What we have planned for 2024

Welcome to our blog! I wanted to set expectations for our farm for 2024

We're growing good things

Wildwood Bloom Room is a specialty cut flower farm in norther NY. I've been growing things for over 20 years and I am a 5th generation farmer. Growing up on my parents farm I saw how everything was connected. I learned from my grandmother the old ways of growing in ways that utilize and give back to the environment to produce healthy plants. This week we're taking care of our seedlings and making sure we have everything ready to start planting our cool season flowers in a few months.

Basil seedlings growing in our special climate controlled grow room.

We've got to make sure all of our ducks are in a row to ensure a good season now, because once things start growing we will be very busy.

Caring for seedlings

We grow all of our seedlings in soil blocks. Soil blocks are made with a special tool, that presses seed starting mix into little cubes without the need for disposable containers. We place the blocks onto recycled, reusable plastic take out trays. They then are set on heat mats and covered with to retain moisture. We spritz them with water to create a good environment for germination. Once they sprout, the covers are removed and the new seedlings are placed under lights. Every day the trays are watered when they dry out to encourage strong root growth. Once the seedlings grow their first set of true leaves they receive a dose of organic fish and seaweed emulsion once a week. When they're big enough and the weather is perfect for them they will be planted into prepared beds on the farm. Right now we have Silver Dollar Eucalyptus, Mountain Mint, Lavender Lisianthus, and of course lots and lots of herbs started.

We're also getting ready to start our cool season hardy annuals (stocks, bupleurum, poppies, delphinium, lupine, and many more) by putting them in our seedling fridge so they receive their chill period. Getting our tools and supplies ready is an important job this time of year as well! We have to make sure our clippers and snippers are sharp, our shovels, hoes, and rakes are all in tip top shape, and handy for when we need them so we don't have to waste time collecting everything when it's time to work.

We're ready for a peachy keen 2024

We're excited for the 2024 growing season. The pantone color of the year is peach fuzz (see what I did there?) so what kind of colors would you pair with peach?

Follow along with us this year to see how we grow!