Fed up with the garden

[5030]

One nice thing about where we live and farm is, this particular area in Michigan is loaded with truck farms so we have our choice of vegetables and fruits and we can actually go out in the fields and pick what we want to as we all are friends with the farmers around here.

I used to grow cabbage for making Kraut but quit doing that as well because If I require cabbage for making kraut, all I have to do is swing by the Dusseau's farm and get it and they usually will give us a full hamper of cabbage out of their refrigerated cooler. A full hamper is 100 pounds btw.

Makes no sense to have a garden and toil away on it when everything is available for the asking.

Strawberries are another big crop here. We can actually pick our own from those fields as well.

About the only thing we do grow is potatoes now. This is excellent potato ground and very few of the truck farmers around here grow them and the ones that do, grow chipping potatoes anyway.

 

[CalG]

same. Didn't mention cherries. Every year the birds are a challenge. This year also had rain, rain and rain when they were ripening. What the birds didn't eat split and rotted.

Speaking of cherries (sour).

We have two trees, Over the past 30 years, we have had maybe three good harvests. Mostly the birds get 'em the day before I should have picked.

This spring, a pair of Broad Wing hawks built a nest up high in one of our many maple trees.

I just finished my lunch of fresh cherry jam on toast. ;-)

 

[WVH1977]

My corn did well this year. Picked a wheel barrow full two days ago and there is more ready to go. Rain hit it just right this year. This year I planted it only about a foot apart. Did not even weed it. Also have good crop of cucumbers coming in. My green beans did not do as well just planted more of those to get up before fall. I only had one good picking on them. Like 5030 said, lots of work needed to care for a garden.

 

[masseyrider]

I grew up on a farm and my parents were old school. Partly their upbringing and partly they were survivors of ******'s concentration camps. They came to this country with maybe $20 between them.
Food and food security was a priority with them.
Even my father's last summer, he was riddled with cancer, he planted potatoes. He didn't say anything, just got a basket of seed potatoes got on the loader tractor and planted. It was too much for him to get off and on so he just tossed them off the side of the tractor into the little trough the disks make and backfilled them with the loader bucket. He didn't live long enough to have any, but he still had it in his mind that it had to be done.
How could I not make an attempt.
It is trying sometimes though.

 

[5030]

I have a furrower attachment for my rear tine tiller (Ardisam) than cuts a nice potato furrow. cut the furrow, rake in the spoil and call it good. One year I tried growing them in straw bales and that was a PITA.

 

[Jstpssng]

I have a furrower attachment for my rear tine tiller (Ardisam) than cuts a nice potato furrow. cut the furrow, rake in the spoil and call it good. One year I tried growing them in straw bales and that was a PITA.

I have one of those for my Troy built. Not only does it work well for potatoes but also for any seedlings you put in the ground. I like to drop my plants in, put a good dollop of soil/compost mix on the root ball and then cover them over with a rake. It sure beats bending over, although it doesn't allow for using a weedblocker.

 

[5030]

For seeds I used one of those Earthway wheeled seeders. gives uniform spacing and the one I have also has a fertilizer attachment for applying granulated top dressing. I should sell it, nice seeder.

 

[grsthegreat]

Wifes garden had a late start due to weather…
time will tell how it fares. As for cherries, we had a great crop this year. Gave bunch to neighbors. very little insect or bird damage this year for some reason. Last year they got the entire crop. Wife is freezing and caning them as i type. I just got thru pitting them this morning.

 

[Jstpssng]

For seeds I used one of those Earthway wheeled seeders. gives uniform spacing and the one I have also has a fertilizer attachment for applying granulated top dressing. I should sell it, nice seeder.

I have one of those also but never seem to use it. My soil is lumpy and has too many small rocks for it to work well.

 

[ultrarunner]

So far this year looking good.

After years of drought the series of almost weekly storms kicked everything into high gear… even the figs and citrus.