Biochar! Flame-Top-Kiln Demo & Use of Biochar in Biodegradable Socks, All in the Garden
Got land with old dead trees? Got yard brush? The Composting Association of Vermont brought solutions into the garden on day two of the Vermont Organics Recycling Summit (VORS). Ken Scherer, of the Biochar Coalition, demonstrated safely converting excess woody biomass...
What else is growing at the garden?
Gleaning Herbs for Donation
The first big bundles of garden food for donation are on their way to Just Basics Inc., the Montpelier Food Pantry. Growing a giant garden together means each bed is super productive. A box of chives produces a lot of chives, far more than even twenty-plus gardeners'...
Delicious Garden Tasks
Each garlic plant is sending out a scape. Harvesting the scapes prevents the garlic from growing a big flower, which would draw energy away from the garlic bulb, our target crop. When the scapes are mature as in the photo, gardeners snip or snap the scape off close to...
Undercover Gardening
We use row cover, a.k.a. low tunnels, to protect seeds and seedlings while they mature and gain strength. Garden fabric like this holds in moisture, protects against too much heat or cold, and keeps out insects who would eat the little plants. We uncover greens when...
Planting Day: Basil, Cukes, Eggplants, Peppers
On a blustery day in early June, gardeners planted seedlings for hot-weather crops. Basil varieties this year include these classic Italian basil seedlings from Cate Farm and Heartwood Farm. A gardener started sweet the sweet basil, and the cinnamon basil and Thai...
Horseradish, at Times
Horseradish grows outside the garden fence. It's one of the few crops that deer, woodchucks, and others never bother with. Others are lemon balm, other mints, garlic, and onions. Horseradish best harvested in the spring and early fall. Brush off the dirt, and the root...
Potato-Planting Day
The first step in planting potatoes is selecting the seeds. Seed potatoes are just potatoes that have started growing alien-looking tendrils and eyes. The more exciting looking, the more desirable for planting. Gardeners cut up the potatoes so that each piece has...
Planting Onion Seedlings
The garden purchases allium seedlings to grow onions and shallots rather than growing them from seed here. Look at these beauties from Ananda Gardens. Planting onions is not difficult, but it takes many hands. First the chickens "turned" the beds. Then gardeners...
Early May Garden Eats
Gardeners have planted snow peas, snap peas, lettuces, arugula, kale, collard greens, carrots, turnips, radishes, and more. It's be a few weeks before they're food. But there's food ready now that we planted years ago. It comes back every spring. There's no marjoram,...
Adapting Plants and Chickens to the Season
Gardeners have planted peas, greens, radishes, and more. Their tender seedlings will attract flea beetles and other beings who, like us, enjoy fresh, delicious food. Gardeners cover the planted beds with Reemay, or acid-free garden fabric, to give the plants a chance...
Flower Power Prevails
Gardening weather and soil thaw began early. Flower Power team got right out there to prep the beds for cutting flowers. A gardener who started these giant marigold seedlings indoors ensures enough planting space to allow them to bloom. Watering in the giant marigolds...
