Garden Scramble
The last week or 10 days have been incredibly warm here. The midwest and eastcoast ar in single digit temps if they're above 0 at all. Here...we're sleeping with windows open and even have the ceiling fan on at night.
So I'm getting a little nervous about my spring gardening. We're just 1 month into winter and winter seems over. Can I still plant my January plants or should I be planting plants that would thrive normally if planted in Feb and March?
I spent the gardening part of my day finishing up most of the digging on the new bed. Still don't have money to fill it up with mulch etc, but hopefully in a few weeks. In the meantime, I'll use some of the excavated dirt to build a shade wall along the west and southwest side, and get seedlings started.
Seedlings: I planted some marigold seeds to border my veggie gardens and help control pests. I also used the old cauliflower starter tray from last fall to plant yellow and green pepper seeds (8 of each). Finally, I planted about a dozen pea seeds. Not sure how well they'll grow, or transplant, but will give'em a shot.
Thinking I need to start beans soon too. Tomatoes are coming up, but of more than 1 dozen planted, only 5 or so have sprouted. May have to start another rounds.
Carrot prime is now starting to look suspiciously like a weed and not a carrot. No sprouts from any other carrots yet. I suspect that the mulchy, composty soil is just not holding water near the seeds, despite the many layers of grass clippings. All seedlings today were planted in a mix of bagged organic garden soil and some of my clay and sand heavy soil. It naturally gets very hardbaked in the sun, but mixed with the mulchy mix, I expect that the clay will work to keep my seeds moist and get them started. If it works, I'll start working with this mix in the straight garden plantings too.
Cauliflower may have something eating it. I'm starting to see holes in some upper leaves, signs of possible chomping of lower leaves, and other signs of stress. Wondering if the coffee grounds I put out near some of them last week are adversely affecting them. The weather means I need to start watering ebery other day instead of twice a week.
Leaving seedlings out overnight tonight because the night is so mild.
I'm enjoying a bit of "imagining time" each day, as I describe it to Anya. I love to just look over the garden, developed spaces and undeveloped, envision water flowe, sun and shade patterns, and what the space may someday look like. It's a fun and creative daily meditation.
I got a good workout from the dig today. I look forward to the physical effort after five days of sitting in front of a computer and doing lots of mental gymnastics to tech calls and make sales. Keeps me balanced and reduces my stress.
Ah, bliss!
So I'm getting a little nervous about my spring gardening. We're just 1 month into winter and winter seems over. Can I still plant my January plants or should I be planting plants that would thrive normally if planted in Feb and March?
I spent the gardening part of my day finishing up most of the digging on the new bed. Still don't have money to fill it up with mulch etc, but hopefully in a few weeks. In the meantime, I'll use some of the excavated dirt to build a shade wall along the west and southwest side, and get seedlings started.
Seedlings: I planted some marigold seeds to border my veggie gardens and help control pests. I also used the old cauliflower starter tray from last fall to plant yellow and green pepper seeds (8 of each). Finally, I planted about a dozen pea seeds. Not sure how well they'll grow, or transplant, but will give'em a shot.
Thinking I need to start beans soon too. Tomatoes are coming up, but of more than 1 dozen planted, only 5 or so have sprouted. May have to start another rounds.
Carrot prime is now starting to look suspiciously like a weed and not a carrot. No sprouts from any other carrots yet. I suspect that the mulchy, composty soil is just not holding water near the seeds, despite the many layers of grass clippings. All seedlings today were planted in a mix of bagged organic garden soil and some of my clay and sand heavy soil. It naturally gets very hardbaked in the sun, but mixed with the mulchy mix, I expect that the clay will work to keep my seeds moist and get them started. If it works, I'll start working with this mix in the straight garden plantings too.
Cauliflower may have something eating it. I'm starting to see holes in some upper leaves, signs of possible chomping of lower leaves, and other signs of stress. Wondering if the coffee grounds I put out near some of them last week are adversely affecting them. The weather means I need to start watering ebery other day instead of twice a week.
Leaving seedlings out overnight tonight because the night is so mild.
I'm enjoying a bit of "imagining time" each day, as I describe it to Anya. I love to just look over the garden, developed spaces and undeveloped, envision water flowe, sun and shade patterns, and what the space may someday look like. It's a fun and creative daily meditation.
I got a good workout from the dig today. I look forward to the physical effort after five days of sitting in front of a computer and doing lots of mental gymnastics to tech calls and make sales. Keeps me balanced and reduces my stress.
Ah, bliss!