Wouldn't you love to have a log cabin?

I know I would. Although this cabin is in Alaska, I've been keeping up with a log cabin in Michigan for a few months now. I love the snow they get up there. But I'm not sure I would want this much snow!

Building a Log Cabin is how I keep up with the cabin in Michigan. Shelley, Marvins pet, is a fellow blogger and is having a give away. You can check out the giveaway here.

http://logcabininmichigan.blogspot.com/2009/02/giveaway-from-log-cabin.html

I love this blog. It is usually the first one I look for in the mornings. The pictures are great!! Thanks so much Shelley! And I hope I win!

Rotation of Crops

I have always heard about crop rotation but hadn't really given it any thought until this year. I knew I had heard someone say that I should not plant my potatoes in the same place each year. But didn't realize I needed to rotate everything. Yes, everything, I think. Actually you should rotate by vegetable family. To do that you have to know who belongs to which family. So here is the list provided by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service fact sheet # HLA-6013.

Pea or Legume family - all peas and beans
Mustard family - cabbage, collards, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, radishes
Goosefoot family - beets and spinach
Parsley family - carrots, parsley and celery
Nightshade family - Potatoes, tomatoes eggplant, and all peppers
Gourd family - (vine crops) squash, pumpkin, watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumber
Composite family - lettuce, dandelion, artichoke
Lily family - onions, garlic, chives
Grass family - sweet corn

Don't forget. You have to rotate by family not just single vegetable.

Why rotate you ask? It is an excellent way to keep soil borne disease, soil insects and nematodes at a minimum. Each vegetable family is susceptible to the same disease and insects. They also have the same effect on the soil. Therefore rotation is very important.

Cool Season Planting

If you are wondering what you should be planting then try consulting the OSU Extension Gardening publications. The title of this post is a link to Oklahoma Garden Planting Guide. This fact sheet is awesome. It will help you decide when to plant and how much to plant. I use it all the time.

Almost every cool season vegetable should be planted this month or next. Here is a list of just a few.

Asparagus
Beet
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Lettuce
Onion
Green Peas
Radish

Early Season Veg Seminar

I attended this seminar last year. It was great! I learned so much that I'm going to try and attend again this year. I'm sure there is so much I missed. I've included a link.