Busy - Busy - Busy

I can't believe it's been 13 days since my last post. To get you up to date I'll just give you a quick run down of what's been going on.

Click on photos for a larger view

The battle of the squirrles continues. The little sucker found his way under the hoop house into bed 3 and dug up one square of carrots.



After reseeding the carrots I covered them with some hardware cloth. This seems to be keeping them out.



With all the seeding I did in bed 4 I didn't want to risk it so I covered them too.



Speaking of carrots I pulled some baby carrots that have been over wintering in bed 3. I planted these in early Fall.



I've been wanting to make compost tea since last season but just didn't find the time. Last weekend I picked up all the "hardware" needed to setup my brewing bucket. I assemble everything according to Deuley's Own Little Texas Tea Brewer . Jenn over at Gamine's Garden posted this same topic on her blog last year and made it look so easy. Well I'm here to tell you it is very easy to assemble. Next weekend I will brew my first compost tea. I've been collecting rain water and have homemade compost that will be perfect for my tea.



Also last weekend I potted up the tomatoes and cucumbers. The photo below is one of the cucumbers. The root system looks great.



While out in the garden inspecting bed 2 I found this little family of mushrooms...



Photo below: Bed 2



Yesterday I planted some sunflowers and cosmos in the greenhouse. I'll be planting these in the Haven Family House garden. Since I have never grown these I want to get an idea how long they take to germinate and how fast they grow. I know it's best to sow sunflowers directly into the ground, but I won't be in the garden everyday to water and keep an eye on them. So I was hoping I could give them a healthy start in pots and then plant them out.



I also started some pumpkins and will pot these up until I can get them planted into the Haven garden. Jenn, thanks again for the seeds!

Potato update

The early potatoes took their sweet time coming up but seem to be picking up speed. The photo below was taken before I hilled them up. I will cover them one more time and then just let them go. The early potatoes will only put out tubulars in the first 8 inches or so. So there is no reason to cover them more than that.



The potato bin below is growing the late season potatoes. They also are growing at a slower pace compared to the mid season potatoes.



Below the mid season potatoes are growing like crazy. I added a fourth layer and more soil yesterday. I hope this is an indication that I will have a good harvest. Photo below was taken before the fourth layer was added.



Photo below: Mid season red potatoes



A few weeks ago the sweet potato that was in my pantry started to sprout. So I put it in a glass of rain water...



It looks very alien like...



The two photos below are of some of the seedlings I have growing in the greenhouse.

Haven House New Beginnings Organic Garden Update

Last weekend I went over to Haven and started cleaning out the rose beds. I had one volunteer come out to help me.

Photo below: Rose bed before...



Rose bed after...



To give you an idea how fast the weeds grow. The photo below was taken on December 28th



This photo was taken February 27.



I have a group of Stanford University students coming out to the Haven garden on March 6th. I will have them finish cleaning out the rose beds, organize the garden shed and pull weeds in the picnic area. We have another group coming out March 12. They will get pumpkin hill weeded.

I'll be sure to post photos of our progress.