2021 Garden thread

Good time to get out there and turn the soil. Hopefully the dark attracts light and melts off to refreeze overnight..... see ya nasty bugs that live 3-4” underground (and some of you weed roots too!!).

 

Last week this was a beautiful bed full of broccoli and Swiss chard.

 

Not expecting any peaches this spring. Look closely to see the blossom in there...

 

Right now I have Pak Choy (white stem cabbage), Kai Choy (mustard cabbage), green onions, carrots, and daikon radishes growing. There also are Kentucky pole beans, broccoli, and one really nice prolific eggplant bush that is doing nicely.

My tomato plants are hesitating, could be the nights and mornings to midday temperatures are a little too cold for them.

Today I planted some Zinnia and Wildflowers. I also have about 21 sunflowers that are just beginning to break through the soil.

I also plan to expand and add 2 more raised garden beds. I use cinder blocks and the beds are up against my retaining wall in the backyard.

 

Seeds finally arrived. Some have been tough to come by. I managed to save a few from last year’s plants but overall wasn’t good about it. I promise to be better this year.

I expanded the main garden by @100 sq ft in the fall and the secondary by @20 sq ft. I’m doing three new raised beds in spring for herbs.

 

Time lapse report......so the snow is gone and it’s 73 above 0 today but windy.
Turned the garden (not tilled as that requires a tiller) and laid out the soaker hose with approximate areas of need. Only going with 4 tomatoe plants this year (2 early girl 1 best bush hybrid (had to google but looks promising) and 1 either Juliet or some Italian type grown last year).
It was too crowded last year with 5 tomatoes and all the cages etc. will add peppers (3) and basil between tomatoes later when prices settle. Did cilantro last year but heat cut short that project and it was always cheap cheap in the grocery so off the list this year.
Also have two patio tomatoes on the patio to give the wife something to do since I have been assigned dust patrol on a weekly basis.
Soil and compost + cow dung..... and the flags provided by at&t sometime or other. to mark where the hoses are for later planting. As they get covered. Bought two early girls and best bush hybrids with double plants in the pit which decreased purchase price by 1/2. (and provides more SHOE $ I’m sure). So kept one of each out in case of failed launch. Used milk cartons from days gone by wrapped in bubble wrap to defer wind and give protection from cold temperatures. We are usually 3-6 degrees below big city overnight lows and was just cautious. Next 10 days look real good in that department so maybe a mild frost between now and April 15 when things really take off.

 

Picked up a couple dozen plants at local nurseries. Not too many new varieties this year, so I’m going with mostly classic heirlooms: Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Homestead, Black Cherry, and Yellow Pear. Only newcomer is Azoychca, an orange/yellow Russian heirloom.
Tomorrow is planting day!

 

To cover the soaker hose after all plants are in I have a pile of rocky dirt....dirt with rocks would be great.... from when the foundation was dug for a metal building we use as a garage. With 2:1 dirt to one bag composted humus you can get acceptable “loam” type mixture. It’s just removing all the rocks as you go.

 

Just wanted to share my excitement about my eggplants. The plant was given to me by my wife’s boss when just a seedling and now it’s big and thriving!

I wanted to grow my own eggplants so here are my seedlings under the light lamps.

 

Going to start my seeds next weekend indoors including eggplant. Not my favourite but, someone in the house is insisting

 

❤️‍‍
Got 7 taylor juniper at the nursery yesterday, hubs got the excavator out and planted them. No nuts at nursery and none at a few others nearby I've called, so I'll order online. He started turning veggie garden soil - did 2 or 3 raised beds today. I cleaned perennials from a couple of landscape beds today, and ordered some supplies for potted plants...Gently, slowly making ready for spring....
(Indoor lettuce and spinach are great and tomatoes have a couple blossoms!)

 

Graduated from milk boxes to tomato cages with bubble wrap for last minute freeze and current March winds (like 35 mph...wtf? over)

 

Also last year when it got warm (like it got cold this winter) the pollination went lacking so we are going to try window boxes with flowers to attract the critters that do the deed....if not we will plant flowers about the area to attract. Next year

 

Hubs planted 4 new blueberry yesterday, and turned & amended a couple of my veggie beds (he'll do a couple every so often as he has time). This morning I planted sugar snap peas, mesclun mix, french breakfast radish, cilantro, spinach and 3 kinds of lettuce. Let the spring cool season (outside) commence!

 

Mail order vegetable seeds and/or plants...anyone have a company that they have used and would recommend?
Thanks in advance!

 

My Tidy Treat tomato plant is doing exceptionally well in the grow tent.



The rest of the seedlings are also growing nicely, I have lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, turnip and rutabaga. I have pulled my outside planters inside to thaw the soil and get them ready. I'll get some of the more cold tolerant seedlings outside in the next few weeks.

 

My babies are growing beautifully. Peppers, eggplant and tomatoes started. Cucumbers next weekend.

 

Finally planted violas. Lady said bees love ‘em. Good for all. And a concert at night as well. Although no others, just violas.

 

Ok. Throwing out stuff we hadn’t seen, much less utilized in the last 15 years. Ran across an old sundial and since I had a new stump from oak wilt thought I’d try it.
Had one as a kid to keep me mostly out of trouble; it mostly worked. Looking to set it at noon.

 

And the photographer shadow. Very important