Farm happenings: March + April
Our to-do list is growing just as fast as the weeds we need to pull. Kelly and I have a shared list for each day. We try to crank it all out in between our kids’ nap times, school hours, coaching, family activities, and husbands' work schedules. It’s surprising how much we can accomplish in that time, yet there are always unexpected tasks we complete that weren’t on the list, so we quickly add it in order to check something off for the day. I know we aren’t the only ones that do that, right? There is a satisfaction in crossing items off a list. A “to-do list” is just as important as a “done list.”
March and April have been full of seed starting, transplanting baby plants out into the garden, and playing the “hardening off” shuffle. Hardening off is a process in which plants gradually adjust to their new outdoor environment. The process needs to take about one-two weeks before transferring out to the garden. I will admit that we lost a few plants in our initial excitement to get plants out into the field.
Lesson learned. Don’t rush the process.
We are at full capacity under the grow lights with 42+ trays at the “Double K Inn,” so when we passed our last frost date, we started transplanting like crazy, but our weather app deceived us. A few days after getting a wave of plants in the ground, an unexpected freeze warning popped up! Out came the frost cloth again. One problem, we have one frost cloth--one frost cloth and too many plants spread out over eight rows. The scissors came out, and we hacked the cloth into four measly scraps and walked through the rows deciding which ones to cover.
Lesson learned. Purchase more frost cloth.
Amidst these tasks, our most rewarding has been harvesting our fall planted anemones and ranunculus. We planted half our ranunculus and anemones under a low tunnel in fall as an experiment and half in spring. The fall ones have been blooming since the end of March, and we were able to make some beautiful bundles. We have another week or two to see how the spring planted ones compare. Right now, my bet is that we will want to do more fall planting next season. I’m thankful we were so excited to get started and willing to experiment with a low tunnel. Having these blooms right now are a reminder that flowers take time and work but are worth it when they arrive!
Lesson learned. Purchase and plant more ranunculus.
Next up on our to-do list:
Prepping our planting area for pumpkins
Weeding
Transplanting
Pinching the tops off branching plants
Staking dahlias
We would also like to share some exciting news. You will be able to find us at the 3 Eyed Fish Farmers Market this summer! The market will start June 13th and be on Sundays from 10-2 in front of...you guessed it, 3 Eyed Fish off of Keene. Hope to see you there!
We will keep working through our tasks to bring you beautiful bouquets, and in the meantime, check out our flower subscriptions; they make a wonderful gift.
-Kasia and Kelly
