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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

It was Arbor Day at EarthNSky Farm.
I planted 47 Paulownia elongatas and 22 black walnuts trees in
the front part of the front pasture-in about an acre-with post hole
diggers and a shovel-in rocky soil.  Thankfully, it was not too hot, and
it should rain for the next few days.  Each tree is flagged to prevent
mowing accidents. As they grow, I'll put the white rabbit guard
protectors around the trunks.  Right now, the Paulownias are only about
8 inches tall-they came in a plastic 10 pack-tissue cultured trees.  One
was dead, and two were wilted and broken to the point that I coppiced
them.  If it has a rootball, it can be coppiced.  I'll water it every
day and hopefully a new 'tree' will grow within 10 days.  The black
walnuts, well, here's this:

How Not to Grow Black Walnuts at EarthNSky
In the Fall of the year, dig holes 1 foot deep and loosen soil.  Plant
several walnuts, husk and/or no husk, in each hole at a depth of 5-6
inches.  Cover, water, and wait....and wait, and wait, and now it is May
and nothing has broken ground.  I can only assume they were eaten by
rodents/squirrels.

How to Grow Black Walnut Trees at EarthNSky
Collect bags and bags of black walnuts, the more the better.  I had
several hundred pounds, enough to fill 3-4 55 gallon drums.  Dump
walnuts on gravel driveway near workshop under 200 year old oak tree and
run over them multiple times to dehusk. (Two piles almost two feet tall
and about 5-6 feet in diameter or more) You want them to dry a bit in
the shell before you crack them open.  Forget about walnuts as Autumn
leaves cover the piles laying in the driveway.  Instead of raking up
walnuts at Christmas time and cracking them in the vise, continue to
forget that walnuts and leaves are piled in the driveway.  Procrastinate
doing anything about it because it is too cold.(or you are too tired,
the shop is not clean-can't find the vise, your hands have just now
returned to their normal color, etc. etc.)  Come February, watch from a
distance as squirrels begin to raid the pile and carry off nuts.
Voila, as the trees leaf out in the Spring, notice that the pile is a
miniature forest of black walnut trees, now 1 foot tall!  Carefully pull
up trees and then transplant trees to preferred location.

Late this afternoon, I hoed and weeded a few blocks of corn.  I've got
to make time to reseed some stuff like lettuces, spinaches, radishes,
and carrots.  The bad news is that I haven't seen any sign of my Malabar
spinach.  I suppose I will reorder the seed and this time place it on a
dedicated ladder bed from the get go.  DH reseeded the beans last night.
 In addition to the rain issues, something is biting off my plants 3-5
inches from the ground.  I'm thinking it is a rabbit, as I saw little
round rabbit pellets, but I have no idea of how he is getting into the
garden.  Tomorrow I set a trap-tired of this.  It is also time to put
out the second type of sweet corn: Golden Midget.
The se corns are 4-8 inches tall;  The Calais, I'm sad to report, was
apparently too old to germinate.  Nada.  Next is the Golden Midget and
after that, in a few weeks, I'll plant the Bloody Butcher.
James, my cowpeas, my little red field peas, are 4 inches tall and I had
almost 100 % germination.  I followed your method of scruffing up the
ground, clearing the weeds, scattering the seeds, and toping it with
waste hay/mulch.  It is a 6x12 or maybe a bit longer.  I will harvest
these beans, dry them, and then plant them again this summer.
Luckily, I have a lot of extra tomato plants that I can set out.  I have
about 20 extra Romas that never got planted before we left on vacation.
 As it turns out, that was a good thing.  I also need to get the
Anaheims in the beds.  There's lots to do.  I get frustrated with
comments I hear from people who say "you got started so early-got
tomatoes yet?  Corn?"
No, not yet,,,,but I have finished the Michihili Cabbage, I'm about half
done with the broccoli, still waiting on the other cole crops, got
plenty of lettuce and pak choy, garlic, carrots, beets, 5 kinds of
beans, etc. etc....and then I ask how their Spring garden is doing...I
never get an answer because folks in these parts only grow in the
summer...only tomatoes, corn, yellow squash, and okra.  Some of my
neighbors are now branching out with zucchini, swiss chard, spinach and
lettuces, among other things....They may make fun of my strange
gardening habits and practices, but they are starting to emulate them,
so that's a compliment.

As if I were not tired enough, a friend gave me the end of a roll of 2x4
fencing and I fixed the gap in the chicken moat.  I'm sure that the 30
chickens in the main coop are as excited about that as I am!  I've
blocked off the end of the moat to allow my Jerusalem artichokes to get
going.  I'm super excited about that project, too.  Thanks again Rob.


--
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public
debt  should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered
and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed
lest Rome become bankrupt.  People must again learn to work, instead of
living on public assistance."

--Cicero, 55 BC
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