Author: Catherine

Replenished

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Today felt like the last grocery shopping we might do for some time. We went to the Blue Hill Co-op and stocked up on bulk items. The only shortages that affected us were black beans, red lentils and fresh ginger. Our pantry stock is finally naturally winnowing itself down to the things we actually cook with. And we determined that the large jars hold about 6 pounds, which should be helpful next time we need to replenish. Assuming there is a next time! (Feeling very apocalyptic due to the Coronavirus outbreak.)

All-weather gardening

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Snow was predicted earlier, but the forecast changed. And indeed we are getting rain, rain, and more rain and strong winds. A real snow melter.

Yesterday in the hoophouse

I thought it would be pleasant enough sheltered in the hoophouse but the temperature was somewhere in the 30’s and my hands became numb almost immediately.

Nevertheless I planted some arugula, Salanova lettuce, and tatsoi in some of the empty rows in the hoophouse. Sam watered them in with the hose. Now we are warming up inside.

Chickens have started laying again, sporadically.

Chipping

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A good activity for a winter day with snow in the forecast. We use a lot of wood chips for paths, mulching, and burying chicken wire for rabbit protection. Wood chips are good at the base of orchard trees and as a top dressing for raspberry beds. Can never have too much!

It begins! 2020

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Twelve weeks (estimated) until last frost date for my zone (5b). I’m using May 8 as that date.

First seeds started

So we started seeds today. I’m trying to get more organized with my garden planning. I used a planting schedule from Johnny’s Seeds to plan out the indoor seed starting schedule week by week. First up, alliums:

  • Conservor shallots
  • Borrettana Cippollini onions
  • Bleu de Solaize leeks

We used our soil blocking tool and a potting mix composed with the following recipe:

  • 5 parts ProMix Growing Medium
  • 3 parts compost (Vee, left over from last year)
  • 1/2 part sand
  • 1/4 part azomite
  • 5 parts water

I sprinkled the seeds over the top of the blocks, then sprinkled more ProMix over the top and misted. The flat is on the kitchen floor for now, where the radiant floor heat can keep them warm.

Next week, I’ll start some celeriac and leaf celery. Maybe parsley. And I need to fill out my planting schedule with set-out dates and direct-seed dates.

Temperature tracking

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Sam is interested in the temperature management inside the hoophouse where we are overwintering greens. Four seasons farming!

The hoophouse’s plastic cover does part of the job. Then there is an internal low hoop of heavy duty row cover over the raised beds. He has also hung silver-backed bubble wrap from the internal hoophouse frame to reflect light down onto the plants on sunny days.

To give an indication of the difference it makes on a cold day, I recorded some temperatures on February 9, 2020:

TimeConditionsThermometer LocationTemperature
6:30 amSunriseOutside1 ℉
In hoophouse?
Row cover downAt soil level19 ℉
9 amSunOutside8 ℉

In hoophouse37 ℉
Row cover downAt soil level28 ℉
9:30 amSunOutside9.3 ℉
In hoophouse51 ℉
Row cover raisedAt soil level50 ℉
11:00 amSunOutside12 ℉
In hoophouse72 ℉
Row cover raisedAt soil level71 ℉
7:30 pmDarkOutside19 ℉
In hoophouse20 ℉
Row cover downAt soil level30 ℉

Conclusions:

  • The hoophouse and the row covers definitely both help. On a 1 degree night, the temperature at soil level was 19 degrees.
  • A manual effort is required to lift off the row covers when the sun is shining. This shows in the difference at soil level between 9 and 9:30 am. With the row cover down at 9 am, the row cover was keeping in the night’s cold even though the temp in the hoophouse was rising quickly. With the row cover raised shortly after 9 am, the temps in the hoophouse and soil level equalized.
  • After the sun went down, it was 19 outside, 20 in the hoophouse, and 30 at soil level, showing the row covers really retain some of the day’s heat.

Sam wants to automate the lifting of the row covers (and other aspects of this process when we get a greenhouse). But for now, it’s been an interesting science project and we are still eating a small amount of greens.

Seeds ordered

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January has been a long slow month. I’ve enjoyed being home and settling into a winter routine after the holidays. I would have preferred more snow, but the earth does not take my preferences into account!

After some serious procrastination, I finally placed my seed orders yesterday. I always order too much.

What I ordered:

Johnny’s:

  • Spring rabe
  • Conservor shallot
  • Vroma fava bean
  • Salanova red and green butter lettuce

Pinetree:

  • Aunt Molly’s husk cherry
  • Bumblebee Sunrise cherry tomato
  • Red Kuri squash
  • Broccoli rabe – Novantina

Fedco:

  • Borretana Cippollini onion seeds
  • Bleu de Solaize leek seeds
  • Windsor fava bean
  • Tomatillo Purple Blush
  • Waltham butternut squash
  • Blue Hubbard squash
  • Buttercup squash
  • Indigo radicchio
  • Broccoli blend
  • Kestrel beet
  • Brilliant celeriac

Fedco Potatoes and Onions:

  • Gardeners onion medley
  • Classic keeper potato mix
  • Specialty organic potato mix
  • French fingerlings
  • Magic Molly fingerlings

What I didn’t get:

  • Strawberry plants. I wanted to replant my strawberry bed which is infected with a bad case of leaf spot fungus. But Johnny’s shipping charge of $10.00 was too much for me. I love homegrown strawberries but finding them really difficult to grow and keep healthy.
  • Purple Haze carrots were not yet available at Fedco. They say “mid-January.” I might order these later if they become available because I really like them.
  • Andover parsnips. Not available. What’s the story? I will plant the Harris Model seeds I have, although I think parsnip seed germinates better when fresh (?).
  • New (large) tomato variety. We vow to grow more tomatoes this year, and I would like to choose a new variety. There’s still time. I did buy a packet of Bumblebee Sunrise, which is a super-cute name.
  • Jerusalem artichokes. I really want to try these but I know nothing about them.

Sam has been monitoring temperatures carefully in the hoophouse. His system of row covers weighted by dowels and supplemented by silver foil insulation is working well. Keeps the beds 10 degrees or more warmer than the outside air temperature at night. In sunlight, the hoophouse heats up to about 60 degrees! I want to set up a soil blocking operation in there — maybe next week.

January

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Winter activities…love January!

I finished this baby blanket for today’s baby shower. Used the Greyson pattern from Moogly crochet.

And I baked these two loaves of sourdough bread this morning, one in the Dutch oven (preheated) and one in the Mason Cash terracotta loaf pan (not preheated). Both turned out great! We put a bowl of water on the floor of the oven to generate steam, which I think helped the uncovered loaf rise so high. My sourdough starter behaved like a champ for these loaves.

Sam ordered a bread slicer which helps us cut perfect slices for sandwiches and toast.

Greens, 2020

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We did some work on the raised beds in the hoophouse today. Some were pretty much gone by and had to be cut back severely (arugula, mizuna). Others needed a trim, removal of dead tips and rotting base leaves. We got a bag of fresh greens for our trouble. Then tucked everybody back under their row covers. Supposed to drop into the teens tonight. The chickens got a bundle of clippings.

Hoophouse in a bit of snow and pale afternoon sunlight

From bottom: arugula (2 rows, plucked), escarole (1), winter lettuce (2), spinach (2), chard (1), kale (1)

From bottom; scallions, claytonia, cut-back mizuna, tatsoi, carrots, Salanova lettuce

Early January greens harvest

Sourdough!

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After a lot of research and false starts, I finally achieved a sourdough loaf!

I got the starter from the Ferment Event at The Gatherings in Surry. The woman who shared it explained that it was used by Tinder Hearth, a big local bakery, and apparently originally came from Africa. Good story.

I tried following the directions in a bread book from Amy’s Bread – way too complicated. Then I found Sarah Owens online (through Food 52) and attempted that. Still too confusing on how to deal with the starter.

Success came with Bake with Jack’s YouTube videos and sourdough recipe. I love Jack’s common-sense approach. And not throwing out starter! It shows a lot of respect for the microorganisms.

This is the link to Jack’s sourdough from start to finish video:

https://youtu.be/vmb0wWKITBQ