The days are lengthening, and it is time to prepare those gardening beds. Great soil full of humus to allow those roots to spread and absorb water and nutrients is just the first step. Compost is the best way to achieve this, but if you cannot find it, the combination of peat moss, coco coir, and other high-quality potting soils is a great alternative to begin the creation of great garden soil. I came across my very first recipe I used years ago, and honestly, I should have never strayed from it. It is an all-natural recipe providing all the necessary nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and minerals that your plants require. Combine 4 parts soybean meal (local feed store), 1 part kelp meal, 1 part rock phosphate, and ¼ part gypsum. You should be able to find the other ingredients at Phelan Hydroponics in town. Purchasing a quality soil test is the best way to begin, but if you cannot afford this, paying attention to these key ingredients, and especially focusing on raising pH and ensuring proper calcium (rinsed egg shells) in your soil, will ensure that your soil is releasing the necessary nutrients for your plants. 80% of gardening success is in these first steps.
Here at Moonstruck Farms, we are near completion of one of our larger projects, which is all the new retaining beds at the front of the house. Not only do these beds allow us to work with our rolling landscape, but they can be filled with our compost and fertilizers as above, creating not only very productive beds but also a pleasing scenery at the front of the house instead of the ugly chicken-wire-fenced-in beds that have been there for the better part of a decade. Ranunculus are going in the ground, providing early Spring blooms, and are properly named the “Rose of Spring”. The plums, pluots, and lilacs all have very robust buds, ready to pop, reminding us that the new season is just a few steps away, providing us with beautiful, organically grown fruit and flowers for our jams, edible flowers, and flower bouquets. Trays of flowers, tomatoes, and herbs are being prepared for the coming season, and anticipation is in the air for a very fruitful season!!
The time change is Sunday, March 8th, which means the Phelan Certified Farmers Market will remain open until 6 pm beginning Monday, March 9, 2026. You can find the Phelan Farmers Market inside and outside the Phelan Community Center each Monday from 2 pm to 5 pm at 4128 Warbler Road in Phelan. The Wrightwood Certified Farmers Market is open each Friday, currently, from 3 pm to 6 pm. Stay tuned for operating hour changes in the near future. Both markets accept EBT, and each farmer is equipped with a portal to accept WIC for fruits and vegetables. The Phelan Certified Farmers Market is also a Market Match partner, gifting up to $15 in free fruits and vegetables each and every Monday to EBT customers utilizing their benefits at market. The Phelan Certified Farmers Market also has a Customer Appreciation Raffle on the first Monday of every month. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for current details and other fun Spring events coming up.
