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Monday, January 27, 2014

Garden Update, January 27

Is everyone gardening yet? I want to give you an update on the 'garden' I planted December 29th


The perennial tomatoes I tried to grow, that have suffered through aphids and spider mites, have died. I am not surprised. I will be starting new tomato seedlings in a few weeks along with some peppers.


The sweet potatoes are growing, but are still infested with spider mites, so I am going to throw them out. One of the reasons for this decision is because when I was checking our stored sweet potatoes, I found a few that were sprouting. This gives me another source of sweet potato slips for planting, so I am not going to keep doing chemical treatments to try to get rid of the bugs.


Many of our regular potatoes we dug last summer are also sprouting. I am going to put them in the garage, where it is cooler, and cover them with newspaper and see if I can slow down the sprouts. Then I will try planting these around March 1st for our first crop of potatoes for the summer.

The Walla Walla onions are doing pretty good in the window. It was time to give them a haircut. After onion seedlings get to be about three inches tall, I trim them back to about an inch and a half. This promotes growth of the onion bulb along with the greens. 


The cabbage is doing well and is ready to be thinned out. I used to try pulling up the smaller, weaker seedlings, but invariably either pulled up or broke off some of the plants I was trying to save. So now, I cut the extras down with scissors. It works much better.

Cabbage
Broccoli

Spinach




I also used the same technique to thin out the spinach and broccoli. 






There was only one kale plant that came up and it is very small. That tells me that kale seeds do not remain viable as long as cabbage, broccoli and spinach. But, that is okay I guess, because the three mystery plants that came up in the onion tub turned out to be kale. Isn't it funny how some things work?

Small planted kale

Mystery plant kale in the onion tub

In the next few weeks I will be starting quite a few more seedlings. I'll keep you updated on what and when. By March 1st I will start putting things out in the garden if everything goes according to plan. You know, sometimes plans work and sometimes they don't. It's always important to have a back up plan, just in case. Do you have one?


Until next time - Fern


10 comments:

  1. We've been fairly successful in combating aphids using a combo of Neem oil, dish liquid and water. Might want to try it on the spider mites. Of course, isolating the plant first so as not to infect other plants if it fails.

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    1. Thanks, Bellen. I always appreciate new ideas I haven't tried.

      Fern

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  2. You've got a wonderful start on this year's garden. I haven't planted seed one. I agree it's always best to maintain a mindset that some things will work, some won't. I always learn something no matter what, and always hope to improve as time goes by.

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    1. You're right, Leigh. If I planned for everything I do to be successful, I would have given up and quit a long time ago.

      I am ready to plant more seeds, but, after all, it's only January!

      Fern

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  3. I'm sorry your tomatoes didn't make it. Mine aren't looking too hot this winter, but I'm hoping they will make it. I've realized I have a south-facing window in an underused room that I might be able to use for seedlings, as long as I remember to water them!

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    1. Kathi, I will try again next year and make sure I get cuttings that are not bug infested. I still think it is a great idea.

      Fern

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  4. I'm in amazement& envious that bedding plants can be set out in your garden March 1. We have to wait until the middle of May to the first week of June!

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    1. We can plant cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage, along with onions and potatoes around March 1st. Some folks say that's too early and they plant around March 15. Sometimes this works well, and sometimes the worms take over.

      Even though our last average frost date is April 1st, and squash, peppers and tomatoes like hot weather, I usually plant them around April 15th. Sometimes the bugs come out in full force before the beneficial bugs arrive, but I usually put something in the ground anyway. It would be torture to wait until June 1st!

      Fern

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  5. I have a small garden in my south facing window, which includes a tomato cutting. I thought the plant was dead until just four days ago when I saw a root coming out of the stem that was in the water! Holy cow! My celery, leaf lettuce and green onions are doing well, along with my stevia plant.

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    1. Good for you, Vickie. I hope your tomato plant fares better than mine.

      Fern

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