Field ready and plants hardening off...time to plant

[hunterridgefarm]

I disc the field this weekend getting ready to plant. I am currently adding wood post in the corners for the electric fence. This way I can put a little more tension on the wire.

I have plants hardening now and still many in the greenhouse that will be put out this weekend to harden off. We have decided we need a larger greenhouse! I have about 1500 tomato plants, 600 pepper plants, plus some watermelon, squash, cucumbers, ready to transplant. I will sale 500-600 tomato plants and a few pepper plants this year. I do transplants to get a jump on production and also sow seed direct; squash, peas, watermelon, okra, cucumber, pumpkin, etc. We also grow herbs for the farmers market.

Picture of field, plants hardening off, and others in the greenhouse. I also attached a couple of pics of my millstones I make in the winter and sell to greenhouses, garden centers, and individuals.

 

[jinman]

Wow! That's gonna be a big garden. Do you fence it against critters? That looks like more than a hobby. It looks like a full/part-time job and maybe more. The millstones and garden are are terrific. I buy plants and try to plant them on cool or cloudy days. I lose some due to the greenhouse to field shock, but not usually many. It's mostly tomatoes that seem to need hardening off. I've never noticed pepper plants doing anything but growing like crazy after they are set out.

Oops! Re-read your post about your electric fence. BTW: Your soil looks perfect, the disced in top cover will be nutrients too. Do you plant a special top cover or is it natural?

 

[schoolsout]

Nice...I'm interested in doing something like this eventually when I move out to our farm and can check on things regularly. Keep the pics coming!

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Jim,

This was a hobby that is turning into a job! We may plant on plastic mulch this year with irrigation. Last year we used sprinklers and pumped out of the river.

We plan to add a little each year. Last year I had 200 tomato plants plus all the other garden veggies and sold everything without going to the farmers market. I had a list of people and usually no more than two phone calls and it was sold, actually had people on a waiting list. I already have 6 new people added this year. I will sell cheaper than the market if I don't have to go and sit for 5 hours, load and unload, etc.

I usually harden off my plants but this year has been on the cool side so it may not take as long to acclimate them to the sun this year. I tend to lose a few plants to cut worms but last year I wrapped a strip on news paper around the tomato and pepper plant when planted and did not loose any.

I work about 45 hours a week at my job so the garden can be a little over whelming at times. I have lined up a couple of my sons friends and a neighbor kid to help with harvest this year. I hate picking green beans:laughing:. We sell them for $45.00 a bushel and I will pay them $20-$25 per picked bushel. Sold every watermelon I could get my hands on for $5.00 each (Crimson Sweet).

The cover crop on the field this year is natural, two years ago I planted rye as a cover and will do that again this year.

My wife is still trying to talk me out of planting too much this year...we will see how it goes. I may just do 300 tomato plants and sell the rest.

We are hoping to retire early and do the farm. I am adding things each year to see how they grow in our soil. This year we have added a few muscadine grapes, blue berries, and blackberries.

I did add this trailer for my mule to help transport the harvest from the field.

 

[nybirdman]

Yes gardens can be a lot of work,especialy that big.Way too early for us,end of May in northern NY.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

These wild goats (deer) are pretty smart. I was down working on the fence around the garden and they sneaked up to my shade structure, hung there evil heads over the fence and took out a few tomato plants, Brandywines. Lucky I have so many it won't hurt.

I added another section of wire around the shade structure.

 

[kevin37b]

What do you guys mean byhardening .

 

[scott_vt]

I did add this trailer for my mule to help transport the harvest from the field.

Good Afternoon David,
I have a little trailer like that, so Im wondering if I plant a huge garden, will Kathleen let me get a Mule ?

All kidding aside, that disced field looks great, very ambitious on your part, like in huge amounts of work ! Please update the thread as time goes by !!

 

[hunterridgefarm]

What do you guys mean byhardening .

Plants in a greenhouse are use to a controlled environment. A couple of weeks before putting them in the field we start them off under a shade structure to get them use to the temperature changes, expose them to direct sunlight, and water them less. I let them almost dry out before giving them water and will gradually start removing the shade cloth for more direct heat from the sun.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Good Afternoon David,
I have a little trailer like that, so Im wondering if I plant a huge garden, will Kathleen let me get a Mule ?

All kidding aside, that disced field looks great, very ambitious on your part, like in huge amounts of work ! Please update the thread as time goes by !!

Scotty if you already have the trailer I feel confident you could go ahead and purchase the mule with no side effects, however if you fail to tell Kathleen first you may get some "effects to the head".

This is a lot of work but I started growing more than what we could use and giving to needy families, donating to churches that prepare meals for people out of work. Two years ago my wife asked why I was planting so many potatoes. I told her to give to the hungry. We donated 800 lb of potatoes that year. Last year we sold produce, gave to families out of work, and give regularly to a couple of assisted living facilities. The older ladies there loved the fresh produce and when my wife would take them a half bushel of green beans to string, break and cook they were over joyed. Most had not done that for many years.

It is a lot of work but its worth it. We usually don't tell anyone about what we do for the families or assisted living facilities because we don't won't the recognition. But on TBN I most likely will not see you guys anytime soon.

I have always felt if your blessed you should give back what you can. We could make more money if we sold everything but it just would not seem like the right thing to do.

I will keep this thread updated as growing and harvest starts...and as long as I don't have to use dial up at home