February 24, 2012

Wind is coming today and I'm not happy.  I do hate the wind.  I'll almost take anything anymore but the rain.  I was hoping to get out today and work alot on the wood.  We need to get moving that real large pile of branches.  I also want to get some of the big stumps that are cut over to places ont he farm for benches.  One is in the shape of a heart and really neat.

This past weekend we took to the orchard.  DJ finally got the two plum trees cut down that had black rot disease and there was nothing we could do about it.  So now there's those branches to haul to the wood pile and cut up.  He also took out an old peach tree that was pretty far gone.  Going today to pick up new trees to fill in the gaps, even though they say it'll take years for the roots of the cut-down trees to decompose.  I'll just have to amend with alot of nitrogen in those areas but I'd really like to keep the orchard we have as an orchard.

I also began to prune the trees remaining.  I took out the succors under the real good peach trees and began to outline the garden with them - hopefully gaining a few more of those dwarf peach trees.  It's not the best way to get new fruit trees, but I thought - what do I have to lose?  We'll just give it a try.

Had knitting friends over for lunch yesterday and served fresh lettuce from the garden.  They enjoyed it so much.  I'm still amazed that most people don't realize you can garden all year round with low tunnels.  I'm so glad we have some lettuce, kale and swiss chard.  I can't wait for all the spinach to be ready.  I have several beds in.

Crimson clover - here it is folks.  The key to our farm's success.  We've been reading alot about the benefits of this clover and then DJ heard all about it at his beekeeper's meeting in Roanoke last week.  Our neighbor tried a field of it last year and had millions of honey bees in it.  It's great to amend the soil also.  So I've decided to till under a large section of land and plant crimson clover for the bees and then till it under next year to have some new great garden soil!  Can't wait!  Will order the seed today.

More chickens needed - I have a need for more eggs for customers - plus I need chickens to do some scratching on some land I want to plant.  I found an ad today for 12 laying hens - older ones but they're cheap and still laying.  I'm going to look into getting them and putting them out in the garden right away in a chicken tractor.