Our Golden Acre Update
Planted:
· Red clay gardening is the pits. While the clay is full of nutrients (and wiggler worms), getting the soil to release the goods is the trick. In our courtyard we dug up the weeds along the path we wanted to create, then we put down a thick layer of coarse sand. After we spent some time walking on it and the rain beat on it, the sand and clay hardened into a nice little woodland path. We’ve tilled and amended the courtyard soil along the ugly fence and planted peas, mammoth sunflowers, morning glories and two hills of pumpkins and zucchini. Most of the peas are weak looking, yet the morning glories seem to thrive in the soil. I planted a bush tomato in a giant tub, along with some purple basil.
“Attraction” Dwarf Butterfly Bush
Harvested:
· The chive blooms are fading and I was going to harvest the chives, but I saw tiny bees on the flowers and thought I might just let them go another few days. Some of the women in my group dry herbs and foods in their cars. I live in the humid south in the US. I’ll give it a shot.
Manag
ed:· Finished (YEA!) cleaning out, repackaging, bay-leafing, and labeling the pantry. Setting up a place to keep your stored foods is the first step. I composted the old pantry stuff. Then I made a handwritten inventory, and I have to say I was shocked at how little we have. I have two large coop orders placed, but I don’t expect them for another month or more, due to backlog. Still, the pantry space is ready and labeled and waiting…and empty. Although you can’t see the top of the pantry, you get the idea. It’s a big dark closet with the door cut shorter for ventilation. On the right and left sides are deep storage spaces. I’ve mapped the layout, which we’ll post to the inside door. There’s plenty of room for storing food.
Prepped:
· Water storage: We bought a 300-gallon agricultural water tank in a cage. We’ve been waiting all weekend for the guy to deliver it to us. Can’t complain when he’s doing the driving, but it’s been raining all weekend, and I keep thinking of the water I’d be catching if I had the storage in place. Since we live in a drought zone there’s no way can I have a garden without big water catch in place.
· Composting: I added another three buckets of compost to the teeny tiny garden. Since we have red clay soil and our compost is aged well, we can add as much compost as we want without fear of burning the plants. Also we’re planning for a fall garden, and because of the red clay a lot of prep has to happen. We’re prepping two areas for blackberries using the lasagna method in raised beds.
Pumpkin and Cantaloupe Hills
Stored:
· I put everything that passed inspection into the pantry in jars with basil leaves. I finished drying the bushel of mint for winter tea, and I explained how to dry herbs to one of my sons. I stored a 1-1/2 gallons of bleach. Meanwhile I’m been freezing the rice in Pepsi 2-liter bottles. Rice doesn’t keep well, according to Peggy Layton.
Learned:
· It takes a lot more food and water than I expected to feed two people for three months. With my coop order I’ll still be short 3 gallons of fruits and 3 gallons of vegetables. And that’s only for a three-month supply!
· There are so many great videos on YouTube. Here are a few videos on homesteading that I got hints from.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZOaPFt_ajvU&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mWjCnwbb5yc&feature=related
Cooked Something New: Mixed up a batch of the No Knead bread (recipe below).
Local Systems:
· We got to Farmer’s Market in our small town but the farmers had gone home. They’d sold out. So we plan to drive up to Mamushi Farms to pick some produce. They even have worms…for the soil, not canning.
