I started planting today. Finally! The water in the community garden was turned on a week ago (much later than usual), and we had a Nor’easter a few days ago with the temperatures dropping to the low forties, so I delayed planting until now. This afternoon, I weeded a quarter of my plot and planted lavender, sage (both were seedlings from Neighborhood Farm, all other plants I grew from seed) and parsley, Rainbow Swiss chard, Meadowlark kale, and five types of lettuce: Johnny’s Allstar Gourmet lettuce mix, Johnny’s Salanova green butterhead lettuce, Sandy Hill Preservation Center salad mix, Merlot (leaf) and Black Seeded Simpson (leaf). I then mulched lightly with salt marsh hay and protected the seedlings from the voracious resident rabbits with chicken wire. I plan to put in tomatoes, basil and some flowers later this week. Peppers, cucumbers and squash will go in the week thereafter.
Radishes (and arugula; to be followed by basil and parsley)Arugula (to be followed by ? …, perhaps more lettuce)Asparagus and sprouting cosmos (the asparagus will die down and the flowers will take over. I will plant more cosmos and zinnias and perhaps nasturtium)Lettuces (to be followed by Thai pepper, Thai basil and nasturtium) Seedlings, hardening off (ready to go in the ground, but I am waiting until we have water at the garden)Arugula
Along the Southwest Corridor Park in Jamaica Plain
Today, I planted my Moniqueshallots. I was hoping they would be shipped sooner as they are supposed to be planted in early spring and it is getting warmer here, but they just arrived a couple of days ago. I planted four rows of around 6 or 7 each. Fingers crossed it was not too late. This is my second attempt at growing shallots. I planted some in the fall of 2023 together with the garlic, but they did not sprout and just disappeared over the winter.
Powdery mildew on Waltham butternut squash (September 23, 2024)
Today, I started my cucumbers, squash and cucamelons: four slicing cucumbers, six pickling cucumbers, two zucchini, three butternut, three delicata squash, and a six-pack of cucamelons. I always plant two seeds per cell (except for the zucchini), and thin them after germination to leave the strongest one. I won’t need as many seedlings as I started, and I plan to give away any extras.
Over the past few years, I have been battling fungal diseases in my garden plot, specifically mildew with the cucumbers and zucchini. The cucumbers in particular have been succumbing early in the summer to disease. So, over the winter, I did some research on disease-resistant varieties and decided to only plant mildew-resistant curcubites this year. By selecting resistant varieties, I hope to extend the harvesting season. For slicing cucumbers, I went with Diva; for pickling cucumbers with Max Pack. Both are resistant to downy mildew and powdery mildew. For Zucchini, I went with Costata Romanesca, a striped Italian heirloom that is resistant to powdery mildew. For winter squash, I opted forWaldo butternut and Bush Delicata, both resistant to powdery mildew.
I also looked into the tomatoes I am planting this season. Three of the eight varieties that will go in my plot are resistant to several diseases: Stupice (late blight), Black Krim (unspecified “disease resistance”), Green Zebra (late blight, Septoria leaf spot). So is Mountain Magic, a cherry tomato I am growing for the communal bed, which is resistant to early and late blight as well as several types of fusarium wilt and other fungal diseases.
Three Green Zebra tomatoes and other goodies harvested on September 8, 2019
On this sunny and warm Saturday afternoon, I repotted all my 24 tomato plants. I had started them on March 16, and they definitely had outgrown their little cells. Here again are the varieties: I have two each of Scotia (E), Stupice (E), Green Zebra (M), Ailsa Craig (M), Brimmer Pink* (M), Ananas Noire (L), Black Krim (L) and Dr. Wyche’s Yellow (L) plus 4 each of Mountain Magic (M) and Peacevine Cherry tomatoes (M) [E=early, M=mid-season, L=late tomato]. The 8 cherry tomato plants will go in the communal bed outside the community garden for the whole neighborhood to enjoy.
* One of the Brimmer Pink plants is a different variety (the one seen to the right in the front row) as it is a potato leaf-type, and Brimmer Pink has “regular” tomato leaves. We shall see the mystery unfold.
Current dining table plant operation. Not much space left and I still have to start the curcubites.
Re-potted kale, Thai peppers and Thai basil (plus leeks in the far left corner)
Today, I re-potted my kale, Thai hot peppers and Sweet Thai basil seedlings. They had outgrown their little seedling cells. The kale and peppers were started on February 16, the basil on March 1.
Okra in our community garden, September 2020
I also started more seedlings: Siam Queen Thai basil (6 cells), Italian basil, Clemson Spineless okra (6) and 6 cells each Merlot lettuce, Allstar Gourmet lettuce mix (Johnny’s), and Salanova green butterhead lettuce (Johnny’s), plus more flowers: Crackerjack mixed marigold (12), Oriental Nights Alyssum (6) and Tall Double Mix strawflower (6). It is my first time growing okra. The okra and flowers are for the communal bed, but I may keep an okra plant or two as they are just so beautiful (even though I am not particularly fond of eating them).
Strawflower and gomphrena seedlings, sown on March 1Current dining room table situation: Seedlings in their various stages
Seen in my backyardBack porch container arugula and radishes are sprouting, yay!Emerging bulbs in my flower container on the back porch
Things are waking up in my containers. The radishes and arugula I sowed on March 10 sprouted, and the 20 flower bulbs I had planted in my large flower container in early November are beginning to emerge. The bulbs are a mix of White Splendour Anemone, Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica), King of the Striped Crocus and Blue Grape Hyacinth. I am so excited for some color on my back porch soon!
Yesterday, I started my tomatoes. As always, to stagger harvest, I planted a mix of early (E), mid-season (M) and late tomatoes (L): 2 cells each Scotia (E), Stupice (E), Green Zebra (M), Ailsa Craig (M), Brimmer Pink (M), Ananas Noire (L), Black Krim (L) and Dr. Wyche’s Yellow (L). I sowed two seeds per cell to ensure germination as many of my seeds are from previous years. If both seeds germinate, I will pinch off the weaker one.
All of those varieties are meant for my garden plot. I will have too many as I only plan to have ten plants maximum, but this way, I should have a good number to choose from. I also started 4 cells each Mountain Magic and Peacevine Cherry tomatoes, all of those will go in our communal bed for the neighborhood to enjoy.
In addition, I started Swiss chard (8 cells), Black-Seeded Simpson leaf lettuce (4 cells), May Queen butterhead lettuce (4 cells), lettuce mix (6 cells) and Siam Queen Thai basil (6 cells). I sowed more Thai basil as I did not get the germination rate I wanted from the seeds I had started two weeks ago. Siam Queen is a new-to-me variety, and I am excited.
