AT
THE
FARM

Copyright © 2000-2011
Donna Frantz
 At the Farm
Waconia
Minnesota

At the Farm Newsletter

Sent April 2, 2009

HAPPY SPRING!

Isn't it great to see the snow gone, birds singing and the rhubarb up. I thnnk it's like a re-birth of life. That Winter Was TOUGH!

I worked on my Pride and Glory Project all winter and now its time to put it into practice

THE SEEDS ARE HERE! Beans, Peas, Radishes, Lettuce, Beets, Carrots, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Sweet Corn, Pumpkins, Dill, Cilantro, Squash and Color Corn.

SET ONIONS AND ONION PLANTS TOO! AND OF COURSE, SEED POTATOES!

Early Norland Red, Kennebec white, Yukon Gold yellow, Pontiac red, Superior white, Norgold Russet brown, Viking red, (the color is the skin color, but yukon gold has a yellow flesh)

PLANTS FOR COLD WEATHER CAN BE SET OUT WHEN YOU CAN WORK THE GROUND. Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli.

For dust I use an organic called Dipel. The white butterflies lay eggs on these plants and the green worm eats on them. I have this organic dust for sale.

Think Spring!
Donna

April Gardening Tip for Spring 2009

Can't wait to get started???????

WAIT - WAIT - WAIT until the soil is right. Take a handful of soil and squeeze it, if it makes a MUD BALL stay out. The soil should almost crumble. Then you can turn your garden over. When you get in there too soon the soil never gets fine and you will pay the price all summer. The lumps never seem to go away.

If you have old plants in the garden you can cut them down or rake them up. Try not to dig. You can walk in the garden if not too muddy so you can clean it up.

This is for heavy soil, if you have sandy soil you can get in earlier.

A lot of perennial plants (flowers and rhubarb) can be moved in the spring. Not peony plants, that's in September.

Bone Meal, Garden Fertilizer, Blood Meal, or compost can be applied after you have turned the soil over. To feed your Rhubarb it is best in the fall with good compost or rotted manure.

HAPPY GARDENING!