April 

So spring has finally sprung, finished and we are sliding into summer. At least for this week. Welcome to Northern Virginia. Just 2 weeks ago we had snow, and I was worried that peas were going to out too late. I dream of rain showers and days in the 60’s. Mornings when I still need my jacket, but can feel the warmth of the sun on my back. My spring crops share my dream. This is the difficulty with climate change. Our seasons will become more erratic, highs will go really high and lows really low.  If farming wasn't already a gamble, it surely will become one in the next few decades. I spent today running around and irrigating my poor peas. They finally started to come up yesterday, and they have had to face an 85 degree sun. I tried to plant my onions as well.  I got two beds finished before it got too hot. Luckily we will be moving into more seasonable weather in the next week, so if I can nurture everyone through is heat we should come out well.

In the last few weeks I have planted lettuce, Pac choi, radishes and Japanese turnips undercover. Outside, I seeded shelling and snow peas, fava beans, spinach and all of the potatoes. The potato towers went in well, and I can’t wait to see how they turn out. I’m prepping the beds as needed; I applied about two inches of compost to each bed, and tilled it under. The only plants up so far are the peas.

In the greenhouse I have a lot of veggies. Parsley, celeriac, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, fennel, beets, etc. the first generation of tomatoes went in two weeks ago, with the next going in this week. I like to do at least two plantings of tomatoes, about three weeks apart.  This spreads out the peak, so that we don’t get overloaded.  Also this week I am ordering my irrigation and supplies for the season.  I started planting onions today, and I’m prepping beds for fennel, beets and carrots. I took the winter straw off of the strawberries, though they will have to be covered if we get frost. 

More soon...