GARDEN TECHNIQUES
When modern technologies meet old fashion farming techniques - Painter Produce comes alive!
All good things start with a plan. We begin planning our garden layout during the winter months. We put together layouts for all the high tunnels and the main outside garden areas taking into consideration the importance of crop rotation.
When manure becomes available, we haul it, spread it over the gardens, and till it into the soil.
A combination of organic, hybrid, heirloom, and non-GMO seed is ordered and started inside for early spring planting.
A large tiller is used to incorporated the aged manure and work up the largest garden areas.
A smaller tiller is used in the high tunnels and in areas where small seed will be planted.
Once the soil has warmed up enough and hopefully the risk of frost is past, outside planting begins. A horse-drawn corn planter has been modified to be pulled behind a tractor. Young tomato plants are protected with plastic pipe pieces and cages.
Several methods are used to keep all the garden areas watered. A two-inch main waterline is used to keep the outside garden watered with overhead sprinklers while drip systems are used in the high tunnels. Garden hoses with tripod sprinklers are used to cover the other areas.
We focus on an all-natural operation and do not use any pesticides or herbicides. Our best defense against racoons and deer is a perimeter electric fence and our famous watch dogs, SharlaMae and Jillianne. We rotate our crops, use our own compost, and disc in the corn stalks to retain and build nutrients in our soil.