In thi
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s week of Hour-A-Day Gardening . . .Join in our 100 days, 100 hour gardening challenge and be entered in a raffle for prizes. Follow along by checking out the hashtag: #100days100hourgardeningchallenge.
Perfect Spring Weather
The weather continues to be seasonable and wonderful: rain, warm, cool. The rain every three to four days makes watering duties light. Unfortunately, COVID swept through every member of our family. Fortunately, all of our cases were mild and everyone has recovered. My bout lasted from Monday to Wednesday. This kept me busy, first as quarantine nurse and then as patient.
Compost Hutch
Last year we built a timber frame compost hutch. Because it is built of wood, the hutch must be protected from the compost, which would eat the structure over time. So I used some scrap to make an internal pen to keep the compost off the structure. Follow us on instagram to see us fill it before next week’s post.
Solarizing
I can’t keep up with prepping every single spot before the weeds pop up. We also have pernicious groundcover planted by the previous owner. Sometimes I need to use the sun to help: by spreading a greenhouse film over the ground, even a warm day creates incredibly hot temperatures under the film. This kills the above-ground growth. Check back next week to see it covered, mulched, and planted.
Planting Out Corn
Squirrels can smell corn seeds even below the ground. Every year they dig up my corn and eat it before germination. So I have to start it in flats and then transplant each one out. Then I have to cover it with hardware cloth to protect it further. It works, but it is a lot of work for sweet corn. My field corn is behind an electric fence.
Volunteers and Support
We’re always looking for volunteers. If you want to spend a few hours in a garden (and take home something yummy for your trouble), reach out to us at [email protected]. It can be regular or sporadic as you have time.
We’re also asking those who get something out of reading our site, watching our videos, and listening to our podcast to join the community of supporters of the institute by throwing us a few bucks a month on Patreon. If you’re in a position to help us out, a little goes a long way. Thanks for considering it.
The Data
Here’s the breakdown day by day. This week, I worked 9:30, raising my my average a minute to 58 minutes a day. This next week will be a tough, one, as family members fell ill on Friday and Saturday.
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