SLF - What's New

Trout Lily - Spring Ledge Farm Woodland Garden
Check it out just past the shrub section at the farmstand.

Past issues of the E-Newsletter

List of Vegetable Transplants for 2009

Springledge Farm
37 Main Street
New London, NH
03257
603-526-6253
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Dear Greg,

Two or three more lambs at the farm.
        Two boy lambs were born last Friday here at the farm. One named "Good", the other named "Friday". Both are doing quite well. We will introduce them into the greater barn area this weekend.
        Emails and blogs may move at electron speed, but your trusty farmer is a bit behind the eight ball. Since "last Friday" was actually April 10th, we've had another lamb born here on the farm. Another boy named "Big Boy", and he's a whopper. Already as big as his cousins who were born a week ago.
         We'll keep updating pictures on our website on the "lamb page".   And click here to see a new video on "ewe tube". Get it? "Ewe" tube! Jokes like that should be "baaa"rred . Seriously, though, don't fleece me for trying. Just grazing for some feedback. I'll understand if you don't flock to the barn anytime soon. Things are getting a bit "ram"bunctious.
         After reading through that, you deserve a break. How about a coupon for plants at the farm. Buy 4 annuals packs, get the 5th Free. Click here to view and print out the coupon.

A small peek into the world of herbs:

Any plant that adds flavor or spice to your meal is an herb. Herbs are easy to grow inside, especially with the increased daylight we experience in March, April & May. Start with a small container that will fit on a windowsill. Fill this with potting mix and organic fertilizer. Sow the seeds according to the directions on the packets. Dill, cilantro and basil germinate quickly and are easy to grow. Thyme, parsley and sage take a bit longer to get going, but will reward your efforts later on as they are useful in many kitchen dishes. Once the danger of frost has passed, you can move the plants outside. Click here for growing requirements of common herbs.

Hand painted herb sign at SLF by Heidi

          Herbs add flavor, spice and color to meals. A common salad turns into a flavor-packed serving when you add chopped dill, basil, cilantro and just a sprinkle of chives. Include some purple basil ('Purple Ruffles' and 'Osmin Purple' are two of our favorites) for taste and color. Nasturtiums offer spicy green leaves and spicy edible flowers to a salad or cold soup. Drying herbs is a good way to extend the summer harvest. Harvest the plants at their peak and dry in a dark, airy spot. When fully dried, roll the plants with a rolling pin and store in an airtight container.

    Many of the common kitchen herbs are native to the Mediterranean area. Although we don't usually have the same conditions here in NH, its good to keep in mind that the herbs do best in dry and sunny conditions (basil, thyme, rosemary and sage). Water sparingly, as the seedlings are prone to damping off (dying down because of a Botrytis fungus). If possible, try to water the plants without getting the leaves wet.

    Herbs can be bought already started in pots. When choosing an herb plant, be sure to check for strong, healthy roots, stocky top growth and a well-branched plant. These potted herbs can be replanted into a container of your choice.

    A little tough love also makes the herbs more flavorful. Don't pamper your herbs; they won't develop good character. You need to toughen them up a bit. For instance, growing herbs outside after the danger of frost has passed creates a stockier plant and a stronger flavor. The cool nights make a strong plant that will withstand the stresses of summer in N.H. Use some organic fertilizer and compost, but beware that too much fertilizer will grow a very green and fleshy plant without as much flavor.

     We have an extensive selection of herbs in pots and herb seeds available at the farmstand. Chocolate mint, orange mint, spicy oregano, stevia, lavender and complete herb gardens in a pot to name a few.

    Place the potted herbs near your kitchen door for easy access. As you pass by every day, you should take a moment to "smell the basil" or dill or cilantro or rosemary or oregano...

A Tree For The Tree Enthusiast
Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Dawn Redwood'

        Once thought to be extinct, Metasequoias were "discovered" in China in the 1940's. Seeds were sent to the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard and by the 1990's, the trees were gaining in popularity.
        The new growth of the Dawn
Redwood comes out light green in the spring and in the fall the foliage is a blaze of rich golden bronze. Like a bald cypress, it is one of the few conifers that loses its needles in the winter.   It is an erect growing tree that can grow 3 or more feet in a year when young and vigorous. The deep valleys on the bark reach far up into the tree making it very interesting in the winter when the needles are gone.
         Dawn Redwoods respond well to good soil conditions, an ideal place for them is at the edge of a stream, river or pond where the base of the tree will remain high and dry, yet the roots can reach for all the water they want. This is a very interesting tree with many uses and certainly under-utilized in the landscape. If you are looking for something different and unique then discover the Dawn Redwood. Available at the farmstand today.
       Click for the Wickipedia entry on Metasequoia

Field Notes:
Planting Time
April is the time to get going in your vegetable garden. For starters, you need to think about the soil that your vegetable plants will be living in. For a tomato plant to produce a lot of fruit, it needs an adequate food supply. We use a combination of North Country Organics Pro- Gro and a commercial fertilizer Tomato row

blended to match what soil tests show we need for nutrients. Manure was applied last fall, but compost may be put on the garden safely in the spring. Rototill or dig these in and you are ready to plant!
We have UNH soil test kits at cost here at the farmstand, along with Pro-Gro fertilizer, Vt. Compost compost and many other organic soil ammendments (blood meal, greensand, etc.).

Here's a link to a UNH fact sheet on fertilizing your garden organically:

Tasha Dunning grows the vegetable crops and runs the field crew at Springledge Farm.

       Coming soon to the farmstand - Locally raised meat from Star Lake Farm in Springfield, N.H. Delicious.
        Now offering local eggs from our farm, from Warner, NH, and from Elizabeth's Eggs (organic) in Newbury and maple syrup from Spring Ledge Orchard in Wilmot, NH.
        Please e-mail me with any comments, questions or suggestions.

Sincerely,

Greg Berger
Springledge Farm

Pack Special	Buy 4 packs of annuals, get the 5th free! Click here to access the coupon so you don't have to print out the whole newsletter.
Offer Expires: Friday, May 1st