I spent three hours this Friday afternoon weeding the plot and spreading manure before replacing the hay. A lot of work, but I am very happy with the result. The peas have been growing well under the fleece tunnel, and since I saw a happy and very fat rabbit hopping around our garden this afternoon, I am glad I decided to protect the pea seedlings. Time to put a trellis up soon. The garlic is big, and the rhubarb and the strawberries are also doing well. Spring.
Today, I repotted the Zinnias I started on April 19, and the kale. I had sown a handful of Zinnia seeds (three different varieties, Queen Lime Red, Queen Lime Blush, and Giants of California) into three different pots and today just isolated them into separate cells.
Today, I re-potted my tomatoes and the Swiss chard. I have 16 tomato plants total (two each of eight different varieties) and eight cells of rainbow chard, two seedlings each. In other news, my supermarket ginger in the blue-green pot (in the back of the picture) is finally waking up. You can see the big long shoot. And there is another one. I am sooo excited! The Zinnias I sowed three days ago are starting to sprout. And the sun is shining. Spring!
Yesterday, I cleaned my back porch, rearranged furniture and planted some herbs (parsley, chives and cilantro) and flowers (osteospermum and violas) to get the porch ready for spring. The intermediate state before full-time summer use.
This morning I thinned my rainbow chard to two plants per cell. I kept the two healthiest looking seedlings making sure to maintain a color variety. I then used the thinnings to top my sandwich.
It’s not even April and I already recorded the first fail of the season. All my eggplant and hot pepper seedlings stalled after germination and never set true leaves. The only explanation I have is that I kept them on the heat mat for a few days after germination. Perhaps that was just too hot for the seedlings. I now will have to buy Thai pepper and Asian eggplant seedlings as it is too late to start new plants from seed.
Today, I used up the last butternut squash from the fall. I made a rose harissa-roasted squash salad with greens, toasted pumpkin seeds and blue cheese (because I did not have feta on hand) in a white balsamic vinegar dressing. It turned out pretty spectacular.
As for home-grown vegetables from last year, I still have garlic hanging in the pantry and a few beets in the fridge. In the freezer, there is still basil pesto, lemongrass, Thai basil, and Thai peppers. I used some of the lemon grass last week to make this lemongrass chicken dinner. Very good. It is nice to still enjoy some produce from the garden while this year’s harvest is starting its journey in the seedling trays.
This is my current garden plot diagram. I think it covers everything I want to plant this year. I have garden fleece and just ordered hoops and garden staples today, so I can build tunnels to protect my seedlings from rabbits and birds. Last year, ALL my bean seedlings were eaten by some critters; the plants did not stand a chance. I am planning on a different outcome this year. Fingers crossed.
All my newly ordered seeds for this season have arrived. I am all set for the season. Indoors, I already started leeks, kale, eggplant and hot peppers, and will start more eggplant (Pingtung) today.
