Spring Planting

A few things from the garden for supper and beyond

Today I dug the last of the winter carrots.  They have been so sweet and above you can see the haul, I think we've had this many about 6 times, so not bad, haven't had to buy a carrot since November.  It will be a while before the tiny ones that are just sprouting out there will be ready, so we will have a gap at some point.  

I worked in the garden most of the afternoon, planted a long double row of red pontiac and yukon gold potatoes that will be wonderful come June, dug two more small beds and in one planted spinach along with more beets and carrots, can't seem to get enough of those root crops.  Tomorrow I plan to sow more lettuce, Japanese salad turnips, kale, arugula and more radish and set out a few broccoli plants.  My back continues to give me trouble so I can only work so long and then I realize that if I want to stand up and walk tomorrow, I need to stop NOW.

 

In the Bedroom, L-R eggplants, peppers and tomatoes

Yesterday I stepped up the tomato plants, they were getting ridiculously tall, despite trying to keep the grow lights right on top of them.  So I moved them into larger pots and today began the process of hardening them off.  That term really makes sense when you see how leggy and tender they are after growing inside the house from seeds.  Their stems are fuzzy with down and the leaves are like tissue paper, all sticking to each other and making me nervous as I try to separate and stand them upright, hoping not to tear anything.  Within a couple of weeks of being moved out during the day and back in over night they will have doubled in size and toughened up considerably and be ready to set out in the garden.  I have50 plants!  insane, I will not plant that many, I always start too many but it's a challenge when I want to grow so many different kinds.  This years roster includes:  Red Agate and Marianna plum, sungold, sundrop, bi-color and sweetie cherries, Georgia Streak- a gorgeous yellow tinged with red inside, celebrity, bolseno, cherokee purple, big beef and moskvich.  Next week I will probably step up the peppers and eggplants.

Tomorrow promises to be warm, finally breaking into the 60's again and looking forward to it.  From here on out things will only be growing faster and garden tasks will be increasing.  Weeding and mulching will be top of the to do list all over the yard.