October 31, 2018

Avalanche column

October 13, 2016

It seems to be that time of year again when the tomato plants are loaded with green tomatoes. Is there any way to hasten their ripening? As we progress through October the first frost / freeze becomes ever so nearer. There are some things one can do.

Probably the first and most important thing is to stop watering, although Mother Nature of late has had different ideas on this no water “thingy”. The idea is to stress the plants and this will hasten their ripening. A word of caution if you see the plants wilting you will need to water but not very deeply. The plants still need water so that the tomatoes can fully develop.

Trimming some of the foliage so that the sun can more easily shine on the fruit helps immensely. Not too heavily because the plants need foliage so that the ripening tomatoes will develop their flavor.

Toward the end of October be sure to keep an eye on the weather forecasts for arriving cold fronts and potential frosts. I like to have covers available to cover the plants so that they do not freeze. The covers do need to be removed in the morning so that the sun can do its charm.

The longer you can keep the green tomatoes on the vines more of the tomatoes will ripen.

Say you have just had it with the cover game, don't just walk away from your green toms. You can make green tomato chutney or if the the toms are of size maybe fried green tomatoes.

What I like to do is to harvest all of the tomatoes, then in a “cooler” room spread them out on newspaper so that they can ripen slowly. As you spread them out you will notice glossy skinned toms and dull skin toms, for me the glossy ones are more likely to ripen. Considering the time of year, WE are going into a home grown tomato void, so I would keep them all.

There is another way to store your green tomatoes it does not curry much favor with me because all of the toms are wrapped in paper and stored in a box to ripen. To see which ones have ripened but more likely to find which one has gone bad, all of the toms then need to be unwrapped. For something that is just a bit of heaven to eat they sure can be some of the foulest smelling when they begin to rot. This is why I like to lay them out on newspaper so that the nasty one can readily be spotted but more so, so it can be easier to find the little ripened delights.

Depending how cool your room is, the ripening may last a month or two. Savor while you can.

Good luck and happy gardening!!! Questions? I can be contacted at markdirtfarmer@gmail.com. Or more garden notes at redwagonfarm.blogsot.com

november 27, 2016

Good morning, it is very interesting but I thought for sure when our sitting hen duck was scared off her nest during the night that she was sitting on her eggs for naught.

When she was just on the eggs and I would pull back her protective fence in the morning she would HISS at me. I suspected something was up when she started hissing before I got within 10 feet of her nest.

When I removed the fence that morning,I could only see one fuzzball. Later I discovered out of 8 eggs she hatched 4 fuzzbals. Four more than I thought possible. This made me think of a lady who had a broody hen that was off her eggs for many hours and they too hatched once she started sitting them again. This survival mechinizum would be a good survival thing like in the case when our duck was scared off her nest. With all the predators around it really surprises me that anything hatches out in the wild.

We have a cholla in the garden and I would think it would be the perfect armored nest sight. No so for road runners. We have had mockingbirds, curved bill thrashers, and cactus wrens all try to nest to no avail. In most cases the young will get close to fledgling. I always root for mom but there is really very little I can do. This all makes me just the more amazed that babies do survive.

I was hoping to leave Mom with her babies in her nest but she had other designs. That night she tried to get her babies into the duck coop. She was soooo ready to rejoin the flock. Her babies just would not go in. In a lot of respects I was glad. I am not sure what all they do inside there of a morning but they do get a bit rambunctious before the door is opened. The babies could soooo easily be crushed.

With some “effort” Deb and I managed to get Mom and babies into travel cage and moved the to the brooding coop in the front yard. The same one that so recently had a bantam hen hatch four “duckins”. Mom hen was so confused when the duckins would rather swim than scratch the ground. This would have been hilarious with web feet.

Well Mom and babies settled in but Mom sure would like to rejoin the flock. The rest of the flock will sit on the other side of the fence and they will make contact calls all day. I think they will rejoin quite easily once the babies have a little size to them.

In the meantime, the “duckins”, which we have not gotten to move in with the other ducks, will daily come up and visit Mom and babies. No hissing like she does with the chickens.

We are in the process of moving a larger nest box into the “Duck orchard”. What with the 4 duckins and the 4 new babies the 4 X 4 nest box would be a bit tight and especially with how rambunctious they get in the morning to be let out. It is not too different than a clown car where all the clowns try to exit at the same time. The new nest box will have a much larger door and this will no longer be a. Hopefully 13 ducks is our limits.

It would be good for the duckins to be with the rest of the flock because as it is they do not have a duck pond to swim in. I had to put a large container in the chicken watering dish to keep them out. Other wise during the day they would each take turns in a 12” X 12” water dish and effectively drain the “tub” with baths and then there would be no water for anyone to drink. Besides the ducks really know how to “fowl” water!!!

October 24, 2016

Avalanche column

October 7, 2016

A gardener asked me why her tomatoes were not producing and appeared in a state of decline. She also sent me some photos. The full size tomatoes were doing worse than the cherry tomatoes.

Diagnosis is difficult with only pictures, so I requested more info including cultural practices and leaf samples.

Taking the leaves out of the plastic bag, I quickly knew what the problem was. I have these “visitors” in my garden.

The critter was embedded in the leaves. They burrow into the leaf or fold the leaf over and adhere the sides to make a tunnel.

To the untrained eye the plants just look like they are in a state of decline. One could think that the plants are tired and dyeing. This could not be further from the truth.

What is happening is a member of the lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) family of insects are laying their eggs on the growing tips of the tomato plant. After they hatch they burrow into the leaves as noted above. They stay on the leaves feeding and then migrate to the tomatoes. And it is at this point where they acquire their name, tomato pin worm. They burrow into the fruit on the sides or the top where the stem meets the fruit to pupate and repeat the cycle. The larvae that burrow into the side of the fruit leave a very small pin hole on the side of the fruit. For the most part this damage is cosmetic but it does decrease its sell-ability.

It is very strange but these guys have a tendency to destroy their food source. They feed on the growing points of the tomato plant which causes the plants decline and demise. The plants can not regenerate any new growth.

It is very likely that these critters are very prevalent in Alpine but go for the most part unnoticed except for the damage they do.

How do they go so unnoticed? These guys are tiny!!! You have to really be looking for them to see them. Tiny is maybe 1/4 to 1/2 the size of the printed letters on this page. Until you see one, a hand lens is very helpful.

Ahhh! But what to do? Preventing an infection is the easiest. The use of floating row covers works best. The cover needs to completly cover the plant and be anchored to the ground. It needs to remain on 24 /7 for the entire life of the plant. The cover is removed for harvest and any other bed work then replaced immediately. My infestations usually start somewhere around the end of July and towards the middle of August.

Infected plants can be sprayed with Bt. (Bacillus thurgensis, an organic spray for Lepidoptera) or Cold pressed neem oil. Spray weekly until active growth resumes and by all means Cover!!

Oh and this cover will prevent tomato horn worms too!!

October 20, 2016

Good morning, a very interesting thing is happening at market this coming weekend. The two markets will rejoin once again on Murphy street. This will hopefully end the never ending question of why are there two markets.

Since the Alpine Farmers Market moved to Murphy Street we have enjoyed a steady and constant growth. After the split we became a 10 vendor market but we began to grow again.

Last winter we consistently had 15 vendors. This was a first. Previous winters we would slip back down to 10 or so.

Yes some times it is slow in the winter but we do have some die hard vendors and more importantly die hard customers. These customers have grown to expect us to be at market every week. We are more than glad to accommodate them. After all it is more than a market it has become a social event too.

Probably the biggest the market gets is on Earth day where we have swollen to nearly fifty vendors. Talk about a festive event even though this is a one market day event. This really inspires me to strive for this kind of turnout every Saturday.

Last Saturday we had 24 vendors. This may be our largest non Earth day attendance.

Something that Deb and I have noticed since we have moved from behind the Hotel walls is our visibility catches the eyes of passers by which draws them into market. This past weekend, I am sure it was because of this added visibility, we did not have the 11.00AM slow down. The Market kept humming up until noon. This is a first for a non Earth Day market.

Sooo anyway we will be welcoming back the other market vendors. With their attendance we can only grow in a positive way. If you haven't been to market lately, you should come down and visit and maybe check out our unique wares while you are at it!!!

And for a little side note Alice and Rob Leese (YT Ranch grass feed beef ) will be at market November 12. So mark your calendars and I will keep all posted on any changes.

The garden is progressing along into fall. There have been a few fits and starts with cutworms and other caterpillars. Maybe I have been too distracted. Well I have “put out most of those fires” so I can hopefully get back on tract. It is hard to believe that October is nearly over and my allium plant date is quickly arriving on the first of November. This sow date has worked very well for bulb onion the last couple years. I hope I can make three years in a row.

I have discovered a new root knot nematode treatment. It will be administered through my drip system. Two applications 15 days apart have shown to reduce populations by 70%. Reports show that this works well on eggs and juveniles. It doesn't work as well on adults. Most adults have a 26 day life span but it does appear that some “Methuselah's” can over winter.

This last summer I used AzaGuard (a neem oil by product). This seemed to work quite well until I stopped using it when the rains were so heavy.

The Promax (my new RKN fighting tool) has been suggested to chemigate twice this fall then again just before planting followed up with another application during the summer. This will be a lot easier than doing the AzaGuard every 2 weeks all summer. I have great hopes that maybe this will control these guys. Of course it does not mean I wont keep doing all my other RKN control measure. Not doing so would not be prudent.

Harvest quantities are quite diminished but I hope to harvest chard, kale, green onions, carrots, asian greens, boc choy, turnip greens, chilies, okra and summer squash. In storage are butternut squash and sweet potatoes.

Please email me with your desires and availability. Transition times can be unsettling but this too will pass.

October 17, 2016

Avalanche column

september 29, 2016

September is ending and we creep into fall, spring Solanaceae time is nearing.

I like to start my Solanaceae (tomato, peppers, eggplant) plants early. Early being the first tomato plants go into the garden the middle of February (weather permitting). The reason is to have very well established plants for the (usually) angry months of May and June. July trumped these months this year.

I have experimented with many different ways to start my plants.

I used to use what are called soil blocks. These use a tool to compress soil into a block. The idea behind this is not to have transplant shock. I have a 3/4 inch, a 2 inch and a 4 inch blocker. The smaller block fits into a hole in the next larger block. These do make very nice seedlings for transplants.

I have lost favor with these because of our very low humidity. It can be very difficult to keep the soil hydrated because of low humidity. These blocks are free standing.

Last year I tried something new and it worked very well for me. The seedling survival allowed me to have a fully stocked garden from the start. Seedling failures in the past required several sowings to accomplish this.

I seeded several seeds into 8 ounce cups. The soil level in the cups was an inch below the cups rim. This allowed me to place a plastic sheet over the cup. Once the seeds germinated the seedlings could grow and still be covered with a humidity barrier.

The plastic was removed once the seedlings touched the plastic. These little "dog hair thickets” remained in these cups until their secondary leaves formed. They were then transplanted into their own 8 oz cup. Once seedling size was attained they were then transplanted into 16 oz cups. I did not notice any transplant shock from dividing the “dog hairs” and beyond.

Last year was the first year that I had a heat mat. It is 48 inches by 20 inches. This did keep the seeds and seedlings in the 65 to 75 degree range. This temperature range is a very conducive for germination and plant growth.

There have been years where I could not keep the soil temperature in this zone. I could only struggle to get the soil to 60. Below sixty and you get into the dampening off zone and little seedlings drop like flies.

It is the little seedlings that have not developed the secondary leaves that are the most vulnerable. Quick growth with temperatures within the 65 / 75 range insures that dampening off does not happen.

I must remind that these seedlings are being started around the end of December and in the last few years the end of December has been rather chilly and it has been a bit of a push to keep the seedling grow room warm. The grow mat is the equalizer.

october 13, 2016

Good morning, I was talking with a fellow at Market this past week and he was wondering if our egg production was down. I assured him it most certainly was. The property has drifts of feathers every where. As of last Saturday I told him though that so far there were no totally thread bare hens. That was true until this past Sunday when I let the hens out. There was a hen that was totally nude except for a single pathetic tail feather with a ton of pin feathers just emerging. She just made me want to itch.

Our parrots like us to scritch their heads when the pen feathers emerge. Most of the time their eye balls roll back into their heads until I find a very tender one which ends the scritch session. Or at least for a moment when they bow their heads back down for more rubbing. They are never a walking pin cushion like some of the hens. It just makes you want to scratch.

I so hope that the turnip greens help with their protein needs. I have also sown some clover that is high in protein too. Molting is a huge energy draw. With our older hens this is when we loose most of them.

We have a duck hen that is setting on 8 eggs. I am beginning to think they may not hatch. She was in a extreme broody state when I found her sitting on the eggs. She was hissing and very protective of her nest, so I erected a fence around her that I could open each morning so that she can eat and drink. This started at least 3 weeks ago. Hatch is exactly 28 days. I think we are very close to that if not over. My willingness to let her stay on is because there was one night I neglected to close her gate and I was woken at midnight with her very animated quaking. So I let her into the duck box. She was off the nest for a few hours (too long?). Anyway in the morning she went back to a nest of eggs. This surprised me that there were eggs there after she got chased off by a predator? Life”s mysteries. Soooo here we wait.

All the summer veggies are slowing down but ther still are some squash, chilies, eggplants and okra being harvested but very diminished quantities. Although I am harvesting the last bed of Sweets. It has been nice to not have had a rodent eating on the tubers. It looks like the Azagard has helped to keep the nematodes at bay. There just are not as many culls as I have had in the past. Maybe?, I have started to deplete my resident population? One can only hope.

Other than turnips and mustard greens there will be a wait for greens. I feel it will all come together though. Transition time can be a little rough.

Any way I do like the slower pace..

Production is off. Please make a request and I will see what I can do. It is all about that transition thing. Thank you for your patience!

October 10, 2016

Avalanche column

September 22, 2016

Gardening with fowl? Why would you? There are a lot of good reasons. To name a few: eggs, manure, pest control, and entertainment.

I have had folks ask me if I allow chickens in my garden. For the most part they are not allowed in the garden. Chickens unsupervised in the garden is a very very very bad idea. They can very easily destroy a garden in very little time. Yes they would eat some bugs but for the most part they would go about the garden sampling everything that is on the “plate”. Then when they were done eating they would make dust bath wallows throughout the garden. It seems that the beds are the perfect place to take these baths because the soil moisture is “just right”. If you are lucky this wallow is not next to a new transplant.

I have had selected chickens as helpers in the garden. Usually not more than two, and ones that are easy to catch. These birds can be very helpful when preparing a bed for planting. When I turn soil with a shovel, they usually are right next to the shovel so that they grab any soil borne insect. This keeps their attention at least while I am digging. This is one reason I do not like to use a rototiller.

It was a learning curve with the chickens, I soon learned that they have long enough memories and discovered that under the covers are “goodies”, I could not keep them out. I used to only have a deer fence around the garden with a short interior fence to keep the chickens out. Chickens do have wings and when motivated are pretty good fliers. Albeit much like bumble bees on steroids. So I put a deer fence as a cross fence to keep my “bumble bees” out.

My chickens are free range. This does allow them to get wild greens but it also is great bug control. It has been many years that the dogs have been flea and tick free. Not to mention how well grasshoppers are controlled, that is on the exterior of the “chicken” fence.

Bedding in the chicken coops is kennel bedding, wood chips. This gets mixed with their nightly chicken poop and is perfect for composting. This with pest control are probably the most important reasons for having fowl.

A lot of people would say “oh but what about the eggs”. Eggs might be a viable reason for having chickens, if you are able to cull the older birds and keep a younger flock. After a couple years egg production drops. Deb and I are not real farmers and have not been good at this culling. Soooo we tend to have a lot of older birds but they do provide bug control, compost material, entertainment and oh yes, I forget eggs.

October 6, 2016

Good morning, I have started to transplant my seedlings that I started at the end of August. The plants appear to be in good shape. Sadly I have noticed that cutworms got into my spinach, Asian greens, cabbage and kohlrabi seed beds. I can easily reseed the spinach and Asian greens but with the cabbage and kohlrabi any seedling started now would more than likely bolt before they could be harvested. Harvesting with in a month or two of the winter solstice ensures that they will not bolt.

I have a nice stand of mustard that I have grown as a green manure but the greens can be harvested and eaten. My turnips are up and I notice they are beginning to develop turips and not just greens. For my chickens I am growing a forage turnip. This variety of turnip is supposed to be high in protein, something that the chickens do not readily get during the winter because there are few if any bugs out and about. The feed pellets just do not supply enough protein to fill the void.

Fall / winter is a big draw on the chickens not only because it is cooler but also they are finishing their molt, since feathers are mainly protein this is a huge draw on them. I hope the forage turnips will help.

For better or worse the summer garden is slowly coming to an end. I have one last bed of okra that is producing reasonably well, but its leaves are dropping like flies. My chilies are still producing along with an eggplant or two. Summer squash are in a state of decline and I will nurse them as long as I can. The cukes have gone to make compost. There might be another harvest of beans.

Luckily there are some storage veggies along with chard and kale. Ah yes it is that transition time once again in the garden. It is nice not having to do a daily harvest. With green season the harvest consists of one longer day. I still have one and a quarter beds of sweet potatoes to harvest. Since I do not have a rodent destroying any of my tubers we should have sweets for quite awhile.

This week I anticipate to harvest chad, kale, green onions, carrots, turnip greens, chilies, and okra.

October 3, 2016

Avalanche column

September 15, 2016

Why is it important to plan your garden? There are a number of reasons. With a garden plan you can figure how much and what variety of seeds you need for the next season. This could also be used to figure how many transplants that you will need. The plan can also help you with succession plantings as to when they need to go into the garden. The plan would also help with crop rotations so that the same veggie or it allies are not continuously planted in the same spot year after year. This helps with garden pest control.

I like to do my garden plan for the year in October. This may seem early but I like to start a number of my next years plants around the end of December for the middle of February out planting. The October planning insures that I can order all my seeds that I will need for the year and to have them on hand when I need them.

I used to put my plans on graph paper. With 32 beds this sometimes got a little cumbersome. What with erasing and rewriting, then making sure that there was a proper length of time before replanting the bed to that veggie. It got to be a lot of paper and difficult to keep track of.

One year I found out that the Mother Earth News had a garden planner. This planner could be accessed for a free trial. So I gave it a whirl. This really was a game changer. I can have a look at the whole garden or zoom into an individual bed. It is calendar driven so you can plug in your successions, so you can see when the bed needs to prepared for the next crop. It will calculate how many plants are in each bed. This is a big help with seed and plant ordering. The plans can be achieved and it keeps track how long ago that a veggie was planted in that bed. It is very easy to use. The best part I no longer have paper I need to keep track of.

Because of the plan my succession cropping is more precise and I find that I can more easily maintain production.

Now the plan is just a guide none of it is set in concrete. A year or so back I had a bed that was planted to peas and was scheduled to be succession planted to tomatoes. Most years peas give up the ghost in April due to heat. Well this particular year there was healthy peas and harvests way into May. The long pea harvest was a surprise but I had my tomato plants waiting.

So if you like here is the link to this garden planner. There is a free thirty day trial.

http://gardenplanner.motherearthnews.com/gardenplanner/gardenplanner.html

Good luck and happy gardening!!! Questions? I can be contacted atmarkdirtfarmer@gmail.com. Or more garden notes at redwagonfarm.blogsot.com