This years planting is done.
Four days 4 days or so of hard work by the Skye Farm crew. Has got the job done for another season
Before we started planting we had to do several major things.
First we had to add 5 large truck loads of manure to the field. We used dry as it is far better for our soils than liquid. There are two main problems for our soils. As we are basically old river bottom the liquid manure simple drains away into the water table. Which of course contaminates it. What we put on the land is year old dry manure. This manure contains a much higher quantity of organic material that is needed for the soil. 5 large dual axle truck loads. Usually this is done just after harvest. Keeping regular tilling controls weeds and thoroughly mixes the manure to ensure all organisms have contact with food.
Just before planting the rows are laid out. The Skye farm system is to plant in the last year in-betweens This system give 4 years on a plot of land with garlic in a given space two years apart.
There are two sticks cut to the with of the row and in-between. A metal stake is driven into the ground and a string attached that crosses the field defining the edge of the row.The stick is then placed against this stake. on the other end of the stick another metal stake is driven in. This stake is the next row. The stick is moved to touch this stake.
The tractor with the tiller behind fallows the string defining the row.
This process take two people. One on the tractor. The other walking to the other end of the field as the tiller is tilling the row. The sting is removed to the next stake. The original stake just tilled is moved to the end of the stick and driven in. The tractor then tills the row coming back to the original side. The walker returns to move the stake and stick for the next row. Repeat till done.
Here you will need the fallowing tools.
Dibble the row with the tiller with the dibbler attached. This preps the bed for easy planting. The tiller for softening the soil so it is easy to push in the garlic. The dribbler sets the placement of the garlic. This is important for growth, weeding and eventually harvest.
This is done by walking along the row and dropping a garlic clove in the dibble mark.
This is the hardest step as the worker in on their knees the entire time. The garlic is pushed into the soil about and inch to two inches below the surface. If one pushes it in the hole left by the dribbler this is quite easy and can be done with a thumb or finger. Be VARY careful you put the pointy end up. This creates a properly formed garlic on harvest. upside down or on the side deforms the bulb making it less saleable. Brush the soil over the garlic
