Getting ready for spring planting at KitzFarm we look
inspect all of the garden tools and supplies early in February and replace any
depleted supplies or repair and replace any broken tools.
February and March
are soil prep times in the Vancouver area and with the recent dry sunny weather
even more so. We don’t often get a sunny stretch at this time of year so
getting out into the garden and doing some prep work without getting soaked by
rain is a bonus.
Turn those beds over with a shovel remove the early weed
starts and add lots of food in the form of organic matter; either something
like mushroom manure or composted kitchen scraps.
Because Vancouver is situated in a northern boreal
rainforest the soil is emptied of any nutrients by the rainfall, as the water
washes the nutrients into the water table below. So basically the soil is empty
every spring.
Mushroom manure, steer manure, sheep, chicken, any manure
one could think of is a good source nutrients for the garden. Just make sure it
is 2 years old or older.
Another good one is fish emulsion but it can be pricey and
quite aromatic.
Not recommended to use mushroom manure or any other type of
manure in the places where fresh greens will be planted. Fresh greens can, at times, pick up traces of
salmonella or E coli residue from this type of fertilizer and those traces can
be deposited in the leaves. That residue
can make a person ill.
For the beds where fresh greens are planted use composted
kitchen scraps to be on the safe side.
Of course there are other types of fertilizers for the
garden but here at KitzFarm we have discontinued the use of chemical
fertilizers or soil boosters many years ago.
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The seed list for 2015 is out in the brochure box on the
fence. Drop by and pick one up. here is the list of what we have available;
Russian Red Kale Butternut
Squash
Mustard Greens Acorn
Squash
Mizuna Fasolada
Beans
Corn Salad Romano
Beans
Lettuce
Beets
Swiss Chard Corms
Dill Seed
Strawflowers
Mesclun mix Poppies
Nasturtium
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Fresh greens available today. KitzFarm hours noon till 6pm.
