Cliff's 2014 Garden Blog

Marilyn and Cliff have gardens at home (H) and in New Russia, NY (NR) and also a triple plot in the Lafayette College Community Organic Garden (OG). They enjoyed sizable organic gardens in the 80s and have kept small gardens annually but appreciate the fun and good food the Lafayette OG and NR plots provide. [Cliff's 2013 Garden Blog] [Cliff's 2012 Garden Blog] [Cliff's 2011 Garden Blog]


January 1

Pruned raspberries, grapes, cherries and half the blackberries in OG. Started (noncold stratified) echinachea seeds.

January 4

Moved compost to garden at home and built new compost bin.

January 8

Began cold stratifying lavender.

January 13

Took two trailer loads of mushroom soil to OG. Prepared two beds. Discovered 3.5 praying mantis egg cases.

February 1

Brought lavender into room. Started basil, marjoram and parsley at H.

February 9

Started spinach at H

February 13

Restarted parsley at H

February 14

Restarted lavender at H

February 19

Started onions and cole crops at H

February 21

Transplanted echinachea to 2in pots.

February 25

Transplanted basil and marjoram. Started onions, broccoli and kale at H.

February 28

Thinned a tray of cole plants.

March 2

Started Siberian tomatoes at H.

March 4

Started lettuce at H.

March 9

Started main tomato, pepper, eggplant for OG at H.

March 12

Put stakes in addon plot at OG

March 14

Thinned onions, cole, tomatoes at H. Hung a bit of cord at OG. Put straw bales around H garden. Started onion for NR at H.

March 15

Strung cord around new plot at OG and broadforked several beds.

March 16

Spread mushroom soil and compost on a few beds at OG.

March 17

Started basil and onions at H.

March 18

Prepared 4 beds at OG.

March 20

Prepared 5 beds and top dressed half the perennials at OG. Rhubarb poking up at OG. First crocus up at H.

March 24

Thinned some tomato seedlings.

March 27

Put blanket over garden at H and moved spinach out for the day. Thinned tomato seedlings.

March 28

Tuned seal on blanket over garden at H and began hardening spinach, lettuce and raab.

March 31

Prepared several beds with mushroom soil.

April 1

At OG prepared bed with mushroom soil. Put up 3 peas trellises and planted one bed to super snap and carrots. A couple garlic are up. Started 3 trays of nightshade and cole seedlings for NR.

April 2

Planted 2 more beds of peas and carrots in OG.

April 3

Planted spinach and swiss chard at OG.

April 4

At OG planted 2 beds of beets and set up straw around a double bed for cole.

April 7

Transplanted spinach, broccoli raab and romanesco and covered with ag19x2 at OG. Repotted purple echinacea. Started lovage at H.

April 8

Transplanted spinach and lettuce at H. Repotted some of the spirit echinacea.

April 9

Transplanted cabbage and broccoli at OG.

April 10

Repotted some Echinacea and tomatoes

April 11

Repotted basil

April 15

Thinned basil, et al at H

April 16

Took mushroom chips for walkways in OG. Cut seed potatoes for OG.

April 17

Took mushroom chips for walkways in OG.

April 18

Repotted basil and echinacea. Transplanted onions and cole crops. Took mushroom chips for walkways in OG. Started hardening the early tomatoes.

April 19

Transplanted onions in OG and planted potatoes.

April 21

Started sunflowers and pumpkin at home. Began hardening off spices for planting at home. Transplanted a bed of broccoli and cabbage in OG and put it into a tunnel. Bleached some of the wood chips.

April 22

Planted potatoes in OG.

April 23

Took chips to OG for wine cap mushrooms.

April 24

Replanted a bed of strawberries at OG. Planted last spring cole and lettuce seedlings in OG. Planted onion plants too. Bleached the remaining wood chips at home.

April 25

Started watermelon and repotted lavender at H. Planted onion plants at OG. Cut potatoes and prepared potato beds in NR.

April 26

prepared more beds in NR.

April 27

Planted potatoes in NR along with a bed each of spinach and swiss chard. The rhubarb is up and the cranberries look good. Still have 15lbs of seed potatoes remaining. Took two barrels of chips to OG.

April 28

Trimmed pea trellis. Added stakes around blackberries. Weeded in OG.

April 29

Weeded at H transplanted basil, marjorim and parsley. Harvested raab and lovage at OG.

April 30

Dr Earth watering at home.

May 1

Weeded at OG.

May 2

Weeded at OG. Transplanted Stupice and Siberian tomatoes. Covered them with AG19. Replaced 4 trees severly damaged by rodent debarking. Replacements were Lodi apple, Red Jonathan, Contender peach and Goldcot apricot.

May 3

Weeded at OG. Finished planting potaoes in NR. Replanted overwintered spinach.

May 5

Weeded at OG.

May 6

Weeded at OG.

May 8

Put wine cap into OG.

May 9

Harvested mushrooms in NR. Prepared beds in NR.

May 10

Planted carrots and beets in NR. Canned mushrooms.

May 11

Innoculated mulberry logs with oyster mushroom spawn at H.

May 12

Planted wheat and soybeans in OG. Prepared another 3-sis bed. Harvested broccoli raab and loveage. First potatoes poking through.

May 13

Planted 3 sis in most of remaing new plot beds in OG.

May 14

Weeded in OG and prepared another 3 sis bed in original plot. First flax flower.

May 15

Weeded in OG and planted corn and melon and butternut squash.

May 16

Weeded in OG. Harvested lettuce a H.

May 17

Weeded in OG and transplanted tomato, pepper, eggplant, onion, basil seedlings. Stepped on a baby rabbit. Harvested kale and raab. NR seedlings being hardened off.

May 18

Weeded and pruned in OG.

May 19

Harvested spinach at OG.

May 20

Harvested asparagus and mushrooms in NR.

May 21

Weeded in NR. Hardening all remaining seedlings.

May 22

Planted seet potatoes in OG; weeded.

May 23

Harvested lettuce, raab, spinach and kale at OG. Froze spinach and kale.

May 24

Weeded in NR. Planted Echinachea, tomato family, basil, misc spices, sweet potatoes in NR. Harvest asparagus.

May 25

Weeded in NR. Planted cole and onions.

May 26

Weeded in NR. Planted lovage and lavander. Harvested mushrooms and spinach.

May 27

Weeded in OG. Harvested spinach, kale, lettuce, swiss chard, lovage and sorel. Snacked on 1st two strawberries.

May 29

Weeded in OG. Harvested strawberries.

May 31

Weeded in OG. Harvested spinach. Froze spinach.

June 1

Weeded in NR. Planted acorn squash. Harvested asparagus. Gathered morels from Iron.

June 2

Weeded in OG. Planted pole beans. Harvested raab, kale, spinach, and strawberries.

June 4

Weeded in OG. Harvested strawberries.

June 5

Weeded in OG. Harvested spinach and swiss chard. Froze kale, spinach, swiss chard and strawberries. Sprayed beetle juice in OG. Sprayed milk.

June 6

Weeded in OG. Harvested strawberries, spinach, kale and raab. Weeded in NR

June 7

Weeded in NR. Planted pole beans in 3 sisters. Planted cherry tree and 2 blueberry bushes. Made strawberry jam and froze strawnerries.

June 8

Weeded in NR.

June 9

Weeded in OG. Picked strawberries and raab.

June 10

Weeded in OG. Picked spinach and swiss chard. Made strawberry jam and froze spincah and chard.

June 11

Picked strawberries, kale and peas. Froze kale. Made strawberry jam. Froze strawberries.

June 13

Picked strawberries and peas at OG and a bit of spinach&chard in NR.

June 14

Picked strawberries and mushrooms in NR.

June 16

Picked strawberries, peas, kale, swiss chard, spinach and first stupice tomatoes in OG. Replanted the missed Garbanzo mounds. Sprayed milk. Froze peas, spinach and kale.

June 17

Planted cucumbers, gourds, carrots at OG. Pruned grapes and started cherry (but stopped when a bird's nest was discovered). Weeded. Froze strawberries.

June 18

Picked strawberries, peas, and spinach at OG. Mulched and weeded.

June 19

Picked and froze spinach and swiss chard from OG. Weeded.

June 20

Picked peas and strawberries at OG.

June 21

Picked peas and strawberries at OG. Made strawberry jam. Weeded and added soil to potatoes in NR.

June 22

Weeded and picked strawberries in NR. Added soil and mulch to potatoes.

June 24

Weeded and picked strawberries, peas, beets, cabbage and an onion at OG. Watered. Hauled mulch from H to OG. Made low-sugar strawberry jam.

June 25

Weeded and picked kale, swiss chard at OG and froze them. Spread mulch. Weeded.

June 26

Picked strawberries, peas, and raspberries at OG. Hand picked potato plant bugs. Sprayed milk and BT. Picked a few potato bugs in NR. Planted mint in NR by barn.

June 27

Weeded, picked strawberries in NR.

June 28

Pruned in NR. Picked garlic scapes.

June 29

Picked spinach, swisschard and scapes in NR. Pruned and weeded. Planted sunflowers, watermelon in NR.

June 30

Picked spinach, swisschard, scapes, beets, strawberries, raspberries, lettuce, peas in OG. Blueberries at H.

July 1

Froze raspberries and strawberries. Weeded at OG.

July 2

Picked spinach, raspberries, peas in OG. Sprayed milk and colorado beetle spray. Watered.

July 3

Hand picked JB et al in NR.

July 4

Turned compost in NR. Planted carrots, cantelope, cucumber, butternut squash and picked scapes and garlic. Set up a drip hose.

July 5

Turned compost in NR. Picked swiss chard and spinach. Picked red currants.

July 6

Watered in NR. Started golden migets for nR and Crenshaw for OG at H.

July 7

Weeded in NR. Picked raspberries, strawberries and peas at OG. Planted Crenshaw in OG.

July 8

Weeded in OG. Stole 10 potatoes. Picked spinach, swiss chard, kale, raspberries. onions and a tomato.

July 9

Weeded in OG. Picked swiss chard, kale, raspberries and peas in OG. Froze kale. Sprayed milk.

July 10

Weeded in OG. Picked spinach, swiss chard, kale, raspberries and made raspberry jam. Watered in NR. Hand picked JB.

July 11

Weeded in NR. Mulched. Froze kale and swiss chard. Watered in NR. Planted golden melons. Created and moved a strawberry bed. Removed another. Picked scapes and a few potatoes from the strawberry move. Hand picked JB.

July 12

Weeded in NR. Picked currants and summer squash. Mulched. Planted beets, garbanzo beans, marigolds and cosmos. Watered in NR. Hand picked JB. Sprayed milk. Picked blueberries and weeded at H.

July 13

Weeded in NR. Picked raspberries in OG.

July 14

Weeded in OG. Loosened stakes. Froze raspberries; picked cabbage in oG.

July 15

Put stakes in OG near gourds and goji berry. Picked raspberries, a blackberry, and kale.

July 16

Watered and weeded at OG. Put wire fence near gourds. Picked beets, onion, and loveage at OG. Picked blueberries at H. Started lettuce and cole seedlings.

July 17

Weeded at OG. Picked raspberries and wineberries. Sprayed BT and milk.

July 18

Weeded at OG. Planted carrots. Watered. Hand picked JB at NR.

July 19

Weeded at OG. Picked tomatoes, squash, raspberries, and beets in OG. Hand picked JB at NR and watered.

July 20

Picked squash in NR. Weeded and watered. Sprayed CO beetle spray.

July 21

Picked squash in NR. Hand picked JB at NR and watered.

July 22

Weeded in NR. Picked tomatoes, raspberries, and kale in OG.

July 23

Weeded in NR. Picked squash. Picked blueberries H.

July 24

Weeded in NR. Picked squash.

July 25

Weeded in NR. Picked squash.

July 26

Weeded in NR. Picked potatoes, squash and kale.

July 28

Picked potatoes, squash and tomatoes at OG.

July 29

Picked potatoes, tomatoes, onions at OG.

July 30

Picked potatoes, kale, cabbage, onions, basil and tomatoes at OG.

August 2

Weeded and removed dead leaves at OG.

August 7

Picked raspberries, tomatoes, green beans, broccoli at OG. Put up goji trellis.

August 3

Picked raspberries, tomatoes, green beans at OG. Pruned raspberries and cherry. Plucked stray raspberry shoots.

August 10

Picked squash in NR. Lots of JB too.

August 11

Picked brocolli, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, squash, corn in NR.

August 12

Picked potatoes, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, kale, tomatoes, green beans, squash, in NR. Froze green beans, basil, kale, squash.

August 14

Picked potatoes, onions, and tomatoes in NR.

August 15

Picked potatoes, onion, garlic, tomatoes, green beans, in OG. Canned tomatoes.

August 17

Picked tomatoes in OG.

August 18

Picked tomatoes in OG. Tomatoes, beans and squash in NR.

August 19

Picked tomatoes, beans, and couple carrots in OG. Picked and froze beans and kale in NR. Dug potatoes.

August 21

Picked tomatoes, squash, broccoli, beans in NR. Tomatoes in OG. Transplanted cole and lettuce seedlings at H and OG.

August 22

Froze beans and squash. Canned tomatoes.

August 23

Picked sunflowers at OG.

August 25

Picked tomatoes at OG.

August 26

Canned tomatoes.

August 27

Picked popcorn, tomatoes, grapes, peppers at OG.

August 28

Canned tomatoes. Picked a cucumber at H.

August 30

Picked beans and kale and dug potatoes in NR. Froze beans and kale. Spread milky spore.

August 31

Picked broccoli and lion's main mushrooms in NR. Spread milky spore.

September 1

Picked berries, grapes, tomatoes, green beans, dried beans and blue corn at OG. Froze beans and made grape jelly.

September 2

Canned tomatoes and pickles.

September 4

Picked grapes and tomatoes. Canned grapes.

September 6

Picked beans, squash and tomatoes in NR.

September 7

Picked potaoes, corn and kale in NR. Froze beans, squash, kale, and corn. Sprayed BT. Canned tomatoes at H. Innoculated maple logs with oyster spawn.

September 8

Picked corn, squash and tomatoes in NR. Hit bale of straw with hot water

September 9

Picked blue corn, grapes, kale in OG. Froze kale and squash.

September 12

Canned grape juice and tomatoes. Picked tomatoes and cucumbers in NR.

September 13

Picked tomatoes, raspberries, goji berries, dried beans, beans, beets in OG. Canned tomatoes.

September 14

Picked tomatoes, squash in NR. Made grape jam.

September 15

Picked corn, beans, squash in New Russia. Froze corn.

September 16

Picked tomatoes, grapes, squash and raspberries in OG. Made pickles.

September 15

Made grape jam.

September 19

Picked raspberries, goji berries, beans and tomatoes at OG.

September 20

Picked corn, squash, cucumber, kale in NR. Raspberries, dried beans in OG. Corn stalks composted in both.

September 21

Picked squash, potatoes and sweet potatoes in NR.

September 22

Picked swiss chard, raspberries, grapes in OG. Froze swiss chard.

September 23

Picked kale and cabbage in OG. Froze kale

September 24

Started sauerkraut

September 27

Dug potatoes in NR

September 28

Picked swiss chard and broccoli in NR

September 29

Planted garlic, ginseng, spinach in NR. Dug potatoes.

September 30

Picked raspberries, mushrooms and swiss chard in OG

October 1

Picked kale, corn, tomatoes, green beans at OG.

October 2

Picked raspberries, goji berries and winecap mushrooms in OG.

October 3

Picked raspberries, swiss chard and winecap mushrooms in OG.

October 4

Froze kale and swiss chard.

October 5

Weeded at OG.

October 6

weeded at OG.

October 7

Weeded at OG and picked cucumbers.

October 8

Weeded at OG and picked raspberries.

October 10

Weeded at OG and picked raspberries, tomatoes and peppers.

October 11

Dug potatoes in NR and picked tomatoes, onions, carrots, cranberries, sunflowers.

October 12

Dug potatoes in NR and picked shiitake mushrooms. Moved leaves into gardens. Wrapped trees and shrubs against rodents.

October 13

Picked berries and kale at OG.

October 14

Took a load of mushroom soil to OG and weeded and prepared beds.

October 15

Picked remaining soybeans at OG.

October 18

Moved leaves in NR. Unloaded a trailer load of mushroom soil and made up some beds. Froze potatoes.

October 19

Moved leaves in NR. Planted Ginseng seeds. Picked broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage and mushsrooms.

October 20

Picked tomatoes, peppers, raspberries and goji berries in OG. Tested flame weeder at H.

October 27

Froze and sorted potatoes. Weeded at OG and picked berries, mushrooms, tomatoes and butternut squash. Canned sweet potatoes.

October 28

Canned sauerkraut and started another batch. Weed at H and froze parsley.

October 31

Gathered gourds at OG and munched on frozen raspberries and swiss chard.

November 3

Weeded at OG and picked anise mint and carrots. Prepped 2 beds with biochar.

November 4

weeded at OG.

November 7

Picked one stray stiitake mushroom at NR.

November 8

Picked kale and brussel sprouts at NR. Lettuce at home.

November 9

Picked cabbage in NR.

November 10

Weeded in OG. Tried propane weeder. Picked carrots, gourds and swiss chard.

November 12

Weeded in OG. Picked goji berries and kale. Froze kale and swiss chard.

November 20

Weeded in OG. Picked kale.

November 27

Weeded in NR. Covered cranberries and asparagus beds. 2nd tree completely derooted by voles. Picked brussel sprouts, kale and broccoli.

December 6

Pruned fruit trees in NR.

December 7

Picked under snow cabbages in NR.

December 24

Froze onions.

December 25

Picked minor onions and kale in OG.

December 27

Froze onions and potatoes.

December 28

Froze potatoes at H and picked a few brussel sprouts in NR.

December 30

Froze onions in NR.