We
hope that everyone has had an enjoyable June, with lots of gatherings with
family and friends. Many recent graduates will be celebrating their new status
with parties over the next few weeks, and of course, Independence Day is always
a great reason to have a cook-out or picnic. No matter what the reason, the
fruits and veggies at Pathfinder Produce are always in season!
Our
Edmeston market is at the Village Commons on Thursday, from 1 to 5 p.m., and
our Morris Market, which has been going strong for over six months, is on
Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. Stop by and check out all fresh and tasty produce,
including the just-picked items from our Pathfinder Hoop Houses!
***
A few weeks back,
there were lots of media stories about the 50th anniversary of
the Beatles' “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band”
album, and what a pivotal moment in musical history that was. The
second track on the album, “I Get By With A Little Help From My
Friends” was the story of
the Grace garden beds this year.
Given the weather
we'd had in May and other delays, I was late in cleaning out our
three raised beds, and that pushed everything back a few weeks. To help things
grow better, I added some new soil to the mix this year, about four bags per
bed, which raised the soil level a few inches. The additive we used is made from composted produce
scraps, mixed in with some other organic materials. I mixed it well, and deep
rooted any of last year's roots using my stone rake, garden weasel, and Grandfather's
high-wheeled cultivator,
a tool I truly love.
(I decided against
growing wild strawberries in one of the beds, as they didn’t really produce
last year, and the fruits are very, very tiny.
My strawberry experiments may have to move to a new variety and system to grow).
I stopped by Hoyt’s, our local hardware store, and got a
nice selection of lettuce and cucumber seeds, and put them in two weeks ago.
And, thankfully, a friend of ours was able to spare a few tomato plants, and
the family that runs a small plant business still had pepper and Brussels
sprouts plants this past weekend. Everything is now in, and is acclimating well.
This year, I'm
trying a weed barrier around the plants, to cut back on the grass
and weeds that always gets out of hand. I did see that weeds are actually
growing under the black cloth, but they should be less successful in taking
over the 4 x 8 foot growing spaces.
I did see a really
cool gizmo online, the Tertill, a small solar powered robot that
continually weeds your beds. I would love to try one out and may get one if
they're not too expensive (early Christmas present!). Apparently, you put a
wire collar around the plants you wish to keep, and the little bot cuts
anything off not protected by a collar. Brilliant -- think Roomba, but for the
garden.
Until next time, get outside, get
your hands dirty, and eat well!
Lori
