The First Harvest
About a month ago, I started a few containers of lettuce when I was starting the rest of my seeds. The first one is just about ready to harvest and I can’t wait.
I’ve been really wanting to see green things on my plate and I can’t wait to enjoy this. There will only be enough for a few salads from each planter, but it’s better than nothing!
Do you grow any vegetables or herbs indoors during the off season?
Share this:
Friday Unfavorite: Plastic Plant Tags
I must admit, I’m a huge scrooge when it comes to plastic plant tags. I dislike them very much, in fact dislike might be a little tame when it comes to expressing how I really feel about them.
Whenever I purchase a plant, the tag is put in a bowl in the garage, it is NEVER put in the garden. There’s nothing I dislike more than seeing those little tags peeking out of the soil. I know there are people who like to use them to keep track of plants, I am not one of those people.
I actually wonder why people do put these tags in the garden, after only a season or two they’re often faded and falling apart or completely missing. The ones I keep in a bowl in the garage are still in great shape and provide a great reference every now and then.
Back in Ohio, I found tags from the previous owners up until the time we left (10 years later). The funny thing is that I never saw any of the plants I found tags for. Perhaps they blew into my yard from neighboring garden, or the previous gardeners didn’t have very green thumbs.
It looks like I’m back to finding relics of the previous gardens here. Yesterday was beautiful, I spent time in the afternoon picking up trash. I found quite a collection of plastic plant tags, all for annuals that have graced these gardens in previous years. No doubt I’ll spend the 10 years unearthing them from their tombs here.
What do you do with the plastic tags that come with the plants you purchase?
Share this:
The 5×5 Challenge
Well, it’s official, we will be doing the 5×5 Garden Challenge (the 5×5 Challenge website is up and running, head on over, check it out and join the forum). I’ve had a lot of questions about whether or not it would happen, so I figured I’d better announce that it will. I’m currently in the process of getting everything organized; seeds are on their way, regional mentors are being organized, making blog badges, etc.
What is the 5×5 Garden Challenge all about?
Encouraging new gardeners. Consider starting a group in your area to support and help each other. Gardening is as much about community as it is about plants. We’ll be setting up a special website, it should be on-line next week. There will be a forum for questions and for regional mentors to help beginner gardeners in your area. If you’re interested in being a regional mentor or forum moderator let me know (via contact form on the right) so we can get you set up.
After much deliberation, I decided to go with the Rainbow Vegetable Collection from Renee’s Garden. I talked to Renee and she was more than happy to send me a pack to give away to one lucky reader. If you don’t think these vegetables will do well in your area, buy different ones. If you don’t want to buy this variety pack, buy seed for these vegetables from your local greenhouse. It would be nice for you to grow the same vegetables as everyone else in the challenge, but it’s not necessary. I’m also adding marigolds and basil to the garden for companion planting.
The rules aren’t hard and fast, if you don’t have space to do a 5×5, make it 4×4, or plant in containers. If you don’t like one of the varieties chosen, choose something else. If you’re an experienced gardener, perhaps your 5×5 garden can be filled with vegetables you’ve always wanted to try growing but haven’t had the courage to try or plant the 5×4 garden and donate all the produce to your local food pantry. The main point of the challenge to learn and encourage those around you to grow something edible. Considering sharing a garden with your neighbor, thus halving your work. This challenge is all about helping beginner gardeners get started.
The 5×5 Garden Challenge will become a weekly feature on the blog during the gardening season. Each week, on a chose day, there will an update on the garden challenge with to-do’s, Q & A sessions, etc.
To kick off the challenge, we’re doing a giveaway. Join the 5×5 Garden Challenge for your chance to win the Rainbow Vegetable Collection from Renee’s Garden. How do you join, comment on this post and tell me how experienced of a gardener you are. Next week, when the website is officially launched, we’ll be doing another great giveaway of a container garden collection.
So what do you say: are you in?
Share this:
Planting Spinach
It’s official, the 2013 edible gardening season has begun. I have already planted lots of seeds, mostly for onions and herbs, but the season doesn’t officially start for me until I plant seeds in real soil in the garden. On Monday, I spent time planting a large section of spinach.
Of course, I couldn’t just plant spinach seed, curiosity always gets the best of me. It’s a common theory that soaking certain seeds will make them germinate faster. Soaking them in a diluted kelp liquid is supposed to make them germinate even faster yet.
On Monday there were a few different cups of spinach seeds soaking, one in plain water, on in diluted liquid kelp. I planted both 12 rows of each of these and 10 of unsoaked seed. What variety of spinach did I plant? ‘Space’ from Johnny’s Seeds, which is supposed to be a good cold tolerant spinach.
I must admit, I hope that the regular seed germinates just as fast, soaking seeds is a bit of a pain. It’s much more difficult to plant wet seeds with precision. Drying them on a paper towel first helped a lot, the seeds were much easier to handle when they weren’t dripping with water. It is still a little inconvenient to do this, especially if you’re planting a large section of spinach.
After planting, the row was covered with greenhouse plastic over hoops. This is the same bed that was covered last week before the snow to help the soil stay dry and warm for planting. It’s amazing the difference this made, had I not done this, there would be no planting of spinach until most likely 2 weeks from now. The soil in the rest of the garden is still frozen solid and covered with a few inches of snow. It will take a while for the snow to melt and the ground to thaw and dry out enough for planting seeds.
Do you ever soak seeds before planting them? Do you notice quicker germination?
Share this:
Celebrating Sweetness
It’s no secret that Mr Chiots and I LOVE maple syrup. Typically we make our own, sugaring is one of our favorite activities. This year it wasn’t in the cards, with the move, travel and lots of work, we just didn’t have the time. Not to worry though, we got our fix of sugaring this past Sunday on Maine Maple Sunday.
We visited two different sugar houses with our neighbors. One that usually makes around 80 gallons of syrup and one that makes around 600. The difference in the two operations was amazing. Here is what maple sugaring is all about in Maine.
Around here, maple syrup is our main sweetener. I use it in just about everything from pumpkin pie to hot cocoa.
What’s your favorite way to enjoy maple syrup?
