pdf)
• Bolted Joint Designs - Strength of Bolts (pdf)

Sunday Observance Legislation

You would think that we would be excited about government promotion and regulation of worship. We are very religious. We adhere to and promote the Christian faith. We believe in the Bible as God's Word to mankind. We want nothing more than for a revival and reformation to sweep across America, and beyond to include the entire world. Why would legislated Christianity be a concern?

The Bible tells us of two opposing forces at the end of time. Both will take on the claim of Christianity. There will be a true form of Christianity, represented by a minority who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. The other group will be a vast majority, who follow a power that appears Christian, but who's counterfeit is marked by enacting laws regarding the day of worship.

The reasons for legislating worship are admirable. The proponents talk of the need for balance in a time of financial and economic crisis, the need for family and social cohesion, the need for time for recreation and sports, and the need to return to spirituality. I can agree with these ideas! But in light of Bible prophecy, I see this movement is walking in the shadow of a sinister power. When religion and government unite, there comes a drastic loss of liberty. This is not a new scenario. This exact recipe took place in the dark ages of 538 AD to 1798 AD. This time period is the 1260 years of Bible prophecy. And in the end times, the beast's deadly wound is healed, and it returns to the same modus operandi.

You can read about the promotion of Sunday observance legislation to the EU at the proponent website: http://www.europeansundayalliance.eu/

Today, March 4, is the day that this group devotes to Sunday legislation agitation in the EU. Today, I post this article as an opposing voice. I oppose the union of church and state. I oppose the legislation of conscience. I see the need for the Bible to be the basis of our actions, not the rule of law. Americans: never forget the reason the pilgrims sought a new land, so they could enjoy religious freedom. Religious freedoms were unknown in Europe, from whence they fled. And it appears Europe will lead the world in a return to legislated Christianity.

How should we respond? I find these quotes from a favorite author to be instructive:

"We as a people have not accomplished the work which God has committed to us. We are not ready for the issue to which the enforcement of the Sunday law will bring us. It is our duty, as we see the signs of approaching peril, to arouse to action. Let none sit in calm expectation of the evil, comforting themselves with the belief that this work must go on because prophecy has foretold it, and that the Lord will shelter His people. We are not doing the will of God if we sit in quietude, doing nothing to preserve liberty of conscience. Fervent, effectual prayer should be ascending to heaven that this calamity may be deferred until we can accomplish the work which has so long been neglected. Let there be most earnest prayer, and then let us work in harmony with our prayers. It may appear that Satan is triumphant and that truth is overborne with falsehood and error; the people over whom God has spread His shield, and the country which has been an asylum for the conscience-oppressed servants of God and defenders of His truth, may be placed in jeopardy. But God would have us recall His dealings with His people in the past to save them from their enemies. He has always chosen extremities, when there seemed no possible chance for deliverance from Satan’s workings, for the manifestation of His power. Man’s necessity is God’s opportunity." – CCh 336.1

And notice this quote as well:

"There must be more spirituality, a deeper consecration to God, and a zeal in His work that has never yet been reached. Much time should be spent in prayer, that our garments of character may be washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.

"Especially should we, with unwavering faith, seek God for grace and power to be given to His people now. We do not believe that the time has fully come when He would have our liberties restricted. The prophet saw “four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.” Another angel, ascending from the east, cried to them, saying: “Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” This points out the work we have now to do. A vast responsibility is devolving upon men and women of prayer throughout the land to petition that God will sweep back the cloud of evil and give a few more years of grace in which to work for the Master. Let us cry to God that the angels may hold the four winds until missionaries shall be sent to all parts of the world and shall proclaim the warning against disobeying the law of Jehovah." – Pr 274.2-3

I don't know how these events will unfold. According to Bible prophecy, it is not a matter of "if", but "when". My concern is not only for the EU. This movement is foretold in Bible prophecy to be a world wide movement. I am praying that we have a few more years of grace. Join me, and pray for world wide religious liberty. God's judgments will surely follow the disregard of the 4th commandment Sabbath rest, via the legislation of a Sunday worship day.

Do Americans think that decrying the loss of liberty is crying wolf? If so, have you considered how many civil liberties have been lost since September 11, 2001? This is not only concern from a religious point of view. Consider this article regarding NDAA, and the loss of liberty in America. I quote:

"Yes, the worst things you may have heard about the National Defense Authorization Act, which has formally ended 254 years of democracy in the United States of America, and driven a stake through the heart of the bill of rights, are all really true." (web)

It does not take a leap of faith any longer to see the lamb like beast (America in Bible prophecy) to speak like a dragon. There is a change from being lamb like to dragon like, and we are seeing changes now so rapidly, that I could no longer call America lamb like!

Let's band together in prayer for a little more time!


Resources

• NDAA: Clear and Present Danger to American Liberty (web)

Book: Root Cellaring

The best book on Root Cellaring I have read is: Root Cellaring by Mike and Nancy Bubel. I like where the author starts in the first chapter, in a discussion of what crops to grow for winter storage. Having a plan for what you plan to store in your root cellar will assure success.

I especially enjoyed chapter 2, which not only suggest "beets" but lists beet varieties that have proven good keepers, and suggested suppliers for that variety of beets. There is a list of several varieties for each food type.

In the last part of the book, there are some excellent drawings and photos of root cellars. There are ample notes, stories and ideas to help guide in your own cellar project.

I came away after reading the book being sold on our need for a root cellar. I think it is an excellent way to remove dependence on electricity to keep food cool and preserved for a longer time period. Before you start a cellar project, I would suggest your reading this book. There is enough reference material in it, I would suggest you purchase it.


Following are the Book Contents:

Chapter 1         Planting Crops for Fall Storage
Chapter 2         Good Keepers
Chapter 3         Growers Keepers: How to raise top-quality storage vegetables
Chapter 4         How to Harvest and Prepare Vegetables for Storage
Chapter 5         Life After Picking
Chapter 6         Spoilage
Chapter 7         Food Value in Winter Keepers
Chapter 8         Vegetables
Chapter 9         Fruits
Chapter 10       The Underground Garden
Chapter 11       Other Good Foods to Keep in Natural Cold Storage
Chapter 12       Trenches, Keeping-Closets, and Other Vegetable and Fruit Hideaways
Chapter 13       Planning Your Root Cellar
Chapter 14       Keeping Things Humming in the Root Cellar
Chapter 15       The Basement Root Cellar
Chapter 16       The Excavated Root Cellar
Chapter 17       Root Cellaring Experiences
Chapter 18       Cooking Sturdy Keepers

Greenhouses

A greenhouse is a weather protecting structure for your garden plants. It could be as simple as a cold frame (a low wooden box covered with glass) to a tube frame, plastic covered high tunnel, to a stud framed glass house. With a greenhouse it is easy to extend your growing season a month earlier in spring, and a month later in fall. Depending on your greenhouse, and your crops, you can extend your harvest into winter.


Uses

• Seed starter greenhouse
• Forth season production
• Flower / cash production

Important concepts

• base temperature
• optimum temperature
• temperature integration
• photo period
• irradiance
• poly sun degradation

Design considerations

The ground warms and cools with the surrounding temperatures. As we cover the ground with the greenhouse, the earth under the house can offer stored heat. Utilize this heat battery to your advantage. In sunny areas, the solar input of energy will be more significant than earth heat radiation. If you are using glass for your glazing, then you will want to orient the angle of the glass to the perpendicular to the elevation of the sun during the winter. This angle is your latitude at the winter solstice. You want the angle of incidence to be low so that most of the light will completely penetrate the glass, and not loose some of it through reflection.

Using a GPS, property map or Google Earth, determine the latitude of your location. Add between 10 and 20 degrees to your site latitude to determine the orientation of your greenhouse glazing. For instance, if your latitude is 35 degrees north, your glazing should be angled at a 45 to 55 degree angle.


Heat storage / sources

• Water stored inside the greenhouse, in black containers to absorb as much daytime heat as possible. This heat would then be radiated at night to moderate temperatures. One friend of ours has used 55 gallon metal drums full of water in the center of their greenhouse with planter boxes on top of the drums. Another has water containers on the backside of the greenhouse. Another greenhouse we reviewed had a small pool of water within and under the floor.
• Rock mass as a thermal heat sink. Another greenhouse we have reviewed has a rock wall on the north side of the lean-to greenhouse. Another example is a solarium made with massive amounts of rock as thermal mass.
• Earth-air tubes are tubes buried deep in the ground and air passed through the tube to take the constant heat from the ground into the air and then into the greenhouse. Electricity is needed to move the air.
• Below ground radiant heat, with heat being added from a boiler or solar heater.
• Wood stove heater within the greenhouse.
• Greenhouse lowered into the surrounding ground, to encourage more earth-heat coupling.
• Cold sink trench within the greenhouse to hold coldest air down within the soil.

Resources

• Improving Greenhouse Production Efficiency (pdf)
• Greenhouse Information (pdf)
• Planning and Building a Greenhouse (web)
• Solar panel optimum angle (web)
• Greenhouse structures (overview pdf)
• The Solar Greenhouse That's Right for You (web)