Planting

Garden Log: March 19th-April 1st

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It’s got that new tractor smell!

Delivery of new equipment is the big news at Buffalo Ridge Orchard!  With the new tractor we’ll be able to move the hoophouses through their seasonal rotations and use this second tractor so that we can do two jobs at once.  This New Holland replaces an older, larger Case that was too big to dig potatoes, fit between orchard rows, or maneuver along vegetable rows.  And speaking of those veggies, we’re hoping that the new water-wheel transplanter will make quick work of getting them planted now that Spring really does seem to be just around the corner.  Our brassicas and lettuces are ready for some longer days in the bright sunshine!  With any luck, Winter has had its last laugh this April Fools’ Day, and we’ll all be enjoying nice Spring weather for the next couple of months!

Garden Log March 19th – April 1st:

  • Pruned 500 apple trees (Sweet 16, Crimson Topaz, Jonagold, Fuji, Snowsweet, Pristine)
  • Grafted the majority of our tomatoes for our summer hoophouse tomato rotation
  • Potted up flower seedlings into hanging baskets
  • Potted up herb seedlings into planter boxes
  • Moved all of the vegetable, herb, and flower seedlings from the sun-porch nursery to the greenhouse
  • Received delivery of our new tractor and water-wheel transplanter
  • Harvested 2 tubs of spinach & lettuce greens
  • More weeding in the hoophouses

Garden Log: March 12th-March 18th

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Micro lettuce greens are ready to be harvested in the warm, sunny, Spring-y greenhouse.

Just think, this time last year our orchard was nearing full bloom!  Of course, 2 weeks later we were getting frosts that wiped out nearly 100% of our apple crop for the year.  This year we’re still waiting for warm, sunny spring weather to break out from the greenhouse to the rest of the farm.  The snow was all but melted away over the past few days, only to have a couple more inches dropped on us last night.  And that north wind is still blowing mighty cold!  I for one am starting to lose hope in Punxsutawney Phil’s claim of an early spring this year.  However, spring will certainly arrive soon enough (likely with summer not far behind) and we’ll all be looking forward to April Showers and May Flowers until it does.

Garden Log March 12th – March 18th:

  • Pruned 500 apple trees (Honeygold, Grand Gala, Zestar!, Suncrisp, Winecrisp, Alkmene, Candy Crisp, Braestar)
  • Harvested 2 tubs of spinach & micro lettuce greens
  • Planted 10 flats of endive
  • Planted 20 flats of lettuces
  • Planted 2 rows of radishes
  • Transplanted thyme from soil blocks to plug trays
  • Weeded the hoophouse