Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Hey-It's May!

It's surprising how fast the time goes, I guess even faster now I am getting older.
Seems like just last week I was covering up my little baby tomatoes in the hoophouse and now it is too hot.
Of course that is just how it was.
It's May and things are changing quickly.


My heirloom seedling sale is fast approaching (May 18, 19 and 20) and the plants are cooperating. You can really see them shoot up when the days are as warm as it was today. It was very hot in the hoophouse and the fans were whirring.

I'm happy to have my oldest daughter Emily and her boyfriend here helping out with the tedium of writing the plant tags.

It allows me to focus on getting some things in the the ground. Not all my gardens are dry enough but the heavily composted front gardens sure are. If my soil doesn't crumble when I grab a hand full, it's not ready, and the heavier clay areas have a ways to go.

It's still early here in my neck of the woods, so my focus remains on cool weather crops . Lettuce, kale, broccoli, chard and sorrel transplants went in today.

baby chard plants


sorrel 

 I also did a bit of seeding-spinach, beets and fava beans.  I popped in a few short rows of potatoes and some onion sets too.

The radishes I debated. I've already seen flea beetle damage on the leaves of the early ones I put in, and if the weather remains like this, it may indeed be too late.  If the weather remains like this is the big question.

I have lots of seed and seedlings, so I took a chance and planted some Stupice tomatoes outside in addition to in my smallest hoophouse.

Stupice-my super early favourite

I'll protect the ones that are outside if the temperature dips with my agricultural fabric.  I also planted some of my Dragon Tongue beans inside the small hoophouse.

It's nice to see some things that are in growing along nicely.

garlic

Tom Thumb pea

As I stood back and looked at what I did today, I see I have a long, long way to go. I've barely scratched the surface of the area that I'll plant this year.

I've told myself I'll go smaller this year, but that is going to be a tough transition for me. I'm a small grower compared to large vegetable growers, but large for what is generally a one woman operation.

I'll plant enough to fulfill my commitments, feed my family and satisfy my curiosity with varieties that are new to me. Smaller...not sure. Too many cool things to grow!


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