Saturday Morning Gardening
During the workaday week, I have little time for gardening... so on warm, sunny spring mornings like this one, I was eager to get out and work in the soil, get caught up on maintenance tasks, and finish planting the vegetable seeds. (I still have some more herbs to tuck in...)The maintenance tasks completed today were: Added two inches of dirt and compost mixed on the potato tower, added compost to the onion beds, added bone meal to the shrubs that we're trying to start from volunteers (this helps them establish roots), composted the strawberries and zucchinis, and everything got a good dose of fertilizer 5-5-5 because it's a good starter fertilizer for young, tender plants. Most of everything got a good hand watering including the irises and the magnolia tree, which was just planted this spring.
To start it off I assessed where things were at. The lettuce looks fine and needs a good picking. I'll get that done soon...
The potatoes had grown quite a bit in the south bed, so it was time to add another layer of compost dirt around them to enable them to send out another layer of potato buds from which to grow another layer of potatoes. Think we can yield about a bushel of potatoes from one of these chicken wire cages. I'm looking forward to that. If we put a second tier of chicken wire on, we should yield about 100 lbs. of potatoes from one of these!
The microgreens are going to seed. These plants were started from organic seeds, so I'll need to capture some of the seeds to be able to use them for the next planting.
Next is the organic spinach. It too is going to seed, which means more seed capturing...
Notice the difference in the photos. Today, it was bright and sunny and the plants really are reflecting that reality. Made them look gorgeous in the photographs.
The arugula looks like a field of blossoms and seed. The last time I tried to pick the seeds was on a very windy day, making it close to impossible. I'll have to go out later tonight and gather some then. Remember this was the arugula that was planted last fall on September 19th that we ate from the whole winter. Eight months later it's finally going to seed. We ate well...
The peas, carrots, and radishes were planted a few months ago when it was still fairly chilly out. They seem like they are just now starting to take off—giving us a few blooms to look at. We're thinking that we'll have to add a lot more sand to the soil to really make the carrots take off. When I clear out one of the other beds that have gone to seed, I'll try that. I have some organic, multi-color carrots to try this experiment on...
I sprinkled the cauliflower and the red cabbage with baby powder to keep the bunnies that live next door away. I think they'll be tempted to just pull up a chair with a knife, fork, and bib and help themselves. What do you think?
OK, remember when the broccoli seedlings got fried in the portable greenhouse? I had some seeds left in the packet, so I direct seeded them last week or the week before. Right afterwards the winds were very strong. I didn't know if any of the seeds would even still be there, let alone be determined enough to sprout. This morning when I cut back the black cloth, lo and behold, I had new broccoli babies. Some in each of the holes. We're off to a good start!
The jalepeno and green peppers appear to be thriving in this soil and these conditions. I think they like the sun, the heat, the wind, and the water. Go peppers!
Today, when looking at the tomato plants (we have 12), I noticed that one has fruit on it already.
Take a look at that!
A few of the tomato seedlings from the greenhouse burn... actually survived. They hadn't really been hardened off when I felt that I had to get them out of the greenhouse and plant them. Again, the winds were brutal and I couldn't imagine how these very fragile, tender young seedlings could withstand the strong winds and the fluctuating temperatures. Today when I cut back the black weed barrier, I noticed two of the seedlings were hanging in strong. They are still small, but they'll make it. They are also heirloom plants, so I'm particularly interested to learn what quality of tomatoes they produce because I'll be able to keep their seeds for future years.
The raspberry bush looks very healthy. Planted it last fall and it looks like it'll thrive in this environment.
Planted a couple of strawberry plants a month or so ago. Didn't think I'd see any fruits from it until its second season, but alas... introductory fruit. Can't wait til I get to taste them! I put the baby powder around them also to keep those bunnies away...
The row of beets are sprouting quite nicely now. Planted those about six weeks ago now from my recollection. I subsequently read that beets don't grow well in Kansas, but I do recall how the beet greens were very well worth it last fall. If I can't grow the beets themselves, at least I can enjoy their greens.
Bon appetit!
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