Garden Update – April 2020

So here it is, the first part of April and the garden season is underway here in the Ozarks.

Over the winter, we have cleaned out the bedding from the chicken coop and run, and spread out over the garden area.

Our last frost date here is April 15th, so 3 weeks prior to that, we placed a heavy 6 mil black plastic over a large part of the garden to prevent any weed growth from getting a start.  Around the 15th, we will remove the plastic cover and row up the bedding into several rows starting at the fence and going to the south toward the middle of the garden, parallel to the raised beds.

Each row will get several T posts and a cattle panel for a trellis.  The garden fabric will be placed over each row with drip tape on top of the garden fabric. Drip tape will be connected to the black poly tubing running along the inside of the north garden fence.

In the raised beds, starting with the East end, and along the north fence, the first two beds are asparagus.  These have just barely started to break the surface.  The first bed asparagus is about a year old, the second bed is four year old asparagus.  The second bed also has some parsnips which are doing nicely. Both need weeding.  Swiss chard and carrots have been planted in the third bed but have not germinated yet.  In the fourth bed, nearest the black plastic,  onions and potatoes are growing nicely.

The two raised beds near the center of the garden are planted in potatoes, onions, and garlic.  The potatoes and onions are growing very well.

Along the hoop trellis we have spring peas so far.  Later, we will add pole beans, noodle beans, armenian cucumber.  We also plan to add another cattle panel or two to lengthen the hoop to the east.

In the tires, we have planted mustard, kale, carrots, radishes, and yellow beets.