Ordering

I've ordered a few things recently. The latest was the order from Johnny's Seeds. I ordered the following from them: 1 oz Allstar Gourmet Lettuce Mix (leaf lettuce), 1 piacket of Spinach seeds, 1 lb Hairy Vetch OG, 1/2lb Fava Beans, 5lb Winter Rye OG, Chickling Vetch OG 1lb, Gold Flower Packet, a colored watermelon that was on sale, almost two dollars off.

Most of the seeds are ones that I don't have and want to plant for the fall garden, or through the winter in the greenhouse. I have radishes, and I think rutabagas, carrots, and a few other things I want to grow over winter. I am hoping to grow lettuce through the winter and fall. So far we have not gone a week where there was not at least some lettuce growing in the garden. I have some really good summer head lettuce that is growing, I have it growing in a block, and then have corn growing in an L around it, providing more shade. Speaking of lettuce I am starting to get the seeds from my Romaine lettuce that I let go to seed. Hoping to grow some of that this fall/winter. The hard thing is that all the flowers don't open at the same time. So, I have to cut them and dry them when most of the flowers have seeds.

I'm going real big on the cover crops this year. The chickling vetch is said to fix nitrogen in 45 days. So, I will probably put some of that in some of the bare spots real soon, to keep down weeds, and if I start too late it might not work as well.


The hairy vetch is doing basically the same thing as chickling vetch, but takes longer. I ordered some of it because it is a little more winter hardy. I'll probably sow some of it with the rye grass.

The rye grass, as some of you know I did that last year. Pretty cheap, EXTREME winter hardy (surviving temps. down in the teens) and what more could I ask for? :) It is not leguminous, in that it does not fix nitrogen, but it keeps erosion down and is a green manure, meaning I plow it in in the spring, sow it in in the later summer/fall.

The Fava beans will be fixing nitrogen too, but they are not really for that, more for eating, but I am starting them off in the fall so that they get a good quick start in the spring. Especially since the beans rotted last year.

I am really excited about the green manures. I don't know how much manure I can get next year, but with good crop rotation and growing leguminous green manures I should be able to keep up the nitrogen level in my soil!

I finally got my rototiller working. For a while it wasn't, I wasn't sure what was wrong, but I sorta figured out how to start it and it worked. I am very grateful.

Well, I guess that is about all. Busy day ahead.

English Vintner

P.S. Anyone want to help fund my missions trip to Haiti this August? I need $800, and any more will go to the church in Haiti. Please pray, even if you cannot give. Pray for wisdom in the planning, packing, and that I would not get sick while in Haiti. And that God would use this to further my walk with Him!

God Bless!