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 HFebruary 13
Restarted parsley at HFebruary 14
Restarted lavender at HFebruary 19
Started onions and cole crops at HFebruary 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 OGMarch 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 tomatoesApril 11
Repotted basilApril 15
Thinned basil, et al at HApril 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 NRJune 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 waterSeptember 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 kaleSeptember 24
Started sauerkrautSeptember 27
Dug potatoes in NRSeptember 28
Picked swiss chard and broccoli in NRSeptember 29
Planted garlic, ginseng, spinach in NR. Dug potatoes.September 30
Picked raspberries, mushrooms and swiss chard in OGOctober 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.