Franconia this week

More mulching with Fran on Saturday



Here are the beds that Cynthia and I maintained today. We were weeding and cutting back perennials and annuals from last year and then we mulched everything. The new mulch looks fantastic and will keep weeds down considerably!

Organic Vegetable Seedlings and Seeds Available

Hello All -We will have some organic vegetable seedlings available this spring. I will keep you posted on what's germinating and how many we have. I will also have lots of varieties of vegetables for direct seeding if you would like us to direct seed anything from Alpine Strawberries to lettuce mixes. Most of our seeds are organic, to ensure a plant that has the best resources to work organic practices in the garden and will get the human the most nutrients from their food!

March 25: So far the Arugula has germinated. We also have Arugula seeds for direct seeding at your home.
March 29: Brassicas (Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts), watercress, basil, thyme, and Basil are up!
April 12: Tomatoes!!

We'll keep you posted!

See below for the seeds and seedlings we will have available this year. Where you see "DS" that means it should be directly seeded into your garden. Where you see "TP" we will most likely have transplants of that variety.

Common Name	Variety	Days Germ	TP/DS
Alpine Starwberries	Mignonette	21-28 days	TP
Arugula	Runaway	5-7 days	DS
Basil	Sweet	6-12 days	TP
Bean, Scarlet Runner	Magic Beanstalk	5-10 days	DS
Brussels Sprout	Long Island Improved	5-10 days	TP
Carrot	Scarlet Nantes	14-21 days	DS
Cauliflower	Chef's Choice Blend	8-10 days	TP
Chamomile	German	14-21 days	TP
Chard, Rainbow	Neon Glow	7-10 days	DS
Cucumber	Early Russian - Heirloom	4-12 days	DS
Cucumber	Chelsea Prize	5-10 days	DS
Husk Cherry	Golden Berry	21 days	TP
Leek	Falltime	7-14 days	TP
Lettuce, Summer Bouquet	Eurpoean Reds & Greens	5-14 days	DS
Mesclun Mix	High Mowing	5-10 days	DS
Morning Glory	Dawn Star - Heirloom	7-10 days	DS
Morning Glory	Scarlett O'Hara	7-21 days	DS
Morning Glory	Heavenly Blue	7-21 days	DS
Onion	Evergreen Hardy Bunching	14 days	TP
Oregano		7-14 days	TP
Sage, Common	Salvia Officionalis	7-14 days	DS
Sunflower	Teddy Bear	5-10 days	DS
Thyme	Summer	14-21 days	TP/DS
Tomatoe, Cherry	Sungold	7-14 days	TP
Tomatoe, Cherry	Sungold	7-14 days	TP
Viola	Helen Mount	7-14 days	DS
Watercress		5-15 days	DS

Prunging Blueberries in Sugar Hill

I was pruning blueberries today. Its important to prune bushes while they are still dormant before they start budding out. I was pruning close to the end of the optimal time today. As you can see the bushes hadn't been trimmed in a few years.

Its important for the bushes that they have air flow through the leaves and fruit to prevent pathogens from colonizing in the patch. They also should have dead branches cut out as well as branches that are rubbing on one another. You should also cut out oldest branches first, getting new branches to grow. These bushes will allocate all of their energy to fewer branches and therefore grow higher quantities of fruit and more nutrient-dense, high quality fruit.
Happy bushes all around!!