MUD SEASON GREENHOUSE VISITS

MUD SEASON GREENHOUSE VISITS

by Joey Klein 

1. FOUR SPRINGS FARM, ROYALTON, VT. The road out to Jinny Cleland’s farm was soft and rutted, the wind held spits of snow, but the welcome was warm and the view (all the way to Killington) was inspiring. Four Springs Farm runs a CSA and is open for camping and on farm education visits , but this time of year Jinny’s focus is on her pansy crop.

Jinny’s greenhouse was bursting with well grown pansies and herbs, destined for several large wholesale accounts and for retail at the Norwich Farmers’ Market.

Jinny uses Vermont Compost Fort V Potting Mix exclusively as her potting media, and has been impressed with its lack of weeds. Weeds are frequently a problem in compost-based potting mixes, because there is a long period of aging between the high heat of the early process and when the compost is suitable for a potting mix. The piles need to be managed carefully during this period. The whole composting site needs to be managed with weed control in mind. Vermont Compost gets Jinny’s approval on this issue: “I hardly ever find a weed, they are just not a problem,” she said.

Jinny tested the Fort V mix with the UVM Soils Laboratory and decided to do some minor amending to increase the pH with lime and the available nitrogen with pelleted chicken litter.

The amounts she adds are slight, and I think they compensate for how early she starts up her greenhouses and the cold temperature of water she uses. Her pansies were just about to bloom and were moving into to a colder greenhouse to hold them back a while. She had chosen to use Kord brand peat pots, which she likes for their breathable nature. She has not needed to fertilize beyond what she added at the start, and her plants looked great.

Jinny’s tip to share is her use of overhead radiant propane fired heaters in her greenhouses. The thermostat that controls this heater sits right on the top of the soil; the 60 degrees are sensed in the top of the potting mix, not in the air. The air is heated less, and the soil heated more by this type of heaters. This increases plant growth relative to fuel consumption.

2. LUNA BLEU FARM, SOUTH ROYALTON, VT

The mud was even worse on the way out to Luna Bleu, reaching a peak of muddiness right in their farmyard. Tim was all smiles.

Working in the greenhouse really cheers him up at the end of March, and his greenhouse was full of the results of his efforts.

Tim Sanford’s early greenhouse was just about full the day I arrived. He runs the air temperature cool but makes up for it with 8 large rubberized heating mats that keep the heat loving tomatoes and peppers for greenhouse plant germinating quickly. He would have to start heating another house very soon, as he started to pot up his earliest blocks.

Tim grows mostly in blocks, but uses open 1020 trays for onions and leeks. He also had a large set of these trays growing several different Mesclun blends, which he planned to market a the Norwich Winter Indoor Farmers’ Market.

Tim has observed a difference between the Fort V he holds over the winter and the growth he gets from Fort V freshly delivered. He either has to blend the two for growing seedlings, or he just uses the left over material as a soil amendment in his tomato and pepper greenhouses. We are doing some testing to try to find out what is going on for him.

Luna Bleu Farm uses many yards of Vermont Compost Fort V every year, growing seedlings for their 7 acres of vegetable production.

They are more focused than ever on their CSA and direct retail customers, and have dropped wholesale accounts to keep up with this direct demand. Luna Bleu counts on Vermont Compost to get them off and running every spring.

3. RED WAGON PLANTS, SHELBURNE, VT.

Julie Rubaud used to be a vegetable grower as well as a greenhouse plant producer, but whe had let the vegetable growing go for some one else to do. Her focus on wholesale organic plant production has earned her loyalty from the 25 customers she services, delivering primarily into the booming Burlington, VT market. She has a solid reputation for quality plants and excellent service, and her focus on the greenhouse production has made it possible. She is opening a retail greenhouse this year, rather than have to chase away customers.

Julie is a long term Fort V user. Vermont Compost Company has been providing this product to her since her organic greenhouse production career began 10 years ago and she is not shy with her praise for the product. “I tell all my customers that this is the mix I use, and how I can rely on it to grow out seedlings, plugs and liners without the need for additional fertilization.

The key is to pot the plants up in a timely manner.”

Julie has a neat way of handling the bulk Fort V Potting Mix. She does not pre-wet the mix before filling the flats. She feels that too much loft is lost if the flats are filled with moistened mix. The inserts are placed in the 1020’s, mostly 804’s and 1801’s. The flats are lined up in two or three rows on the weed mat floor of the filling area. The dry mix is shoveled onto the flats, and then a push broom is used to strike off the flats. The flats are laid out on a bench and watered thoroughly 3 times over about an hour’s time. This wets the mix well, and it is ready.

Julie waters as little as possible. During the many cloudy days of March, she still turns on the fans and the heat together, every morning, to vent moisture. “It is best for the mix to be dry on the surface before watering. I do all the watering in all the greenhouses myself. That’s how important watering is.” Judging from the results, Julie has a excellent system in place at Red Wagon Plants. Vermont Compost Company is proud to be her potting mix supplier.