I'm already a couple weeks behind my schedule, but I finally started my first plants of the season. It's snowing inside, but I'm pretending all is well and springtime is coming inside.
Today I started:
Baby Spinach
Lettuce
Leeks
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Beets
Kale
Basil
Oregano
Bell Peppers
I feel a little more prepared this year. Last year was my first year gardening and I had no idea what I was doing. Since last summer I have been saving all our sour cream and yogurt containers for transplants. I have all my starter boxes from last year and all I had to buy was potting soil. I might also buy a couple more grow lamps because last year I started a lot less plants inside. Overall, I think this year's garden is going to be so much cheaper!
I do have to admit that a couple of the items I started were probably too early and/or didn't need to start in the house. I'm getting antsy though and really am missing my super fresh veggies. I started the bell peppers now so I can experiment with them. Last year they didn't blossom until right before the last frost so I barely got any. Maybe if I start them early enough I can get some peppers before September!
I decided last minute not to do onions because I should have started them by February 1st if I was going to do them. The Brussels Sprouts are a stretch too and may be too late. It's worth the experiment because I already had the seeds.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Rookie Mistakes
I was very dissapointed early in the summer when my bell pepper plants kept blooming and nothing happened. The flowers died and I was left with no bell peppers. I deemed it as a failure crop and though I planted some bad seeds or something. I toyed with the idea of digging up the pepper plants and just tossing them, but for some reason (probably laziness...) I left them.
Mid September I glanced at the plants and to my suprise, there were at least a dozen peppers growing. This went against everything I had read. Every website I saw told me that peppers like hot weather and can't bear the frost. I must have planted some strange peppers because they thrived after the temperatures started dropping. I don't understand what happened, but I like it!
I think I read somewhere to give my plants the benefit of the doubt and never dig them up until they are dead. Probably the best advice I've followed in my rookie year of gardening. My green bean plants never really produced much either during the summer. However in September and October so far I have picked almost 10 lbs of green beans.
I have neglected this blog while I was crazy busy with projects around the house. Hopefully I can remember to document the rest of my successes and failures soon. Next spring we'll have another baby around here and I know my brain is already turning to mush. If I don't keep track of things now... I'll never remember!
Mid September I glanced at the plants and to my suprise, there were at least a dozen peppers growing. This went against everything I had read. Every website I saw told me that peppers like hot weather and can't bear the frost. I must have planted some strange peppers because they thrived after the temperatures started dropping. I don't understand what happened, but I like it!
I think I read somewhere to give my plants the benefit of the doubt and never dig them up until they are dead. Probably the best advice I've followed in my rookie year of gardening. My green bean plants never really produced much either during the summer. However in September and October so far I have picked almost 10 lbs of green beans.
I have neglected this blog while I was crazy busy with projects around the house. Hopefully I can remember to document the rest of my successes and failures soon. Next spring we'll have another baby around here and I know my brain is already turning to mush. If I don't keep track of things now... I'll never remember!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Broccoli
Watching Broccoli grow is more exciting than it sounds. This was my first time seeing broccoli in a garden and I had no idea what to expect.
I tried to start broccoli from seed, but it just was not meant to be. I don't know what the local nursery does to it's plants, but mine looked very pathetic. I planted my starts as well as the ones I got from Wallace's. The ones I planted produced pathetically as well.
Broccoli plants grow pretty large and then a small head of broccoli appears in the middle. Once it's big enough to cut, use a sharp knife to slice through the plant. It's really important to make a sharp even cut rather than to saw through it. This will help the plant to stay healthy. Once the stalk is cut off, smaller bunches of broccoli will grow on the sides of the leaves. I've been amazed at how long it keeps producing! I've been getting broccoli from the garden at least once a week for since May.
Also- cut first thing in the the morning for best flavor. Broccoli thrives in cold temps so the heat of the day can make it a little bitter. When the largest leaves start to turn from a blueish color to a greenish-yellow color I've been cutting them off. I don't know for sure if it makes the plant live longer, but that's what it looks like to me.
If you want enough broccoli to eat during the summer and to freeze for winter, plan on growing a lot. One broccoli plant easily takes up a square foot and will only produce one big head and numberous side shoots. I planted 6 plants and have only frozen maybe half a pound.
I tried to start broccoli from seed, but it just was not meant to be. I don't know what the local nursery does to it's plants, but mine looked very pathetic. I planted my starts as well as the ones I got from Wallace's. The ones I planted produced pathetically as well.
Broccoli plants grow pretty large and then a small head of broccoli appears in the middle. Once it's big enough to cut, use a sharp knife to slice through the plant. It's really important to make a sharp even cut rather than to saw through it. This will help the plant to stay healthy. Once the stalk is cut off, smaller bunches of broccoli will grow on the sides of the leaves. I've been amazed at how long it keeps producing! I've been getting broccoli from the garden at least once a week for since May.
Also- cut first thing in the the morning for best flavor. Broccoli thrives in cold temps so the heat of the day can make it a little bitter. When the largest leaves start to turn from a blueish color to a greenish-yellow color I've been cutting them off. I don't know for sure if it makes the plant live longer, but that's what it looks like to me.
If you want enough broccoli to eat during the summer and to freeze for winter, plan on growing a lot. One broccoli plant easily takes up a square foot and will only produce one big head and numberous side shoots. I planted 6 plants and have only frozen maybe half a pound.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Beets
I decided to plant a couple beets for fun. Detroit Red Beets to be exact. I've never loved beets, but they are okay on salads. I've seen the light and I've changed my mind. Wow. A-mazing! I steamed these little red veggies until they could be pierced by a fork. We cut them in slices, threw on a tiny pinch of salt and pepper, and then devoured them. When I say we, I mean my 14 month old, my 3 year old, and the husband! I barely got a bite before all three were screaming for more! Little Lex is not a huge veggie fan and he couldn't get enough.
I kicked myself for only planting 2 squares of them. Only 9 in each square. Then my sweet little Dalton "helped" me weed. Subtract 3. A few just didn't grow so subtract more. We've eaten two. I am down to about 10 of these little beauties in my garden and am very overprotective of them.
These veggies are sweet yet a little tangy. There are so many reasons to try them! They are very high in folates, manganese, potassium. Ladies, these are a power food when you're pregnant! Folate is so important and just one cup of beets is almost half of the daily folate requirement.
When I steamed the beets I also steamed the beet greens (the leafy part that grows up above the ground). Make sure to cut the beet greens off before cooking. They were also really good. Not as great as the actual beet, but I would never complain if I saw them on the table.
Click here to read more facts. Grows well with almost every other plant. Don't plant with pole beans. It will stunt their growth. As for me, I'm going to go plant 4 more squares.
I kicked myself for only planting 2 squares of them. Only 9 in each square. Then my sweet little Dalton "helped" me weed. Subtract 3. A few just didn't grow so subtract more. We've eaten two. I am down to about 10 of these little beauties in my garden and am very overprotective of them.
These veggies are sweet yet a little tangy. There are so many reasons to try them! They are very high in folates, manganese, potassium. Ladies, these are a power food when you're pregnant! Folate is so important and just one cup of beets is almost half of the daily folate requirement.
When I steamed the beets I also steamed the beet greens (the leafy part that grows up above the ground). Make sure to cut the beet greens off before cooking. They were also really good. Not as great as the actual beet, but I would never complain if I saw them on the table.
Click here to read more facts. Grows well with almost every other plant. Don't plant with pole beans. It will stunt their growth. As for me, I'm going to go plant 4 more squares.
My square foot garden
I decided to start a new blog to keep track of everything going in and coming out of my garden. This is the first garden I've ever grown and to my dismay, I've got a jungle in my backyard!
Researching was my first and most important step. I looked up companion gardening, square foot gardening, how to mulch, etc. Yes. I was quite a beginner. I am very timid when I start big projects and feel like I need to know everything before I begin. I have learned so much and I think if I don't record my sucesses and trials I risk forgetting everything. Gardening season is pretty short here in Iowa and my brain seems to turn to freeze during the cold winters.
Anyway, I don't know if I'll have any readers besides myself, but this seems like the best way to stay organized. Maybe.
Researching was my first and most important step. I looked up companion gardening, square foot gardening, how to mulch, etc. Yes. I was quite a beginner. I am very timid when I start big projects and feel like I need to know everything before I begin. I have learned so much and I think if I don't record my sucesses and trials I risk forgetting everything. Gardening season is pretty short here in Iowa and my brain seems to turn to freeze during the cold winters.
Anyway, I don't know if I'll have any readers besides myself, but this seems like the best way to stay organized. Maybe.
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