Mid-March Garden Update

Since several of you have expressed interest in my veggie garden, I thought I’d provide a little update.  As always, click on any shot to blow it up.

The garlic, planted in November, is growing well – I’m experimenting with 4 varieties.

The garden asparagus is beginning to send up a few small spears, but not big enough to pick and eat.

The spinach, radishes, and green onions planted in later Feb are all up.  My neighbor said she always plants spinach but never gets any and when I showed it to her just coming up her response was - it looks just like grass, maybe I've been hoeing it up.

For those of you with rich loamy, black soil, this is actually pretty good for red clay and that crust helps hold the moisture in when it gets dry.

I planted an entire row (about 150) of a large white sweet onion that we love, called Superstar, which we get from Dixondale Farms. They were planted as dormant slips but will start putting on new growth soon.

This past week, before the rains, neighbor Pat and I, planted the red and Yukon gold potatoes, lettuces, cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower, and kale. Pat offered to help with the planting in return for eating from the garden – good deal for both of us.  They look a little punny after three days in the garden but they all survived and should perk up soon.

The blueberries are loaded with blooms.

In the greenhouse, I transplanted the tomatoes into containers and as deep as I could - they should be ready for my mid-April garden planting date. I’m growing the following varieties: Kada Hybrid, Quimbaya Hybrid (both paste tomatoes for canning and salsa), Better Boy, Persimmon, Sudderth’s Brandywine, Yellow Brandywine, Cherokee Purple (all slicing tomatoes), Sugar Snack Cherry, Green Zebra (salad tomatoes).

I’m a pretty fair vegetable gardener and actually teach it to new Master Gardeners, but I’m just adequate in the greenhouse. If I were to teach a class, it would likely be titled “Do As I Say Not As I Do,” but I’m normally successful in spite of the rules I break. Most plants are okay with being transplanted, some (like cukes, squash, etc) really don’t like it, but tomatoes love it, if done correctly. This means planting them much deeper than they were, so they develop new roots along all of the stem that has been buried. Here’s a before and after for mine - note how much less is above the pot.

This was the perfect day as it was overcast – the new transplants don't need full sun exposure on day 1 after transplanting. Only three varieties were ready to transplant so I’ll get the others as they become ready.
Then look what they've done in just three days.  I adjusted the greenhouse vents to try and cool the greenhouse down more and I have the fan blowing on them a few hours a day - both of which will help them be stalkier.  The ones in the background flat are now also ready to transplant - except the eggplants on the right.

It must be spring as I heard my first wild turkey gobbling when I went to get the paper.

Welcome new followers and thanks for reading my ramblings.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Larry