Gardens and Orchards
We absolutely love gardening and we love fresh fruits and vegetables. Every year, gardening season seems to sneaks up on us and thus the busy season of the year begins. It all starts when it's time to prune the fruit trees in the orchard and spray them with dormant oil. Once that is done, its time to start seeds in trays with heating mats, then transplant them into bigger trays, then plant them in the garden...and then all of a sudden before we know it...it's time to start baling hay. You see where this is going...don't you? It happens every year whether we are ready for it or not. It's called the life of a FARMER.
2014 Raised Kitchen Garden
In 2014 we planted a raised kitchen garden which produced so much better than the traditional tilled garden. In 2015 we will be adding several more raised beds and eventually we will not have till the ground at all. The cost of putting a raised bed together can be somewhat expensive, depending on the soil you use to fill them. We use ProMix, sand, vermiculite, peat moss, and manure. However, all you really spend on each box is the initial build and fill. You will keep the same soil year after year by just amending it when needed. Remember you get out of this, what you put in it...good frangible soil equals nice vegetables, so you do not want to skimp on the quality of soils that you use.
In the 3 beds seen above, we grew white and purple onions the size of softballs, carrots that were 13" long and 1 to 1-1/2" thick (I canned 24 pints) , habanero peppers, corn, lima beans, 1/2 runners, pickling cucumber, Rutgers tomatoes, green peppers, roma tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes. We had PLENTY of vegetables for our kitchen and the best part is that we didn't have to fight the weeds!
In the 3 beds seen above, we grew white and purple onions the size of softballs, carrots that were 13" long and 1 to 1-1/2" thick (I canned 24 pints) , habanero peppers, corn, lima beans, 1/2 runners, pickling cucumber, Rutgers tomatoes, green peppers, roma tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes. We had PLENTY of vegetables for our kitchen and the best part is that we didn't have to fight the weeds!
Fruits
Currently, we have a small orchard of 20 fruit trees. Some of our trees are 3 years old and while others are 2 years old. Unfortunately, last year we only had a few apples and 4 peaches, due to a heavy late April frost. At the moment, we are researching different methods of protecting our trees from late frosts.
Fruit Trees
APPLES: Honey Crisp, Winesap, Granny Smith, Snow Crisp and Golden Delicious
PEACHES: Alberta and Gloria
PEARS: Moonglow and Bartlett
CHERRIES: Stella and Evans Sweet
Apricots, plums
Nuts
We have hickory nuts and would like to try Hall's Hardy Pecan trees. However, we unsure how pecan trees will do in our area. The claim is that Hall's Hardy Pecan trees are hardy enough for this area. English walnut trees are another variety that We would like to add in the near future.
Vegetables
Here at God's Ridge Farm, we grow traditional vegetables, at least traditional for us. You can find: Rutgers tomatoes, roma tomatoes, carrots, onions, several varieties of peppers, potatoes, corn, green beans, pinto, kidney and lima beans, peas, cucumbers, melons, squash, kale, spinach and garlic as well as several varieties of lettuce.
Variety
We also have black elderberry bushes, blue berry bushes, a grape vine, strawberries and this year we have plenty of wild black berry bushes.
Currently, we have a small orchard of 20 fruit trees. Some of our trees are 3 years old and while others are 2 years old. Unfortunately, last year we only had a few apples and 4 peaches, due to a heavy late April frost. At the moment, we are researching different methods of protecting our trees from late frosts.
Fruit Trees
APPLES: Honey Crisp, Winesap, Granny Smith, Snow Crisp and Golden Delicious
PEACHES: Alberta and Gloria
PEARS: Moonglow and Bartlett
CHERRIES: Stella and Evans Sweet
Apricots, plums
Nuts
We have hickory nuts and would like to try Hall's Hardy Pecan trees. However, we unsure how pecan trees will do in our area. The claim is that Hall's Hardy Pecan trees are hardy enough for this area. English walnut trees are another variety that We would like to add in the near future.
Vegetables
Here at God's Ridge Farm, we grow traditional vegetables, at least traditional for us. You can find: Rutgers tomatoes, roma tomatoes, carrots, onions, several varieties of peppers, potatoes, corn, green beans, pinto, kidney and lima beans, peas, cucumbers, melons, squash, kale, spinach and garlic as well as several varieties of lettuce.
Variety
We also have black elderberry bushes, blue berry bushes, a grape vine, strawberries and this year we have plenty of wild black berry bushes.
2014 Hull-less oats
New crops
As of 2014, we now grow a small plot of Asparagus.
Every year we try to add or do something new with our gardening. In 2014, we successfully grew a 4' X 12' plot of hull-less oats. The oats themselves grew very well and were easy to harvest. After trying a few researched methods for the hulling process (hull-less oats still have thin hulls), we found the methods to be unsuccessful. We decided in order to continue planting and harvesting oats and/or wheat in the future, we will need to invest in an actual thresher.
As of 2014, we now grow a small plot of Asparagus.
Every year we try to add or do something new with our gardening. In 2014, we successfully grew a 4' X 12' plot of hull-less oats. The oats themselves grew very well and were easy to harvest. After trying a few researched methods for the hulling process (hull-less oats still have thin hulls), we found the methods to be unsuccessful. We decided in order to continue planting and harvesting oats and/or wheat in the future, we will need to invest in an actual thresher.
Listed below are gardening and/or orchard management links that you may find useful.