Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Corn is in, Beans are up



Finally, finally I got the corn in. No succession planting this year, I'll be lucky to get a crop before frost. If they do ripen before then the plan is to freeze or can the excess. I'm not enamoured of pressure canning but I have done it ... once! I do want to can instead of freeze for as much as possible. We have had our freezer unplugged accidentally once and I want to save as much room in there for the bulk meat purchases.

To prepare to plant the corn I used the hand tiller in the photo. Pushed with tines down the roller drum teeth break up the surface of the soil and the tines act as a mini-tiller. It takes a few passes back and forth but it does beat getting out the big gas tiller, which we have to drive to Grandma's to get.


What this little tiller really shines at is weeding! Flip it over and use it tines up. The drum roller teeth break up the soil and there is a handy-dandy cutting bar which slices weeds right off of their roots. This done in the morning of a hot day cleans up the garden right quick. We love this tiller/weeder so much ... we bought another one! Sad fact is that dh needs a full set of gardening tools for the market garden and I need the same for the house garden. Don't ask how many hoes we have ... or how many types :o)

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