planting weekend
Finally a change in the weather, and we're past our average frost date with a pretty darn good 7-day forecast. I have a few more items. to rotate in as I pull lettuce in the next week or so, and of course second plantings as various spring harvests end, but the majority of the food garden is in the ground!
Some highlights:
Main tomato bed: 7 plants and a horesradish :) I stuck some leftover onions in-between to harvest as scallions before the toms get too big. No supports yet, and hoops just in case I need to cover at some point.
Main eggplant and sweet peppers. I'm putting these under row cover for a little extra heat, and because I have been having flea beetle troubles. They don't do too much damage, but seem to slow plants down when they are small, so I'm hoping to get them a head start this way.
Operation June tomato: survived all the cold nights, seems happy, and now with BLOOMS!
Insane Salad/greens bed. The problem with consecutive plantings is that at some point they are all going at once! I apparently was overenthusiastic, even when planting only half-rows. Oh well, it is beautiful, and we and the chickens are eating a lot of salad this week! I also tried out several new "winter" varieties of greens and have a better idea of what we like and what will do well over the fall and winter.
Random thoughts on planting day:
- I love Zip ties--I know plastic = evil, but they are just so handy when creating impromptu trellises and plant protectors, or for fence repairs.
- What is the deal with ants? I found them living inside my trowel--I know I don't have the cleanest tools, but still.
- Grand tomato count: THIRTEEN. That's up from 10 last year, assuming all survive. Goals are more sundried tomatoes and a few more jars of sauce and crushed this year. Hopefully I won't regret this!
I just got a couple of horseradish transplants from my mother (and some rhubarb!) How do you process it? Just grind it?
ReplyDeleteWe've only had a small harvest so far so are still learning--mostly we stored the roots whole and grated up a little when needed. I hear the food processor works but is a little powerful (makes some STRONG fumes!).So far it's fun and tasty, you gotta love perennial edibles.
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