Late Winter Update from the Farm

Winter, a time of reflection, seed ordering, planning, reading great books with a steaming cup of tea in your favorite breakfast nook, and finally doing those undesirable chores you put off all year.  But here at Love Apple Farm, winter is also a time of growth. Throughout the winter, thanks to the Mediterranean influence of our climate, out gardens are still bountiful, though low to the ground.  Sturdier plants, such as these Rainbow Chard, Red Russian Kale, and Broccolis above, do quite well in the winter.

We also have great winter production thanks to our hoophouse, which regulates the temperature and provides a good environment for plants during these trying months. Growing in our hoophouse is a variety of Cabbages, Radishes, Turnips, Fennel, Salad Greens, and Spinach. There is definitely a difference between hoophouse winter veggies, and open aired ones.

Cold rains not only bring wet clothes, smelly dogs, and upset kittens, but a lot of useful water.
Here is water falling into a precisely placed bucket to brew Stinging Nettle Tea (which delays bolting of Cabbage), giving us free water and keeping our hard earned bucks out of the City's pocket. Rain barrels are also an ideal item to have in the rainy season.

Your chickens like the rain less than you do; they’re tropical birds, loving the sun and dry air.  So on these wet days we give them a fresh layer of straw.  The straw not only dries them a little, but also keeps them occupied on these “in-coop” days.  In addition, to keep them more comfortable on our really chilly nights, we install a heat lamp that warms their little bums.

Another great way to spent this time is by propagating plants from cuttings. We take cuttings of Lavender, Rosemary, Geraniums, anything with a woody stem.  At a node in the woody part, we use clippers to make a diagonal cut across the node, this allows for more surface area for sprouting roots.  About five inches or so up, we sever the stem right at the top of a node, leave a few leaves, and plunge the transplant into a pot. Put the bottom of the stem about two thirds the way down the pot, keeping the leaves above the soil. These pots need to be wet all day. After a couple months, they are ready to transplant out into your garden.

As our garden transitions from winter to spring, our time is spent preparing for the bounty of summer.  We clear used beds, till in winter cover crops, and disinfect last year's pots. There's nothing worse than having your plants succumb to a disease you could have prevented by a quick washing of your tools and pots.

Your seed propagation for those summer-loving veggies should be in full swing now.  Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans and squashes should be cooking along in order to plant out here in central coastal California next month or in May.  Haven't done it yet?  No worries, come to our spring tomato plant sale starting on March 26 and you'll be in tomato heaven in no time.  But until then, enjoy the rest of this chilly, yet useful season.

Comments

[Cassidy]

I'm partial to orange tomatoes lately, though the striped and bi-color are also magnificent. Something about orange just fits so perfectly with spring and summer. See you this Saturday!

[Anita]

fav color, so far, of tomatoe is chocolate-purple! Love your newsletter :)

[Lenore Kenny]

My favorite color of tomato is the vibrant color between bright red and bright orange of one of my cherry tomatoes. It seems to promise the sweet, flavorful burst to come.

[Linda Guzman]

I have learned so much reading your newsletter. I must admit, my favorite color of tomato is yellow.

[Bonnie Chadwick]

My daughter and I have two gardens. We have been a little successful using soaker hoses to help water when we have a hot summer here in Michigan. It seems we have to buy new hoses every year. We would love to win a Dripworks system! Love your website...

[Steve Stocks]

I installed two raised beds last year, 6'x3' and a 3'x3'. The rest of my garden is all done in containers. Most of my time after my plants are established is watering and watering and watering. It is all done by hand.
A drip irrigation system would not only cut my watering time down but also make sure the plants get more water on a regular bases.
Thanks for all the info from the newsletter.

[Shawnee Kunz]

I have a garden about 15'x20'. My husband put in spray heads at each corner and one in the middle to water the entire garden. Well, if something too big is next to a head, nothing gets watered. Also, water on the leaves causes issues. A drip irrigation system would seem to be the answer. Thanks.

[Kim]

I am interested in growing herbs outdoors. I want to make my own garden with plants and therefore, I looking for useful information.
I like this farm.

[Lisa D.]

Thank you for your informative blog and newsletter. I would love to win a private tour of Love Apple Farm!