Tag: herbs

Fertilizing, weeding, progress, uppotting

It’s been warm for a few days, but we’re in for a stretch in the 40-50s. I weeded and fertilized the strawberry patch, fertilized the potted herbs, harvested more rhubarb for soda, mint for drying. The older plum tree is finally blooming, so hopefully we’ll get some pollinators. the peas are finally large enough to uncover, and the beets and carrots are sprouting. Garlic and onions are doing well. Potatoes (from grocery store) are sprouting and I’ve covered them a couple of times.

I up- potted a few of the larger starts and put them on the floor of the greenhouse, and moved the (late) sprouted peppers into 3” pots. I’m still unhappy with my starts, but I think some will pull through. (Btw- I felt the same way last year and it wasn’t as cold!) I definitely think starting with the little pods and transplanting is the best way to go.

The squash in the walls look good, the ones outside not so much- which I expected. I also fertilized the asparagus and cut a few pieces.

Wander, fertilize, and plant

Got some squash, Romano beans, remaining peas, thinned carrots, asparagus, rhubarb, berries, and a few more sungolds. I planted more beets and carrots in the bed with the old favas. I also planted some more peas on the back side of the pea bed, and the remaining sweet Loraines as a ground cover in the onion bed (I ordered another variety of fava for next year.) I also replanted herbs in pots, fertilized. thanks and put mesclun mix in the empty spinach and corn salad pots. i cut back the lavender and artichokes that were blocking the rock steps. I’m tired.

I’ll prolly start having other tomatoes (plum and Roma) in the next week. Yay!

MORE!

What to say… There is much food. The Arugula is delicious, I’m also growing it inside, in the Aerogarden.

Some of the onions are still going. The hops are GIGANTIC. I found one okra, and that is enough to make growing them from seed worth it. The tomatoes are doing well, ripening. P loves spicing the sauce ones up and cooking them down into sauces. I think we have enough that we might eventually tire of that and have to can some. Green beans are doing well. I think the squash could use more irrigation (note for next year) as could the blueberries. (I filled a pocket up of blueberries yesterday. Whimsical!)

Uhm, looks like I might have a couple of Brussels sprouts and some leeks this winter; raspberries are happy.

Strawberries are having a second (small) berry time. Yay!

All of this is perfect timing to make me little less aware of my health. My gallbladder went from warning me occasionally, to hurting whenever I have any kind of fat. I do have a relatively low fat diet as a vegetarian who mainly eats home cooked meals, but I am missing my cheese and olive oil something fierce. There is hopefully a cure on the horizon, but it will mean a short break from tending the plants.

In the meantime we are getting creative with proteins, and I have developed a snack I call “hand salad”, which is basically a handful of lettuces (kale, arugula, mesclun) and tomatoes which I shove in my mouth.

It’s like potato chips, except not at all.

Take that nutritionist!

Here’s our false spring!

The weather is gorgeous, for a few days. I did a little wander through the garden- things are still happening slowly. I put a balanced fertilizer on the leafy veggies with the hope that it will inspire them to pick up.

The starts are looking amazing since I repotted them. That probably means it’s time to repot again (;

I traded out a few of the smaller ones from the greenhouse to see if they do better inside.

I also moved the greenhouse so it will get more fun. Sometimes I have to sacrifice aesthetics.

The little container tomato is hanging in there.

Remaining apple is starting to get leaves.

Strawberry and parsley baskets showing some growth.

Onions, Radishes, and Beets

72degrees! We’re about 6 weeks out from the average last frost (April 23)

I got a shipment of onion plants from Territorial today, a mix of Redwing, WallaWalla and Ringmaster. I’m not sure about the price ($29) value vs. sets at The Grange (~$5 each set) but we’ll see how they come up. About 120 starts total.

*instructions say to plant exactly 1″ deep, and no deeper.

Onions went around west c and west d. Tomatoes will go in center.

West E got a smattering of mixed beets and radishes. (1/2 deep) with space left for the bean trellis.

I also refreshed, filled and top dressed the pots. Planted parsley in one of the hanging baskets (the other has strawberries). A bonus onion found a home next to the borage.

UPDATE: Squak Mtn Nursery had bunches of WallaWallas for $4. So I guess if I order I don’t get a good deal, but I get what I want?

The Grange had all the same varieties- $5 each?