Day 5, retrospection

So, i tried to burn the weeds. That was.... silly. The fires i built in the first few years here were towering masses when i started them, then i add fuel for hours. Of course there was a massive bed of hot coals i spread around at least 25 square foot which could then bake surface weed seeds. The attempt i made yesterday was limited easily available fuel. I could have worked harder at it, but the point was to find an easy way to nuke the weed seeds.

I did move some plants around, including the dahlias. The dahlias grown from seed had plenty of little tubers and i relocated them to a hilled-section of the garden that is hard to get at when the sunchokes are in full energy. I probably should mulch the dahlias to give them additional protection. We are just at the edge of where dahlias are winter hardy. I never ate a dahlia flower last year because in the weedy area they were growing, something else ate them. I'll see if these over winter. I might try tasting the tubers next year.

I am still wrestling with where to plant the potatoes this coming spring. The bed i was thinking of using is a little more narrow than the average. I wish i had a good rotted mulch source. Maybe i will ask my sister about collecting some horse manure. I know the soil is slowly improving in the garden area, but at the moment i am aware of just how hard it is for plants -- other than violets, indian strawberry (Duchesnea indica), and all the weedy annual grasses -- to make a go of it.

I am feeling a little frustrated about my "progress" on projects. I guess i should get going.