Slow progress in the cold

It’s been cold enough this past week that some garden plantings have been paused. Nonetheless, plenty of things are underway.

Big day. Entire garden is finally cleaned up and tilled. Controversies about tilling aside, things look good. Normal amount of glacial till has worked its way up with the frost, creeping Charlie is easily raked up- roots and all. Soil looks nice down to six inches of till and the small patch of nettles at the base of the grapes will boil up to a tasty cooked green.

• 

• 

• 

The many forms and stages of early asparagus

Hops is quite prolific on the 45th parallel. One of the challenges of the early season is to keep trimming the new bine wanna-bees to allow the chosen ones to be prolific bearers as well as growers!

Many are at 12″ now and so it is time to build the hop pole. 21′ high with eight runners an a few diagonal lines to a lower 12′ pole. A little heat and a little moisture and they’ll be off

A few more updates

Things going well:

• Peas are up about 1/2″
• Lettuce is planted
• Chard (first planting) is in
• French thyme is up and robust (eggplant sandwiches soon?)
• Rhubarb has been eaten and is bound for a crisp this weekend
• NO buds popping on the grapes
• Oregano is prolific and delicious

• 

  French Thyme

• 

  Rabbits fenced out- greens soon

The Rush Ahead of April Showers 1

With some much desired rain on the way this week I took some time away from the bathroom rebuild to get dirty. Two days of 80 degrees F with increasing humidity can only mean rain ahead when the cool temps return. We are running with high temps about 25 degrees above normal right now. The seasoned gardener says, “wait for it, frost is coming again” but the passionate gardener remarks “this could be the one- tomatoes by the end of June”. Here’s what’s up

First a quick look at the timing of pea planting over a few past years:

2013	May	25	Peas replanted before the rain(again)
2015	May	12	peas planted
2016	April	4	peas planted
2017	April	8	Peas planted
2018	May	5	Peas planted
2020	March	27	Peas planted

So, my peas are in the ground this year on April 5, somewhat earlier than most. I plant them in a box along the north fence so they can climb when they are ready. In a week or so they will get a row of radishes in front of them. Note that the major garden cleanup and tilling has not yet happened. Here’s the box after planting:

Peas underground!

Glad to report that I’ve got about 30 onions in the ground ahead of the rain. Just onion ‘sets’ at this time with the bulbs planted close enough that I can pick green onions to eat as the spring progresses and thin the rows at the same time. Last year I had great success with the onions in boxes, so I’m trying the same this year to see if it was a fluke. Last year I also had some amazing luck with onion seeds! I’ll let you know when I get the seed in the ground.

Note the rhubarb just north of the onions

Just a few more notes for today. The mini-greenhouse is ready to go. Hope to get the seedlings out over the weekend. Speaking of the seedlings: the ones with a warm pad under them are up and about with the second set of leaves due any day now. The seedlings without a heat pad are not yet up- but soon! If I wasn’t such a miserly gardener I would run out and get another heat pad.

• 

  Shelves up, weights holding it down, sensor in place

• 

  Seriously, those little trays have beautiful seedlings

Stay green folks.

Here’s a better shot!