Vegetable Gardening Notes For You

The Trilliums are blooming and this tells me it is vegetable gardening time. The forest floor at the sugar bush is white with trilliums in full bloom. It won’t be long until the first fawns are dropped and the cycle of rebirth continues.

Tilling the soil or turning it with a roll plow for preparation of planting has its rewards as well. The sliding of the soil against the moldboard of the plow and the fresh smell of damp earth is wonderful.

Unfortunately, today few people know how to cook well let alone grow their own food. Even I prefer to go to the farmers markets to pick up fresh food for a few bucks that will last all week with none of the work. Although for those that still get excited about ordering garden seeds, and more importantly, those of you that do not know where to begin, let me first tell you it is not rocket science. I have gardened for over 40 years so I speak with experience. Vegetable gardening, while requiring a little work, common sense ( yes this in short supply) is not hard and is great exercise and teaches responsibility. It does take a regular schedule of maintenance and weed control.

A couple of planting tips that come from experience for hard to germinate seeds like parsnips will ensure you success every time.

Just follow these instructions:

I like to plant them as to package instructions (I am keeping this simple for you) but instead of covering the seeds with garden soil cover them with ¾ to 1 inch of potting soil. Why? potting soil does not crust over like many garden soils and it holds moisture relatively well. Now each afternoon, water the potting soil down.  The potting soil holds moisture over night and allows the seeds to absorb the water insuring they will germinate in half the time which still can be two weeks. They will also germinate uniformly. Thin when about two to three inches in height according to packet instructions.

   Remember for best flavor and sweetness do not dig parsnips until the following spring when the winter cold has turned the starches to sugar. What a great springtime treat to have sliced blanched parsnips rolled in flour and fried in butter!

  Beets are an easy vegetable to grow but will always require thinning. The seed itself is actually a seed pod containing many seeds. After germination and when they reach about three inches tall carefully pinch off the extra plants to the desired spacing and let them grow. Remember it is not just the root you can eat. The thinnings as well as the stems and foliage can be eaten like spinach or Swiss chard.

Time for a little walk down memory lane ...

I remember and enjoyed how mother would take fresh picked lambs quarters she would have me pick from the barnyard. When they are about three inches in height and tender she would wilt them down in a cast iron skillet with browned bacon diced up and a little of the bacon grease. Then you could apply a little vinegar to them on your plate and enjoy a great springtime treat.

Sauerkraut

Now is the time to plant your cabbage. For sauerkraut you will want to plant Danish ballhead or one of the OS varieties, which just means over sized.  Heads that are eight to fifteen pounds are nice to work with in the fall. I usually make one hundred pounds of kraut a year and I will give the recipe in the near future. It is one the garden products that still is best made at home for taste and quality as well as simplicity.

You can figure on 2 pounds to a quart jar meaning one hundred pounds will give you roughly 50 quarts. Usually depending on head size of the cabbage 10 to 15 heads is enough for one hundred pounds of kraut.

  That should give you a little food for thought as you head out to your vegetable garden.

Just sitting in the smoke of the fire—

Woodsman