Today was summer in Wisconsin. First a sunny morning, then thundery storm clouds passing to the south in the afternoon, and finally bird song being carried on a warm breeze all evening. I enjoyed it and I hope you did too! If only we didn't have to plunge back into winter in a day or two... We planted sugar snap peas today in the field, because they can germinate even in cold or snowy weather. Meanwhile, the greenhouse is alive with newly sprouted broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, kale, beets, and spinach seedlings.
After I made the first beds in the field today, I was very pleased with the tilth (the physical condition) of the soil after working it. Moisture and soil particle size was perfect for planting crops. Never mind crops, I wanted to snuggle up in one of the beds myself, because it looked so soft and fluffy! We sometimes struggle with good tilth at planting time, because I strive to prep beds without a rototiller. From a biological perspective, rototilling is the worst type of cultivation equipment around (even worse than a plow), because it pulverizes the soil and kills beneficial microbial life. But so far we are off to a good start this year, with many beds now ready and waiting for the next round of crops to be planted in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, I think I'll just sleep inside in my unmade bed. It doesn't have a pillow-top mattress like my garden beds, but at least it's dry and I won't ever be woken under a blanket of snow!