Garden Notes- March 29

Roller Coaster Temperatures

One day it’s tank tops and sunshine.
The next it’s coveralls and layers like winter never left.

That’s been spring so far.

Big swings, fast changes, and weather that doesn’t quite settle in.

This is where I’m glad to be adding more greenhouses.

They’re low-tech—no heat, no fans, no automation—but they still do a great job acting as a buffer. Holding heat on cold nights, softening the swings, and giving me a more stable space to grow in.

Even when it doesn’t feel like spring outside, things keep moving inside.

Because of that, we’re still able to get a strong early start.

More Building, More Preparing

This week leaned more toward projects and preparation for the season ahead.

One of the bigger steps was starting the build-out of a produce trailer.

Last summer I picked up a utility trailer with the idea of turning it into a mobile produce stand—something that can replace canopies, haul more produce, and ease setup and takedown at the Park Rapids market.

Tents have worked, but they come with limits—especially with wind and rain adding stress to market days.

There have been times working alone where I’m holding the tent down with one hand and running checkout with the other. That’s about as hard as a market day can get.

On one of the warmer days this week, I got back to work on the new greenhouse.

It’s been muddy, and I’ve been waiting for the ground to thaw enough to make progress. There’s still frost about a foot below the surface, but it’s firm enough now to hold stakes and start straightening the walls.

They had been shifting on the snow and ice, so getting everything aligned was the first step.

This greenhouse is a bit different.

It’s built on skids, which means it will move—sliding to a new location each season and growing on fresh ground.

I’m working towards transitioning all of my greenhouses in this direction.

Mobility solves a couple things really well. It allows me to move onto fresh ground each season, and it also lets me establish an early crop under protection—then slide the greenhouse and let that crop finish outside while starting a new one inside.

In a way, it stretches the usefulness of each greenhouse without having to build more.

Although… I still seem to keep adding more anyway.

That said, this one is pushing the limits.

It still needs more bracing, and getting it secured for wind and storms will take some trial and error.

It’s one of those builds where you figure it out as you go.

I don’t know exactly how it will all come together yet—but I’ll keep working it until it does what I need it to do.

Out in the Garden

Out in the garden, we’ve started moving forward. We hand transplanted around 1,300 onion plants. Carrots should be emerging any day now.

The earliest round of lettuce, green onions, and kale is also in the ground.

That one’s a bit of a gamble.

It’s early, and there’s still risk—but there are more plantings behind it. If it works, we’re ahead. If not, we adjust and keep moving.

Looking Ahead

Carrots are now seeded and should germinate in about 12 days.

If the weather cooperates, we could have fresh carrots ready to harvest around mid to late May—right around Memorial weekend.

Spring vegetables are some of the best of the entire season—sweet, tender, and worth the wait.

The season is just getting started.

I’ll let you know as soon as the first harvests are ready—and what’s available each week.

—

Joe
Midheaven Garden
Farm Fresh. Family Ready.