Remembering the 2011 season. While it was a terrible year for peaches and other tree fruit, we had some nice vegetable crops.
One day in the late Spring I had to leave work and quickly harvest rhubarb, without taking time to change first. This is what happens when worlds collide.
Our grandson, Cameron, wanted to help pick tomatoes. He was a good picker, but he thought they were balls and threw them instead of gently setting them in the bucket.
This is a typical mid-season week at our farmers market booth.
We had pretty good success with corn this year. We sprayed cooking oil spray on the silks to keep out the corn earworm. It worked fairly well.
September 21st
Corn stalks make great autumn decorations for your yard. Bundles of about 5-6 stalks are available for $4.00. Contact jack@3squaresproduce.com for more information.
March 25th
These row covers will be 33 inches wide and 24 inches tall at the tallest point (outer pvc arch). The shorter hoops made of 9-guage wire will hold up a lightweight woven frost blanket that provide a second layer of protection.
Ralph Larsen has been pruning trees in this orchard since he was a boy. More than 70 years of experience makes a guy pretty wise.
March 18, 2011
After we prune we play our own game of pick up sticks. We sort the branches into similar sizes and store them in plastic trash cans to get ready for the shredder. The smaller twigs are cut and put into the green waste recycling bin.
We planted one of our rows of peas under row cover fabric to keep the ground temperature a little warmer. We'll see if the peas germinate faster than those not covered.
We use 9-guage wire to make short hoops. We expect to take the covering off as the temperatures warm up, which should be before the peas grow tall enough to touch the fabric.
The important thing about pruning apple trees is to take out the vertical growth to keep the tree from getting too large. Apple trees are taller fruit trees anyway. If they get too tall you won't be able to pick the fruit anyway.
A row of apples need to be pruned. It takes an hour or two per trees.
February 11, 2011
Check back for photos and updates from our 2011 growing season!
February 11, 2011
One of our backyards, getting ready for planting.
