Heavy snowfall has melted and spring is showing up. Garlic, tulips, and lilies are cresting from the soil to welcome the lengthening days. This is the stage in the marathon when pacing yourself is essential. A sprint now could be disastrous down the line. Best to play it cool, save your strength, and appreciate the subtle signs of what is to come.
Experience has taught me that rushing to get unprotected crops planted now leads to long wait times until harvest. The difference in harvesting peas planted at the start of March versus later in the month is barely a week. Cold wet soil stifles microbial activity, hindering plant growth. Soon all that will change, soon.
Knowing your region and putting in reps to growing there is the best way to improve growing plants. For so many crops we only get a couple chances a season, requiring them to be learned over years. The internet can provide resources, but experience is the best teacher.
This is true for learning specific nuances of certain crops, and finding which grow best for you. There is growing literature to suggest plants are perceiving their environments. Whether through stress responses and chemical releases, or even hints at sight, plants are not automatrons simply photosynthesizing. Plants are actively engaged in their surroundings to the point where I believe they can recognize you.
Just like you probably don’t get along with every person you meet, I have found the same to be true between me and plants. I can grow a real spicy pepper, but leave me in a room with a brussel sprout and the silence is grating. I am sure we could sort our differences and I could succeed at growing some tiny cabbage spears. Instead, I tend to lean into the relationships that come naturally both personally and within the region.
As spring approaches I have felt a growing desire to help people make the most out of this coming season. My career is agriculture has led my to spend the better part of 6 years teaching other people how to grow crops, equipping me with a set of skills I did not expect. These skills can be translated into both the farm and home garden.
Have you struggled with your garden in the past? Need a fresh set of eyes on the farm? Looking to grow your capacity? Starting a new crop project? While I do not have a Master Gardener Certificate, I do have 10 years of experience working in vegetable, flower, and herb farms and gardens equipping me with a very niche and unique set of skills.
For a limited time I am offering you the chance to utilize a farmers eye through farm or garden consultations. My hope is to speed up your learning curve for growing abundant crops before the season begins. It starts with a free 15 minute call to help me understand your current situation and how best I can help you. From there we can decide if a site visit is necessary and mutually beneficial. I have always hinted at gardening me out of a job, here is your chance.
Farm News
Crops are germinating as we chomp at the bit for our first harvests of the year! Already we have radishes, peas, carrots, and lettuce growing with much more to plant this week. Garlic has popped up through its mulch as well, a very welcome sign of what I consider the first and last crop of the growing season.
Our fields have appreciated the snowfall andthe cover crops are greening up, building fertility for the coming season. Not long now before we are turning over our first outdoor beds for larger plantings.
Lovely post and offer. Thank you. Still too cold here to start much of anything, plus snow coming in this weekend again. I shall live vicariously thru you!