Raised beds

One of the things that I advocate for all gardeners and farmers is to use raised beds. If built properly, they last for years, provide better drainage and allow plants to better establish their root system. Raised beds can also allow easier access without compacting the soil to weed, maintain plants and harvest. Above is a picture of one of the first raised beds I built eight years ago. These beds were made of untreated wood that I nailed together and held into the ground with rebar. The fact that they lasted eight years surprised me. Since the wood is untreated (I recommend untreated wood so that chemicals will not leach into the soil, your plants and your food) it has started to rot. This is especially true where the wood comes into contact with the soil. So, last year I decided to start working on a more permanent solution. I removed the wood from a couple of beds (no easy task) and replaced them with two pallets of cinder blocks. This solution worked fine, but did not create a nice visual. This spring, I came up with a new plan, I would take three raised beds and replace them with one super long bed 70' in length. Red brick will be used where the wood used to be for a nice visual. And by elimating the space between beds, I will create even more growing space. I will repeat this twice more to create three long 70' rows that are five feet wide and use this as some of my main spring growing space. Removing and disposing of wood, moving and installing brick, filling with compost, prepping the bed and planting the bed are the steps we will be taking in this huge project. Check back to follow along.

Peppers

I've been talking all summer about the tough growing season due to an unusually wet and cool summer. Chilis (peppers) generally prefer hot and dry conditions, so it has not been a banner year for them. However, we are getting chilis right now. Some of the best are sweet bell and Pablano. From the picture above, you can see that the pablano chili plants are producing well. Pablano are great in salsa or roasted on the grill. I also like them with beans and rice. My favorite way to have Pablanos is to stuff them with mashed potatoes and cheese and roast them in the oven. Or, can stuff them with beans and rice and roast them in the oven. If you have some time, try making Chilis Rellanos. Here is a vegan variation on the classic, but if you want yours to be vegetarian, try this recipe. Or, Google Chili Rellanos if you want to find another recipe, there are a million different variations!

I am growing Paprika for the first time. However, the fruit on the plant doesn't look like the paprika peppers from the seed catalog where I ordered them. I am hoping that they turn color, but for now it looks like I'll have to wait til next year for my first paprika peppers at One Love Farm.

Grape Vines

New Grape Vines

For years we have had a small vineyard at One Love Farm. The grapes were red and white varietals that could stand the winters in Rhode Island. However, a couple of harsh winters killed a third of the vines. Some vines produced a decent harvest, other vines, almost no grapes at all. I tried to make wine from the grapes, but the quality was never good enough for anything more than cooking. For the last few years, I have made jelly out of the grapes.

This spring I ripped out all the vines. I saved four vines and will use them to wind up an arbor I am planning to build this summer or fall

However, I wasn't prepared to give up on growing grapes. Last year I bought some vines with the intention of using them to replace the vines that were killed over the last couple of winters. I put them in pots until I could get them in the ground. Shortly after that I decided I would be ripping out the vines, so they sat in pots until today. I picked what I hope will be a better spot for the vines where they will get more morning sun and may be protected from some of the harsh winter winds that I think contributed to the demise of some of the vines in the old location. These new vines are table grapes. They are for eating and making jelly. We haven't given up on making our own wine. But now we buy the grapes from the professionals in California.