25F Last Night But That Doesn't Stop The Garden - 04-21-2013

It snowed briefly and the temperature dropped to 25F. Here are photos of the garden status.

Lettuce in the hoop house.

Gooseberries budding

Sedum

Tree Peony

Hyacinth

Black Currant

Peony

Seedling Update - Tomatoes - 04-14-2013

A continuation of previous posts.

Tomatoes

More to follow tomorrow !!!!

Seedling Update - Petunias, Zinnias, Calendula, Collared Greens, Kale, Broccoli - 04-16-2013

Again, continuation of the previous post.

Petunias

Zinnias

Calendula

Collared Greens, Kale, Broccoli

Seedling Update - Lettuce, Basil, Purple Coneflower, More Marigolds, Watermelon and Squash - 04-16-2013

Continuation of the previous post.

Lettuce

Basil

Purple Coneflower

More Marigolds

Watermelon and Squash

Seedling Update - Cherry Brandy Rudbeckia, Nasturtium, Peppers, More Marigolds, Coleus - 04-16-2013

More current pictures of the seedlings. They are chomping at the bit to get in the ground. But they have to wait another month, at least!

Cherry Brandy Rudbeckia

Nasturtium

Peppers

More Marigolds

Coleus

Zinnia - Kale - Marigold Seedling Status Pictures 04-15-2013

Still getting 30F nights so it is too early to put the flowers out in the front garden.  Here are some pictures of the seedlings.

French Marigolds

Zinnias

Kale

This just the tip of the iceberg for my seedlings. I will post more pictures soon.

Enjoy !

Planting Kale - From Peat Pots To Bed - 04-06-2013

I try to plant the cold weather hardy plants sometime in April. It can still freeze and snow here but I like to push the envelope!

I prepare the bed sections as I need them. I don't prepare a whole bed and then plant.

Here is the kale. I sat them out a couple of days during the day to harden up.

I use 12-15 inch deep raised beds. I work the soil before covering it up.

I cover the soil with black plastic. Minimizes my weeding. More importantly, it helps the soil retain heat. I'm in a cold area so I take all the help keeping my plant roots warm.

I pull the plastic taught and anchor the ends with rocks, bricks, plant markers, anything I can find. I run a low budget operation.

I eyeball the hole and make it roughly the same size as my peat pots.

I take a peat pot and cut open the bottom to let the roots make contact with the bed soil.

I gently drop the pot into the hole. If the hole isn't deep enough, just take the pot out and make the hole deeper or wider.

After I place the pot in the hole, I move some soil to cover up the pot to bed soil interface.

I keep about 10 inches, give or take, distance, between plants. I don't use a ruler. I should to make it geometrically prefect but I don't. I just wing it with the big plants. I use good discipline with smaller plants (basil and cilantro).

At the end of the day, I cover up the plants with 4 mil plastic. The temperature at the time of the post is 33F.  When the sun comes out I uncover the plants.

Good luck !!!