Scorching the Garden 2020 Part 12
This is the third documented grow for us and we are introducing a lot of new things this year. We have more hardware, better software, and the same growing plan that has worked for many years. Our mid-grow stride is over, now its time to bring out the heavy guns.
When we got to the plot after a big storm, we saw that one of our rain catchers caught a couple of broken legs. Instead of replacing them, we just re-enforced them with some fence posts and zip ties. After that drama, we filled the tanks to their capacity and continued our mission.
As much as we would love to fill them up with compost tea, that may not be the best idea. The second best idea would be to fill up the barrels with compost tea and use them to water the plants with next time. Thanks for the idea guys.
We’ve been spraying the plants one a week with compost tea and watering them thoroughly twice a week with this heat wave. With temps in the mid 90s for over a week and a half, the plants are suffering regardless of how much we water.
As part of our mid-grow fertilizing regimen, we heaped 1/3 to half a bucket of compost on top of every plant mound and watered them. It took nearly 100 buckets, weighing in at 30 lbs average, and each bucket had to be lifted and carried at least 4x after they were filled. Again, who needs the gym when there is a garden to be maintained?
Now that everyone is covered, this should be what gets the growing into high gear. We returned the next day to cover the compost with wood chips. There is a fantastic pile full of fresh and mostly DRY chips nearby. Dry chips, like dry compost, are much lighter and easier to spread around.
It only took about 15 cans to cover all the newly applied compost and less than 2 hours.
As part of out testament of not using any pesticides, we received an email the other day from a nature photographer named Ryan Tomazin chinabird@comcast.net. He doesn’t do social media but wanted to share with us a photo he took on our garden fence. He uses IR and UV lights to attract these beauties. This is a lantern moth. Harmless to my plants. Look at that mesmerizing moltings.
Another testament to our practices is the rare sighting of a very elusive predator. While watering the catnip garden, something was moving differently than a wet stem sagging from saturation. Stealthfully, it crawled away, disappearing and reappearing right before our eyes. Click the side of the image to see this master assassin and her ultimate camouflage.
We’ve also seen lots of bees, ladybugs, and wasps flying around, doing what they do. Keep up the good work, guys. You all are doing stuff we just can’t do.
One final note:
Back in October, we bought the building.
In January, we finally closed and got the keys.
In February, we hired an architect to draw up plans for our kitchen.
COVID happened. Not to us, we never get sick (don’t have time).
March, April, May, and June, we did everything we could to prep. We removed the carpet and tiles from the production and storage areas. We ripped out all the old sinks. We replaced the ceiling tiles and ground the floors so its bare concrete.
In July, we got the blueprints and sent them and our other required information to the Health Department for approval.
At the END OF JULY, the Health Department got back to us with a couple of questions and we are just waiting for approval to tell the contractors to get to installing.
This has been one of the biggest, most expensive, and scariest things we have ever done. We were hoping to be producing by now, but we all know what happens to even the best-laid plans. But, yet, and, however, we’ll be hitting the ground RUNNING with our sauces, favorites and new flavors, nuts, popcorn, spice mixes, and who knows what else!?!
