And then I awoke from my long slumber. Some day, 'they' say, the sun will show it's firey face once again. Hopefully, before July this year. It's like clockwork for me. The last week of May is always the hardest time of the year. We get teased some nice weather ,and then it seems the rain won't quit. Alas, this is just how it is.
***
I've got a full weekend coming up. I'm doing the Aloha Farmers Market on Saturday and the Tigard Area Farmers Market on Sunday. Gonna be busy and awesome all at once. Then, I've got the next two days off to work in the yard and spend time with my wife. I'm looking forward to it!
If you are out and about this weekend, stop by a market and say hello. Aloha Farmers Market is at the corner of 185th and TV Highway from 9am-3pm. I'll be the only booth with plants...kind of like cornering the concentrated frozen orange juice market. Except with out the help of a stunning Jaime Lee Curtis, perhaps. Tigard market takes plasce at the corner of 99W(Pacific Highway) and Hall Boulevard and runs from 9am-2pm. The sun is actually scheduled to appear for a mid-day performance, but forecasters have been unwilling to confirm this report at this time.
And if that all doesn't work? You can stop by Barbur World Foods and pick up some fine Winona Farms Plants there as well. Or simply email me - winonafarms@gmail.com - to set up a time to drop by and pick them up fresh from the 'farm'.
Take care everyone - enjoy the long weekend. Hopefully you get to experience some sun.
cheers,
zach
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
So, How Did I Get Here?
Early this spring, I was a sellout. A waffler. Maybe a little bit afraid. I recall a moment as vivid as any I've had since I got married. I was sitting with my friend Dean in his awesome seed room and I thought to myself, "This is what I want." Then he asked me, "What do you want?" I wasn't ready to fully admit my own private admission. I told him something about being unsure and trying to figure out how I would even do this with everything else I have going on currently. Yet, I knew the answer. I just kept it bottled up.
Out of the blue, it became absolutely necessary (in my mind) to give my 'hobby' a name. I sifted thru various iterations before settling on Winona Farms. Why it became so immediately necessary, I haven't a clue, but it just fanned the fire hotter. I began looking at bulk supplies from nursery outlets. Could I possible even go thru 800 pots this year? That seemed ridiculous. Ha! I ended up ordering a second 800...and another 1500 after that.
As the months have rolled by, and we got to experience such a wonderful March and April of historical cold and dampness, that thought just rattled around growing louder. The weather should have killed it. The melting of my plants in the poly tunnel should have killed it. Still, it just got stronger. I even began to call local nurseries to see if they would be interested in some of the rarer peppers I grow. No dice on the four I called...and one actually hung up on me. I remained determined.
I had only planned to sell my plants to neighbors, friends, and the interesting community of Craigslist. Then, on a wild hair, I emailed the folks at Tigard Area Famers Market. They said they would love to have me. I wrote about that experience last week, all the good and mostly bad (not bad, enlightening) that it was. It didn't matter, as I was consumed with making my space better.
A few days ago, the Aloha Farmers Market responded to a Craigslist ad of mine and invited me to join them. I'm really busy and have an obligation each Saturday morning and would have been defensible to decline the invite. Of course, by now, you know that wasn't happening. I'll re-arrange my schedule so I can join the market.
And, now this. Tomorrow, I will have a stand up at Barbur World Foods. After negotiating how we would price things and keep track of sales, we agreed to do business. It's absolutely mind-blowing to me. From that little private admission at Dean's in February to now having a stand at a store is simply unbelievable. For whatever reason, this 'little' step legitimizes that little snowball of a thought. I'm a true nurseryman. A farmer.
I've spent a lot of late nights potting up plants, covering up seedlings with fabric, and designing shelter after shelter to protect my starts. I do it because I love it. There hasn't been once this year where I've grumbled about doing any of it. Still, I had this sense that I was a madman laughing at the rain. But not anymore. Now that I'm a farmer...
Though I'm still not really sure how I got here, I'm certainly ecstatic to be here. Perhaps you can see the Chessire grin out here in sw Porltandia...
***
A few of you have commented on my musings and I'm eternally thankful for your giving your time to do so. This blog is another 'laughing at the rain' activity for me. Well, at least until someone posts a comment anyway. Then it makes it seem like I'm some world-class writer. Don't worry, the feeling quickly goes away.
Please join me at the Tigard Area Farmers Market on Sunday May 22. The following week I'll be at the Aloha Farmers Market on May 28, and back in Tigard for May 29 over Memorial Day Weekend. If you want to buy some plants directly from me, just send me an email - winonafarms@gmail.com.
Thanks everyone - have yourselves a great weekend!
cheers,
Zach
http://www.tigardfarmersmarket.com/
http://www.alohafarmersmarket.com/
http://www.localharvest.org/winona-farms-M43702
Out of the blue, it became absolutely necessary (in my mind) to give my 'hobby' a name. I sifted thru various iterations before settling on Winona Farms. Why it became so immediately necessary, I haven't a clue, but it just fanned the fire hotter. I began looking at bulk supplies from nursery outlets. Could I possible even go thru 800 pots this year? That seemed ridiculous. Ha! I ended up ordering a second 800...and another 1500 after that.
As the months have rolled by, and we got to experience such a wonderful March and April of historical cold and dampness, that thought just rattled around growing louder. The weather should have killed it. The melting of my plants in the poly tunnel should have killed it. Still, it just got stronger. I even began to call local nurseries to see if they would be interested in some of the rarer peppers I grow. No dice on the four I called...and one actually hung up on me. I remained determined.
I had only planned to sell my plants to neighbors, friends, and the interesting community of Craigslist. Then, on a wild hair, I emailed the folks at Tigard Area Famers Market. They said they would love to have me. I wrote about that experience last week, all the good and mostly bad (not bad, enlightening) that it was. It didn't matter, as I was consumed with making my space better.
A few days ago, the Aloha Farmers Market responded to a Craigslist ad of mine and invited me to join them. I'm really busy and have an obligation each Saturday morning and would have been defensible to decline the invite. Of course, by now, you know that wasn't happening. I'll re-arrange my schedule so I can join the market.
And, now this. Tomorrow, I will have a stand up at Barbur World Foods. After negotiating how we would price things and keep track of sales, we agreed to do business. It's absolutely mind-blowing to me. From that little private admission at Dean's in February to now having a stand at a store is simply unbelievable. For whatever reason, this 'little' step legitimizes that little snowball of a thought. I'm a true nurseryman. A farmer.
I've spent a lot of late nights potting up plants, covering up seedlings with fabric, and designing shelter after shelter to protect my starts. I do it because I love it. There hasn't been once this year where I've grumbled about doing any of it. Still, I had this sense that I was a madman laughing at the rain. But not anymore. Now that I'm a farmer...
Though I'm still not really sure how I got here, I'm certainly ecstatic to be here. Perhaps you can see the Chessire grin out here in sw Porltandia...
***
A few of you have commented on my musings and I'm eternally thankful for your giving your time to do so. This blog is another 'laughing at the rain' activity for me. Well, at least until someone posts a comment anyway. Then it makes it seem like I'm some world-class writer. Don't worry, the feeling quickly goes away.
Please join me at the Tigard Area Farmers Market on Sunday May 22. The following week I'll be at the Aloha Farmers Market on May 28, and back in Tigard for May 29 over Memorial Day Weekend. If you want to buy some plants directly from me, just send me an email - winonafarms@gmail.com.
Thanks everyone - have yourselves a great weekend!
cheers,
Zach
http://www.tigardfarmersmarket.com/
http://www.alohafarmersmarket.com/
http://www.localharvest.org/winona-farms-M43702
Monday, May 16, 2011
School is Now in Session
This past Sunday, I broke my Farmer's Market "innocence". I'm now a grizzled vet of the 10' x 10' space of parking lot in hopes of selling my goods to consumers of the Tigard area. That's probably an exaggeration. I certainly had a lot to learn on the first day. So much to take in and process; it was quite overwhelming.
The day couldn't have been more idyllic, in that it rained the entire time the market was open. Of course, it stopped once the market closed. The first one couldn't have happened any other way, right? Still, thru the rain and somewhat gusty wind, I made a few sales here and there and actually made my rent. I was delighted to reach that, given weather and my limited (re: zilch) knowledge about how to set up a space at a market.
I showed up with two tables and 20 flats of plants. Not much in the way of signs or advertisement to be had, as I wasn't even sure what I would do. After seeing other vendors spaces, it became clear I need to highlight my specialties in a far more robust manner.
1) I have a ton of pepper varieties, but I left some at home (mainly the sweet varieties). Those, of course, were the ones that people asked about. I have to remember that most people are more fond of sweet peppers than spicy ones...unlike me.
2) I realized after browsing that my prices were a bit high compared to other vendors. I don't need to undercut anyone, just pull in line with the other folks.
3) My organization on the tables needs some work. I need to put the valued product like basil, tomatoes, & peppers as the first thing that people see, not sunflowers and lettuce.
4) I need to cut way back on the flowers, lettuce, and non-basil herbs. Even with the small sample size, most people wanted (or were at least curious about) tomatoes, peppers, and basil.
In many ways, I was lucky to have my first day be so rainy. While it was cold and miserable standing underneath my canopy, I essentially got a free day of school. Instead of having a crush of people on a nice sunny day, I was able to walk around and observe a bit of how I could adapt my space to better suit potential customers. I was also able to bend the ear of a couple vendors and get some advice on how to improve as well. All in all, it was a fantastic day.
Then, I went home and potted up more plants. The last of the tomatoes and peppers are now outside and getting hardened off to go into a warming garden near you. Also, lots of basil now coming into maturity. Sweet, Mammoth Sweet, Genovese, Italian Large Leaf, Serata, Red Lettuce Leaf, Red Rubin, Purple Ruffles, Cinnamon, Thai, Indian, Christmas, Clove, Holy Red & Green, African Tree, Lemon, and Lime basils are ready (or, are very close.)
It's kind of sad, actually. Not much left in the basement these days. I'll plant a few more flats of greens and some squash/cukes/melons, but this really is the wind-down period for planting stuff indoors. One by one the lights are being turned off as they aren't needed anymore. Only 15 flats in a possible 32 spaces remain. That will continue to shrink this week as I move more basil and marigolds out.
Here's hoping that the weather is a bit better this weekend. I'm ready for a crush of people. I would love to sell out of plants. It sure beats throwing them into the compost bin. If you are in the neighborhood and are having a hankering for some peppers, tomatoes, basil (and/or kettle korn), come on out to the market. It's pretty easy to find in the parking lot of Young's Funeral Home.
Take care, everyone. Hope your week has been going well.
cheers,
Zach
The day couldn't have been more idyllic, in that it rained the entire time the market was open. Of course, it stopped once the market closed. The first one couldn't have happened any other way, right? Still, thru the rain and somewhat gusty wind, I made a few sales here and there and actually made my rent. I was delighted to reach that, given weather and my limited (re: zilch) knowledge about how to set up a space at a market.
I showed up with two tables and 20 flats of plants. Not much in the way of signs or advertisement to be had, as I wasn't even sure what I would do. After seeing other vendors spaces, it became clear I need to highlight my specialties in a far more robust manner.
1) I have a ton of pepper varieties, but I left some at home (mainly the sweet varieties). Those, of course, were the ones that people asked about. I have to remember that most people are more fond of sweet peppers than spicy ones...unlike me.
2) I realized after browsing that my prices were a bit high compared to other vendors. I don't need to undercut anyone, just pull in line with the other folks.
3) My organization on the tables needs some work. I need to put the valued product like basil, tomatoes, & peppers as the first thing that people see, not sunflowers and lettuce.
4) I need to cut way back on the flowers, lettuce, and non-basil herbs. Even with the small sample size, most people wanted (or were at least curious about) tomatoes, peppers, and basil.
In many ways, I was lucky to have my first day be so rainy. While it was cold and miserable standing underneath my canopy, I essentially got a free day of school. Instead of having a crush of people on a nice sunny day, I was able to walk around and observe a bit of how I could adapt my space to better suit potential customers. I was also able to bend the ear of a couple vendors and get some advice on how to improve as well. All in all, it was a fantastic day.
Then, I went home and potted up more plants. The last of the tomatoes and peppers are now outside and getting hardened off to go into a warming garden near you. Also, lots of basil now coming into maturity. Sweet, Mammoth Sweet, Genovese, Italian Large Leaf, Serata, Red Lettuce Leaf, Red Rubin, Purple Ruffles, Cinnamon, Thai, Indian, Christmas, Clove, Holy Red & Green, African Tree, Lemon, and Lime basils are ready (or, are very close.)
It's kind of sad, actually. Not much left in the basement these days. I'll plant a few more flats of greens and some squash/cukes/melons, but this really is the wind-down period for planting stuff indoors. One by one the lights are being turned off as they aren't needed anymore. Only 15 flats in a possible 32 spaces remain. That will continue to shrink this week as I move more basil and marigolds out.
Here's hoping that the weather is a bit better this weekend. I'm ready for a crush of people. I would love to sell out of plants. It sure beats throwing them into the compost bin. If you are in the neighborhood and are having a hankering for some peppers, tomatoes, basil (and/or kettle korn), come on out to the market. It's pretty easy to find in the parking lot of Young's Funeral Home.
Take care, everyone. Hope your week has been going well.
cheers,
Zach
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Is This Make-Up Weather?
After tormenting us for the better part of six months, has La Nina begun to subside? A couple 70 degree days in a week is one helluva way to make up for stepping out on us in April. I even planted a few tomatoes as a celebration of the wonderful change in temps. Of course, that may be a bit premature, but I've got my plastic handy if the rains decide to set in again.
I want to thank everyone that came out to the sale on Sunday. That was a great time and I was happy to meet a some new people. I hope your plants become everything you hope for and more. While I love starting plants, nothing will give me more joy or a bigger smile than someone who said that their tomato or pepper exceeded expectations. Like a proud father, I'll be.
I do have one note of regret, however. In my obsession to start as many plants as I have, I've over-run my capacities to protect them. As such, I've built one greenhouse after another as way to keep them outside, yet somewhat sheltered from the elements. In doing so, I've taken up space in my garden that I normally would be now planting things in. It's a bit ironic, really. I began growing starts as a way to make my garden more interesting and fun. Now, they are a bit of an inhibitor of the original desire to do them in the first place. C'est la vie, non?
***
So, I decided to tempt fate. Some time ago, I put up a post detailing my amazing luck with the Early Jalapeno's germinating at 100%. I couldn't just stop there, now, could I? Hell no! Like a derelict gambler, I had to put it all on red.
In my last wave of peppers I started, I planted twelve more EJ seeds. Amazingly, they all came up. Well, except for one. I waited a few extra days longer to see if I would get it to pop from the soil, even a sickly/weak one would qualify for 100% germination. Alas, it was not to be. I ended the year 43 out 44 - good for 98%. Great, but not perfection. Sigh.
***
It does look like the rain is coming back for the weekend which is a shame. After taking in the warmth today and watching all of Portlandia come out of the cave to jog, walk, bike, bbq, and generally rollick in the streets, it's tough to go back to the unpleasantness from before (I'll just refer to it as the month that shall not be named.) Yet, this little warm patch sure gives hope. Refreshing hope.
Take care everyone - here's to the sunny days and warming soils. Please email me if you want something tomato-y or pepper-y or lettuce-y or basil-y to stick in those warming soils - winonafarms@gmail.com.
Cheers,
Zach
I want to thank everyone that came out to the sale on Sunday. That was a great time and I was happy to meet a some new people. I hope your plants become everything you hope for and more. While I love starting plants, nothing will give me more joy or a bigger smile than someone who said that their tomato or pepper exceeded expectations. Like a proud father, I'll be.
I do have one note of regret, however. In my obsession to start as many plants as I have, I've over-run my capacities to protect them. As such, I've built one greenhouse after another as way to keep them outside, yet somewhat sheltered from the elements. In doing so, I've taken up space in my garden that I normally would be now planting things in. It's a bit ironic, really. I began growing starts as a way to make my garden more interesting and fun. Now, they are a bit of an inhibitor of the original desire to do them in the first place. C'est la vie, non?
***
So, I decided to tempt fate. Some time ago, I put up a post detailing my amazing luck with the Early Jalapeno's germinating at 100%. I couldn't just stop there, now, could I? Hell no! Like a derelict gambler, I had to put it all on red.
In my last wave of peppers I started, I planted twelve more EJ seeds. Amazingly, they all came up. Well, except for one. I waited a few extra days longer to see if I would get it to pop from the soil, even a sickly/weak one would qualify for 100% germination. Alas, it was not to be. I ended the year 43 out 44 - good for 98%. Great, but not perfection. Sigh.
***
It does look like the rain is coming back for the weekend which is a shame. After taking in the warmth today and watching all of Portlandia come out of the cave to jog, walk, bike, bbq, and generally rollick in the streets, it's tough to go back to the unpleasantness from before (I'll just refer to it as the month that shall not be named.) Yet, this little warm patch sure gives hope. Refreshing hope.
Take care everyone - here's to the sunny days and warming soils. Please email me if you want something tomato-y or pepper-y or lettuce-y or basil-y to stick in those warming soils - winonafarms@gmail.com.
Cheers,
Zach
Friday, April 29, 2011
Plant Sale - Sunday!
May Day! May Day! Pleasant weather up ahead! Abort Operation:Hibernate! Dig out the sundresses, wipe clean the sunglasses, and find that long-lost tube of sunscreen. It's gonna be a peach of a Sunday! Get thee to Winona Farms and purchase some fine pepper and tomato plants (and/or herbs, onions, lettuce, etc.) Sale begins at 11am and will go until 2pm on Sunday May 1st. Location is 5900 block of SW Taylors Ferry. Please email me for specific address - winonafarms@gmail.com. Feel free to peruse the craigslist ad for an extended list of plants, or simply click the 'Plants For Sale' button right above this post.
***
Miss pdxlisa at Backyard Farm was kind enough to invite me to their plant exchange last weekend (also known as the 70 degree day that spring quickly came and just as quickly left on) and I got to meet some new people and see some new gardening ideas. I'm always impressed with people and their creativity to do the most with minimum space. I've got a 1/2 acre to play with, so space isn't an issue (the large trees are another story.) Things like devising the front yard into an edible landscape are concepts I've heard of and even thought about, but haven't spent much time actually seeing it applied. It can be such a liberating experience when you see new possibilities in places where it seemed composed and stagnant. I'm not about to do a whole yard make-over, but a 4'x4' bed this summer seems doable. It doesn't have to be all roses... Now, if I could just carve out some more time in the day. About 24 hours should suffice.
***
Had my first big sale this week. Earlier in the winter, a friend of mine got to talking about gardens and specifically peppers. He was fed up with the past couple years, as the weather and deer had really eaten is green thumb down to a nub. His demeanor was most certainly apathetic and was leaning against starting a garden this year.
However, a funny thing happened to him. He got infected by a familiar bug. Optimism. Hope. That boundless energy that anything is possible. I like to think I played a small part in it, as I had been planning 2011 as soon as the rains came pouring down in September of 2010. My enthusiasm was non-stop and the more we talked, the more my friend got excited about the spring. Up until this year, he left the varieties of peppers he planted to whatever the garden store had ordered from the nursery. This year was going to be different. We began pouring over catalogs and pepper varieties he wanted to try. Instead of being left to the standard varieties that are at every nursery, he would choose exactly what he wanted to grow.
We made a deal - any seeds he bought, I would grow them and he would get as many plants as he wanted from the packet. He was a driver in the increase in pepper varieties for me this year. Specifically, the anchos, Valencia, Chichen Itza, Inferno Hybrid, Hungarian Hot Wax, Hot Banana, and Caloro varieties would not have been grown if not for his insistence. Given that I'm a serial seed buyer, I wholly endorsed this because it meant I was getting free seeds and more fun stuff to grow!
Wednesday, I delivered the order to him. All told, it was 63 plants, which is my biggest order to date. It was a very happy day for both of us. In addition, it freed up some space in my poly tunnel for the last wave of tomatoes I've got coming out of the seed room. Perfect timing.
***
I had hoped to be updating this blog a bit more frequently. Unfortunately, I've been busy potting up plants and rearranging flats and building new greenhouses and poly tunnels to house them all. I thought that I would sell a few more plants by now, but the weather being what it was, no one was interested in doing anything in the garden, cool or warm season planting. As such, it's been an ongoing struggle to keep a bunch of plates spinning with more being added each week. I've had some failures, but so far, I've done pretty well. I'm always learning and always taking notes on what I'll try differently next year. All in all, it's been a pretty enjoyable experience. Not even 5" of April rain can dampen that.
Enjoy the sun people of Portlandia - it is well deserved after enduring such a wet month. Please drop by on Sunday, even if it's to say hello.
Cheers,
Zach
***
Miss pdxlisa at Backyard Farm was kind enough to invite me to their plant exchange last weekend (also known as the 70 degree day that spring quickly came and just as quickly left on) and I got to meet some new people and see some new gardening ideas. I'm always impressed with people and their creativity to do the most with minimum space. I've got a 1/2 acre to play with, so space isn't an issue (the large trees are another story.) Things like devising the front yard into an edible landscape are concepts I've heard of and even thought about, but haven't spent much time actually seeing it applied. It can be such a liberating experience when you see new possibilities in places where it seemed composed and stagnant. I'm not about to do a whole yard make-over, but a 4'x4' bed this summer seems doable. It doesn't have to be all roses... Now, if I could just carve out some more time in the day. About 24 hours should suffice.
***
Had my first big sale this week. Earlier in the winter, a friend of mine got to talking about gardens and specifically peppers. He was fed up with the past couple years, as the weather and deer had really eaten is green thumb down to a nub. His demeanor was most certainly apathetic and was leaning against starting a garden this year.
However, a funny thing happened to him. He got infected by a familiar bug. Optimism. Hope. That boundless energy that anything is possible. I like to think I played a small part in it, as I had been planning 2011 as soon as the rains came pouring down in September of 2010. My enthusiasm was non-stop and the more we talked, the more my friend got excited about the spring. Up until this year, he left the varieties of peppers he planted to whatever the garden store had ordered from the nursery. This year was going to be different. We began pouring over catalogs and pepper varieties he wanted to try. Instead of being left to the standard varieties that are at every nursery, he would choose exactly what he wanted to grow.
We made a deal - any seeds he bought, I would grow them and he would get as many plants as he wanted from the packet. He was a driver in the increase in pepper varieties for me this year. Specifically, the anchos, Valencia, Chichen Itza, Inferno Hybrid, Hungarian Hot Wax, Hot Banana, and Caloro varieties would not have been grown if not for his insistence. Given that I'm a serial seed buyer, I wholly endorsed this because it meant I was getting free seeds and more fun stuff to grow!
Wednesday, I delivered the order to him. All told, it was 63 plants, which is my biggest order to date. It was a very happy day for both of us. In addition, it freed up some space in my poly tunnel for the last wave of tomatoes I've got coming out of the seed room. Perfect timing.
***
I had hoped to be updating this blog a bit more frequently. Unfortunately, I've been busy potting up plants and rearranging flats and building new greenhouses and poly tunnels to house them all. I thought that I would sell a few more plants by now, but the weather being what it was, no one was interested in doing anything in the garden, cool or warm season planting. As such, it's been an ongoing struggle to keep a bunch of plates spinning with more being added each week. I've had some failures, but so far, I've done pretty well. I'm always learning and always taking notes on what I'll try differently next year. All in all, it's been a pretty enjoyable experience. Not even 5" of April rain can dampen that.
Enjoy the sun people of Portlandia - it is well deserved after enduring such a wet month. Please drop by on Sunday, even if it's to say hello.
Cheers,
Zach
Friday, April 22, 2011
Record Portland Heat Wave
Well, it's a record for 2011, anyway. Today was absolutely beautiful. Sunny, kinda warm, and most importantly - no rain! Tomorrow looks to be even better. What a lovely way to spend a Saturday - basking in sun.
***
I often find myself in either garden stores or home improvement stores. I'm either buying soil or buying stuff to spare my plants from the rain and frost. I ought to buy stock, as I'm probably responsible for their gains this spring.
This week, I had made a plan to build a PVC greenhouse frame. As I was inspecting plastic, I began inadvertently jostling 10' pipe lengths with a guy that was working on a similar project. As we did a our little dance of grabbing a pole without smacking the other, we started talking about - what else - the weather.
It turns out he volunteers at an organic farm that supplies fresh produce for Portland-area restaurants. He said that they are at 50% production this year, compared to normal levels. On top of that, he had kept weather records in garden logs for the past 30 years and he said that 2011 is the wettest and coldest he has recorded. In addition to that, my nursery friend is 50% off from normal sales as well.
Granted, it's somewhat anecdotel evidence without seeing the actual numbers, but I had no reason to distrust either person. They seem very level-headed and not for much hyperbole. Whether or not it has been the coldest and/or wettest, I think we can all agree that it's been a miserable spring for gardening.
Yet, all that can go away with a couple of nice days of sunshine. Even if the rain looks like it will return next week, that grand day of 70 degree sun is gonna be great.
So...what are you going to do with your Klondike bar of a day? How about shopping for plants? I hear Winona Farms has a great selection going on right now. Lot's of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatillos, herbs, onions, greens, and more. Besides, you can see what all my investments in Lowes and Home Depot has been good for - all 5 of my greenhouse-like structures. It's like a science experiment in the back yard. Seeing which structure does the best and doesn't succumb to the weather. Good Fun!
If you are feeling a plant shopping spree coming on, I'm located on the 5900 block of Taylors Ferry. Take peek at the Craigslist ads for the peppers and tomatoes. Email me if you are interested in plants - winonafarms@gmail.com
Peppers
Tomatoes
Take care, people. Enjoy the sun.
cheers,
zach
***
I often find myself in either garden stores or home improvement stores. I'm either buying soil or buying stuff to spare my plants from the rain and frost. I ought to buy stock, as I'm probably responsible for their gains this spring.
This week, I had made a plan to build a PVC greenhouse frame. As I was inspecting plastic, I began inadvertently jostling 10' pipe lengths with a guy that was working on a similar project. As we did a our little dance of grabbing a pole without smacking the other, we started talking about - what else - the weather.
It turns out he volunteers at an organic farm that supplies fresh produce for Portland-area restaurants. He said that they are at 50% production this year, compared to normal levels. On top of that, he had kept weather records in garden logs for the past 30 years and he said that 2011 is the wettest and coldest he has recorded. In addition to that, my nursery friend is 50% off from normal sales as well.
Granted, it's somewhat anecdotel evidence without seeing the actual numbers, but I had no reason to distrust either person. They seem very level-headed and not for much hyperbole. Whether or not it has been the coldest and/or wettest, I think we can all agree that it's been a miserable spring for gardening.
Yet, all that can go away with a couple of nice days of sunshine. Even if the rain looks like it will return next week, that grand day of 70 degree sun is gonna be great.
So...what are you going to do with your Klondike bar of a day? How about shopping for plants? I hear Winona Farms has a great selection going on right now. Lot's of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatillos, herbs, onions, greens, and more. Besides, you can see what all my investments in Lowes and Home Depot has been good for - all 5 of my greenhouse-like structures. It's like a science experiment in the back yard. Seeing which structure does the best and doesn't succumb to the weather. Good Fun!
If you are feeling a plant shopping spree coming on, I'm located on the 5900 block of Taylors Ferry. Take peek at the Craigslist ads for the peppers and tomatoes. Email me if you are interested in plants - winonafarms@gmail.com
Peppers
Tomatoes
Take care, people. Enjoy the sun.
cheers,
zach
Saturday, April 16, 2011
We Regret to Inform You...
...but your plants have died because of your stupidity and laziness. Okay, I'm probably being a bit harsh on myself. However, the past week was full of lessons for me and when I lose plants due to my own doing, it's a bit frustrating.
It all started last Friday with that wonderful sunny day. I talked about how some plants got absolutely scorched in my mini-poly tunnels. That was lesson #1. Don't leave mini-poly tunnels closed in the sun unless you are actually trying to slow cook them. Even then, there are more efficient ways to do this (not to mention, more enjoyable.) Still, this one was completely unforeseen and actually caused very little damage.
The next lesson came Sunday night/Monday morning when Jack Frost paid a visit to the house. When I looked at the thermometer as I headed for bed, it said 35.1 degrees. A thought crossed my mind that I should put some milk jugs with hot water in them in the poly tunnels as warmth insurance to keep them above freezing thru the night. Alas, that thought died on the vine, not unlike a good number of tomato plants in the early morning. I was kicking myself ferociously for that bit laziness. Lesson #2 - if you think something would be a good idea, especially to keep plants alive, invest the 5-10 minutes to do so.
Finally, my favorite lesson of the week. As a fledgling grower, I'm often seeking bags of potting soil. My default soil is Black Gold Natural and Organic, but I'm always looking for other brands that work too. On Sunday, I was at a local garden store and was attempting to buy myself a couple bags of soil. However, that gal at the counter immediately was talking me out of it. "Everyone's using Bumper Crop these days. I can't seem to sell a bag of Black Gold." Really? With a hard sell like that? Astonishing!
Anyway, the whole conversation, while cordial, seemed off to me. The lady was quite intent on selling me a bag of Bumper Crop (and packages of peas that didn't fit on the seed rack), but is that any different from any other sales clerk? Still, my instincts were telling me strange things were afoot at the 7-11.
I bought the bag just the same even though I didn't have that 'sense of comfort' that we consumers so desire. I thought it would be an opportunity to try out a new product. It was, after all, highly recommended according to my new best friend, the sales clerk.
As I take it down to the basement cave where I start all my plants, one thing that strikes me is how pungent this bag of soil is. Sweet, pungent, and quite ripe. Somewhere in the back of my head, alarm bells are going off like sirens in the Battle of England. I chose to hit 'snooze' and began to pot up some basil using this new soil.
Right off the bat, I was skeptical. There was so much wood product in it that I figured for sure it was going to be horrible for the plants. I've found that the amount of wood product compost is in a potting soil is directly proportional to how toxic it is for plants. This stuff certainly would be death to all things green.
I finished up for the night and began recording what I had done. As I was doing so, the smell from the Bumper Crop was just suffocating. I grew up on a pig farm in Idaho. My office had turned into one of the pig buildings I hated to be inside of. It !#$(!^% reeked! Bad memories to be certain.
The next day, the smell was even worse. Un-!#$!%-believably putrid. I took a look at the basil starts that I had potted with the Bumper Crop and immediately knew what happened.
Now, that is a result! That's Thai basil with Bumper Crop on the left and Black Gold on the right. Perhaps some of you know what Bumper Crop is. I now know that it is a soil amendment/conditioner and is supposed to be used in sparse amounts. Not as a pure potting soil and never again inside the house. My poor basil starts...I can just hear their roots melting away in that hot mix of manure. And this could have been avoided if I would have taken the time to actually pay attention to those warning signs and read the damn label.
Now, I don't think the lovely sales lady had any malicious intent, but what the hell was she thinking? I was asking for a bag of potting soil and she's selling me on a soil conditioner that will kill anything I pot up in it. Lesson # 3 - if something seems off, it probably is and it's in my interest to either back away from the item (would you like a pack of our featured peas?) or investigate further (take my head out of the sand). Even if it means taking the 2 minutes to read the damn label. Have I said that already?
Ah, farming. Ain't it the life?
Here's to some weekend sun!
cheers,
zach
It all started last Friday with that wonderful sunny day. I talked about how some plants got absolutely scorched in my mini-poly tunnels. That was lesson #1. Don't leave mini-poly tunnels closed in the sun unless you are actually trying to slow cook them. Even then, there are more efficient ways to do this (not to mention, more enjoyable.) Still, this one was completely unforeseen and actually caused very little damage.
The next lesson came Sunday night/Monday morning when Jack Frost paid a visit to the house. When I looked at the thermometer as I headed for bed, it said 35.1 degrees. A thought crossed my mind that I should put some milk jugs with hot water in them in the poly tunnels as warmth insurance to keep them above freezing thru the night. Alas, that thought died on the vine, not unlike a good number of tomato plants in the early morning. I was kicking myself ferociously for that bit laziness. Lesson #2 - if you think something would be a good idea, especially to keep plants alive, invest the 5-10 minutes to do so.
Finally, my favorite lesson of the week. As a fledgling grower, I'm often seeking bags of potting soil. My default soil is Black Gold Natural and Organic, but I'm always looking for other brands that work too. On Sunday, I was at a local garden store and was attempting to buy myself a couple bags of soil. However, that gal at the counter immediately was talking me out of it. "Everyone's using Bumper Crop these days. I can't seem to sell a bag of Black Gold." Really? With a hard sell like that? Astonishing!
Anyway, the whole conversation, while cordial, seemed off to me. The lady was quite intent on selling me a bag of Bumper Crop (and packages of peas that didn't fit on the seed rack), but is that any different from any other sales clerk? Still, my instincts were telling me strange things were afoot at the 7-11.
I bought the bag just the same even though I didn't have that 'sense of comfort' that we consumers so desire. I thought it would be an opportunity to try out a new product. It was, after all, highly recommended according to my new best friend, the sales clerk.
As I take it down to the basement cave where I start all my plants, one thing that strikes me is how pungent this bag of soil is. Sweet, pungent, and quite ripe. Somewhere in the back of my head, alarm bells are going off like sirens in the Battle of England. I chose to hit 'snooze' and began to pot up some basil using this new soil.
Right off the bat, I was skeptical. There was so much wood product in it that I figured for sure it was going to be horrible for the plants. I've found that the amount of wood product compost is in a potting soil is directly proportional to how toxic it is for plants. This stuff certainly would be death to all things green.
I finished up for the night and began recording what I had done. As I was doing so, the smell from the Bumper Crop was just suffocating. I grew up on a pig farm in Idaho. My office had turned into one of the pig buildings I hated to be inside of. It !#$(!^% reeked! Bad memories to be certain.
The next day, the smell was even worse. Un-!#$!%-believably putrid. I took a look at the basil starts that I had potted with the Bumper Crop and immediately knew what happened.
Now, that is a result! That's Thai basil with Bumper Crop on the left and Black Gold on the right. Perhaps some of you know what Bumper Crop is. I now know that it is a soil amendment/conditioner and is supposed to be used in sparse amounts. Not as a pure potting soil and never again inside the house. My poor basil starts...I can just hear their roots melting away in that hot mix of manure. And this could have been avoided if I would have taken the time to actually pay attention to those warning signs and read the damn label.
Now, I don't think the lovely sales lady had any malicious intent, but what the hell was she thinking? I was asking for a bag of potting soil and she's selling me on a soil conditioner that will kill anything I pot up in it. Lesson # 3 - if something seems off, it probably is and it's in my interest to either back away from the item (would you like a pack of our featured peas?) or investigate further (take my head out of the sand). Even if it means taking the 2 minutes to read the damn label. Have I said that already?
Ah, farming. Ain't it the life?
Here's to some weekend sun!
cheers,
zach
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