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 seedlingsJanuary 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 echinecheaMarch 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 seedlingsApril 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 NRMay 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 NRMay 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 trellisesAugust 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 potatoesSeptember 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 potatoesDecember 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 NRDecember 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.