I’m currently busy with several projects associated with Mortensen.Farm as spring arrives and green buds and flowers are popping out everywhere.
One thing I’m working on is this website. I’d like to create a professional looking logo for the farm business. I’ve experimented with AI tools to create a logo, but so far I haven’t settled on anything. If you know a human with experience in creating logos, please let me know!
My dad and I recently cut down two walnut trees on our acreage. I’m normally all about planting new trees and protecting existing trees, but we have many walnut trees on our property and these two were uncomfortably close to the garden. Black walnut trees are allelopathic — they produce a chemical called juglone which discourages some other plant species from growing near them. I was concerned the roots of the trees could extend under the garden and affect my food crops. So the trees were cut down, but they will not go to waste. I’ve been cutting the branches into manageable pieces that can easily go through the woodchipper. The larger bits will become firewood. The wood chips will be used as mulch or compost.
Another project is tilling a sizable section of the fenced in garden area which still contains lawn and wasn’t tilled last year. I was making progress on this until a wheel on the tiller went flat. The wheel needs to be replaced. While the wheel won’t cost me anything since the tiller is under warranty, it’s now been over two weeks and still no word on when the part will ship. Meanwhile, it’s been raining a lot, which is a good thing, but also means the grass is growing and could be harder to till. I trust it will happen in time but I’m feeling stress.
Today I cut up seed potatoes, in anticipation of planting them early next week. The bulk of the seed is Yukon Gold, with smaller amounts of Red Gold and Red Thumb.
While annual crops have yet to go in the ground, I have added to the perennial crops with several new plantings this spring — three additional apple trees, two additional grapevines, fifty strawberry plants, several asparagus crowns, and several rhubarb crowns. Most of the new rhubarb is already emerging.
Last year I didn’t have much success with seed starting indoors. I planted multiple crops in small cells using peat moss pellets. Most of the plants had outgrown their small cells by the time I was able to transplant them outdoors. Also hardening off new seedlings — preparing them to live outdoors — is a tricky process. This year I’m keeping it simple. Using 35 pint-size containers made of recycled paper product, I planted several varieties of peppers and tomatoes. These pots will allow the plants adequate room to grow and sufficient nutrients until they’re able to be transplanted outdoors. This is very much a learning experience.
More to come! So stay tuned! April and May will be busy getting new garden beds prepared and lots of crops planted.
Mortensen.Farm 