Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 6 Entries. Friday, January 10 View Page 2025, here we go! First soil test of the year.   Friday, January 10 View Page Something I've never tested for before... Nematodes.   Tuesday, January 14 View Page The trio of pre-season reporting is complete (for me). Got this back from Western Labs, and the results are pretty much what I was expecting. I've already done one mustard cover crop. Over the weekend I threw seeds out for Hairy Vetch, Clover, and Winter Rye in the patch for my second crop cycle. I just sprinkled a handful of mustard seeds in as soon as I got home today after seeing this. If the weather plays nice I just might be able to squeeze in a 3rd cover crop before the season begins, and that would be more mustard. I need to do some research on biologicals that could assist to combat the specific diseases I have...   Friday, January 17 View Page I’m posting some thoughts looking back at last season… with photos. How can roots penetrate clay? Simply put, they don’t. My roots last year did not go deeper than 12” in most areas. In those areas, they were also 1/2” - 1/4” in diameter. Some of the tap roots never got deeper than 3” and ran almost 3’ laterally just under the soil surface. That’s simply insufficient. However, I found positive results in the areas that I dug out when burying vines. Some of those root nodes were 29” long and over an inch thick! Talk about a noticeable change… Imagine what positive results my plant & fruit would have had if my entire patch had loose / aerated soil?   Friday, January 17 View Page Weak!   Friday, January 17 View Page My goal this season is to be a root farmer first. The plant and pumpkin will follow. I hope to see big improvements this post season when I pull the plant.