Monday, April 23, 2012
Digging and Planting
This last week has been a busy one for the Minami gardeners (me and Daphne.) We've created several new garden beds, transplanted all of our seedlings and planted all of our seeds. Can I just say that this is a lot of work for a pregnant lady and a 2 year old?!! I'm pooped.
The spring garden is doing well since the sun came out several weeks ago. We have discovered slugs though, but I'm trying to nip that in the bud with some crushed egg shells, coffee grounds, coffee spray and snail bait. I also went on a little snail hunt the other night and sent at least 50 of those rascals to a soapy water death.
Here's a little sample of what I've been harvesting these days (radishes, chard, lettuce).
...And what I've been cooking (chard and chicken over brown rice, mmmm).
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Trial and Error
The weather looks nice for the next 10 days, so I went ahead and planted a few of my seedlings. I've seen the average last frost date for Redding say April 15-20 and also May 10. But I figure that I've got more seedlings than space, so I'd give it a shot now and replant if they die a cold and lonely death. Here's a cantaloupe whose roots were getting crowded in the little yogurt cup.
I also did three tomato plants. Some of my seedlings seemed to get sunburned over the last few days. I probably didn't acclimate them to the sun slow enough. Hopefully they'll bounce back.
I made a little cardboard box cover for the transplants since it was a very sunny day and I didn't get everything into the ground until noon.
And here is some chard I believe. I had it in a big pot on the porch, but many of the plants were not getting enough sun or space, so I transplanted them to the bed today. Looking quite wilted here. Hopefully they perk up overnight with a bit of cool weather.
And did you know that if you plant a piece of a broccoli stalk, it will grow? My 2012 compost pile discovery! The broccoli stalks are doing ten times better than the seedlings.
I discovered the same thing with green onions last year, so I intentionally planted the white ends after I consumed the tops.
And my favorite...spinach is starting to grow! When these bad boys start, they grow pretty fast.
Carrots, radishes and lettuce.
Butter-leaf or butter-crunch or butter-something lettuce and collard greens. I've already been having daily salads from the lettuce-such a great thing about spring. Daphne (2 1/2 yrs old) pretends to be a dinosaur and eats 3 or 4 plain pieces for lunch every day. (Proud mama speaking here.)
I also did three tomato plants. Some of my seedlings seemed to get sunburned over the last few days. I probably didn't acclimate them to the sun slow enough. Hopefully they'll bounce back.
I made a little cardboard box cover for the transplants since it was a very sunny day and I didn't get everything into the ground until noon.
And here is some chard I believe. I had it in a big pot on the porch, but many of the plants were not getting enough sun or space, so I transplanted them to the bed today. Looking quite wilted here. Hopefully they perk up overnight with a bit of cool weather.
And did you know that if you plant a piece of a broccoli stalk, it will grow? My 2012 compost pile discovery! The broccoli stalks are doing ten times better than the seedlings.
I discovered the same thing with green onions last year, so I intentionally planted the white ends after I consumed the tops.
And my favorite...spinach is starting to grow! When these bad boys start, they grow pretty fast.
Carrots, radishes and lettuce.
Butter-leaf or butter-crunch or butter-something lettuce and collard greens. I've already been having daily salads from the lettuce-such a great thing about spring. Daphne (2 1/2 yrs old) pretends to be a dinosaur and eats 3 or 4 plain pieces for lunch every day. (Proud mama speaking here.)
Friday, April 6, 2012
Hardening Off Starter Plants
Most of my seedlings have sprouted and the average last frost is just around the corner. Even though I'll probably keep some of these inside and bulk them up a while, I figured that it's probably about time to start exposing them to the outdoor elements- or "hardening them off."
It's about one week until April 14, which I've read is the average last frost in Redding. I'll gradually harden off my plants for about two weeks or so. Here's all of them in a tray outside.
Notice that they aren't in the direct sunlight today. We'll build up to that. The plants got about 35 minutes of outdoor time while I read my magazine in the sun... I guess you could say that I'm hardening off my white limbs too.
It's about one week until April 14, which I've read is the average last frost in Redding. I'll gradually harden off my plants for about two weeks or so. Here's all of them in a tray outside.
Notice that they aren't in the direct sunlight today. We'll build up to that. The plants got about 35 minutes of outdoor time while I read my magazine in the sun... I guess you could say that I'm hardening off my white limbs too.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
April Survivors
Things that are starting to grow in the cold, with a bit of sun here and there: The mint is perking up. 
Grape vine just got its leaves back.
Beets are slow going, but surviving.
The peas like this weather. They're happy in the early spring. Some flowering already.
This chard was transplanted from pots I started late winter... Not sure they have grown much, but still surviving.
The hops plant lives again!
And the radishes that were slow in the winter are starting to speed up growth.
One variety of lettuce that may not get very big... I need to check the seed pack.
And a butter-crunch lettuce that is doing really well since they were taken out of their winter pots.
Some kind of leafy green that I can't remember what it is off the top of my head. Did well in the large pot on the porch.
And the strawberries in the large pot are doing well too. Better than the ones in the garden bed.
Grape vine just got its leaves back.
Beets are slow going, but surviving.
The peas like this weather. They're happy in the early spring. Some flowering already.
This chard was transplanted from pots I started late winter... Not sure they have grown much, but still surviving.
The hops plant lives again!
And the radishes that were slow in the winter are starting to speed up growth.
One variety of lettuce that may not get very big... I need to check the seed pack.
And a butter-crunch lettuce that is doing really well since they were taken out of their winter pots.
Some kind of leafy green that I can't remember what it is off the top of my head. Did well in the large pot on the porch.
And the strawberries in the large pot are doing well too. Better than the ones in the garden bed.
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