April Around the Homestead

The flip flop of spring this year has me feeling ahead and behind at the exact same time.

I finally managed to get into the garden and clean it up and prune some bushes but I still need to fertilize my fruit trees and prep the garden for planting.

I initially had planting peas and potatoes on the calendar for last week but with lingering frost and some snow/rain showers I opted to wait a bit longer.

It is currently mid April in my zone 5b location and this week I planted lettuce (under a tunnel - something I usually wait to do until late May - direct seed) and I have my seed potatoes sitting out in the sun getting ready for planting. Peas will be planted this week and I might get some carrots in the ground as well. I also dug up and moved some garlic so here's hoping it takes in its new home!!

My daffodils are starting to bloom and the forsythia in the closest town is blooming too, but mine is not. Having said that - it never has. The plant/bush is about 4-5 years old and has never had flowers on it. I am unsure if this is normal or not but I keep hoping, Is this the year?!?!

The last two weekends were spent doing some major yard clean up and I did my yearly deep clean of the chicken run and coop. I use sand inside the coop and out. It is cleaner all around - hardly any bugs, cooler in the summer and stays super dry in the winter. Winning!

Seedling Update: I have now potted up all of the seedlings I had started which includes: bunching onions, cabbage, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, peppers and luffa gourd. They're coming along great!! I've never had to fertilize seedlings but I did noticed that many were starting to yellow so I picked up some of this liquid organic kelp fertilize and so far so good!!

What's left for this month? We still need to build 2 chicken tractors for our 50 meat birds - chicks coming early May, and dig up a bunch of old abandoned gardens scattered about the property. I will continue to put away at my normal gardening clean up and early plantings and then towards late April will transplant my cabbage and brussels sprout seedlings outside.

Stay tuned as I try to be more consistent with articles and share what I have been reading lately!!

~ K