🍓 Strawberry fields, Spring Garden and an Orchard Update
Part 2 of looking back on April.
Strawberry Picking
April came through for us and brought us our first strawberries of the season, another much anticipated pleasure of spring. Morgan, Virginia, and Wilder visited certified organic Mountain Sun Farm for a Saturday U-Pick. Morgan and I attended school at Auburn with the owner-farmers Liz and Brian. What they are doing is incredibly difficult. I simply cannot say enough about them and the need to support small farmers, especially young small farmers. As the saying goes: “no farms, no food.” God Bless Mountain Sun Farm.
Around the Garden
I have been very pleased with our cool-season crops planted in late winter/early spring (broccoli, kale, cabbage). They look great. The broccoli is starting to head out, the kale is really leafing out, and the cabbage appears to be beginning the process of making its head. The race is on now. These crops will not take kindly to the summer heat that is right around the corner. At least, that is my experience. I’ll be watching to see how they perform.
The onions are slowly becoming more bulbous and thicker. The garlic is looking strong. The tips began to brown a few weeks back, so I added some blood meal, an organic nitrogen supplement, and that has seemed to do the trick. Tips are green again.
Parsley is bolting (flowering). I’m hoping it’s flowers will attract a diverse set of insects. I’m waiting in anticipation.
We planted our tomatoes and peppers. They look strong so far. I’d guess late-June before we harvest any from our garden. More waiting. More anticipation.
Lastly, the potatoes are doing well. The garden is a bit cramped, so we have only mounded once. I’m hoping that will do and prevent any potatoes from popping to the surface and turning green.
Fruit in the Orchard
Our fruit trees have fruit on them! I’m a little surprised. Some of them were a few years old and in pots when planted and others were bare-root yearlings. So far, the trees are looking really good. I do not really know what I am doing. I haven’t thinned any fruit or done any pruning yet. I’m not expecting to harvest any of this fruit. I’ll be curious to see if it reaches maturity. Mulberries, peaches, pears, persimmons, crabapples, and apples are all putting on fruit.
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Your youngest with the strawberry face, strawberry juice stained shirt and shorts makes my heart happy! 😆