Happy Thanksgiving !
Like many things in 2020 , Thanksgiving Day will look a bit unlike this year . COVID-19 has turned the man upside down , change the row of traditional celebrations .
But the burden of Thanksgiving — giving thanks — remains unaltered . And since we can never spend too much time counting our benediction , permit me pop the ball rolling by sharing four agriculture - related successes I ’m grateful for in 2020 . sense free to follow along and deal your own inclination online !
I ’m grateful for …
Growing an Abundance of Pumpkins
One of my goals for 2020 was to spring up pumpkin inside my orchard cervid fence , further the vines to climb the weld wire and turn vertically rather than horizontally . I ’m glad to report the undertaking was a resounding succeeder .
Planting three different varieties in raised seam , I was entranced to see my Cucurbita pepo maturate at a speedy pace — they clearly value the rich compost soil and daily tearing I provided .
Seemingly every day the leaves grew larger , the vine longer , and — eventually — the pumpkins riper . When all was said and done , I glean a couple 12 miniature pumpkins and half a twelve intermediate - sized pumpkins .
Suffice to say , I plan to repeat and even expand my planting in 2021 , contribute more pumpkins and even some watermelon vine to the mixture . I ’m certainly thankful for this farming success !
Read more : Learn about the author ’s plan for growing pumpkin vertically .
Planting 8 New Flowering Crabapple Trees
Another of my major goals for 2020 was to establish two parallel rows of flowering cultivated crab apple tree diagram ( four tree diagram per words ) to serve as a beautiful entrance to my orchard . My imaginativeness was clear , but wet solid ground proved to be a stumbling cube .
I planned on planting the two rows on a mild slope , but the priming coat at the bottom of the slope decline to drain as well as I ’d hoped , delaying planting while I pondered my option .
In the end , I planted the bottommost Tree about 8 column inch above ground story , surrounding their stem ball with an abundance of top dirt hauled in from elsewhere on my farm . The result was better than I anticipated , creating a profits - win situation where my trees can enjoy ironic substructure while maintaining the two parallel rows I ’d visualize .
Producing 2,200 Bales of Hay
Last year was adown year for hay productionof my farm , so I was glad to see the 2020 crop bounce back in a big way . Even though pissed weather during the summertime made it take exception to find three - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. windows for bale , by the sentence all the fields were cut , ~2,200 small square Bale were stacked in the barn .
Not only that , hay time of year lead by with a lower limit of equipment malfunction — only one shear pin gave out . You ca n’t ask for a smoother tally than that !
Read more : When hay season rolls around , keep this checklist ready to hand to stay ready .
Discovering a Hidden Patch of Daylilies
While overspread some Gunter Wilhelm Grass snip along the edge of the farm woodlands , I bump upon anundiscovered patch of dayliliestucked away in the shade of unseasoned Prunus virginiana and ash trees . The fleck was large — roughly 6 foot across — and while the daylilies were n’t really thriving in their shaded locating , they took off as soon as I transpose a few to my orchard .
maturate in full Sunday , they blossom steady , adding a touch of red and orangish to the green of the trees . I ’m excited to transplant more daylilies in 2021 !
What farming event are you thankful for in 2020 ?
