Not doing a very good job keeping this up. Oh well.
We had about three nights of super cold weather and fairly cool days and more rain this past week. Not accomplishing much of anything outside but I did plant some more seeds the other day. Mostly herbs. And some are hard to germinate (rosemary, lavender) so I'm not expecting much, especially when my seeds are not the freshest. Planted them Friday and the bronze fennel had already sprouted little tails the next morning. I planted them in the sponge seed starters and usually have pretty good luck with them.
Yesterday we got the pea fencing up here. I planted my butterhead lettuce in one of the raised beds and the few broccoli and cauliflower I had saved back for here. David filled the last raised bed with some soil we got at Lowe's. We got enough to fill the kiddie pool that we had been using as a sandbox for my grandson and I planted my leaf lettuce in it. I also planted a few of the butterhead along the edge of the driveway flower bed, on the grass side. Gotta use whatever space you can find when you have a small lot!
Today I potted up some gomphrena (orange) and six Felicia (Yay!!!) and about a dozen purple hyacinth bean plants. I also did 17 red geranium cuttings. I usually do them in January but never got around to it and hey, I'm not selling this year, they're just for me! I pulled the Boston ferns out from under the shelves and it looks like three didn't make it but no matter, there are at least six that did and I can divide them. They'll fill out in no time.
Before I started anything in the greenhouse though, I trimmed back the unruley tomato plant that has been growing in there all winter. I saved enough to still hopefully get a few early tomatoes and took some cuttings that I put in water. Just didn't feel like potting them up today. If they don't survive, there's plenty more to get cuttings from. There is a pepper plant in there that was under the jungle of the tomato vines. It's going on it's third year and starting to leaf out. I hope it will produce again this year. It's a Gypsy and none of my Gypsy seeds germinated this year.
So now all three raised beds have hoops and netting to keep the cats out. If we have any more cold nights I can just throw a sheet over the netting. Hopefully tonight will be the end of it. I am going to use Wall-O-Waters and set out a couple of tomatoes in about ten days. They protect quite a bit but you have to get them off the tomatoes BEFORE they get too big.
I thought I was in pretty good shape as far as weeding but hey, where did all these new weeds come from? And all the grass? I tried weeding a small area today but it was still too wet. I hope I can get back to it before it dries out too much. With this clay it's almost impossible to pull weeds when it's dry.
Tomato before trimming:
And after:
And the now exposed pepper:
We have been getting quite a bit done at the farm, a little at a time though. Two hours and I'm ready to call it quits. I am hoping my stamina improves as the weather warms.
We did get the pea fencing up! Hard to cover (deer) but we draped old, torn row cover over the outside rows. I plant in wide rows (3 feet) and did two double rows, one shelling peas and one snow peas. The snow peas will get quite tall. My granddaughter planted radishes in front of the snow peas. She practically dumped the packet so I had her take her finger and drag the seeds to spread them a little bit. They came up thick but hopefully we can thin as we go. She has to learn but it's hard for me! LOL!
I planted all my broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Well, I have a bit more cabbage started that will go in later. Planted part of the lettuce too. Ran out of tilled rows for now. Everything is covered, including the fall row with kale, beets, carrots and some new seedlings, but a lot of the cover has torn so we have to put another layer over for this week because temps are supposed to go into the 20s. When I first started gardening, I wanted everything to look neat and tidy but soon learned it isn't feasible. At the end of the day, you are happy you did the best you can.
The potatoes are starting to peek through. We are getting decent rain and since the garden is on a slope, the rain has washed some soil over the trench the potatoes are in so I think that makes it longer to see tops. My lemon grass survived but the artichokes did not. No biggie.
I got the two rows of asparagus weeded and we picked about ten stems! We still need to side dress with compost and the garlic and onions as well but we have a busy week so it won't get done until later this week. I think this is the first year I've gotten the asparagus weeded BEFORE harvest. Usually I'm so busy planting it doesn't get done until after harvest, if at all.
I also got the black raspberries weeded and cardboard down and some straw. I took the replacement plants (potted up) over yesterday and hope to get them planted today as well as finish the mulching but it's supposed to rain all day so it probably isn't happening. I have to babysit my grandson the next two days and Wed. will be a recovery day, so nothing will get done until Thursday that doesn't get done today!
I got all the peppers potted up but I am keeping them inside under the lights for a few more weeks. The tomatoes and other flowers that are potted up are in the greenhouse with just a small heater to keep it above 40.
I was told that I could hang a piece of clothing on a fence post and spray with perfume and the deer will think it's a person so I'm going to give it a try. We haven't had any deer in the garden this spring yet but I'd rather they didn't discover the buffet at all so I'll give it a try.
So I'm not keeping up very well with posting what I am doing for my garden but I'll keep trying.
The Limbaugh tomato seeds I got from Alana last Friday and planted six right away were already popping through by Monday and I potted them up yesterday. I thought all six had germinated but there were only five. Also, more pepper seeds planted (Napoleon and Jalepeno) were also germinating. I had bad luck with several other peppers this year, Nardello, Golden Marconi, Gypsy. I think the seed was just too old.
Yesterday I spent a few hours planting flower seeds. Not to put under lights, they are on their own in the GH. I have so many seeds I will never get around to planting them all.
Today I potted up more seedlings, kale, cabbage and flowers, Anchusa, Pineapple sage and lots of agastache. Still a lot more to pot up. I have three more self watering trays ready for planting. I never got around to doing any geranium cuttings this year but I'm not going to market so I don't need them to sell. I think I actually have enough for my pots. I think it's just habit to want to do them. I did take cuttings from my Tuxedo camilla and potted up four of them. I hope they root.
The pomegranate tree and blueberry bush we got a few weeks ago are looking really good. The blueberry is supposed to have huge berries and there are a few blossoms. I know I am supposed to remove them the first year, but of course I don't. I have no idea what to expect from the pomegranate.
Only one of the Rosella hibiscus survived after only a few germinating so of course, I soaked some more and then forgot them again, overnight. When I checked on them, some had already started to germinate. Not sure if the difference is they are seeds I saved last fall or what, but I planted them today as well.
Cold tonight so everything is back in the greenhouse and it's very crowed and messy in there right now. I covered up the tiny kale seedling I put out the other day too. It's very windy so I piled on leaves and tucked one end of the row cover into the ground. I hope it holds.
I have photos to upload then will post them later.
Cabbage and tiny tomatoes
Celery
East wall of GH
West wall. Over wintered tomato. The cart has my potting mix in. I sit there and pot up. Tight quarters. Flats of seedlings everywhere. Plus now flats of seeds planted.
I got my pre-sprouted snow/sugar peas planted today. A little here and a little there. Some in a flower bed, some in the concrete planter, some in a large pot and the rest in a raised bed.
On 2-25 Miranda helped me plant the rest at the farm. We also planted some radishes. She sprinkled them sort of heavy but that's okay. I showed her how to scrape them to thin them out a bit but however they grow is fine. I also planted the remaining lettuce seedlings direct. Probably about 200 of them. Everything is still under row cover with temps going down to 33 on Saturday. Still no roots on the beets. The tops look great though!
Seeds for Limbaugh's Legacy tomato came on 25th from Alana. I planted six and held back six. Peppers are not doing very well. Five Red Marconi and just now Calif. Wonders coming up. The rest are a bust!
We did get a small amount of rain today which is good for the peas and potatoes we planted yesterday. Could have used more, but I'll take it.
I continue to pot up the lettuce seedlings in plug trays. Had to make more paper pots. Still almost 200 seedlings to go if I don't decide to just pitch some because I'm tired of it! LOL!
I had hibiscus (Rosella) seeds soaking yesterday and forgot to plant them so today I scarified them and planted. It was much easier after they soaked so long but I'm hoping they didn't soak too long.
I have peas in damp paper towel but the towel dried out so I added more water but I'm afraid it was too much. Changed the toweling and left the bags open a bit. We'll see.
Almost all the tomatoes are up except only one Aunt Ruby's German Green. I hope more come up. I planted Stump of the World, San Marzano Redorta, Bolseno (they didn't germinate), Steakhouse, Sungold Select, Large Fruited Cherry, and seeds from my mother of another large Roma. Oh, also Barlow Jap. Alana is sending me some Limbaugh's Legacy seeds.
