Mar 19, 2024 | Garden News
The winter season is coming to a close which means a plethora of gardening tasks will soon be on our to-do lists! Before we dive right into the excitement of planting, garden maintenance, and harvesting, we first must take the time to set the stage for the performance that is vegetable growth. To be a successful gardener season after season, it is important to make time for garden tool maintenance. This blog post will be all-things preparation, an essential step in the gardening process that will help you stay organized and efficient!
Garden preparation can be divided into 4 parts:
- Tool maintenance
- Garden plan and schedule
- Raised bed and/or soil prep
- Individual reflection and goal-setting
Tool Maintenance
It is time to head to the shed and assess your inventory of gardening tools! Every gardener should be stocked with the essentials: gloves, a hand trowel, snips or pruners, a hand fork, a shovel, a garden hoe and a rake. Smaller handheld tools are used often and need to be maintained for comfortable use, effectiveness, and longevity! Sharpening and cleaning gardening tools also ensures plant health; rusted or dull tools can expose plants to bacteria and spread disease. While tool prep should be done at the beginning of every growing season, these steps should be followed any time you notice excess dirt or dullness.
There are three main steps in tool preparation/maintenance. The first involves brushing off built up dirt and sap. The second step uses a metal file and a sanding block to smooth any jagged or dull edges. The last step is sanitization and protection.
Disclaimer: Cleaning and sharpening tools should be done with gloves on to prevent injuries!
Materials: Steel wool, sanding block, metal file, bleach, mineral oil, rag, jar, bucket
- Cleaning: Use the sanding block and steel wool to remove buildup. Sanding motion should follow the direction of any blade and steel wool can be used for hard to reach areas.
- Sharpening: The metal file is used on the beveled or angled edge at the end of a cutting blade. Any nicks or dull edges can be smoothed out by laying the metal file flush with the angled edge and filing in long, downward strokes applying minimal pressure. Holding the file in the same position, file in a sweeping motion across the length of the edge (for curved blades, follow the direction of the curve rather than filing in a straight line). Once the edge is sharpened, turn your hand tool over and run the sanding block along the back of the blade to smooth any burled metal pieces.
- Sanitization: Mix 10 parts water to 1 part bleach and use either a spray bottle or dip newly sharpened tools in the solution to sanitize. Wipe off excess solution with a rag
- Protect: Using a separate rag, wipe the blade and the handles of your tools with mineral oil. Tip: for easier access, keep a mineral oil-coated rag in a glass jar!
Rust Removal for Springs
Materials: white vinegar, toothbrush, mineral oil
- Remove rusted springs from hand tools and soak in vinegar overnight
- Use an old toothbrush to scrub off rust
- Wipe with mineral oil and place back into the hand tool
And there you have it! Your garden tools are sharp, clean, and ready to use! If you find yourself with extra time or if the weather makes it difficult to work outside, take care of your tools- your plants and your wallet will thank you!
Upcoming in the Cultivation Conversations Blog you’ll hear all about updates to our website and more on gardening preparation!
Mar 1, 2024 | Garden News
On Sunday some BCG members got together to prep for spring by painting vegetable signs for the gardens. It was a great winter opportunity to catch up with everyone, drink tea, and paint together– turns out everyone is not only a great gardener but a talented artist as well! Check out just a few of the signs we finished up. Painted by Holly, Wendy, John, and myself. We still have more to paint so get in touch if you’d like to come to the next gathering!
—Sophia
About the Author:
Sophia is a Biddeford resident who loves to spend time in the Williams Court garden on South Street. She has worked on farms since she was seventeen and has a background in no-till, no-spray, small-scale farming. She has had the privilege of growing in Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Now she gets her farm-fix working with Biddeford Community Garden. Her primary goal is to be outside as much as possible, but you can also find her practicing her other joys which include throwing pots at the ceramic studio, carving prints, binding books, and making and marbling paper. Her favorite flower is an orange cosmos and her favorite vegetable is too hard to choose.
Aug 14, 2021 | Garden News
Tuber Rainbow Stew
A (4 Quart) Gallon Crock Pot.
1 Large Sweet Potatoes or 1 Large, 1/2″ pieces.
1 Large Onion or 2 Small, Chopped.
2 Cups of Chopped Baby Bella Mushrooms.
1 Box of Baby Spinach Leafs.
1 Chopped Beet, 1/2″ pieces (optional)
1-1/4 Cup of Shredded Carrots
(1) 15 Ounce Can of Black Beans, Drain Well First.
12 Ounces of Canned Salsa Medium Hot
My crockpot requires that I leave it on medium for 3 hours, then stir it up and leave it on for another hour, then remove and let cool off with the cover still on top for another hour. Then refrigerate under 40 degrees in the pot until needed. I get 6 or 7 meals from one batch, especially on saffron rice with parsley sprinkled on top.
Jan 6, 2021 | Garden News
The Christmas decorations are put away, a toasty fire is in the woodstove…must mean that it’s time for garden dreaming! It is one of the best times of year for a gardener, this January garden dream time. In our January dreams, the rain is regular, in just the right quantity and always falls at night, gardens are gorgeously productive, and there are NO WEEDS! The temperature is perfect and the bugs stay away. The sun shines because that perfect amount of moisture is all coming at night, right?!
For the BCG, January means that seeds are arriving and we are getting the order form out to all of our gardeners to order seedlings and seeds. We are planning our planting schedule so that the plants are ready when you and the weather are. But what if you really want to try a particular carrot variety that your neighbor loves? Or a certain tomato is calling your name? What if you are just plain curious as to what different varieties and vegetable types you could grow here in Maine and are available? Let us help you and share the seed sources we use for good northern varieties of veggies, herbs, flowers, etc.
There are several wonderful seed sources that we tend to use…all of them local to northern New England, three of them from right here in Maine, which means they sell varieties that will do well in our climate. They all have paper catalogs that you can request…some of us just love to have that paper copy in hand for dreaming but also for the wealth of information from planting instructions to how to grow each plant…and you can also just go on-line to their websites and order from them. Our favorites are below:
Fedco Seeds (Clinton, ME) – www.fedcoseeds.com. Good seeds at a good price
Johnny’s Selected Seeds (Winslow, ME) – johnnyseeds.com. Awesome catalog
High Mowing Seeds (Wolcott, VT) – highmowingseeds.com. All organic seeds
A local source that is great for small gardens or square foot gardening is:
Pinetree Garden Seeds (New Gloucester, ME) – superseeds.com. Small quantities
All of these sources also sell tools, seed starting supplies, and all of your gardening needs. Their websites and catalogs are great resources for successfully growing your veggies, flowers, herbs.
Happy January dreaming!
Oct 8, 2020 | Garden News
Oatmeal Fruit & Nut Cookies
Set the oven to 370 degrees.
Stick to the recipe exactly for the best result.
Mix the Wet and the Dry separately, then together.
Makes only one dozen cookies.
Bake for exactly 27 minutes
Dry
1-3/4 cups of Oats
1 cup of unbleached White Flour
1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of Powdered Ginger
1/2 cup of Turbinado Sugar
3/4 cup of crushed Walnuts
3/4cup of dried Cranberries
Wet
1/4 cup of Avocado Oil (important)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup of Oat Milk or Water
