My vegetable greenhouse is ready for the next season of indoor growing.
We're still growing and harvesting from the outdoor vegetable garden, but with autumn just around the corner attention is also directed toward my vegetable greenhouse and planting its first crops for the coming cold season. Doing this now ensures we will have fresh delicious vegetables right into fall. I constructed this special greenhouse so I could grow organic vegetables in the ground all year long. The structure, which is essentially a cold house, was inspired by writer, Eliot Coleman, an expert in four-season farming. To start, this week my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, planted a collection of vegetable plant plugs that were started and grown in individual cells filled with soil. We are always trying different ways to plant our crops to see which methods work best. He will also plant seeds in this greenhouse in the coming weeks.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
We spend a good amount of time preparing the soil before planting. This includes cleaning the beds and adding organic, nutrient-rich compost. Recently, the beds were all topped with a fresh layer of compost.
The beds are all turned and raked. In this greenhouse, I like to grow lettuce greens, root vegetables, bunching onions, and brassicas, plus other vegetables I use for my daily green juice and for cooking. These beds do not have bottoms; they are open to the ground, which allows plant roots to go further down for available nutrients. It is a great way to plant. Underneath the boxes, there is about two-feet more soil.
Ryan also sprinkles all the beds with a good quality fertilizer.
There are 16 wooden garden boxes in this structure. They fit the entire length and width of this vegetable greenhouse. Raised bed gardening allows good drainage, prevents soil compaction, and provides protection for those plants that may otherwise get trampled.
Inside my main greenhouse head house, which is a separate room that serves as a work center, Ryan sorts out the plant plugs that arrived from Bonnie’s Plants, a leading provider of plants for the vegetable garden, herb garden, and flower garden.
Here is one of the clam shell plant plug containers. The principle advantage of using plant plugs is that they arrive ready to plant into the growing soil. They are less expensive than larger potted plants. I prefer to grow vegetables from seed in my greenhouse. I have lots of room to grow many trays of seeds, and we are able to start growing them in winter, but it is always good to test what else is available for gardeners.
This delivery contains plants for herbs, brassicas, and a variety of lettuces. Ryan takes a selection of plant plugs into the vegetable greenhouse and plans which ones will be planted.
Ryan uses this bed preparation rake from Johnny’s Selected Seeds to create furrows in the soil. Hard plastic red tubes slide onto selected teeth of the rake to mark the rows.
The furrows don’t have to be deep. In general, seeds should be planted at a depth of two times the width, or diameter, of the seed. A seed that’s about 1/16-of-an-inch thick should be planted an eighth-of-an-inch deep.
These are Swiss chard plant plugs. Swiss chard comes in vibrant colors with stems of red, yellow, rose, gold, and white. Chard has very nutritious leaves making it a popular addition to healthful diets.
Here are two healthy individual plants removed from the cells. These plugs are simply smaller versions of the plants seen in the garden nursery.
Next, Ryan uses a special seed and seedling spacing ruler to place the plants in the furrow.
When the roots of a seedling like this have grown sufficiently, it can be easily transplanted into the garden or into a larger pot.
Ryan places all the seedlings first, so he is sure they are all equally spaced in their designated rows.
Then, he gently pushes the plants into the soil, carefully tamping down around each one so there is good contact.
He plants the seedlings deep enough so that the soil comes to the crown of the plant, or where the leaves extend from the main stem.
Once the plants are all in the ground, he places a small identifying marker at one end of the bed.
Ryan also plants a bed of dill. Similar to caraway in flavor, dill seed is widely used in northern Europe as an ingredient in pickling seasoning and to flavor breads, cheese, meats and vegetables, especially potatoes and cabbage.
He also plants sweet basil, the aromatic annual herb of the mint family, native to tropical Asia and popularly used in Italian and Asian dishes.
And here’s a bed of parsley – I like use parsley in my daily green juice.
Once planted, everything is given a thorough drink of water. Ryan waters every bed gently so as not to disturb the young seedlings.
In several weeks, we’ll have gorgeous, nutritious vegetables to eat, share, and enjoy. There is still lots of time for gardening – I hope you get to spend some time in your green spaces this weekend!
Some of you have asked how my dogs are doing. I'm happy to report - my two French Bulldogs, Crème Brûlée and Bête Noire, and my two Chow Chows, Empress Qin and Emperor Han, are all doing wonderfully.
My dogs are groomed and checked for ticks and fleas every day. They are also bathed regularly - every couple weeks for the dogs, and about once a month for my cats. Recently, it was bath time for Qin and Han. I actually love to do this task myself when I am home, but when I am away, my house cleaner, Carlos, takes on job. When bathing pets, it’s important to always use lukewarm water and only mild pet shampoos - we use my own Martha Stewart shampoos and conditioners from my collection on Amazon.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Empress Qin and Emperor Han are down at the stable ready for a summertime bath. Chow Chows have dense, double coats. They need to be groomed regularly to keep them clean, and free of mats. Regular bathing also helps to lessen the amount of allergens in a dog’s fur. And, bath time is a good opportunity to check for any abnormalities of the skin or body.
This giant shower stall is located at one end of the stable. It is a large stall with padded lower walls for animal safety. The faucets are housed in a cabinet on the right to keep them out of the way. The shower stall is also equipped with heaters suspended from the ceiling if needed. The boom sprayer is very flexible and can swivel around easily.
My pet shampoos and conditioners are all-natural, hypoallergenic and gentle enough for regular bathing. The formulas are also paraben and sulfate-free. My moisturizing shampoo and conditioner cleanse and intensely moisturize the dog’s skin and coat. When bathing a dog, it’s essential to use products made especially for dogs because of the differences in pH balance. You can find my pet products at my shop on Amazon.
First, Carlos fills this wheelbarrow with soapy, lukewarm water. One doesn’t have to use a lot of shampoo for a dog – it can be diluted.
We love this specially made wheelbarrow from Scenic Road. It was made with a drain at the bottom. Han is first.
Once Han feels the lukewarm water, he starts to relax. Han is five-years-old and such a good boy. When washing, always be very careful around the face, ears, and eyes.
My dogs are very accustomed to being bathed. They’ve had many, many baths, but always keep an eye on any dog who is getting washed – just in case they want to make a quick move.
After Han is soaped and cleaned, he is given a good rinse. My shampoo formulas are all great for pets with sensitive skin, but with any shampoo, it is very important to remove all the soap from the coat – keep rinsing until there are no visible bubbles on the coat – and then rinse a little more.
Meanwhile, the drain of the wheelbarrow is opened so all the dirty, soapy water is released as Han is rinsed. A drainage hole in the wheelbarrow is a very good thing.
Han looks over at his sister, Qin. I think he is saying, “just wait, you’re next.”
After the shampoo is the conditioner. Conditioner helps restore the dog’s natural oils, leaving its skin feeling moisturized. The added hydration can also help prevent dry, irritated skin before it becomes itchy.
Towel drying is not enough for a thick-coated dog, even in the summer. The coats must also be blown completely dry.
These specially made dog hair dryers are essential. These machines do not really dry a dog’s coat by heat, but instead blast the water out of the fur. The high speeds also help remove the loose fur in their undercoat, which lessens shedding.
Drying completely is crucial. Otherwise, the hair closest to the skin will pack down, retain dirt and moisture, and cause skin irritations.
Here, one can see how the dryer blows the fur right down to skin, blowing all the water out. And do you know the difference between fur and hair? Actually, fur is just a collective term used to describe the hairs of an animal other than human.
Here’s Han after his “spa” treatments. According to the breed standard, Chows must have a lovely thick mane, with small rounded ears, giving it the appearance of a lion when all grown up. Han is a handsome boy.
Qin is next. Qin is a champion conformation show dog, so she is also very used to getting bathed and groomed. Carlos scrubs Qin thoroughly especially her underside, which can pick up burs or other debris.
Here she is after her bath, getting a good towel dry. Qin stays very still for the entire process. This is a good time to have the dog shake the water off. Train the dog to shake on cue, so no one gets wet in the process.
And look at her getting dried – such an empress.
There are two types of coat on a Chow Chow – rough and smooth. Both are double-coated. Qin is a rough-coated Chow. The outer coat is abundant and straight. The undercoat is soft and woolly. Chows should be sturdy and squarely built. Its body should be compact, and heavy-boned – Qin has a perfect body.
Carlos dries the feet thoroughly, including in between the dog’s pads. This is important also, to prevent any yeast or irritations on the feet. If one chooses to use a hair dryer for humans, always put it to the no-heat setting. Never use high heat on a dog’s coat. Dogs are much more sensitive to external heat than humans are and have a far more difficult time dissipating heat.
Qin looks beautiful, and ready to romp and play, sniff and explore, and yes, get dirty once again. It’s a dog’s wonderful life, here at the farm.
We're getting lots of outdoor work done around my Bedford, New York farm despite the hot and humid late summer weather. This time of year, my outdoor grounds crew is busy weeding, weed whacking, and pruning.
Pruning is one of our biggest and most important tasks. Proper pruning improves the health of the plants, prevents disease, and encourages better growth. There are different pruning strategies for different times of the year, but overall the goals are the same - to control the shape, to keep bushes and trees fresh and open, and to allow for better air circulation through the center of the specimen. This week, my outdoor grounds crew "limbed up" the majestic pin oaks and removed all the dead branches.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
The pin oak allée is the first allée guests see when entering my farm. These trees are tall and impressive. Pin oaks, Quercus palustris, are popular landscape trees because they are fast-growing and easy to maintain.
Pin oaks have leaves that are three to six inches long, bristle tipped, deeply lobed with wide circular or U-shaped sinuses.
The bark on the straight, erect trunk of a pin oak is relatively smooth. Shallow fissures develop as it matures, creating a distinctive diamond-like pattern running longitudinally on the trunk with a reddish-brown color in the crevices.
This week, I instructed Pasang Sherpa, our resident tree expert here at the farm, to cut all the dead lower branches and make sure all the lower tree branches were completely level down the entire length of the allée.
Here’s Pasang all set in his safety gear and standing in the cage of our dependable Hi-Lo, ready to tackle the pin oaks.
And here’s Fernando Ferrari – ready to drive and maneuver the Hi-Lo where it needs to be. It is always important to have teams working on these big projects for efficiency and safety.
Pasang is lifted in the Hi-Lo while he assesses where he has to cut. The first to go are any dead, damaged, or diseased branches. Pasang also looks up to see which branches may be crisscrossing.
We use STIHL’s chainsaws for many outdoor projects. Pasang uses a STIHL in-tree saw, which is made especially for those who need lightweight and powerful equipment that can effectively prune and shape high above the ground. I always remind the crew to bring everything they may need to every job, so they don’t have to run back and forth to get equipment.
As he works, Pasang makes sure the branches that remain are in perfect line with those of the other pin oaks in the allée.
Pasang is lifted as close as possible to the tree, so he can cut from the safety of the Hi-Lo cage.
As branches are taken down, they’re gathered and placed into tidy piles, so they can be cleaned up easily and quickly. After the job is done the crew will chip the branches and use the wood chips as top dressing in another area of the farm. Everything is always reused, repurposed or recycled when possible.
It is important to always use sharp tools whenever pruning so that the cuts are clean. Dull tools are difficult to use and could even damage the tree. A straight, clean-cut promotes quick healing of the wound and reduces stress on the specimen.
One can see where Pasang made these cuts. If any branch is larger than an inch in diameter, Pasang also cuts in sections to avoid tearing the bark.
STIHL also carries several efficient hand tools such as the pruning saw. Pasang uses the saw often for thinner, easy-to-reach branches.
Pasang is almost done at this pin oak. Here he is checking his work before he moves onto the next tree.
Down on the ground, any branches that have fallen in the carriage road are quickly moved, so other vehicles can pass. This branch has no foliage, indicating it is dead and had to be removed. This time of year, all the trees are still very green and lush.
Here, one can see that the trees already look so much better. Light and air can better circulate through the branches. And no branches are hanging too low.
The entire task takes a couple of days to complete, but it is good to give trees a hard pruning every two to three years to keep them in good condition. Cutting any dead or diseased branches should be done as soon as they are noticed.
Here is the Pin Oak Allée in the late afternoon after it is all done. I am so pleased with how these trees thrive here at Cantitoe Corners.
And here is a view from the other end of the allée. Pin oak trees can live 150 to 200 years when well maintained. I’m hoping these stately trees live even longer.
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