To Weed or not to Weed?

In Permaculture - the goal is to get to a place where the plants all exist together with minimal interference from us...

I have my tomato garden and the weeds of course are coming back - Dan said to leave them.  They cover the rocks and help keep things cool.  I tried - but part of me still believes that too many weeds will steal the nutrients from my plants.

So I pull the weeds and stick them in my compost which will eventually add nutrients back after they break down.  Now I need to find a mulch to cover the soil again and hold in the water.  By the time I finished the whole garden, I was thinking that Dan was right - it took a lot of work!

the garden does look so pretty without weeds...

 My Santa Fe Peppers are turning red and I have started picking a few.

Frog explosion - too many to count but they are kind of cute

I did some research and this weed is called Purslane - in India it is considered an herb.  It is very healthy and tasty - so I have reconsidered.  I  believe I will weed less and maybe even try this in our salad this week.  In the meantime when it grows back - it will be covering the rock and helping to keep the moisture in the garden - win win! 

 I haven't told Isabella yet, but the cherry tomatoes are starting to turn red.  Once she finds out - they will be gone!

My next dilemma is the sugar beet field.  The tomato plants are coming back to life so I will continue to water it; however, the rag weed is growing much faster than the vegetables!  At first I didn't mind leaving them - I know there are white flies in this area and they are staying on the ragweed and leaving the squash and tomatoes alone. Again, Daniel was right - the part of the field we cleared by just cutting down the weeds is not filling in as fast as the part we actually tried pulling up the roots...

But as you can see from the picture - the back portion is out of control.  So I hit the Internet again and I have a plan.  I may have mentioned sheet mulching before and the big ragweed bushes will fit right in...  Sheet mulching is a easy way to build wonderful, healthy gardens without having to till.  You put down cardboard,  compost, green manure (ragweed in this case), kitchen scraps and then top with a heavy layer of straw.  You then leave it be - the worms do the rest of the work.  I plan on using this technique to prepare some gardens for the spring.  In fact, we will be working on the front yard shade garden this weekend.  Next spring it will be ready to plant and I won't have to till or turn the soil!

I found others who have used the ragweed in this manner and it worked out well.  It decomposes pretty quickly and we won't have to worry about it seeding because it will be beneath a big layer of mulch.  Since we won't till, the seeds will not make their way to the surface and the sun to sprout.  

I guess the real test will be next summer - will I have a garden of ragweed or perennials?  
As for the sugar beet field - we will see if the tomatoes have time to produce.  I will ask J to mow the smaller weeds and I will get to work chopping down the big ones.

Is there a Support Group for when your trees have been butchered?

So today has been very traumatic for me.  I know I am over reacting, I know I am too emotional about this but I can't help it.  I came home today to a mess.  We had our Maple trees trimmed today.  My beautiful trees that shaded our home and created a perfect outside living area are now gone.  I am being told their lives are being extended and that they will fill in again - healthier.   But it is still so hard!  At least I got 6 weeks with my beautiful ideal trees...

I came home to this

This is what is used to be

 Looking up from our patio and Daniel hanging out his first time on the farm...

I am looking at the pictures and thinking it won't seem as drastic to others as it is to me - but I stood on my patio in full sun when it used to be  peaceful shade and I am sad.

Next year this will all be a memory - but for now I will have another glass of wine.

Never Ending Projects

Every day is a busy day! 

Since moving in we have had plenty of visitors and with those visitors - more projects have popped up.  

The latest project is close to wrapping up.  The living room floors were re-done.  Remember on the first day we pulled up all the existing Berber carpet and found beautiful wood floors underneath.  

They are now finished and the room is fantastic!  Since the floors looked so good - I was motivated to paint the walls.  Below are the before and after pictures.

Before

After

The furniture is back in place and we have started putting our book bins up on the walls.  Once it is all put together - I will share another picture.

We also got a new fridge - the other one was too small for us.  J and Pop worked on getting that installed and the water line to the ice set up.  The doorway is small so the fridge doors had to come off.  You can see the it in pieces.

Once the older one was removed we saw the original built in and decided to enlarge that area so the fridge could be pushed all the way back.  It only gave an additional 4 inches or so - but the result is very nice.  

Currently we have our stove built into an island in the middle of the kitchen.  So if I am cooking and someone needs to get something out of the fridge - it is a juggling act.  The addition 4 inches help until we can move the stove.  That will be a mighty project and will probably take a while to get started. (I will add some kitchen pictures next time.)

The gardens are coming along well (minus the sugar beet field) and I have started getting peppers already.  

Can't wait for the tomatoes!

Family Affair

So I guess it is week three. J is back from his trip to Mexico and Mom came for a visit.  I started my official vacation on Friday.  It started pretty mellow then I was off to get the girls from camp.  Before I knew it the day was over and I still have so many boxes to unpack it is crazy.   But my goal for my week off was to work outside.  Daniel came down to the farm and we all got to work.  Mom brought 80 plus tomato plants.  We had to clear out part of the sugar beet field.  

Daniel recommended just cutting off the tops of the weeds and leaving the roots to rot - which is in line with the permaculture technique - so we first tried the weed eater but it was a bit of a mess.  I ended up just using clippers and the had half the field cleared in a jiffy.  Daniel and I planted 50 some tomatoes along with some marigolds.  I am hoping the marigolds will help keep the white flies at bay...

Our next project was to create a hugelkultur raised bed (http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/). All hands on deck!  Mom was pruning the Lilac bushes while Daniel and I cleared the bed.   You don't need to dig a hole but I needed some top soil and I didn't want the raised bed super tall.

The first step was to dig out a hole - Dan did a great job with a pick ax. 

Mom pruning the Lilacs 

                                             Sam and Iz doing other chores.

The next step is to add BIG pieces of wood.  We found these big logs on our farm.

Then you add brush or twigs - In went the lilac trimmings.  The next layer was the compost we had been collecting since moving in (kitchen waste, grass clippings etc) and even a squirrel who met it's maker (thanks to Roxy for bringing us this gift - she didn't kill it)

All the while the bed needed water.  Thank you Iz!

On top of the compost we added a layer of aged Horse manure.  

More Water

After all those layers it was time to start covering it with top soil.

After all that, we finally got to plant!  

Tomatoes and herbs on the top and West side, greens will go on the East.

More water and TA DA! the bed is done!

I included the link to Hugelkultur up top.  The basic idea is that the wood logs and scraps will absorb and hold water while it decomposes.  The manure and compost will add all the goodies needed to help with decomposition.  The quality of the soil is increased while needing less water once established, both of which will help produce higher and better quality yields.  

I can't explain how excited I was to finish this project.  Eventually this bed will be extended to fill up the rest of this area for my kitchen garden.  I have been doing a lot of reading and my goal is to follow Permaculture techniques as I work through our land.  I want it to be beautiful and sustainable as well as give us the food we need.  This was the first step!

First Week

So no pictures yet - I can't believe how the time is flying.  I worked from home a couple days this week and was able to get a  few things done.  Little by little we are moving boxes into the house and unpacking.

Iz needs some serious organization - she has a lot of stuff.  That will have to wait until I am on vacation.

S finished her bedroom finally (after a minor bed breakdown) she is using the spare bed frame until we can find the screws to put her bed together.  She painted the room and organized her clothes.  That will be all she unpacks since she is moving out in August.

J was gone most of the week but the house looked pretty much the same as it did when he left. He  went a bit crazy last night working until the sun set and then planning what to do next until late into the night.  I know how he feels the wheels just won't stop.

Tonight Uncle J is coming for a visit so we will be able to relax a bit, but tomorrow hopefully we can move more things in and spend some time in the yard.  

I have some winter squash seedlings that need to get into the ground.  I also need some flowers to soothe my soul!

I will have to start making a list of projects and getting them prioritized.  I thought the kitchen would be the first but it isn't so bad...

The master bath will probably have to be the first.  It needs to be cleaned - but eventually we need a new shower and floor.  There is water damage and rust in too many places.

We have the main room floors scheduled to be redone on July 1st - yahoo!  So between now and then I will paint and work on the trim.

After the floors are done - we can put that room together and start hanging some personal items on the walls.  It will feel even more like home.  The room has a good vibe to it already - it will only get better.

Our Farm

My mind is swimming.  We closed on the house Friday afternoon and when we did our walk through it was overwhelming how much work we have ahead of us.

J was super tired since he just flew in from a quick vacation on the east coast with his daddy and I know he was apprehensive as well.  We were determined to sleep in our new house that first night so we packed up what we needed and arrived around 8 pm Friday night.

We slept on mattresses on the ground - unpacked the the couple boxes we had, had a glass of wine and called it a night.

Saturday morning we hit it.  After a wonderful cup of coffee -we tore up the carpet in the front room.  It was OK Berber - but we found wonderful hard wood floors underneath.  I spent most of the day preparing this room since all the big furniture will go here.

We will have to refinish the floors but they are fine for now.  Iz has her bed set up and the washer and dryer are installed.  S cleaned both her and Iz's rooms and they look fantastic!

The plan today is to bring the rest of the stuff from where we have been staying - pick up paint for Sam's room and something for dinner tonight then hit it again.

I had my coffee on the front steps which face East - watching the animals run around in the field across the dirt road - the sun warm on my face.  I have so many yard plans swimming in my head.  Tonight I will try to take a few pictures of where we are with the house and the gardens I will be attacking first.

2012 Season - March 19

Ok - so I started my seeds the first of March.  I started tomatoes (pomadoro, Green and Red German, yellow and I think a black Krim), peppers (Jalapeno, Anaheim, red and green), broccoli and cauliflower.  I also started some Penstemons, Cosmos, Zinnias, Marigolds, Snapdragons and a couple of mystery seeds I got from my mom.


I was able to transplant the seedlings this past weekend (ST. Patrick's Day) into peat pots.  They are sitting in my light stand in the sun room.  I also started my eggplant seeds.


The plan is to have about 20 tomato plants, 15 pepper plants, 5 each of broccoli and cauliflower.


My garlic that I planted in the fall is growing.  I planted 2 rows but only 1 came up.  I am thinking an animal my have something to do with my missing bulbs. 


Jeremy took down Isabella's playhouse since she has outgrown it and we will be converting that space into a pepper garden.  I have some research to do - trying to find out what kind of soil pepper plants like.  My goal this year is to get a good crop of peppers.  Last year was pathetic...


It has been warm (70 degree weather) this past week and my spinach and arugula is taking off.  I need to plant more in my lettuce garden so I have some greens next month.


I will take pictures this weekend and post.