What to do and when to do chores in a Bulgarian farmhouse
Cultivating the land in the fall season
Romania’s climate is slightly different from Bulgarian’s. My parents’ house is closer to Siberia than the sea, therefore winter temperature used to drop under 30 Celsius degrees during the communist regime.
The first stage of cultivating
the land (allotments, too) started in autumn (fall), after – if the case –
harvesting the cultures: in late October/November or even December.
We prepare the land just
before winter – after the previous harvest because we used to think that the
cold would freeze to death potential pests and the snow (water) will make the soil loose.
1.
First, we would clean it of old plants,
branches, etc.
2.
Second, we would spread organic compost on
it (whoever had animals, we were only agricultural farmers, so we had to buy from
those who had sheep mostly).
3.
Third, we would dig it – if done mechanically
with a small tractor maybe.
If digging was done
manually (with a spade = very
common during the communist regime), we would first dig it, then spread the
compost. This is because nobody likes to step on organic compost.
But if you only have a
garden around the house, even some allotments, the organic compost would smell
like hell.
4. Forth, we raise bed and seed onions, garlic, salad,
parsley, dill and some other herbs before winter
After digging the
soil, but no organic compost as this is quite acidic on the seeds.
This saves a lot of
time (from the future year) and you would have fresh spring onions and salad (for
example) quite early in the year (even Feb if the weather is mild), which is one
of the best things ever.
I absolutely love
spring onions; I cook with them but I also eat them raw in salads. It’s one of my
main weaknesses.
Bulgaria has a Mediterranean climate in the south and a continental climate in the north. If close to the sea, these works could be done in December (it’s hot enough I believe).
Cultivating the land in spring
1.
February to April, depending on the weather, clean
the allotments
Weeding, if necessary –
but this shouldn’t be necessary at this time
It’s more about
preparing it for future cultures if this wasn’t done before winter.
Follow the steps above
– maybe use a fertilizer that doesn’t smell.
2.
In February/March seed onions, garlic, herbs,
etc.
3.
Also in February, if you have a greenhouse,
seed tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers, etc. to grow plants to then plant in the open
air
4.
In late April/early May, if you didn’t grow your
own plants, buy some from those who have greenhouses and grow all sorts of plants
5. In March, we seed corn (this is usually done mechanically or with the help of animals – horses or cows).
6.
If you want to seed potatoes, the seeds should
be kept in a warm room* for 2-3 weeks to sprout before putting them in the
ground. It accelerates the growth and it makes you aware of the seeds that
aren’t going to produce a plant (no shoots)
7.
In early April, we seed potatoes with shoots
You can seed
flowers, of course – you should
follow the instructions on the packages (seeds, bulbs etc.)
Weeding in late Spring and early
Summer
1.
Early April
and May if cultivated the year before
2.
June and
July (potatoes and corn mostly) – if planted, cultivated, or seeded in Spring
When the plants start
to grow are in close competition with the weeds.
You have to take the
weeds out as they multiply to avoid them from suffocating the plants you want
to grow.
The chores regarding the face of the house should
be done in between the breaks from “farming”
June, July and August.
This is because when you empty the house to decorate it, the furniture and walls
might be damp – this happens in old houses.
They need to dry well before
applying paint.
We used to keep the
furniture (beds, cupboards) out for days, before bringing it in and rearranging the
house.
It’s colossal work,
but the sense of achievement…
The smell of fresh
paint is amazing.
Nowadays, different kinds of paint dry very fast.
All these timetables, of
course, depend on the individual, personal plans, inclinations, possibilities and…
time.
Decorating, plastering, and painting are usually done after the land is cultivated, usually in late May (possibly
early May in Bulgaria).
Cleaning the chimneys
Before making the first fire in the stove/wood
burners, or, of course, if you want/plan/need
to decorate.
I firmly advise you to do
it before any interior paintings and decorations.
In autumn, you would just
check if there is something that blocks it.
Gather and prepare the wood for the stoves, if possible, a year before using it, 2-3 years before is indicated = Summer, June - August
If you buy it, t should be cheaper.Harvesting = August to October
Tomatoes, peppers,
cucumbers, and aubergine as they mature (August, September etc.)
September = potatoes,
beans
Late September or
October = corn
Clean the cellar before the first
harvest (carrots maybe?)
August is the best
month to clean the cellar. Throw everything that is moulded, make room, clean
Making conserves, preserves, compotes
etc. August to November – depending on what
There are several varieties
of fruits that mature from May to September
2. Cherry compotes and preserves from May to August
3. Plum compotes and preserves from June to August
Romanians don’t grow figs, these would make a fabulous preserve.
Do not keep the jars in the cellar (the lids will rust), but in a dark,
cold room
Romanians and I assume Bulgarians too, make several types of vegetable stew (google translate tells me it's called "mashed vegetables", but it's reductive).
It's a very yummy vegetable spread (there are quite a few recipes out there).
Zacuscă in Romanian:
- Red peppers - grilled first, then peeled and cut with a knife or by hand
- Aubergines - grilled first, then peeled and mashed (with the blunt side of a knife or wood "instruments"
- Onions - diced (then sauteed)
- tomatoes paste
- oil, salt
Pickles for the winter = September-October
Cabbage, tomatoes, peppers (hot too,) and cucumbers are popular in my country.
Of course, we start pickling cucumbers (mostly) in July, when the first
variety matures.
This very light pickling is ready in 3-5 days and won’t keep for
the winter.
For an agricultural farmer, December and January are the only months in which there isn’t anything or much to do.
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