As I'm sitting here writing the air is warm and the smell of onions is wafting through the air. I love this time of year. In just two days Spring will be here but today it feels like Summer.
Last Friday night I started my first batch of compost tea. By Sunday it was ready to use. Mother Nature gave my garden a good watering on Friday and Saturday. Sunday I applied the compost tea. Within two days I could see the difference it made for the brocolli. They seem to really perk up.
With the weather warming and more sun in the garden things are starting to grow a little faster.
Photos below: Click on photos for a larger view.
Early potatoes. I have finished hilling these up. From this point on I will just let them grow. Though I'm wondering if I can pinch them back if they start to get too big and wondering if I do pinch them back will it put more energy into the roots?
I put the last set of boards on the mid season potato bin. They look so healthy.
The main season potatoes are taking their sweet time. Hope this is a good sign.
I've never grown brussels sprouts and I must say they are fascinating to watch. The leaf stems were tight and close to the main stem. Now they seem to be opening up. One of them is starting to flower. Don't know it that is good or bad. Still hoping I will get a harvest before I have to pull them to make room for the tomatoes. I have about four or five weeks before I need to get them planted out. I can pot up the tomatoes one more time before that.
Photos below: Lettuce.
I started some lettuce seeds in the green house about two weeks ago. I couldn't believe how fast they were growing. I had put seeds right into some of the beds and they seem to be growing so slow. So I replaced some of them with the green house seedlings. I think I will start lettuce in the green house from now on.
I love using these plate covers to protect my seedlings. I went to the dollar store hoping to get some more but they didn't have any.
Photo Below: The raspberry canes are coming alive.
Photo Below: I brought the seedlings out Sunday morning to get some sun. I did lose three cucumber seedlings two days later. So now I'm debating if I should start more seeds in the green house or direct sow them right into bed 2.
Photo Below: The sweet potato only had one large slip. The rest of them are not putting on much growth. I may need to order some slips for this year and do a better job starting my own next year... that is if I can even grow them. This year will be the test.
Photo Below: I broke down and pulled my lovely purple vine out. I can't remember the name of the vine. It was shading the strawberry bed and most of bed 2. I did manage to pull a good size root ball and planted it into a pot for now. I will use the free space for a few pole beans. They won't get as thick as the flower vine did so the shading should not be a big problem... I hope.
This weeks harvest gave me baby carrots shown below and two hand fulls of sugar snap peas not pictured...
Also some lettuce, a few more peas and chives for last nights dinner.
This weekend I need to get my pole and bush beans started as well as pot up a few more seedlings. Everything will get a nice deep watering.
