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To live a self-sufficient and organic lifestyle for the next half century. With the Grace of God and the power of prayer, we will succeed. Nothing is impossible with His help. It wouldn't be us without laughter and joy at the Cockeyed Homestead.

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Sunday, April 14, 2019

Chicken Planted Strawberries and Wild Violet Patches in the Garden

When you have a small amount of land to work with, you can only preserve in small batches. But even small batches over time add up. Such is the case with the Cockeyed Homestead. Every inch of growing soil is spoken for.

Last year, I left room for the chicken planted strawberries to grow and mature. Now that spring has sprung once again, they have to be moved or tilled under to make way for other plants in the garden. I should have done it during our 2 days of fall, but didn't. The same goes for my wild violet patches. Oh well, hindsight is always 20/20.

While Mel is implementing her garden plan, I have a day to decide what to do with these patches. I know the violets can be transplanted into large pots until I decide where to put them. But the strawberries should go under the raspberry bushes. These plants bloom and produce berries all summer long with the largest harvest in mid spring. They are already blooming and I may miss this big harvest trying to transplant them.

My question is, do I even bother with them, or do I start them again? I'm leaning towards starting them again. Seeds are cheap. Then, I waver. The berries while small are super sweet and flavorful. I dehydrated them for cereals and muffins last year. So you see my dilemma.Do I start again with bigger berry seed, or keep what I got. It's only their second season and the berries towards late summer were bigger. Decisions, decisions. ARGH!

Mel is still laying the big 24 count soda boxes around the perimeter and a thick layer of wood chips to hold down the weeds encroaching from outside the garden area and making pathways. Yes, we've saved this many! She's completed making two long growing beds. So it's crunch time for me. She only has to make two more rows for her to reach my wild chicken planted strawberries and wild violets. She'll possibly get those done today. Nothing like waiting until the last moment to decide.

Well, I'm off to the garden.
Y'all have a blessed day!
Jo

2 comments:

  1. I can empathize about the decision making. It seems that no matter how well planned (or not planned), something always presents itself to throw a kink in the works. I like the idea of the strawberries under the raspberries. Maybe that's what I should do with mine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It made sense to me since the raspberries are trellised.

      Delete

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