Tippy Toes

Lots of planting going on. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning was busy with planting. Green Arrow and Sugarsnap peas, Cylindra beets, Icicle and French Breakfast radishes, Monte Bianco Fennel, Red Russian Kale, Agretti(also known as Roscana...it's an Italian vegetable that looks like a huge chive...flavor is a bit bitter and sour...good braised in olive oil with garlic), Merlo Nero Spinach, Wild Argula, and Bianca Di Miaggio and Red from Florence Onions. The Oasis Turnips are coming up really well. They are a salad turnip that you can eat raw. Flavor is a sweet. Perfect in salads.
The preparation for planting something goes like this. Since some of the area we're planting in as been a garden in quite a long time there's alot more work involved. The ground was plowed with a chisel plow. Then tilled in. Alot of farmers will then take a drag harrow and pull it over the newly plowed and tilled area. The harrow pulls out of the ground clods of grass and debris. Since we don't have one I used a regular rake. It doesn't get everything out, but it definately helps. Then I spread composted horse and donkey manure. I till it in one more time. Now I've got a nice bed. I stretch out a string as a guide. Then if I'm direct seeding I make a furrow with a hoe right next to the string. I go along tapping the seeds out of the pack. I cover the seeds up with dirt. I tell the seeds I'm tucking them in. Then I lightly tamp the soil down and water them in.