Well for the past few days, or I should say week, we have gotten a LOT of rain.  I fully understand the need for Mother Nature to perform her work and help our gardens grow, but I am starting already to get concerned about blithe.  We got hit hard with it last year, and I don’t want another disappointment this year.  This is the first year we have used the garden matting, and I wonder if this is helping by giving us better run off, or if it is keeping too much moisture in the ground.  Guess the next few weeks might provide us with an answer to that question.

My daughter made a scarecrow for my garden and when I put it up, only the veggies that are out of its view are affected by the chipmunks which seem to be adept enough to mess with my plants.  Does anyone have experience with Chipmunks eating young Brussel Sprout plants?  They are the only thing really being affected.  What did you do about them?

After I plotted out my square foot grid for my frist 4×4 square foot, I looked at that one sqft and though WOW that’s small. Really, am I going to fit broccoli and all of these other things in this tiny square? It’s so small! They can’t all fit! I’m do it it anyway but there’s no way I can put two side by side and they grow to full size. Comments and advice wanted!

Hello to all who may be reading this.  I am about to make my new garden plan shared for you all to see.  It is a square foot garden, with six boxes, each 4ft sq.  Not real fancy looking, but it does incorporate companion planting.  The only thing I’m having trouble with is where to put the sage (the onions hate sage).  If you know about companion planting, then please feel free to write me a comment with your suggestion.

Thank you!

the recent rains and heat have helped many plantings start to catch up… i’m pleasantly surprised that some of the May plantings are actually starting to sprout, whereas i almost plowed it all under and started over in those spots!  the corn is a disappointment, i’ll have to replant that, and the summer squash will also be late.  but, i’m back into the swing again, and as opposed to the Spring, i can now plant something and see some progress within a few days to a week.  i planted spinach on May 19th which has barely sprouted, but the radishes i planted last week have already sprouted!  i still think that this week is too early to start delivery, but, i now see at least two flickers ahead!!! dave

the recent rains have really helped the stuff planted in May, and though i’m still tentative about how much i have planted, i’m thinking i may be able to create some kind of produce for this week, but i’m also thinking that putting off delivery until either the end of this week or beginning of next would be a better idea.   i’m also toying with the idea of getting everyone out to the garden, if not altogether, then in small groups, so that folks can see with their own eyes what state the garden is in.  what do you think?

what a difference a week can make!  the turnips, broccoli, lettuces, and cabbage have really grown; the corn is finally up, the garlic is going nuts, and i still have lots of rhubarb.  the pole beans are still coming slowly, though, as are all the May plantings.   i’m still very tentative about being able to meet my obligations, but i’m starting to see a little twinkle ahead.  i sure am a hopeful son-of-a-gun… ;^)

it certainly has been a challenging Spring for gardening in Upstate NY, with temp’s in the sixties in April, killing frosts on May 18th AND May 30th, and spotty rain throughout.  all of my first plantings rotted in the ground due to cold temperatures in late April and early May; most of these have been re-planted, sometimes twice! also, i suspect that my new seed supplier’s products just aren’t up to par with my old supplier’s, which is a major mistake on my part.nevertheless, much of what has been planted recently is coming up, and many of the plants i started in March have transplanted well… i’d say that about 60-70 percent has survived the weather’s tricks. i’m quite certain now though, that i don’t have enough planted, due to but not limited to the weather, some apathy, poor germination, and the weather ;^) .nevertheless i’m getting more planted, but it’s slow.  clearly, anything planted recently will not be available come June 15th, though there will be lettuce, radishes, and swiss chard at the very least, then.  maybes include peas, parsley, beets, and turnips. plainly, i could have done better, but the weather has been incredibly variable paticularly this year, and without a larger fee i cannot buy season-extending apparati.this is an experiment, especially the first year; i think it would be prudent at this point, given experience, to think that by year 3 i would be a good, solid CSA supplier.  i simply hope that you’ll stay with me. that’s all for now!dave

stats for Average US Diet needs 15,000-30,000 sq ft

assuming average amounts of Vegetables,fruits,grains,beans,eggs,milk,cheese And meat are eaten.

using Biointensive Method including crops that produce a high level of caloriesper unit of area  needs 4,000 Sq Ft. source ,John Jeavons how to grow more vegetables, and fruits,nuts,berries,grains and other crops. plus soil fertility sustained.

” Jeavons approach hasdone more to solve poverty and misery than anything elsewe’ve done” Bob Bergland U.S. Secerary of Agiculture.