Summer On The Farm

Luckily for gardeners, plants are incredibly resilient, and the will to thrive so strong, that, for the most part, they are able to ride out the ebbs and flows of weather. With the summer well under way, the tomatoes in particular have had quite the ride. Our garden follows a 3 year rotation, and this year they are in our heaviest soil. The pounding rains in May and June turned their soil into cement, and they really were struggling to live. But with lot's of care, and cultivation to aerate the soil most are coming along.

Spurred on by my friend, Catlin, I've been foliar feeding tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes, and melons with a seaweed/fish mixture every 2 weeks. I use a 4 gallon back pack sprayer ( 6 loads the other morning). As he says, it's best to put it on "when the birds are singing", in other words, in the early morning, or the end of the day. And really, it's a beautiful way to start the day. The sun is just rising, the birds are re-claiming their territories for the day, and all is peaceful. The plants seem to be loving all the extra TLC. The leaves are green and healthy, and the plants are loaded with fruit.

An upside to all the wet weather we've had has been wonderful chanterelles mushrooms. Coming upon them in the woods is always a thrill. There is nothing that looks like them so they can't be confused with anything poisonous. We've been enjoying them tossed with fresh homemade pasta, seasoned with fresh parsley, basil, and a bit of our butter.