With the field tucked away under a couple feet of snow and the greenhouse at the top of the priority list, there has been so much going on behind the scenes. With the exception of some perennial placement, all of the rows for next year have been planned out. There have been some changes made to support structures for vines and more space for new varieties and colors! Last week I finished up the seed sowing schedule and blocked out time in my calendar to help be stay on track. Just before Christmas the lisianthks seeds were planted and are awaiting germination on their heat mats. We’ll be going into the new year [mostly] caught up!
Last year served mostly as an experiment to see what could be grown in the space available. I was surprised at the number of plants that thrived and the abundance of flowers harvested for the first season. Comparing the soil samples from the beginning and the end of the season it was incredible to see the changes! To fast-track good fertility the amount of compost going into the field in the spring is doubled what it was last year. However, all other amendments for macro- and micronutrients are far, far less. Soil fertility will always be the most important consideration, but knowing that this year will bring more flowers makes room to shift some of the focus.
2023 Focus
- Establish variety staples and burnish their production
- Learn good season extension practices for our zone
- Stay connected with all of you!
This past year it was a challenge for me to take notes and keep you all up to date. I’ve been following a schedule the past few months so that I have a good habit of sharing North Star when the growing season starts up. I am also planning to incorporate a newsletter in the new year. It will be sent out once or twice a month with updates from the farm and notes on flower availability. I’ll also be featuring a flower every month with growing tips and tricks I pick up to help you decided if it’s something you want to plant in your own garden!
If you’d like to stay connected you can sign up for newsletters on the home page or by clicking here!
Cheers to a new year! 🥂
