SeanInVa 2019

SeanInVa · May 14, 2019

Just documenting some of what we're doing here in Gloucester, VA this year. We're on 2.2 acres and call our plot "GF Family Farm". It's more a glorified garden at this point, but our goal is to be more self sufficient and teach our kids that you can grow/raise your own food. You might call it a hobby farm, with extra emphasis on the "hobby"

The "GF" is a play on both the two last names in our household, as my wife had a young daughter from a prior marriage when we met - so she hyphenated her name to include our daughter. We also have a son between the two of us. It's also a combination of the two words in the name of the road we live on. Neat how that worked out.

We have chickens, a couple ducks and a goose that won't leave. We also have rabbits and soon - goats. Apple trees, peach trees, pecans, strawberries and blueberries. Raspberries that we never maintained and a whole yard full of weeds - mostly cow parsnip, ragweed and broad leaf dock!

My wife bought me a cheap greenhouse a couple years ago and I finally got it up this year, so now I've sprouted probably way too many seeds. here's what we've got going so far

Greenhouse

This was our first crack at no-till/lasagna beds. Cardboard + rabbit and chicken poop + maple leaves + chicken poop/bedding from coop cleanout + mulch and one more coop cleanout on top after this picture was taken

And extended this past weekend. Cardboard, rabbit poop + black kow + peat so far

New strawberry bed this year. I miscalculated the amount of peat I needed. Oops!

Terrible picture, but 15 plants. First time trying any kind of plastic mulch. Varieties include Sweetie, Pink Bumblebee, Mortgage Lifter, Pineapple, Marmande Garnier Rouge, Tennessee Suited and Marzano Fire. These got a rough transplant as I just dug holes in the clay, added some garden soil and black kow and watered them. Whatever survives is what we will grow. I had to sub out one of the Pink Bumblebees for another plant (which I forget now) as it was not doing well at all.

more of the above. The taller ones in the front are Sweeties, our first growout from saving seed. Taters in the back in bags

More of the maters, Mortgage Lifter, Pineapple, Marmande Garnier Rouge and a Tenn Suited

More - Marzano Fire in the front

More - Tennessee Suited (all three) - our first Dwarf tomatoes! Excited for these

Planted in the lasagna bed. Pineapple. Also tossed in some extra rabbit poo/bedding and dumped our ash bucket on top

Mortgage Lifter in the lasagna bed

Squash/Zucchini in the lasagna bed. They absolutely LOVE it despite the hard clay underneath

Some shots from the greenhouse.
Various things started - including some flowers

I don't know why, but flies and other flying buggers loved it in here. So I had to take some measure of control. Notice I'm using MG Moisture Control, the oft-loathed potting mix. It has worked fantastic for us, and even works well to start seeds w/o damping off.

These two went into our raised bed this past weekend. Pink Brandywine and German Queen

And here they are all settled in

Maglia Rosa, which I mistook for an indeterminate before I double checked. AFTER staking and pruning. Doh! Have another on the other side of the bed that I did the same too.

Carrots and peppers

Would you like some blueberries with your weeds? I can't keep up!

Soon....as long as the deer stay away. Caught one going to town on the mulberries yesterday

May 14, 2019	#1
SeanInVa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Gloucester, Virginia Posts: 90	SeanInVa 2019 Just documenting some of what we're doing here in Gloucester, VA this year. We're on 2.2 acres and call our plot "GF Family Farm". It's more a glorified garden at this point, but our goal is to be more self sufficient and teach our kids that you can grow/raise your own food. You might call it a hobby farm, with extra emphasis on the "hobby" The "GF" is a play on both the two last names in our household, as my wife had a young daughter from a prior marriage when we met - so she hyphenated her name to include our daughter. We also have a son between the two of us. It's also a combination of the two words in the name of the road we live on. Neat how that worked out. We have chickens, a couple ducks and a goose that won't leave. We also have rabbits and soon - goats. Apple trees, peach trees, pecans, strawberries and blueberries. Raspberries that we never maintained and a whole yard full of weeds - mostly cow parsnip, ragweed and broad leaf dock! My wife bought me a cheap greenhouse a couple years ago and I finally got it up this year, so now I've sprouted probably way too many seeds. here's what we've got going so far Greenhouse This was our first crack at no-till/lasagna beds. Cardboard + rabbit and chicken poop + maple leaves + chicken poop/bedding from coop cleanout + mulch and one more coop cleanout on top after this picture was taken And extended this past weekend. Cardboard, rabbit poop + black kow + peat so far New strawberry bed this year. I miscalculated the amount of peat I needed. Oops! Terrible picture, but 15 plants. First time trying any kind of plastic mulch. Varieties include Sweetie, Pink Bumblebee, Mortgage Lifter, Pineapple, Marmande Garnier Rouge, Tennessee Suited and Marzano Fire. These got a rough transplant as I just dug holes in the clay, added some garden soil and black kow and watered them. Whatever survives is what we will grow. I had to sub out one of the Pink Bumblebees for another plant (which I forget now) as it was not doing well at all. more of the above. The taller ones in the front are Sweeties, our first growout from saving seed. Taters in the back in bags More of the maters, Mortgage Lifter, Pineapple, Marmande Garnier Rouge and a Tenn Suited More - Marzano Fire in the front More - Tennessee Suited (all three) - our first Dwarf tomatoes! Excited for these Planted in the lasagna bed. Pineapple. Also tossed in some extra rabbit poo/bedding and dumped our ash bucket on top Mortgage Lifter in the lasagna bed Squash/Zucchini in the lasagna bed. They absolutely LOVE it despite the hard clay underneath Some shots from the greenhouse. Various things started - including some flowers I don't know why, but flies and other flying buggers loved it in here. So I had to take some measure of control. Notice I'm using MG Moisture Control, the oft-loathed potting mix. It has worked fantastic for us, and even works well to start seeds w/o damping off. These two went into our raised bed this past weekend. Pink Brandywine and German Queen And here they are all settled in Maglia Rosa, which I mistook for an indeterminate before I double checked. AFTER staking and pruning. Doh! Have another on the other side of the bed that I did the same too. Carrots and peppers Would you like some blueberries with your weeds? I can't keep up! Soon....as long as the deer stay away. Caught one going to town on the mulberries yesterday