Spring Planting

Cate Farm News: Late Winter 2023

The farm is currently cloaked in a blanket of snow, but since the winter solstice the days have been slowly lengthening and the change in light is palpable. You might notice more birds flitting about and the garlic or potatoes you saved from last year's harvest starting to sprout. While summer gardens full of juicy vegetables are still a distant concept, all living things are slowly making preparations for the approaching season of growth.


Like all living things, Flint has begun preparing for spring at the farm! He has seeded plants that are very slow to start. Ordered a mountain of potting soil, grafted greenhouse tomato plants,  and has been busy pouring over seed catalogs to make sure we will have all of our staple vegetable, herb and flower starts as well as any new trial varieties for this year's Plant Sales.

This is a wonderful time of year to start planning your home garden. Cozy up with a cup of tea and peruse a seed catalog to get the ideas flowing, check out the varieties we will be sure to have here and think back to last year's garden…did you plant enough zucchini? 

In case you haven’t heard, we’re excited to welcome Flint as he leads the farm, continuing to grow the highest quality plants and produce for our community, and congratulate Richard and Sally on their retirement!

Warmly,
Flint and the Team at Cate Farm

Mid April News: Plus - Planting in the Spring

Pansies in Bloom!

Pansies in Bloom!

  Spring is here! Yay! We are in full tilt greenhouse mode. Three greenhouses are filled with seedlings for our upcoming  Seedling Sale Weekends in May (now Saturdays as well as Sundays); lots of veggie starts, culinary & medicinal herbs, plus annual & perennial flowers. You can now find our seedlings at Hunger Mountain Co-op. Another greenhouse has transplanted tomatoes in the ground that are now knee high, and flowering! Three other greenhouses are full of greens like kale, cilantro, dill, arugula, and beet greens. Look for bunches of Cate Farm greens at Hunger Mt. Co-op in Montpelier starting late April.

   The fields outside are drying out and we should be able to start prepping beds and seeding gobo (Japanese burdock root) before May 1st, which is about normal for this area. The longer days and strong sunlight are noticeable, and welcome.

  Cate Farm wants gardeners everywhere to have the best garden ever- so we’re ending each Spring newsletter with a gardening tip!


Spring Gardening Tip

After a long winter, gardeners can't wait to get working on their garden. But how can you tell when the garden is ready for you? And what are the best plants for early Spring?

   Garden soil should be dried out enough before digging or tilling. Amazingly, the soil beneath our feet is about 50% air! The space between soil particles is filled with air, and varying amounts of water. Working wet soils can lead to compaction and loss of soil structure. When is it dry enough?

Here are some clues:

  • After winter, bare garden soil will develop cracks or fissures which is the first indicator the ground is drying out.

  • If soil or mud clings to your shoes when you walk in the garden, the soil is too wet to work.

  • Similarly, if you form a ball of soil in your hand and water drips from it, it is still too wet.

  When the soil is workable, it is time to plant your peas and Fava beans. Both enjoy the cooler temperatures of early Spring. Other early crops include spinach, lettuce, beets, and arugula. Check out Johnny’s Seeds Grower’s Library for more tips on specific plants.

Remember to space plants so that they are not too crowded when they reach mature size.

Happy  gardening!

The Cate Farm Team