The Backbone of Farming

Maxine February 14, 2024

Both seeding and pruning are the backbone elements of farming. Without seeds, there would be no plants. We like to say most things on the farm begin in our greenhouse (except of course our orchard-grown fruit). Pruning is also a vital component of farming. Pruning helps to maintain plant health along with many other benefits.… Read More »

Seeding occurs in our heated greenhouses at the end of January, typically with the first crops of onions. We sort our seeds into categories where cool season plants are started first. We also take into consideration plant requirements and growing times to know what to start first. One other consideration is what is needed for our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). We plan our produce needs based on the timing of our first weekly share which needs to be harvested at the end of April so that is why you will see tomato seedlings starting early in the year. Watch how we seed with Craig here in this video.

Time to Grow

The heated greenhouse provides a stable environment for the seedlings to sprout and grow until they are ready to be moved outdoors. The seedlings start in trays with a loose compost mix and get labeled to identify the plants to properly care for each one. A good watering first then the trays will be placed on heated racks to help with germination then moved to racks with open wiring once sprouted to continue their growth. The seedlings will get repotted into larger pots once they become saplings then planted in the ground once climatized to the outdoor temperatures in spring.

The greenhouse allows us to jumpstart the growing season and you will find we are planting more seeds now that light conditions have improved past winter solstice in this region. Starting plants out in a greenhouse shortens the amount of time needed for a plant to grow in the field before it can be a harvestable crop.

Prune for Optimum Growing

Pruning also helps improve the fruit size and quality, spur bud growth, and keep the trees healthy and well-shaped for optimum growth. Pruning is done during the dormant season and before active growth begins in the spring season. We also prune to lower the tree’s height which allows more sunlight to reach the bottom branches and improves access to fruit for our guests. We are busy pruning our apple and peach trees right now to ensure a good fruit season. Rebekah and Colin explain pruning taking place in our orchards right now on this video.

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