Seed Starting & Compost

I started the watermelon and all of the squash and put them above the fridge to germinate.

I hauled 4 cartloads of compost tot he garden and put it on the beds. The handle broke on the garden cart on the last load so we'll need to fix the garden cart and/or the wheelbarrow before we can move any more compost.

The rhubarb that I spotted a little nub the other day has sprouted further and now has a couple leaves.

Plants on growing shelves downstairs

More rhubarb coming up

We finally got compost!

Boy, what a difference a couple days makes! The temp was in the 70s Friday and yesterday. Today it was 80! We went to the county compost site yesterday and picked up a whole trailer load of compost and a small bale of straw. The guy working at the compost site (John) said he'd keep an eye out for any more straw and set it aside for me.
 

Kaitlyn loosening soil to plant peas

Kaitlyn shoveling compost

Today I put compost on almost half of the garden. I also planted peas, salsify, carrots, and the romaine, spinach and black seeded simpson that are in the center of the bed where the peas are planted. We're supposed to get lots of rain tonight and tomorrow so I didn't water yet.

Kaitlyn and I moved some bricks to the front flower bed where the tulips are starting to come up. After the tulips are done I'll build up that bed so people stop walking on it and I'll plant more flowers there.

Lettuce growing in pots inside

Rhubarb is coming up

Hauling compost to the garden beds

Compost on the garden bed

Kaitlyn helping in the tulip bed

Peas are planted and stakes in place

Transplanting & seedling report

Yesterday I transplanted 4 buttercrunch lettuce, 4 romaine lettuce, and 2 cauliflower farmers extra early to pots to grow inside. I moved the light above the eggplant up a little. More of the borage and some of the nasturtiums and forget-me-nots sprouted.

Today has been around 40 degrees so a lot of the snow is melting. They're predicting another possible 1-3 inches tomorrow night, but high temps this week are supposed to be in the high 40s and low 50s so hopefully the rest of the snow will melt and stay melted.

I don't think we'll convert it this year, but I found plans on how to convert to drip irrigation for raised beds so ideally I'd like to do that next year. I also found plans for making self-watering indoor planters out of 18-gallon rubbermaid tubs so I'll plant to make some to grow tomatoes and peppers year-round.

Snow & indoor gardening

Between yesterday and today we got just over 11 inches of snow. :(  The compost site has postponed opening until Monday. With Al's work schedule we won't be able to get compost until Friday or Saturday, so hopefully the snow will melt before that.

Snow by 6pm. We got another 2" after that.

Add'l snow by 8am.

The buttercrunch lettuce is getting so big it's shading other seedlings so we stopped at Home Depot on the way home to get potting soil so I can transplant the lettuce to pots and just grow it inside. 6 of the borage sprouted today. I moved the light up again above the tomatoes that are on the top shelf. A couple more banana peppers and California Wonder bell peppers have sprouted.

Borage

Buttercrunch Lettuce

Romaine Lettuce

Darn Snow

It sure doesn't seem like spring yet. We got close to 6" of snow on Thursday and about an inch Friday. Today we had a bunch of snow and some freezing rain. One of these days it has to stop snowing!!! Because of the snow the compost site has delayed opening until next Saturday (4/20) so we'll plan to get compost and wood chip mulch then. Hopefully the snow will melt and the beds will dry out by then so I can plant the April seeds then.

Snow on the garden 4-10

Still snowing 4-11

Snow in the driveway 4-11

I never thought I'd need to use this in April.

I have several romaine and buttercrunch lettuce plants that are just about ready to transplant. The broccoli and cauliflower are just about ready too. I moved the lights above the tomatoes up several links.

Bachelor Buttons and Marigolds

Eggplant

Romaine

Buttercrunch lettuce, cauliflower

Tomatoes

Peppers

Plants under shop lights

Since it's been so cold I'm concerned about the borage, nasturtiums, and forget-me-nots actually germinating if I direct sow them so I started inside today in peat pots and put them above the fridge.

Strawberry Planter, Planting Templates, Garden Repair

Yesterday Al built a pyramid planter for strawberry plants that we'll put by the sinkhole and he cut boards for my hole planting templates. I bought some 1/4" dowels at Michael's and Al cut them to 1" lengths for the pegs that will make the planting holes. I measured and marked the placement of the dowels and Al glued them in place. Today the glue was dry so he attached the handles that I got at Home Depot. I also picked up some 6' bamboo poles for the pole beans.

Al with the 2nd layer of the pyramid

Al with the finished pyramid

Top side of finished planting templates

Bottom side of planting templates

Al and I teamed up to repair some of the garden beds today. On some of the black plastic edging he drilled holes and we attached the corner pieces with cable ties. We put stakes in to support a few other beds as well. The one that had bricks and plastic edging that the deer knocked over last fall we took apart and made a wood box support instead.

The new wood box support

I had to move the light above the cauliflower up since it's gotten so big. I'll probably have to move the lights up above the tomatoes soon too.

Buttercrunch Lettuce

Cauliflower, Broccoli, Basil

Plants & Fence

All of the eggplants have sprouted. I had to move the lights up a link above the cauliflower and tomatoes.

We bought more chicken wire and plastic cable ties last night for the garden fence. Today Kaitlyn helped me put the fencing up just in time before it snowed this afternoon.

Eggplant seedlings

Romaine Lettuce

Sweet Basil

Sage and Parsley

Sweet Marjoram

Peppers - Jalapeno and bell

Bachelor Buttons

Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Mortgage Lifter Tomato

Marigolds

Broccoli and Cauliflower

New garden fence

New garden fence

Side of the new garden fence

Tulip bed with snow still on it

Chives & Strawberries

I went out to check and yes, one of the chives is coming up. It looks like an animal was tunneling in the bed where the salsify will go so I'll have to add some garlic or onions on the edge there to deter the animals from digging there.

Some of the strawberries along the south side of the house are coming up.

Strawberry plant