Garden Update

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Time is flying by. I can't believe it is already APRIL! And, with this week (5 weeks before our last frost date (I err 1 week toward the more conservative end of the last frost date window), it is time to plant out the leeks and cabbage that I started from seed back on March 6.

There is something that seems to happen to me every time, maybe you can help me with a suggestion on how to avoid this. It seems that no matter how carefully I make up and situate the tags, I always wind up getting a few of the same type (different variety) of plant mixed in together. The tags are too huge to poke directly into the seed pods I use, so they are laid next to the plants, and this can be confusing when you have a 72-slot planter with 2 Brunswick Cabbages next to 4 Early Jersey Wakefiled Cabbages next to Georgia Southern Collards and Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts (which BOTH happen to look just like the cabbages at this stage, and BTW aren't supposed to be planted out for another 2 weeks). I can tell the two that are the Mammoth Red Rock Cabbage (they're RED!), but the two varieties of green cabbage, I have no idea which is which. Frankly, at this point I just hope I didn't grab the collards or brussels sprouts by accident.

Next year, I'm thinking popsicle sticks stuck into each plant. I had been trying to use one tag per each variety (multiple plants) because the plastic tags are "spendy" (that is so not a term I use but I've known folks who use it and I really like it in a weird sort of way). Popsicle sticks, on the other hand, are a couple bucks for 100, so I can go to town!

I've already started getting everything ready outdoors. It took me a few weeks, but all six raised beds are now weeded, and we just had some dirt delivered to top them off (each year it settles down a bit more into the bed). John took what small amount of compost we had (it wound up being only 1/2 wheelbarrow full or so) and spread it among the beds before the new dirt was added to the top. I planted a Columbine that I bought at the farmer's market this morning, as well as a Johnny Jump-Up that someone had given away at one of the Master Gardener meetings a few weeks back.

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I started the draft above Saturday morning, and BOY, was it a busy weekend! I have pics that I'll upload later.

Transplanted out:
- Cabbages and surely inadvertently some of the collards :p
- Leeks
- Garlic
- Onions

Started seeds:
- Peas
- Collards & Mustard
- Beets

Planted out (plants) - these are the ones I referred to in this earlier post:
2x Lilac (still need to find a home for the last, sad wilty looking one)
3x Knock-out roses
3x Russian Sage
3x Peony

A note about the popsicle sticks to mark plantings - Charlie thinks they are fabulous to chew on, so that isnt' going to work (at least, not out in the garden)! I should have realized this from him doing the same thing last year with the plastic tags. I need to come up with something that he's NOT interested in chewing on to mark my plants. Suggestions?

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BEE UPDATE: We were supposed to be receiving our two packages of bees tomorrow, but received news over the weekend that it's been postponed a week. I'm not super happy about that, because every week is one less week the bees will have to get settled and build up a healthy hive before winter. They need all the time they can get! So, now they're supposed to arrive on 04/19. The good news is, the Apiary are all set up and John put the mulch down around the area, so we're ready for them.

Pics to come, I promise!