Planting Time

By Ted Wesemann

Planting time is upon us again, and at The Outdoor Academy we are really focusing on revitalizing the entire organic gardening program. Last year was the first for the new garden plot below the lake in the old horse paddock. Although we certainly enjoyed some tasty veggies from that garden last summer (and marveled at just how monstrous a zucchini can grow), we have now organized a thorough planting and work calendar for the whole year.

Our new schedule of site preparation, sowing, transplanting, weeding, composting, harvesting, cover cropping, and, most importantly, getting our produce to the table, should address our challenges of the past. Since we are gardening over the course of OA and Camp and then back to OA, deliberate planning is needed to build continuity in staffing and work scheduling. This new calendar should help guide our efforts throughout the year.

Most of our garden work at OA happens during our Monday Work Crew when students are able to spend several hours at one time in the garden. Our resident staff member this year has really been enthusiastic and invested and has started gardening on weekends as well, which is a tremendous boost. By the time you read this, we will have vegetable seedlings emerging from their beds in the warmth of windows of the Sun Lodge. In April we will transplant them into the gardens and we’ll be off and running into the growing season. This year we are going to concentrate on growing fewer things well and developing a smooth system of growing and harvesting and kitchen preparation, as well as providing an outdoor gardening classroom for Camp and OA. The barn garden is undergoing some changes, too – we recognized long ago that the pines there only allow a short period of daily sun even in the summer, so we are growing blueberries and flowers there now. We are also giving renewed attention to pruning and composting our heritage apple trees planted back in 1999 under Helen Waite’s guidance. And speaking of planting, I also want to mention and thank Bonnie Bates for her efforts in beautifying campus this past year by planting bulbs and flowers. She never fails to decorate the Salt Mines for holidays as well, keeping us all in good spirits.

Well, the garden calls. Happy planting to you and enjoy the Spring!

Eagle's Nest Gardening Calendar for 2008

Early February	Plant spinach and lettuce seeds in large flats in Sun Lodge window
	(grow to maturity for harvest in flats)

Late February	Start kale and broccoli seeds in Sun Lodge window
	Spread compost onto gardens
	Purchase fruit tree fertilizer

Early March	Prune fruit trees after the coldest weather has passed
	Prepare the beds in the barn garden
	Till the lake garden
	Erect and string the trellis for snow peas in the paddock garden
	Start to harden off the kale and broccoli seedlings

Late March	Transplant kale and broccoli seedlings out of the Sun Lodge into both gardens
	Reuse those containers to start seeds in Sun Lodge: squash, zucchini, bush green beans, tomatoes, green peppers
	Sow snow pea seeds (under the trellis) and spinach in the paddock garden
	Fertilize fruit trees when buds green up

Early April	Paddock Garden:
	Plant spinach and lettuce seeds
	Buy and plant onion seedlings and seed potatoes
	Plant pumpkin seeds in composted hills
	Plant wildflower seeds
	Barn Garden:
	Plant wildflower seeds
	Buy and plant herb seedlings the flower bed next to Whole Kitchen
	Compost and mulch the blueberries
	Plant companion flower seedbeds into both gardens
	Gather grass clippings for compost throughout the spring and summer

Middle April	Transplant squash, zucchini, green beans, tomato, and pepper seedlings into the paddock garden
	Plant second relay of snow pea seeds on trellis

Early May	Plant second relay of bush green bean seeds

Late May	Plant second relay of squash and zucchini seeds
	Plant third relay of bush green bean seeds
	Sidedressing as needed throughout summer

Middle June	Pull up peas
	Continue relay planting of bush green beans seeds every two weeks

Late July	Start fall seeds of broccoli and kale under shade trellises

Late August	Transplant broccoli and kale seedlings into both gardens
	Clean garden rows as crops are harvested and plant cover crop

Fall	Finish garden cleaning and cover crop planting
	Rake and move leaves from campus to compost
	Start greens beds in Sun Lodge window for winter harvesting

Ted Wesemann - January 2008