Tag: radishes

Dear Past Alison

Time and (limited) experience in the garden has taught me that the only way to learn anything out here is to do it wrong at least once. I’ve run this theory by several experienced gardeners, and they always nod then tell me stories.

So, here are some things I’d like to tell past Alison.

– Plant perennials that need time to mature the second that you decide you’re interested in gardening. Do not wait several years so that you can wait another couple of years to eat your raspberries and asparagus

-DO NOT PLANT OREGANO IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, you idiot. It is monstrous!

-Do not leave the greenhouse closed on a 86Degree spring day. Everything will die. It will roast and die, and you will cry.

-Don’t skip soil amendment just because it’s far away and heavy.

-Don’t plant strawberries or raspberries without some heavy defenses. They will conquer the garden.

-Don’t take free plants with holes chewed in them. You. Are. Dumb.

****

Okay! Enough berating. One thing I did so right was to use the leaves as mulch on some of the beds and between our neighbors very weedy yard and our moderately weedy lawn.

The patch of green in the middle is a transplanted perennial sunflower. g.

I spent the morning weeding (if there isn’t an old saying about the difficulty of pulling grass from the onion bed there should be.) and placing a second bed for peas (west e). The poor peas that I planted in the lower bed have not been able to win the war against whatever is eating them (I have all kinds of theories, but no luck… Something is digging there. /: ) so if they come up in the west bed, I’ll have to reorganize a bit more. (Squash, peppers, and okra need homes.)

Things that weren’t roasted in the greenhouse LOVED the warm sunny weather. I think some greens are starting (kale, chard, romaine), radishes are getting bigger, grapes… many things.

The lull

One of the main reasons that this blog exists is to remind me of the cycles of life. I will have a bout of depression in late winter, which will be followed by an intense need to build/grow/change, followed by a flurry of activity, followed by a lull. The plants don’t come up right away, the weather doesn’t cooperate, the plans to build and change hit a snag of indecision/loss of motivation/other uncontrollable factors.

The lull is almost bad as the late-winter-blues… but it gives me the distinct impression that all my work was for nothing.

It’s sunny outside. I want it to be summer; with a bounty of veggies, a room full of kittens, and a fully formed studio.

*deepbreath*

So this is why there’s a blog. So next year I can feel this way, then look back 52 weeks and see that the feeling isn’t new. Then go from there and see proof that given a little time, a little sun, and a little warmth it will all happen.

***

We’re past the “last average frost” now, so green beans went in. I changed them to South D because it was empty, and sad, and weedy. I also went a little overboard with the root veggies in West E, but many of them will be ready to harvest (fingers crossed) by the time the peppers and okra go out. I jumped the gun a little and planted the yellow bush beans too… I probably should have waited (they suggest soil temp of 65 and it’s 50 now /: ) but the last of the seeds were just sitting in the envelope all lonely.

And you know… The lull is dangerous!

I’ll hold off on the squash, maybe check soil temp tomorrow after today’s 73 degrees. (Squash want 60 deg soil.)

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.

Back from the suncation

We had a nice trip- but it’s back to reality.

I guess there was a little sun here while we were gone. The garlic is looking happy, the onions are hanging in there, the radishes are getting bigger and the beets are starting to show sprouts.

The peas continue to be eaten by a mystery predator. I might just go out at night to see if I can catch them in the act. I’ve always hesitated to put out slug traps- but this might be my turning point.

The inside basil experiment is going well. I’ve had it under the hydroponic light. It’s happy. The others are basically dead outside. The greenhouse one might make it.

While I was gone the sprouts (tomato, okra, pepper) got a little drowned I think, and weren’t looking good. I transplanted then all to larger pots, and put the extra ones in a tray in the greenhouse.

When I was transplanting I noticed that they all seemed to want some deeper roots- especially the okra and peppers that maneuvered out of the bottom of their paper pots. Next year I need to remember that, and plant them in something taller.

Eh.

We have had the joy of living without half of our appliances for a week, because of a lack of 240 voltage and dependable electrician. It’s also been gross outside- including some snow, and lots of rain.

I am not happy.

So let’s start with what’s good in the garden…

The two blue hydrangeas are coming in quick. I fertilized them with the hydrangeas food today.

The two rhody transplants are settling in well.

The hops are coming up- p has been pulling extra shoots.

The rhubarbs all seem very happy.

Some root veggies are sprouting in west E.

NOW for the bad news.

Something has been eating my pea sprouts. I have a feeling it’s the pnw monster slug. I do not feel any warm feelings. I sprinkled Sluggo across the soil with ruthless abandon.

The garlic is not happy about the weather. There’s a lot of yellow showing. I don’t think there is anything I can do- but I put the tomato fertilizer on it while chanting. /:

Onions are also barely hanging in there, and got the same treatment.

The lawn looks like hell- although some of the clover and fleur de lawn seed seems to be catching. All the effort we made trying to smooth it may or may not have helped.

Here are the fertilizers I used.

The blue one went on the hydrangeas, camelia, and blueberries

The red one went on the onions, garlic, and the places I’m putting tomatoes.

In the process of writing this (and waiting for water to boil for my bath), the asparagus and raspberrys have arrived.

I begged P to plant them- since he has access to a shower at work.

Raspberries are going in west A, asparagus in west B.

BRRRRRRR BEETS AND GREENS

We are without electricity today, and I decided not to go downtown because of the SNOW and instead opted for working in the yard a bit… I’m almost able to feel my toes now. /:

Planted chard, kale, and romaine in upper b. (romaine is furthest west)

Put leeks, beets, and carrots in south a.

I really fluffed up the soil there (and found a patch of mycelium), with the hope of better root crops. Let’s hope bunnies don’t like carrots IRL.

Peas are JUST starting to break the surface, and some ejected themselves from the soil (:. Saw a tiny bit of green in West E- beets and radishes.

The onions are looking a tad bit better (the old greenery died off, but new stuff is pushing out). I just need to remember that this is how they roll.

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?