April 17 Newsletter

Hello!

While sitting at my kitchen table and watching it snow, I need to write you as you want to begin to garden.

This is for all of you who like to garden in a raised bed, pots, containers on your deck or by your front door.

You need new soil in your container. If they are real deep, you need to take half out and put fresh in. That old soil is all wore out.

I like to empty the pots and put fresh in. Buy good soil. Not those dollar bags from the box stores, you get what you pay for. It has no food value in it, just the look.

I have great soil, compost, manure, and cedar mulch. The mulch that is cheap and sprayed red or brown is bad. What wood chips did they spray? Yes, it is more money from me, but you will have much better results – beautiful flowers and vegetables. What does a drink or a jug cost? You drink it and it’s gone. This product you have all growing season.

When you plant your annuals, look at the roots. If they are tight and root bound, you need to cut 1/8 to 1/2 inch off the bottom. They will push new roots and your plants are better.

This year I will have a dried chicken manure pellets you can add to the planting. Has necessary nutrients for optimal growth and superior performance. I work hard to learn about new things. It has 4% total nitrogen phosphate 3% potassium 2% also contains calcium, magnesium and zinc. Will not burn your plants.

When you can get in your gardens or field, you can plant cold crops. Carrots, cabbage, chard, potatoes, onions, radish, lettuce, beets, kale, peas and flowers like pansy plants. No flower seed.

Put your hand in the soil, it it’s cold and not in a clump when you squeeze it in a ball, it’s ready. If it stays a ball, stay out of there. You will pay the fiddler all season. There’s more about cold crops on my website.

Warm crops are tomatoes, peppers, corn, beans, winter squash, zucchini, eggplant, muskmelon, watermelon, cucumbers, flowering plants and seeds.

Put your hand in the soil. If it’s warm, go ahead and plant. A lot of people plant May 30-31, depends on the season.

Strawberry rhubarb can be planted when it’s cool. You can move yours this time of the year if needed.

That’s it!
-Farmer Donna

P.S. Sign up for the CSA. I get deliveries on Tuesdays about 8:30am and you can pick up from the Shack until 6pm or the next day.

At the Farm Waconia MN