Planning
Fresh from the Farm
Planning
June 19, 2019
What is your favorite gardening tool? Rake, pitchfork, tiller, scuffle hoe…those are all great, but the one thing that helps me the most is my day planner. A simple calendar and a pencil. Those two things are the start of some great growing. My best gardening year was the one that I thoughtfully planned each month to plant something. A month or two ahead I would write in my day planner on each specific day to “plant green beans” or whatever other thing was right for the season. I didn’t always stick to the day, but having a goal helped get me motivated and into the garden. And we sure did eat well because of it!
It’s pretty much too hot to plant much right now. That makes it a great time for doing some planning. Florida has always seemed backwards to the rest of the country when it comes to our gardening year. We are blessed to be growing greens when others are freezing. Between the spring bugs and the summer heat, not many people successfully grow veggies throughout the summer. Planning for the fall and planting a cover crop are two big things that I will be doing in the next couple of weeks to make sure we have a great fall garden.
Planting a cover crop helps with erosion control, adds nutrients to the soil when chopped or mowed at the end of summer, provides a home for beneficial insects, and the roots will help the soil absorb moisture more efficiently once the plant is dead. The best thing is that it suppresses weeds! We can take the summer off and not have a jungle of terrible weeds when we get back at it in August. I will be planting Iron Clay Peas with some sunflower seeds soon. The deer will love it and so will my soil.
If we want an early fall harvest there are some things we can do in the next few weeks to get ready. Starting seeds indoors is a great way to get a good start. Tomatoes and peppers don’t mind living in your laundry room for a few weeks. One of my favorite varieties is Sun Gold Cherry tomatoes. They taste better than candy!
If you’re not planning on doing much in the garden or planting a cover crop this summer you can always make good use of your chickens’ natural digging and scratching habits. They are great for aerating and tilling the soil. Chickens will also eat many bugs and deter more from taking up residence in your time off. The added bonus is that your eggs will be more nutritious. That rich golden yolk makes a beautiful scrambled egg.
So grab your calendar and mark some dates of when you want to plant some of your favorite veggies. Count backwards and make yourself some notes on when to start getting the garden ready. A little bit of planning goes a long way. And even if you don’t get it done on the exact day you’re still much farther ahead than if you had not planned at all. Until next time plan a little more, work and worry less, eat good homegrown food.