Getting Ready to Plant Tomatoes & More

Our tomato plants are growing great and we're about ready to put them in the ground.  We started them several weeks ago and they're getting pretty tall now:

We've been starting to harden them by putting them outside every evening when we get home so the get used to the sunlight.  We have a two tiered indoor greenhouse where we start our seeds.  We also have eggplant starting to grow.  We haven't gotten as much planted indoors as we usually do.  The chicks, and especially the time building their coop, have slowed down our planting.  We'll be sowing more seed directly into the ground this year than normal.  The lettuce, kohlrabi, and some other vegetables that we sowed a few weeks ago outside in the beds have started to come up.

I hope to turn over our Spring cover crop in most of the beds this weekend and start sowing seeds.  The clover didn't grow as tall as I would have liked but we definitely have some green to work back into the soil and clover improves the nitrogen content in the soil as it grows so the soil will definitely be better off with its small amount of growth than if we hadn't planted anything at all.  Our last frost date is May 15 but the weather for the next 10 days looks good to go ahead and plant.  Also, even if it frosts, most of the seeds we plant this week will not be coming up by then anyway and if they are, we can cover them for a night with plastic.  Better to get a head start since we weren't able to start as many plants indoors as usual.

Our tomato plants are growing great and we're about ready to put them in the ground.  We started them several weeks ago and they're getting pretty tall now:

We've been starting to harden them by putting them outside every evening when we get home so the get used to the sunlight.  We have a two tiered indoor greenhouse where we start our seeds.  We also have eggplant starting to grow.  We haven't gotten as much planted indoors as we usually do.  The chicks, and especially the time building their coop, have slowed down our planting.  We'll be sowing more seed directly into the ground this year than normal.  The lettuce, kohlrabi, and some other vegetables that we sowed a few weeks ago outside in the beds have started to come up.

I hope to turn over our Spring cover crop in most of the beds this weekend and start sowing seeds.  The clover didn't grow as tall as I would have liked but we definitely have some green to work back into the soil and clover improves the nitrogen content in the soil as it grows so the soil will definitely be better off with its small amount of growth than if we hadn't planted anything at all.  Our last frost date is May 15 but the weather for the next 10 days looks good to go ahead and plant.  Also, even if it frosts, most of the seeds we plant this week will not be coming up by then anyway and if they are, we can cover them for a night with plastic.  Better to get a head start since we weren't able to start as many plants indoors as usual.

Our tomato plants are growing great and we're about ready to put them in the ground.  We started them several weeks ago and they're getting pretty tall now:

We've been starting to harden them by putting them outside every evening when we get home so the get used to the sunlight.  We have a two tiered indoor greenhouse where we start our seeds.  We also have eggplant starting to grow.  We haven't gotten as much planted indoors as we usually do.  The chicks, and especially the time building their coop, have slowed down our planting.  We'll be sowing more seed directly into the ground this year than normal.  The lettuce, kohlrabi, and some other vegetables that we sowed a few weeks ago outside in the beds have started to come up.

I hope to turn over our Spring cover crop in most of the beds this weekend and start sowing seeds.  The clover didn't grow as tall as I would have liked but we definitely have some green to work back into the soil and clover improves the nitrogen content in the soil as it grows so the soil will definitely be better off with its small amount of growth than if we hadn't planted anything at all.  Our last frost date is May 15 but the weather for the next 10 days looks good to go ahead and plant.  Also, even if it frosts, most of the seeds we plant this week will not be coming up by then anyway and if they are, we can cover them for a night with plastic.  Better to get a head start since we weren't able to start as many plants indoors as usual.

Spring Cover Crop is Coming In

We've been getting a lot of rain in NW Ohio lately, which we've needed.  Last night I went out in the yard in the light rain to see that my raised beds were dotted with small green shoots & leaves.  Our cover crop has started to grow!  Denise and I have been doing research on ways to naturally replenish the nutrients in the soil since we don't put any chemicals/fertilizer in our garden except for a general organic vegetable fertilizer that goes in most beds 1-2 times per year and organic tomato fertilizer that we use with our many tomato plants.

After doing research, we decided to try a Spring cover crop.  Cover crops restore nutrients to the soil while keeping down weeds and minimizing soil erosion.  Working these crops back into the soil before planting continues to restore nutrients and organic matter to the soil that improves the soil's structure and therefore, improve it's ability to hold water and nutrients.

So - we are trying this in all but one of our beds, where we've already started planting some early vegetable seeds.  I'll continue to post about how this works.  With only about 4-5 weeks before we start planting most of our vegetables, I'm curious to see how much green matter we have to put back into the soil.  Stay tuned!

Annual Red Clover starting to grow!  The red material in the photo is seeds that are being dropped by nearby trees.

We've been getting a lot of rain in NW Ohio lately, which we've needed.  Last night I went out in the yard in the light rain to see that my raised beds were dotted with small green shoots & leaves.  Our cover crop has started to grow!  Denise and I have been doing research on ways to naturally replenish the nutrients in the soil since we don't put any chemicals/fertilizer in our garden except for a general organic vegetable fertilizer that goes in most beds 1-2 times per year and organic tomato fertilizer that we use with our many tomato plants.

After doing research, we decided to try a Spring cover crop.  Cover crops restore nutrients to the soil while keeping down weeds and minimizing soil erosion.  Working these crops back into the soil before planting continues to restore nutrients and organic matter to the soil that improves the soil's structure and therefore, improve it's ability to hold water and nutrients.

So - we are trying this in all but one of our beds, where we've already started planting some early vegetable seeds.  I'll continue to post about how this works.  With only about 4-5 weeks before we start planting most of our vegetables, I'm curious to see how much green matter we have to put back into the soil.  Stay tuned!

Annual Red Clover starting to grow!  The red material in the photo is seeds that are being dropped by nearby trees.

We've been getting a lot of rain in NW Ohio lately, which we've needed.  Last night I went out in the yard in the light rain to see that my raised beds were dotted with small green shoots & leaves.  Our cover crop has started to grow!  Denise and I have been doing research on ways to naturally replenish the nutrients in the soil since we don't put any chemicals/fertilizer in our garden except for a general organic vegetable fertilizer that goes in most beds 1-2 times per year and organic tomato fertilizer that we use with our many tomato plants.

After doing research, we decided to try a Spring cover crop.  Cover crops restore nutrients to the soil while keeping down weeds and minimizing soil erosion.  Working these crops back into the soil before planting continues to restore nutrients and organic matter to the soil that improves the soil's structure and therefore, improve it's ability to hold water and nutrients.

So - we are trying this in all but one of our beds, where we've already started planting some early vegetable seeds.  I'll continue to post about how this works.  With only about 4-5 weeks before we start planting most of our vegetables, I'm curious to see how much green matter we have to put back into the soil.  Stay tuned!

Annual Red Clover starting to grow!  The red material in the photo is seeds that are being dropped by nearby trees.

The garden's underway!

This past weekend we were able to start planting some of our vegetables that we're growing this year.  While I was busy building the chicken tractor with our friend Cathie, Denise started all of the tomatoes that we'll plant.  We have about 18 kinds this year in all sizes and colors.  One of Denise's favorite tomatoes is the Black Cherry.  My favorite is probably the Jaune Flamme.  This year we got all of our seeds from Seed Savers in Iowa.  They have all heirloom, non GMO seeds and many of them are also organic.  I like supporting an organization that's dedicated to preserving our food biodiversity.  It's expensive to buy as many seeds as we do every year but I'm hoping to start experimenting more with saving seed this year.

Black Cherry

Juane Flamme

We start most of our seeds indoors and then transplant them when the fear of frost is gone.  Below is where we plant our tomatoes.  We use a 25 ft length of welded wire as the support for the plants and plant on both sides of the fence.  This is the only bed that we use that currently isn't raised.

Denise & Karson planting tomatoes - 2012

We're trying to sow more in the ground this year and a little earlier to see how some of them do.  Denise planted kohlrabi, celery, some of our loose leaf lettuce, and some spinach in one of our newest raised beds.  In all the other beds, I've currently sowed annual crimson clover in the other beds as a spring cover crop.  This will be our first attempt at a cover crop.  I'm definitely planning to sow a cover crop in the fall as well

We feel a little behind getting the other vegetables started indoors but hopefully we'll be able to get everything started by the end of the week.  It feels so good to know where our food comes from and the boys learn great lessons from growing their own food.

This past weekend we were able to start planting some of our vegetables that we're growing this year.  While I was busy building the chicken tractor with our friend Cathie, Denise started all of the tomatoes that we'll plant.  We have about 18 kinds this year in all sizes and colors.  One of Denise's favorite tomatoes is the Black Cherry.  My favorite is probably the Jaune Flamme.  This year we got all of our seeds from Seed Savers in Iowa.  They have all heirloom, non GMO seeds and many of them are also organic.  I like supporting an organization that's dedicated to preserving our food biodiversity.  It's expensive to buy as many seeds as we do every year but I'm hoping to start experimenting more with saving seed this year.

Black Cherry

Juane Flamme

We start most of our seeds indoors and then transplant them when the fear of frost is gone.  Below is where we plant our tomatoes.  We use a 25 ft length of welded wire as the support for the plants and plant on both sides of the fence.  This is the only bed that we use that currently isn't raised.

Denise & Karson planting tomatoes - 2012

We're trying to sow more in the ground this year and a little earlier to see how some of them do.  Denise planted kohlrabi, celery, some of our loose leaf lettuce, and some spinach in one of our newest raised beds.  In all the other beds, I've currently sowed annual crimson clover in the other beds as a spring cover crop.  This will be our first attempt at a cover crop.  I'm definitely planning to sow a cover crop in the fall as well

We feel a little behind getting the other vegetables started indoors but hopefully we'll be able to get everything started by the end of the week.  It feels so good to know where our food comes from and the boys learn great lessons from growing their own food.

This past weekend we were able to start planting some of our vegetables that we're growing this year.  While I was busy building the chicken tractor with our friend Cathie, Denise started all of the tomatoes that we'll plant.  We have about 18 kinds this year in all sizes and colors.  One of Denise's favorite tomatoes is the Black Cherry.  My favorite is probably the Jaune Flamme.  This year we got all of our seeds from Seed Savers in Iowa.  They have all heirloom, non GMO seeds and many of them are also organic.  I like supporting an organization that's dedicated to preserving our food biodiversity.  It's expensive to buy as many seeds as we do every year but I'm hoping to start experimenting more with saving seed this year.

Black Cherry

Juane Flamme

We start most of our seeds indoors and then transplant them when the fear of frost is gone.  Below is where we plant our tomatoes.  We use a 25 ft length of welded wire as the support for the plants and plant on both sides of the fence.  This is the only bed that we use that currently isn't raised.

Denise & Karson planting tomatoes - 2012

We're trying to sow more in the ground this year and a little earlier to see how some of them do.  Denise planted kohlrabi, celery, some of our loose leaf lettuce, and some spinach in one of our newest raised beds.  In all the other beds, I've currently sowed annual crimson clover in the other beds as a spring cover crop.  This will be our first attempt at a cover crop.  I'm definitely planning to sow a cover crop in the fall as well

We feel a little behind getting the other vegetables started indoors but hopefully we'll be able to get everything started by the end of the week.  It feels so good to know where our food comes from and the boys learn great lessons from growing their own food.