Today I still had Will with me at the farm. Our time spent today was clearing out beds and turning the soil with a technique called Double Dig whereby we dug down a foot with a shovel to displace topsoils then used a pitchfork to aerate another foot down before refilling with the shoveled topsoil. We moved in columns so the soil was essentially fluffed and aerated. In the process we disrupted countless earthworms at work in the rich dark soil. These beds had previously held lettuce and peas and in their place we planted corn, okra, melon, eggplant and squash.
It's customary that after our work we sit down to an al fresco plant dominated meal. This afternoon we enjoyed collard wraps with a filling of lentils, swiss chard, Okinawa spinach, herbs, a broth made of greens, and served it with homemade hummus, and sweet chili sauce.
Will wasn't too keen on collard wraps so I came prepared with a Peanut Butter sandwich and raisins.
The work continued once we got home. My yard, still in disarray from the Sunday storm, offered plenty of raking, pruning, and bagging. Then, as if my garden at once was attacked, I noticed my thriving tomato plants under siege by aphids AND caterpillars. The caterpillars are eating through the leaves on my basil, tomato, and spinach. The small group of ladybugs that have landed on my plants seem no match for the seemingly countless aphids. Like a mother defending her young, I went on the offensive and made a strong dish soap solution and sprayed down the plants. As the sun was setting I could see my poor tomato plants engulfed in little green bugs. Aaaahhh, my first experience with true pests. How do they find me?! If I don't see results in a couple days I'm going to have to take more drastic measures. I've watched these plants make it through surprise cold spells, terrible storms, and I'll be darned if I'm not going to enjoy their fruit! More to follow....
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