What a Difference Two Weeks Can Make

Two weeks ago, Tony plowed and planted our garden.  Patiently, we have waited on the seed to sprout and push up.  We've had a couple of good rains and some warm days, exactly what we needed.  Today we went out to see how it looked.  The first thing we noticed is that the rain has created a hard shell on top of the ground.  The rain dries and the soil cakes.  When it's hoed and plowed it will break up easily.

We planted corn, green beans and okra.  It looks like all eight rows of the corn came up nicely.  But, the plants came up close together, as usual.  Once, the roots get a little deeper, we will thin it and take off the suckers/shoots.  Thinning it will ensure that the corn gets plenty of sunlight and the ears will be fuller.  It also gives each plant the nutrients required for healthy growing.  The suckers or off-shoots that come up on some stalks make it hard to grow a big strong plant because it takes water and nutrients to supply these non-producing suckers.  There is alot of application for this.  We can look around and see even some people who live this way.  Constantly taking and never producing anything of value. But, that's another blog for another day!



Merrit sweet corn April 30, 2011



The green beans also look good.  We planted two rows of beans.  The Nickell beans that Tony bought this year were on the front 1/2 of the upper row.  They look good and I am excited to see what the bean looks like. 

Nickell white 1/2 runner April 30, 2011

Do you remember Granny's two jars of seed that she saved?  Tony planted the big jar on the last half of the upper row and the back half of the lower row.  The front half of the the lower row was the small jar of seed that Granny had.  They did not do good at all.  When we told Granny that those seed did not come up, she said, "they'll have to be replanted".  Jerry, my brother-in-law, will drop those seed.  He will probably thin the beans and break up the ground with the hoe.  Granny said to thin them "about a hoe width".  I'm guessing that's exactly what he'll do!

We checked the okra while we were there and only a few had come up.  We weren't expecting to see any because it has not been warm enough.  They start out so small to grow so big.  The ground is really hard as you can see. But, they pushed their way up.  Tony used a screw driver to dig down to the seed and he saw some seeds that had sprouted.

Cowhorn okra April 30, 2011

 As we were leaving, we saw a volunteer cucumber plant that came up.  Tony always plants cucumber and squash.  He has been growing them from seed in peet pots in my utility room.  When you buy the plants at garden stores, they are a couple of dollars each.  You can buy a entire pack of seed for less.  I don't think it is about the money for Tony.  It is about nuturing the plant and watching it grow. They are about three inches tall now.  He will probably set them out this week.   



Peet Pots of Cucumber and Squash



Volunteer squash April 30. 2011



 











You Reap What You Sow - Part 2

Now that Tony has prepared the soil and layed off the rows, he's ready to plant the seed.  Because we plant the same vegetables each year, Tony rotates the garden.  One year he will plant the corn on the upper side, then in the middle and then the lower side.  This keeps the soil from being depleted of nutirients.  The plants draw nutirients from the ground and it is important to also put back in the soil by feritilizing.  Last fall Ashley, Tony's nephew, covered the garden with stable manure.  The ground should be rich and ready for whatever we plant. This year Tony decided to plant the corn on the upper side and the beans in the middle.  It really works well that way because there is a slight incline to the garden and the middle seems to hold water and that's great for growing green beans.

This year, as with every year, we will plant 8 rows of corn, 2 rows of beans and one row of okra.  Tony will use a push planter to plant each seed.  The planter has a disc for each type seed we plant.  And you change the disc so that the seeds will be the proper distance apart.  Even though we always use the right disc, the seeds are sometimes too close together and when we hoe the garden the first time we thin out the plants. 

The first row of corn we planted was silver queen.  And the remaining seven rows are merit sweet.  These are two completly different varities of corn.  Silver queen is not as full or sweet.  It is whiter and does not cut off as well for whole kernel.  The merit corn has alot of starch and is sticky and sweet.  It goes a long way when cutting off.  And it is perfect for eating off the cob.  My personal favorite is merit sweet.  But it is nice to have a change.

Tony and Granny have had a "disagreement" regarding the green beans.  I'm still not sure of what they are talking about.  As I said in Part 1, Granny likes the long skinny pods with the small bean.  Tony said that is what he planted last year and he has the seed.  She doesn't believe him and saved her own seed.  Tony just went along with her and planted her seed!!  We've learned it's just easier to agree with her. 

The last row he planted was okra.  It is a little early to plant okra because it is a hot weather plant.  But, because he had the seed and he's doing his planting later than normal, he planted it anyway.  Okra seeds are very small but the stalks can grow over 6' tall.  We planted the cowhorn okra.  The pods get long and they stay tender.  I love okra...fried, pickled or boiled. 









You Reap What You Sow - Part 1

Seeds are amazing.  One tiny grain of corn can produce thousands of grains.  All you need is soil, water and sunshine.  Putting a seed in the ground, watching it sprout, bloom and grow is facinating and very entertaining.

Each year we plant the same vegetables.  Corn, green beans, okra, tomatoes, pepper and peas.  Usually in that order.  We also plant some pumpkin, watermelon, squash and cucumber just for fun.  By the way, we have never eaten a watermelon grown in our garden.  But, EVERY year we plant some. Recently, Tony has been experimenting with heirloom green beans and we have had mixed results.  Seeds that you buy at most farm supply stores are mass produced. Companies grow the plants strictly for the seed.  These plants are not grown for their taste, they are grown because they produce the most seeds.  Sometimes these plants have been genetically altered; but, that's another issue altogether.

Heirloom seeds are saved at the end of the harvest from plants that you grow year after year.  Many years back the only seeds you had for next year are the ones you save this year.  Every year we grow crowder peas, which I love.  The seed we use have been grown by Tony's family for over 100 years!  When his mother moved from Yonah to White County as a young girl, she rememers her daddy holding the seeds while they traveled.  When you grow all you eat, seeds are valuable.

So, Tony is looking for the perfect white half runner green bean.  He has bought several variety and has even searched the internet for the perfect bean.  A few years ago he bought some from Sustainable Mountain Agricluture at http://www.heirlooms.org/.  We've planted Anna Robe, Non-Tough white half runner and Nickell.  But, it is the NT that Granny likes.  A long pod with a small bean inside, very tender and not many strings.  Last year after the beans started to dry on the vine Granny saved the seed.

Race Against Rain







Normally, Tony plants the garden on Good Friday.  This year Easter is coming really late, April 24th. There are many people who go by the signs or moon phases to plant.  But, Tony has the holiday off work so it's a good chance to have enough day light to plow, lay off the rows and plant the seeds.  This spring we have had some rainy days and the soil has stayed wet.  Over the last week there have been a few dry days and tonight the weather man is calling for tornado warnings, so, today, April 15th, he took a half-day of vacation and planted the garden.

It takes work to prepare the soil for planting.  Because the ground has been left alone all winter, he uses a rip plow to break up the ground.  It is a big piece of equipment that looks like a hook.  He puts it on the tractor and rips up the ground, hence the name.  He then puts on the John Deere tiller and plows over the garden two or three times.  The thines on the tiller pulverize the soil and make it soft enough so that the seed can be pushed into the ground and the small plant can push its way up.

The next part is what I love.  Tony uses his daddy's 1956 Farm-All tractor to lay off the rows.  This year we will have 16 rows.  This tractor is a life saver and a back saver as you will see later on in the spring and summer.  You know the saying "they don't make them like they used to", it is refering to the farm-all.  After being in the shed all winter, it cranked on the first turn.  Granny and I always celebrate when the farm-all cranks! 



Our Little Garden

Every spring for the past 10 years my husand and I have planted a garden.  Each year it starts out basically the same way.  Beginning the first of March my mother-in-law starts talking about the garden.  She drops what she thinks are subtle hints that are her way of telling us it is time to get started.  She talks about seeds, about her brother Hubert's plowing and about the rain.  We are well aware that spring is coming and that we will plant on Good Friday; but, we enjoy all her gentle reminders.

She loves to cook and at 91 years old she is still interested in planting and she is excited to spend another summer and fall canning and freezing.   She is deligent regarding the garden and has certain requirements.  And, because of the love and respect we have for her, we honor her wishes and do exactly as she says.

One of her "requests" is that we plant it big enough that we can give away more than we use.  Being able to "divide" with the neighbors gives her joy.  She tells us what to plant and how much to plant so that she can call anyone she thinks has a need (or a want) and she gives them all they can handle.  We start in March thinking about the garden with the knowledge that we will give it away.  In this world of "get all you can and can all you get" we have Granny to teach us how to share our blessings.

Gardening is very rewarding and this summer, with the help of my husband, I plan to document what it takes to plant and perserve vegetables.  Preparing the soil, planting a seed and watching it grow is a miracle.  So, sit back and watch our garden grow!

Our Little Garden - 80' X 200'