Yesterday was a nice drizzly spring day. Usually this weather is pretty normal in the spring. I just wish the temperature had been normal. It was a chilly day and the next few will be chilly too. Drizzly days are great for me to get out and plant a few things. I planted up the leek and herb section of the garden. I have three major rotations in the garden. The warm weather crops have two rotations - solanums and the three sisters crops. The last major rotation is my leafy vegetables, peas, and root crops. Within that rotation has its own rotation. One is my brassicas, that have a bed of their own so they can be covered. Another is my lettuce, garlic and onions.
Bed that was planted up
Left to right, seeded dill, celery, leeks, cilantro (hard to see), an empty spot where the cumin goes, parsley, and bunching onions
But the bed I planted up this time was the one with all the leftovers. So it is a mish mash of a bed. Already planted were my peas, favas, and carrots. Yesterday I planted up the leeks, celery (though am I too early for that? I've never planted it before and they were big enough to go out so I did), bunching onions, and some herbs. The herbs that go in here are the annual herbs. I'm still debating how I want the rotations to go, but for now I seeded some dill and transplanted some parsley and some cilantro. The cilantro was just barely up as the tap root doesn't like to be disturbed. the funny thing is that I could see the root coming out of the bottom before the top shows.
Favas coming up
The fava beans in this bed are starting to come up. As I said before after I planted them I mixed in the fertilizer forgetting they were there. So I was hoping some at least would still be close enough to the surface. I didn't really turn the soil over, but did use the fork. So far I have about half a dozen coming up. I planted 32 so I still hope for more.
Spinach is getting its first true leaves
On the next nice day I have to get row cover over the spinach. I don't want to have to pick off the leaf miner eggs from 50 sqft of spinach. That would just be too much of a chore. So I'll put on a row cover. I didn't do it before because it is so much easier to water without a row cover. I would water every day when they were germinating. They seem mostly up now. There are a few gaps as to be expected, but in many places they came up well.
And in other news, I no longer hate the UPS man. My arm doesn't hurt anymore and I'm looking forward to my next package. I hope it is the apple and plum trees. I hope they come this week. And the rose. Yes I'd love to get the rose in. Hmm and my mints and herbs would be nice to get. OK so I'm hoping for the UPS man to come this week. I miss him. I'm fickle.
I'm so happy you've made up with the UPS man! And you really do have a lot in those new gardens, it will be exciting to watch them grow. Does that mean I have no life, when I get excitement from watching a parsley plant grow?
ReplyDeleteI was just reading an article in our newspaper, and the farmers are very happy with this slow, cool spring. They said crops fare so much better than with premature hot temperatures. I'm still ready for some warm. Not hot, just warm.
Great looking seedlings sprouting up! I'm going to try a row cover for my spinach bed as a way to stave off leaf miners. I've had bad luck with them every year.
ReplyDeleteEverything is looking good!
ReplyDeleteGranny, doesn't everyone love to watch a parsley plant grow? It seems like a fine thing to do to me.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the premature hot weather either, but I do want my spring. It has been too cold too often. But yes it is better than last year when we had massive heat very early. But some year I'd like the average temperature for a change. Not these weird hot and cold swings.
Sinfonian, In the past I've picked them off the chard, but I have way too much spinach to get checking each leaf every three days. That would be a pain. This year no leaf miner checking though as I'm growing them both under covers.
Katrina, thanks
The newly planted areas look so full of promise. Our spinach starts are at almost the same point in growth and size.
ReplyDeleteOn the celery, as long as you are not getting to freezing levels and those plants were hardened off well - they will be just fine. It is a surprising tough plant - but will go down if you get a freeze.
You have very healthy soil, no wonder all your plants are growing so fast.
ReplyDeleteLaura, that is good. They have been outside hardening off for a couple of weeks already. Tonight might get a frost, so I'll go cover them up.
ReplyDeleteDiana, well since the yard is new the soil was all trucked in. I asked for good loam. What I got was pretty sandy and gravely, but lots of organic matter.
Your parsley looks so beautiful! I'm still waiting for mine to come up. I hear it take a long time to do.
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