Growth & New Plantings

Last night I planted two varieties of Swiss chard; Fordhook Giant and Organic Red & White. Two varieties of Spinach; Bloomsdale & Renegade Hybrid. I want to also start some seedlings of Arugula but I don't know if I have the room!!!
As it stands I need to start my herbs. I have Feverfew that I use to treat headaches and then my cooking herbs to get started. So far the only seeds I have are basil, cilantro and dill.
I plan to possibly start some oregano and maybe parsley here soon. Again, all dependent on space.
That reminds me I need to set up the timer on the lights we have for the "nursery" for our seedlings.
We have 5 seeds coming up. 1 Super Sugar snap, 2 National Pickling Cucumber, 2 White Wonder Cucumbers.
The cukes are no suprise. Neither Edward and I are also suprised about the pea. Those are always easy.
I noticed yesterday while we were working the soil in the second bed that some arugula was coming up. Too bad I noticed it AFTER pulling it up with the rake. I'd love to direct sow some Arugula seeds into the bed where they'll go however we have to still get the manure and soil to raise the bed (aka soil) level.
We have one more big bed to make today, the two smaller for the okra and finally ONE BIG ONE for out front for the Twice as Nice Melon and the Watermelon, sugar baby. That is a last minute addition as I have the seeds so I figure I might as well try to plant it.
Earlier this week I also planted Carciofo di Romagna Artichokes. From all the reading I've done I see we won't get much this year but possibly next year we will.
One last bit before I sign off.
My 5 year old son, Nicholas, requested that his plant this year will be purple potatoes. Now, I've never grown a potato before!!! So I've been researching that like crazy. My biggest issue has been that I always felt that potatoes just take up so much darn room!
I did find a way to grow them using a Potato Condo idea.
Here is a link to a blog discussing the idea..
What a NEAT idea! Originally we were going to purchase a potato planter from Burpee for 29.95 but this seems like it might be a cheaper idea. I don't know. I'm still weighing the advantages, space issues and disadvantages to it.
We're running out of space and fast! I also found a website with super cheap seeds!
At least when it comes to potatoes!!! I found it somehow or another through reading an article.
Their company name is Wood Prairie Farm and they're based in Maine.
I'll update later on what we're going to do.
Mushrooms will be up soon in our plans. We're hoping to grow buttons, shitakes and oysters.
That's not happening for another month and a half though.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Compost Tea = MASSIVE GROWTH

Image
I've been looking at photos from the past few weeks, especially since I found some recently on my Facebook page from last year at almost exactly this time, and well....I really have to pat my husband and I on the back. This is what really made the impact. The left side was from last year.  No compost, no raised beds, No compost tea, no extra soil. Nothing. This year we've added raised beds, extra soil, extra compost, compost tea, vermicompost and bonemeal along with loads and loads of backbreaking work. So I guess I cannot attribute all of our success to the compost tea.  However, the tomato plants in our planters are doing awesome ! We have diligently been following a schedule of compost tea one week, miracle grow fertilizer the next. The end result? Can you believe this!?  What amazing growth! Next is our tomato and eggplant/pepper beds.  Again just really awesome growth here.  We've been out here almost nightly now so it's easy to miss how the plan
Read more

Oh my, where to start!

Image
It's now been, what? Almost a month and maybe even a week since I've written.  I kept having the best intentions to write and then.....something always got in my way. First I injured my left foot while walking through the garden, next, was my laptop which decided right now was a perfect time for an epic fail.  Then next hubby having yet another TDY, while my son and I were sick. Nice, real nice. Hell, as it stands right now we're in the middle of a Severe Thunderstorm Warning and watch (thank God it's not a T---ado watch or warning!).  Thunder is rumbling outside and the sky is lighting up as if someone has thrown fireworks up into the clouds. So with all that happening I still rush to hurry and write. My God, where do I start? First, we had a few successes.  Our battle with the slugs is going well, thanks to about 4 beer traps we set weekly. My hope is that when I put in our second seeding of mesclun, arugula, romaine, and other mixed greens the slugs will be far
Read more

Negative 36 with chickens in our garage

The past couple of weeks have been interesting to say the least.  Our temperatures here in Interior Alaska have gone from positive temperatures in the teens to lows of -40.  While the house is hanging in there, of course, no surprise there. This place was built to last, we have lost a couple of animals and now as of today, the 5th of January, we are housing three chickens in our garage.  Unfortunately two of these girls had the bad luck to start molting late Autumn.  Little Ms. Toriel started molting first in late November.  Chloe came right behind her in mid December.  By the morning of Christmas Eve it became apparent, we had to house poor little Toriel in the garage as first and foremost she had very little feathers on her poor body.  She's also lower in the pecking order which means others are picking on her and she is not allowed to share their heat.  As my husband brought her in to show me it was apparent, she was on deaths doorstep. Her eyes were frozen shut, her foot looked
Read more