Snow and Planting

January 29
Today, it's snowing again! ... Here at what most would consider the "Frozen Tundra", Spring is more than around the corner. At Snowflake Farms, planting outside doesn't usually happen until sometime in May.

Now, inside is definitely a different story, those catalogs that come during the winter months start the stirrings to get planting. Having set aside peat moss and potting soil in the fall we can usually get started before the local stores have planting supplies on hand. Last year, I wanted to get started so early that we had plant racks of beans, tomatoes, peppers and squash ready to go outside before the weather could accommodate them. So this year, I will try to put the "brakes" on planting and do more planning.

For the past two years, we have had killing frosts at the farm in the beginning of August ... just when you are getting things really growing, that weather has done you in and you face nothing but total crop loss. It has been a retraining of my thinking for sure and time for some new ideas.

This year we are planning to grow more in greenhouses and have hoop houses to combat the early season frosts. For those plants that are outside, we will be trying some new varieties. We really enjoy tomatoes and are looking forward to growing these earlier ones (designed for the COLD North):

Anna Russian (I) 65-70 days
Bush Beefsteak (D) 62 days
Manitoba (D) 58 days
Siberian (I) 57 days
Sub-Arctic (D) 55-65 days
Red Pear (I) 70 days
Come back later to this BLOG to see how we are doing and what other great things are happening here at Snowflake Farms!