It has been warm most of the month, which is quite unusual for February. Its a risk, but all of the hoop houses have been removed. Underneath was a surprise because not only has almost everything lived, but the hidden plants have grown substantially.
For the first time ever, the winter radishes, napa cabbages and cilantro survived. The only thing that was destroyed by the harsh weather in January were the carrots which were inside this collapsed hoop house.
The row was dug but the harvest was miniscule. Most were rotted.
The second carrot bed which was not under a hoop house is fine. The roots are small but should start growing again. A crop of spring carrots will be a first. Next year, no carrots will be covered with a hoop house. The result of this experiment has been surprising.
We have been given a wagonload of manure from our neighbor who has a horse stable. Truly, one man's trash is another one's treasure. He's so glad to get rid of it that he delivers it to the garden. I'm so thrilled to get it that I run out of the house celebrating.
It was spread high on the empty carrot bed but will be decomposed by planting time.
Many of the plants are beginning to bolt so they must be harvested soon.
The back section of the garden is going to be rearranged. Instead of two gates, there will only be one center aisle. The plan is to erect a taller fence around the whole garden to hopefully, keep out the horde of predators. We have lost so much this year that we need to provide more protection. The alarm sensors have worked and allowed us to fight back but only after damage has been done.
The volume of predators that ripped through the garden last year was mind boggling. Nashville is now the fastest growing city in the USA, we are 50 miles away. The overflow construction of subdivisions around us is massive. The wildlife is on the move and they all seem to find my garden. We welcome all to our woods, fields and yard. It's only the vegetables I want to protect.
As the sun returns, March will be a time of rapid growth spurts because the roots are well established. My time has been spent preserving as much as possible which has felt crazy in the dead of winter. I have frozen spinach, canned greens and carrots, fermented radishes, dehydrated cilantro and will soon be saving seeds.
The winter garden is about over and has been a surprising success. Perhaps the snows won't return and we can get the spring garden out early. At least, that is what we wish.
Wow, impressive! And yummy! I'll be right over. ;-)
ReplyDeleteCome on over! Be sure to bring your shovel. We are expecting another load of manure when the weather clears and could use your help!
DeleteHow this post gladdens my heart, especially to hear about Hootie! After years of country living I'm am now in a busy town and for the first time have no space to grow fruit and veg. After years of growing my own produce it is quite a shock to see the pathetic little punnets of fruit for sale in the shops at ridiculous prices!
ReplyDeleteI've just had a delivery of compost for the flower beds and I felt just like you with your delivery from the farmer, such super stuff! Hope you manage to keep the critters out.
Hootie is a hoot! He will sit and stare at me with those big eyes patiently waiting for me to finish weeding and leave HIS hunting grounds. His wings make a loud whooshing sound that is startling if your back is turned.
DeleteCongratulations on the new load of compost! I call it black gold. Hubby has other choice names for the putrid smelling load of mush he gets to unload.
If I were you, I would sneak at least one vegetable plant in with the flowers. Pick something exotic like red okra or potato leaf tomatoes. Red Noodle yard-long pole beans draped over the front door so people would have to duck would be entertaining, or you could ignore me and just enjoy beautiful flowers.
What a wonderfully bountiful garden! I'm so glad you had good success this winter, and had enough to put food up. We know all about garden critters, and appreciate the hawks and owls, though they do take out one of our chickens now and then. I love canning in the winter, and try to do it on the coldest days. Today's high is going to be 48, so it'll be lentils today. I love opening these jars up, along with home canned tomato sauce, chop some onions and peppers, add a few spices, and it's sloppy joe's for dinner. Happy March!
ReplyDeleteYesterday I put the winter radishes into ferment - a first for me. Today, I will be experimenting with dehydrated caramelized onions and mushrooms in the crockpot with a roast. I don't know how long it will take or how much broth to add or how to season it. Now that you mention lentils, I am realizing I have pulled almost all of my canned beans from the shelf. The learning and work never seems to end.
DeleteLots going on in your garden despite the weather. I could do with some of that manure here lol! B x
ReplyDeleteWe have encroaching wildlife here as well because of excessive clearing of forests for housing and apartments. Bear activity has become worrisome as one nearby had one try to come in their doggie door! We make sure our storm doors are locked at night in hopes that it would slow down a bear if it tried to come in. Some days we have had one just strolling down our street. At night our driveway alarm and motion lights are going crazy with deer grazing in our yard. But, those doggone squirrels re the worst! They destroy everything. I planted pansies in window boxes last fall and they were completely gone in a few days. I guess they ate them roots and all. I have given up trying to grow herbs because they just dig them up and destroy them. We long ago gave up on tomatoes. They eat them but not the entire tomato. They take them and eat one bite and then leave it. This is really frustrating. I hope you can find some way to keep the critters out better than we have been able.
ReplyDeleteBears! I will no longer complain! At least nothing in my garden can eat me!
DeleteSquirrels are a problem for me too. Last fall I saved a five-gallon bucket of walnuts in the shed and yesterday I discovered they had found it, eaten all and left the shells for me to pick up. All that work bending over went to waste! They love my tomatoes so I hang a plastic produce mesh bag (saved from the grocery) over each tomato as it begins to ripen. The bags are easily moved from tomato to tomato and just hang over the branch. Birds hate the bags also. Another trick I have used is to grow Aunt Ruby's Green tomatoes. They never turn red so the birds and squirrels don't bother them. Raccoons will get them because they graze at night and sneak down the row taking one bite out of each. I have a couple of pieces of chicken wire bent into a dome that I plop over anything newly planted. It seems the squirrels like the freshly dug soil for some reason but will leave the plants alone after they are established. I wonder if they think another squirrel has planted a nut in the freshly dug soil and are trying to steal it. Last summer I moved a strip of black netting around in the garden to deter anything walking through at night. I used it until I got tangled up and fell hard. I saved it but will be more careful where I put it this year.
We love the wildlife and enjoy watching it but when they start eating my food - well, the boxing gloves come out!