Gardening · Homesteading

January On The Farm

January was a “getting stuff done” month, mostly thanks to the month being so warm (record-setting in Seattle). It also didn’t rain much, and most days it was sunny. It got cold at night most days, but daytime it was in high 40’s to upper 50’s.

We got to work on reducing the log pile finally, and put many a weekend day into it.

Stacking the rounds really sped up the quartering.

One woodpile started and by the end of the month it was filled on both sides, all the way. It was an old covered shanty of sorts we found in the woods, that the previous owner had stored extra building wood under. We added in scrap plywood on the ends for stability, and got to stacking. The wood can now dry out for next year, with no rain getting on it.

We started wood piles on pallets, under the big maple tree. Once fully done, they will be covered with a tarp.

And it was time to move the compost piles, and get them fully turned for the coming spring.

One issue with the wood cutting is when we find rounds of rotten tree, or where termites had eaten the tree before we cut it down (and the tree was already dead). So we saved up rotten or broken pallets to help start fires in the pit. We had to have 3 fires in January to help get rid of all the junk wood, plus many branches that were ripped out of the trees in December. It’s all done for now, and looks so much nicer.

One bed isn’t fenced (it is new, and only holds rhubarb yet) but I found many footprints in it after building the bed. Hard to see here, but I think they were coyote.

The alpine strawberries grow whenever there is sun and warmth. They shot up crazily all month, trying to bloom. There wasn’t enough hours of daylight for berries though.

This is part of the over wintered alpine strawberries. I leave them outside to ensure a hardy plant. However….currently they are all in the greenhouse due to the extremely low temperatures. I didn’t want to lose the super growth they had gained.

Walker found a few bulbs I had tossed in a pile, on the edge of the woods. When we moved in I had cleared the patio beds to put in the herb garden. They are either tulip or daffodil. He found them sprouting on the ground, so we potted them up and they have been growing like crazy.

We have a new feral domestic rabbit on the land. It’s name is Mr. Black (but it could be Ms. Black). The black rabbits don’t fear humans, but are self-sufficient. This one for now I am putting up with because it eats only grass. And the boys love it.

Garlic is up and growing. Leftover winter spinach as well.

Evergreen Huckleberries getting ready for spring in a few months.

Though a few are confused and need to go back to sleep. This current week of cold is helping with that.

In the greenhouse though, the first Tom Thumb peas are sprouting.

Our new addition: Pepper, the Manchester Terrier. She is a little bundle of stick chewing love.

The sun setting on January. We got a lot done, but I am ok with a week of cold weather now. It slows down things, and is the way it should be.

~Sarah