Time to plant

Spent 3 1/2 hours in the garden today, planting green bunching onions, walla walla onions, kale, Swiss chard, arugula, 4 different kinds of lettuce, radishes, corn and mache. It's supposed to be quite warm for the next few days. In the 80s. Yeah, that will get everything off to a great start.

Did I mention that I planted 2 rows of carrots and 2 rows of peas on Monday? See the criss cross supports? Those are for the peas.

Meanwhile, my seeds in pots are finally taking hold. I have sprouting squash, Brandywine tomatoes, Beefsteak tomatoes, and peas. So far, nothing from any of the peppers I planted. Same for the broccoli and eggplant. Oh well, let's give it a few more days.

It's Plant It Forward Time

After a long hiatus, it's time to get back to the garden. I planted a legume-based cover crop in the 2 lower gardens last fall. They grew to be 2-3' tall. 1 month ago we dug it in. I still have to break up some big lumps in the soil, but it's time to start planting. I'm only going to use the 2 big gardens on the bottom this year. No hillside gardens. I would have started earlier, but I spent 6 days in San Miguel de Allende recently, and I didn't want to be gone at such an important time. When you've just planted the seeds, you have to watch over them carefully, like a newborn baby.

Anyway, I'm ready to roll. Yesterday, I prepared small containers to start seedlings, which would later be transplanted into the main gardens. I planted cucumbers, watermelon, eggplant, broccoli, red, yellow and purple bell peppers, Jalapeno peppers, Brandywine tomatoes, Beefsteak tomatoes and Chianti Rose tomatoes. I also planted zucchini, Butternut squash and summer squash. Some of the other vegetables, I will plant directly into the main gardens, like the radishes, beets, onions, carrots--all the root vegetables.

Have to buy some more potting soil. I want to start the peas and beans as soon as possible.

Mon., Nov 21

After that great rain on Sunday, the vetch is coming up like crazy. Not too much more to do. Pulled out all the tomato plants. Should dig up the soil and plant vetch where the tomato plants used to be. The soil is too wet right now. In a day or two--before Thursday's rain. Still need to do the hillside.

The garlic also looks good. The kelp feeding helped.

Thursday's blog for Wednesday, Nov 9

Can't believe I haven't written in so long. The garden is winding down. Wednesday I pulled out the last of the zucchini and beans from the hillside garden. Pulled out the stakes and trellis too. In the #1 garden I pulled out 4 cherry tomato plants, 2 eggplants and more bell pepper plants. I still have one beefsteak tomato plant with 5 green tomatoes. Also pulled out the last of the radishes. Tilled the soil and planted vetch, which I inoculated the night before. Harvested some spinach from the raised bed, tilled the soil and planted the rest of the vetch. Watered everything really well. Now all that's left are some basil plants, bell pepper and jalapeno plants and a few tomato plants. I think only the one plant has tomatoes. I just have to pull out the other ones. Should I save the roots for an art project? I've already saved 3 cherry tomato plants. Maybe I should try to save a couple of Beefsteak and Brandywine plants and roots to add to my root collection.

I still have lovely lettuce and some spinach. Thinking about planting some arugula.

Planted 26 cloves of garlic today near the potato bin. Hope I get better garlic than last year. Last year the garlic looked like green onions. I read that garlic needs phospherus. Maybe that's what they were missing. Also took soil from the hillside garden and covered the potato plants. I am not going to use the hillside garden next year. I hope to use up the soil in the rest of the garden and then take down the redwood sides.

Juna joined me in the garden today. Before she arrived I harvested some vegetables, pulled out 2 old kale plants, watered. It was 99 oF today. Hot, hot, hot!

When Juna arrived we sifted a wheelbarrow and 1/2 of compost and mixed it into the raised bed. Have to finish that soon. Must plant the garlic, more arugula and the vetch.

Harvest: Beefsteak and Brandywine tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, bok choy, spinach, green onions, radishes, 2 watermelons (the last two), kale.

Rain, rain, rain!

I was going to work on the compost pile today, sifting, adding compost to the gardens, but it's raining cats and dogs. Thank goodness I covered the pile with a tarp. It's already too wet, even though I have added lots of newspaper and cardboard. It will have to wait for another day!