Greetings fromWendake Gahen aka Central Ontario, Canada
- Thread starter LadyCedar
- Start date
Carol Dee
Garden Master
WOW you are way up north! Welcome from Eastern IA about 10 miles north of the Mississippi River. (It runs east to west here!)
I am very much looking forward to seeing your heirlooms. And getting to know about you and your culture.
I am very much looking forward to seeing your heirlooms. And getting to know about you and your culture.
Smart Red
Garden Master
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@LadyCedar, welcome to TheEasyGarden gang. This is a great place for learning and sharing all things garden.
Over the past nine years -- since I retired -- I have been growing only open-pollinated and heirloom varieties of veggies. I fear that we small gardeners need to keep these varieties growing and sharing with like gardeners.
I hope to learn a lot.
Over the past nine years -- since I retired -- I have been growing only open-pollinated and heirloom varieties of veggies. I fear that we small gardeners need to keep these varieties growing and sharing with like gardeners.
I hope to learn a lot.
- Thread starter
- #14
- Thread starter
- #15
This year we are not trying to plow the whole field, we are gonna set the rototiller to 3 inches deep and a narrow swath....followed by old hay about an inch deep, wiggle a hole in the hay to drop the seed into the soil and cover...this fixes nitrogen in the soil, and the decomposing hay keeps the plant warm, retains moisture, helps kill weeds, and fertilizes.....plows have caused "dust bowls" and famines. and turning over the whole field is a waste of energy, too. So we are gonna keep it simple and plant like our Ancestors did!
since we are mulching, we may only need to use the rototiller every 3-5 yrs, reducing the carbon we will be releasing from the soil. We are also using year old hay for our coops, so we are starting a lovely compost pile in the corner of our garden. To get around the problem of my wheelchair, my wonderful family bought me a trailer I can pull behind my electric scooter/wheelchair, holds up to 1,200 lbs, sides come off to turn it into a flat-deck, has a liner for hauling soil or compost, a garden tool tray, and a dump feature I can operate on my own!
We are planting only NON GMO, heirloom and open-pollinated varieties of fruits and veggies, we are also planting sacred tobacco (for ceremonial/ spiritual use) as well a gourds to make shakers/rattles. And some traditional medicine, I am looking for "wild rice bulbs" as a part of the farm is very wet......
My Grandson was given a sign "A 4H family lives here" from his 4H club, and though they did not specify (it is a competition) we are focusing on 2 main themes, indigenous plants and calling the pollinators: including some flowers for bee's and butterflies, sunflowers (the seeds will help feed our rescued Parrots)and Milkweed to help the Monarch Butterflies....we saw no Monarch's last year! So my Grandson has to plant and install his sign in his garden! He will also share with the judges the themes, hopefully raising awareness in the process.
since we are mulching, we may only need to use the rototiller every 3-5 yrs, reducing the carbon we will be releasing from the soil. We are also using year old hay for our coops, so we are starting a lovely compost pile in the corner of our garden. To get around the problem of my wheelchair, my wonderful family bought me a trailer I can pull behind my electric scooter/wheelchair, holds up to 1,200 lbs, sides come off to turn it into a flat-deck, has a liner for hauling soil or compost, a garden tool tray, and a dump feature I can operate on my own!
We are planting only NON GMO, heirloom and open-pollinated varieties of fruits and veggies, we are also planting sacred tobacco (for ceremonial/ spiritual use) as well a gourds to make shakers/rattles. And some traditional medicine, I am looking for "wild rice bulbs" as a part of the farm is very wet......
My Grandson was given a sign "A 4H family lives here" from his 4H club, and though they did not specify (it is a competition) we are focusing on 2 main themes, indigenous plants and calling the pollinators: including some flowers for bee's and butterflies, sunflowers (the seeds will help feed our rescued Parrots)and Milkweed to help the Monarch Butterflies....we saw no Monarch's last year! So my Grandson has to plant and install his sign in his garden! He will also share with the judges the themes, hopefully raising awareness in the process.
- Thread starter
- #16
I am also facing the challenge of farming from my wheelchair!
canesisters
Garden Master
Getting all the various garden chores done from a wheelchair must require a good bit of creativity.
There have been several new memebers from 'up north' in the last few days. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures (we love pictures here).
There have been several new memebers from 'up north' in the last few days. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures (we love pictures here).
baymule
Garden Master
Wow, @LadyCedar you gotta post a pic of you on your garden chariot, pulling your trailer!! I love your spirit!
