Each year I collect soil samples for testing. Knowing the nutrients already in the soil and the crop I plan for the field, I can make informed decisions on the optimum compost, fertilizer, and other soil amendments. After testing the same field for a few years, I can look for trends and adjust my strategies to suit.
I want to know not only the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (the NPK of the fertilizer labels), but also the micronutrients boron, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, and sulfur. In addition I’ll look at the soil pH and the amounts of calcium and magnesium which affect the availability of the other nutrients for uptake by the plants. The report gives other useful information that I won’t go into here.
If I were starting a home garden, particularly in an urban area, I would pay particular attention to the amount of lead reported by the testing lab. Leafy greens such as spinach are well known to take up lead & other heavy metals from the soil.
[Read more →]
Tags:fertilizer·soil·techniques·tools
I fell and broke my wrist a week ago last Monday. I figure this is a fairly good explanation for the lack of recent entries here. I have several ideas for entries, but I’m not up to doing much typing yet.
Turns out there are a number of things I have trouble doing one-handed. I had to hire in an extra worker to help at the farm yesterday, so it turns out the broken wrist is also painful in the wallet.
The continuing series of rains has kept the fields too wet to work, so as the fieldwork falls behind schedule, at least I can blame the weather rather than my broken wrist.
I can mouse around on the computer and turn pages, so I’ve been doing more research on a number of topics, including possible herbs to add for essential oils or teas and additional plants to use as cover crops. I have been adding more tasks to my list at a much greater rate than I have managed to complete any.
I’m hoping that soon I can get back to shrinking the task list. There’s a whole lot to get done.
Tags:fieldwork·injury
The idea of a microclimate is one that good gardeners learn to utilize, even if they don’t know the idea by name. Tender plants do best in that area along the house that is sheltered and always warmer. Hostas grow in the shady spots, grass dies out. That damp spot in the back corner is bad for raspberries, but great for irises.
On the farm, where we are growing a large number of plants, we need ways to change the amount of heat, light, and water that our plants receive. Anything we do beyond sticking plants out the in the field and waiting for them to grow will cost us in time and materials, so you can be sure we wouldn’t use methods if we weren’t convinced the techniques paid us back for our efforts. The payoff may come in being the first to market, extending the growing season, providing some insurance against an unusual weather year, reducing weed competition, or even reducing plant disease. We’re not doing anything that couldn’t be done in a backyard garden. We’re just working on a bigger scale and with a smaller budget for each plant. [Read more →]
Tags:techniques·tools
What do you need to farm? If you were starting a farm from scratch, what would you need to pull together to make a go of it?
Every farm is different. The crops or livestock grown, soil type, climate, amount of cash available to invest, accessibility of water, farming style, zoning and other regulations associated with the land, attitude of neighbors, and many additional factors all affect the farmer’s choices. Even so, there are common themes and tasks, including planning and record keeping, planting, weeding, harvesting, animal care, maintenance, buildings, water, and crop sales. In this series I will look at our choices here at Dr. Maze’s Farm. [Read more →]
Tags:farm·farmer·photos·soil·techniques·tools
Meet our alpacas and pygmy goats. Three African pygmy goats and two alpacas live at Dr. Maze’s Farm. They have been favorites of visitors to The South 47 Farm.
I’m hoping to find a volunteer or two to help keep our alpacas and goats socialized and trained. They all are interested and curious about people, but they tend to get shy and skittish without ongoing interaction with people.
Stella wants to know what's up.
[Read more →]
Tags:alpacas·frost·goats·volunteer
This year will look different at The South 47 Farm.
Much is changing, but some of your favorites will remain. [Read more →]
Tags:chamomile·corn maze·essential oil·herbs·lavender·mazes·pumpkins·winter squash
