Cliff's 2015 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 2014 Garden Blog] [Cliff's 2013 Garden Blog] [Cliff's 2012 Garden Blog] [Cliff's 2011 Garden Blog]


January 3

Started echinacea, fushcia, and black-eyed susan.

January 4

Started daisies.

January 15

Thinned flower seedlings

January 16

Pruned grapes, raspberries and cherries at OG.

January 23

Got straw for early crop enclosures.

February 24

Started AC onions at H.

February 25

Started Redwing onions, kale, broccoli, and red cabbage at H.

March 2

Started Stupice and Siberian tomatoes at H.

March 3

Started lettuce, spinach, swiss chard and beets at H.

March 4

Started potatoes at H. Thinned daisies.

March 10

Started more spinach at H. Thinned seedlings.

March 11

Thinned seedlings.

March 12

Thinned seedlings.

March 15

Started main cole crops for OG and potatoes.

March 17

Got a cubic yard of Vermont Biochar.

March 18

Started potatoes and thinned seedlings.

March 19

Started sauce tomatoes. Minor garden clean up in OG.

March 20

Started mix of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, basil at H.

March 24

Thinned seedlings and general cleanup at OG.

March 25

Spread fish bonemeal on perenials at H and OG.

March 26

Started hardening off lettuce. Repotted early tomatoes.

March 27

Flame weeded at OG and arranged strawbale enclosure.

March 30

Repotted echinechea

March 31

Bought rabbit fence for OG.

April 1

Repotted echinechea, early cole crops and gloriosa daisies.

April 2

Transplanted beets at OG in tunnel. Hardening off spinach, swiss chard, and onions. Transplanted lettuce and spinach at H. Put 50' of rabbit guard fence in OG.

April 4

Added a section of rabbit guard fence in OG.

April 5

Bought parsley seedlings

April 6

Finished rabbit guard fence and two gates in OG. Transplanted parsley at H.

April 7

Finished rabbit guard gates in OG. Transplanted 2 trays of onions and 2 of spinach in OG.

April 8

Transplanted cole crops, lettuce and swiss chard in OG. Repotted daisies, and tomato seedlings at H.

April 9

Planted 3 beds of peas in OG. Spread fertilizer on some NR perennials.

April 10

Spread fertilizer on NR perennials. Uncovered cranberries. Planted the few remaining peas in NR.

April 13

Added bungees to fence in OG. Started preparing the carrot beds. Started beets and swiss chard for NR in NR.

April 14

Planted two beds of carrots at OG. Put up the three pea trellises. Weeded.

April 15

Started a tray of onions for NR. Potted bareroot pear and apple tree. Repotted tomatoes and potatoes. Thinned potatoes.

April 16

Started a tray of cole crops for NR.

April 17

Started broccoli and spinach for NR. Prepared beds and weeded at OG.

April 19

Weeded at OG.

April 20

Started basil, pumpkins, cucumber, tomatoes, and eggplant.

April 21

Hardening off cole crops.

April 22

Weeded at OG. Replanted swiss chard. Moved catnip, painted daisy and anise mint. Prepared 3 beds.

April 23

Covered beds at OG.

April 24

Cut seed potatoes. Weeded in NR. Prepared beds in NR.

April 25

Planted 46 lbs of potatoes (9 varieties) in NR. Weeded. Planted a bed of carrots.

April 26

Transplanted broccoli, kale, and cabbage in OG. Hardening off early tomatoes and potato seedlings.

April 27

Repotted potatoes and black eggplant. Started lettuce, and melons.

April 29

Transplanted early tomatoes and potatoes in OG. Moved swiss chard and beets to harden off.

April 30

Weeded at OG. Removed net from cherries. Movede main tomatoes to harden off.

May 1

Transplanted some swiss chard and beets in NR. Weeded, prepared beds. Planted some potatoes.

May 2

Transplanted some swiss chard and beets in NR. Weeded, prepared beds. Planted some potatoes. Removed netting from trees and vines.

May 3

Transplanted swiss chard and beets in NR; picked Shiitake mushrooms. Watered at OG. Picked lettuce at H.

May 4

Weeded at OG.

May 6

Weeded at OG. Transplanted 2 trays of tomatoes. Repotted seedlings.

May 7

Weeded and mulched at OG. Started sunflowers. Prepared beds. Picked basil from seedlings.

May 8

Transplanted tomatoes at OG. Weeded, watered, mulched. Picked spinach and raab. Hardening off basil.

May 10

Repotted cole and tomatoes. Weeded, prepared beds in OG. Picked raab.

May 12

Transplanted lettuce and spinach in NR.

May 14

Repotted seedlings.

May 15

Weeded at OG. Prepared beds and put down plastic ground cover. Mulched. Removed old cherry tree. Picked raab.

May 16

Weeded and watered at OG. Transplanted basil, pumpkin and sunflowers. Picked mushrooms, spinach, and raab at OG.

May 17

Weeded at OG. Transplanted melons and cucumbers. Mulched. Watered.

May 18

Watered at OG. Picked asparagus and mushrooms in NR.

May 19

Put bridge grafts on damaged gala apple trees in NR. Worked on preparing beds.

May 20

Put transplanted cole crops in NR.

May 21

Havested 1st strawberries in OG. Watered.

May 22

Transplanted eggplant and pepper plants in OG. Prepared beds. Covered cole in NR

May 23

Uncovered cole in NR. Potatoes hit hard. Weeded and put down plastic. Seeded clover. Hardening eggplant and pepper plants and pumpkins and melons in NR

May 24

Weeded, watered in NR. Transplanted eggplant, pumpkins and cantaloupe melons in NR. Planted pole beans, cucumber and summer squash.

May 25

Transplanted watermelons NR. Planted sweet corn. Replanted carrots. Watered. In OG, picked kale, spinach and strawberries. Prepared a bed and watered and weeded.

May 26

Weeded and watered in OG. Planted red popcorn, garbanzo and kidney beans. Picked asparagus in NR.

May 27

Planted asian pear in NR. Picked 5 pts strawberries and some kale in OG.

May 29

Planted asian pear in NR. Picked 9.5 pts strawberries and spinach in OG. Transplanted daisies in NR. Harvested asparagus. Watered in both. Froze strawberries.

May 30

Planted honeycrisp apple in NR. Transplanted black-eyed susan, echinacea, basil, eggplant, sunflowers. Weeded and watered. Harvested spinach and asparagus.

May 31

Picked 7 pts of strawberries in OG. Some raab. Watered. Transplanted sunflowers. Froze strawberries.

June 1

Froze strawberries.

June 2

Planted black beans at OG. Weeded. Froze strawberries.

June 3

Planted (forgotten) adirondack red potaoes and onions in OG. Weeded. Flame weeded.

June 4

Replanted carrots a swiss chard in OG. Thinned and weeded. Planted bush beans. Picked, raab, kale, spinach, loveage, basil and 20 pints of strawberries. Froze kale and spinach and basil. Dried loveage.

June 6

Picked spinach and asparagus in NR. Weeded. Covered plants for 34 deg night.

June 7

Weeded and mulched in NR. Planted last seed potaotes (forgotten).

June 8

Picked spinach, weeded, mulched, in NR. Weeded. Picked first tidbits of tomatoes, snap peas and beans (H) and 20 pts of strawberries in OG -- maybe 60% of the beds.

June 9

Picked spinach, strawberries and tidbits in OG. Froze spinach and strawberries. Picked and dried peppermint at H.

June 10

Picked strawberries, kale, swiss chard and tidbits in OG. Froze kale and swiss chard. Made strawberry jam and srawberryrhubarb jam (and pie).

June 11

Picked spinach, kale, lettuce, strawberries and tidbits in OG.

June 14

Picked strawberries, mushrooms, basil and tomatoes in OG. Froze basil in oil.

June 15

Picked lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, and swiss chard in OG. Weeded and flame weeded.

June 16

Picked strawberries, tomatoes, and lettuce in OG. Weeded.

June 17

Picked bugs in NR, and asparagus and spinach. Weeded. Watered. Planted flowers.

June 18

Picked bugs in NR. Weeded. Watered. Planted flowers.

June 19

Picked bugs in NR. Transplanted seed volunteer asparagus seedlings. Put a trailer load of compost on potatoes.

June 20

Picked bugs in NR. Weeded and watered.

June 21

Picked strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes and broccoli in OG. Weeded. Picked mint and lettuce at home.

June 23

Picked strawberries, raspberries in OG. Weeded.

June 24

Picked raspberries, tomatoes, beets, catnip, kale, swiss chard and broccoli in OG. Planted butternut squash. Picked a handful of blueberries at H.

June 25

Picked bugs and weeds in NR. Planted flowers.

June 26

Picked bugs and weeds in NR. Froze kale and swiss chard.

June 27

Picked bugs in NR. Transplanted catnip. Harvested kale and lettuce.

June 28

Picked blueberries at H. Strawberries, raspberries, goji berries in OG. Also 3 lbs of peas and 3.5 lbs of tomatoes. Rabbit damage to garbanzo beans.

June 29

Weeded in OG. Harvested beets. Discovered rabbit hole inside our fence.

June 30

Weeded in OG. Harvested raspberries, tomatoes, goji berries. Set rabbit trap.

July 1

Last night's storms damaged the garden. Tried to upright the grapes and other plants. Most off the grapes are split. Picked beets. Rabbit still digging near the cole crops.

July 2

Continued garden post-storm pickup. Picked tomatoes, peas, raspberries, goji's, broccoli, first cucumber and anise mint at OG.

July 3

Picked bugs in NR. Froze peas. Drying anise mint. Planted carrots. Soaking seedling trays and inserts.

July 4

Picked bugs in NR. Washed seedling trays and inserts.

July 5

Picked currents and broccoli in NR. Picked raspberries, goji berries, peas and cabbage in OG.

July 7

Froze currents and raspberries. Cleaned up in OG. Picked raspberries, goji berries, tomatoes, beets, and peas in OG.

July 8

Extended bean trellis at H. Weeded.

July 11

Picked Kale in NR.

July 13

Picked Jap. B. in NR.

July 14

Picked berries and broccoli in NR. Hand picked Japenese beetles.

July 15

Picked bugs.

July 16

Picked berries in NR. Picked and froze broccoli, kale, and swiss chard. Picked Japenese beetles.

July 17

Picked Japenese beetles in NR.

July 18

Picked tomatoes and cucumbers in OG and H.

July 22

Weeded at OG.

July 23

Weeded and put mesh around popcorn in OG and over blackberries. Harvested eggplant and tomatoes. Pruned raspberries.

July 24

Weeded in OG. Harvested kale, basil, broccoli, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, watermelons (one unripe) and a few berries.

July 25

Weeded in NR. Picked some beans and berries. Harvested broccoli, garlic and potatoes. Froze eggplant, broccoli and kale.

July 26

Weeded in NR. Harvested red basil, potatoes and garlic. Thinned carrots. Prepared old garlic beds.

July 27

Weeded in NR.

July 28

Weeded in NR. Harvested g/y-beans, summer squash, cabbage, broccoli, kale, potatoes and a few berries.

July 29

Weeded in OG. Harvested cucumbers, g/y-beans, broccoli, and a few berries.

July 30

Weeded in OG. Harvested cucumbers. Made pickles.

July 31

Weeded in OG. Harvested carrots, beets, g/y-beans, cabbage, and a few berries.

August 1

Weeded in OG. Harvested carrot, beets, cucumber, watermelon, tomatoes.

August 2

Harvested eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers in OG. Canned tomatoes.

August 4

Weeded, pruned, picked JB in NR. Harvested kale, summer squash, spices and a few berries in NR.

August 3

Picked JB in NR. Harvested and froze 5lbs g/y/p-beans.

August 5

Weeded, pruned, picked JB in NR. Harvested string beans, summer squash, cucumbers in NR.

August 6

Picked green beans and cucumbers at home. Froze beans.

August 7

Picked blueberries at home. Weeded at OG. Harvested dried peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, a watermelon, and string beans.

August 8

Weeded at OG. Harvested tomatoes, cucumbers. Took down pea trellises

August 9

Weeded at OG. Harvested cabbage, carrots, eggplant and a watermelon.

August 10

Weeded in NR. Picked bugs. Harvested string beans, cucumber, broccoli and potatoes. Wrapped some trees.

August 12

Weeded in NR. Picked bugs. Harvested string beans, cucumber, summer squash. Harvested string beans at H.

August 13

Weeded in OG. Harvested tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, beets, carrots, pepper, berries, cabbage and a watermelon.

August 14

Weeded in OG. Harvested carrots, berries and eggplant. Made coleslaw. Made coleslaw.

August 15

Weeded in OG. Harvested tomatoes, cucumbers, and a watermelon. Picked cucumbers at H. Froze tomatoes.

August 16

Weeded in NR. Harvested a few berries.

August 17

Weeded in NR.

August 18

Harvested tomato, cucumbers, summer squash and Adirondack red potatoes. Planted lettuce. Picked beans at home.

August 19

Harvested tomatoes, watermelon and catelopes in OG. Planted spinach.

August 21

Weeded at OG. Harvested beans, onions, cantelope, beets and a few berries at OG.

August 22

Harvested beans, tomatoes, watermelon and cucumbers in NR.

August 23

Harvested potatoes, cabbage, beans, tomatoes, and watermelons in NR.

August 24

Weeded at OG.

August 25

Weeded at OG. Harvested tomatoes. Canned tomatoes. Froze onions.

August 26

Weeded at OG. Harvested onions, tomatoes, beets and watermelon at OG.

August 27

Harvested 107# of potatoes in NR. Weeded. Picked tomatoes and eggplant.

August 29

Harvested eggplant, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and string beans in NR. Havested Watermelon, onions, pumpkins, raspberries and grapes in OG.

August 30

Harvested pumkins, watermelon and weeded in OG. Picked a tray full of grapes.

September 5

Harvested pumkins, watermelons and weeded in OG. Tomatoes. Juiced grapes.

September 6

Harvested watermelon, potatoes, cucumbers, squash, beans and weeded in NR.

September 12

Harvested beans in NR.

September 13

Harvested watermelon, cantelope and potatoes in NR. Sorted potatoes.

September 14

Clean up at OG and picked egg plant. Sprayed soap.

September 18

Picked watermelon, beans in NR.

September 19

Clean up at OG and picked carrots, beets.

September 20

Picked potatoes in NR.

September 21

Clean up at NR. Picked beans, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, summer squash, potatoes.

September 23

Clean up at OG.

September 26

Clean up NR. Dug potatoes and stored seed potatoes

September 27

Clean up at OG; picked beets and carrots. Dug potatoes in NR and stored seed potatoes. Harvested watermelons and pumpkins.

September 30

Flame weeded at OG. Picked raspberries and grapes.

October 1

Picked oyster mushrooms at home. Froze pumpkin.

October 3

weeded, picked raspberries, kale, swiss chard and tomatoes at OG. Froze kale and swiss chard. Picked tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans and eggplants in NR.

October 4

Sorted potatoes in NR.

October 7

Garden cleanup in OG. Picked green potatoes.

October 11

Garden cleanup in OG. Picked green tomatoes, beets and carrots.

October 12

Sprayed soap on black plastic in OG. Picked kale and swiss chard.

October 13

Froze kale and swiss chard.

October 14

Cleanup at OG.

October 17

Cleanup at OG.

October 25

Cleanup in NR. New compost bin. Harvested kale, carrots, beets, and shiitake nushrooms. Froze kale.

October 27

Harvested oyster mushrooms and parsley at H.

October 31

Harvested oyster mushrooms at H. Clean up at OG. Harvested kale, swiss chard, spinach, a sunflower head and a few grapes. Dried pumpkin seeds.

November 4

Cleanup at OG.

November 7

Cleanup in NR. Trees protected. Brown and white Dewitt put down.

November 8

Cleanup in NR. Covered spinach and cranberries. Harvested cabbage, broccoli, kale, spinach and shiitake mushrooms.

November 9

Put chciken wire around cherries and berries in OG. Planted crocus at H.

November 14

Took new grape trellis stakes to OG. Picked beets.

November 15

Planted rosemary at H and OG and surrounded it with straw. Picked remaining beets at OG.

November 17

Canned beets.

November 21

Dug carrots, picked swiss chard, kale and spinach at OG. Put up frame for new grape trellis.

November 22

Canned beets. Froze potatoes. Put down plastic mulch pathways in NR.

November 23

Wrapped trees with plastic in NR. Picked shiitake mushrooms.

November 27

Harvested carrots, spinach, brussel sprouts, and parsley in NR. Weeded. Froze potatoes.

November 28

Harvested kale in NR. Froze potatoes.

December 5

Weeded in OG.

December 6

Weeded in OG.

December 7

Weeded in OG.

December 10

Started basil, lettuce and parsley.

December 11

Froze potatoes

December 12

Weeded and picked spinach at OG.

December 18

Froze cilantro, dug carrots at H. Started blueberry cuttings for rooting. Harvested oyster mushrooms and canned tomatoes that had been frozen.

December 20

Started kiwi cuttings for rooting. Pruned grapes in NR

December 21

Harvested spinach, kale, and brussel sprouts in NR. Garden cleanup.

December 23

Started Echinecia Purpl, spirit and shasta daisy.

December 24

Started Gloriosa daisy (BES) and Echinecia white.

December 25

Rewired new grape trellies in OG. Partially pruned grapes and raspberries.

December 26

Harvested oyster mushrooms at home.

December 27

Harvested shiitake mushrooms in NR.

December 28

Froze pumpkin; roasted pumpkin seeds.