That describes the first harvest of the spring mixed greens (turnips and mustard). They are totally delicious. The kale is almost ready to pick as well. The Russian red kale from last fall is growing like crazy. The onions are doing well also. The radishes are almost ready to pick and the mesclun is really enjoying the weather. The arugula bolted and had to be pulled off. It was replaced with a follow up planting of pak choy, broccoli and onions. The spinach is still rocking and rolling with the largest spinach leaves ever.
The bottom heat pads in the greenhouse were turned off yesterday as a precursor to hardening off the plants for transplanting to the garden. Most of them look like they are too small to take away from their mama, but they should grow some in two weeks.
There was a major thunderstorm and very high winds last night. Trees are down all over town. Hopefully there will be a windfall (no pun intended) of firewood in the aftermath of the cleanup. At any rate the water will help the planted part of the garden. The part that still has not been tilled will have to wait a while.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label spring planting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring planting. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Spring Garden Finally Planted
The traditional time in Charlotte for planting the spring garden and starting greenhouse plants is Super Bowl weekend. The greenhouse plants were pretty well started; but the spring garden was a problem. The ground was frozen Super Bowl Saturday. Sugar peas went in on Super Bowl Sunday along with broccoli and bok choy plants. The rest of the stuff did not get in until this weekend and yesterday. On the weekend spinach, kale, radishes, beets, onions, mesclun and arugula went into the ground. Yesterday (Monday) the rape, chard, turnips, mustard and potatoes were planted.
The moon is waning which is not a good time to plant; but the soil was finally right. To wait on a new moon for the potatoes and an increasing moon for the other stuff would put everything too late. I am too superstitious to thumb my nose at the moon and too practical to wait for it. It is supposed to rain and snow today. How long will it be before the soil is dry enough for planting?
Since the garden is mostly into raised beds now, the potatoes needed special treatment. All of the raised beds have fairly fresh compost except for some that have not been filled. The unfilled beds were used. The ground under them was tilled before the beds were built; but the rain must have re-packed the soil. It had to be tilled again before the potatoes could be planted. The soil in the unfilled raised beds was very dry for this time of year. The soil in the raised beds has the perfect moisture level. They had been covered with leaves until Sunday when the mulch was removed to allow for drying of the soil.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The moon is waning which is not a good time to plant; but the soil was finally right. To wait on a new moon for the potatoes and an increasing moon for the other stuff would put everything too late. I am too superstitious to thumb my nose at the moon and too practical to wait for it. It is supposed to rain and snow today. How long will it be before the soil is dry enough for planting?
Since the garden is mostly into raised beds now, the potatoes needed special treatment. All of the raised beds have fairly fresh compost except for some that have not been filled. The unfilled beds were used. The ground under them was tilled before the beds were built; but the rain must have re-packed the soil. It had to be tilled again before the potatoes could be planted. The soil in the unfilled raised beds was very dry for this time of year. The soil in the raised beds has the perfect moisture level. They had been covered with leaves until Sunday when the mulch was removed to allow for drying of the soil.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Monday, February 22, 2010
Hardening Plants before Planting
This weekend was a great time to plant the spring garden. Next week there will be some warmer weather that will allow the crucifers and sugar peas to germinate. Most of the crucifers will not germinate if the soil is too warm; so they should be gotten into the ground now; so that when the optimum temperature is reached they will grow.
The little plants like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and bok choy need to be “hardened off” before they are planted in the ground. They have been living in a nice cozy greenhouse somewhere and they need to get used to the cold, cruel world. They can be set outside in the morning and exposed to the sun and the wind and then brought inside in the evening for about 3 days. Then they can be transplanted. If extremely cold nights are predicted they can be covered with a milk jug with the bottom cut out overnight.
The milk jug or whatever is used should be removed in the daytime. If rodents are a problem, these tender plants provide a rare treat this time of year. Make a little chicken wire cage for them. The cage could be covered with a plastic bag at night instead of using milk jugs.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The little plants like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and bok choy need to be “hardened off” before they are planted in the ground. They have been living in a nice cozy greenhouse somewhere and they need to get used to the cold, cruel world. They can be set outside in the morning and exposed to the sun and the wind and then brought inside in the evening for about 3 days. Then they can be transplanted. If extremely cold nights are predicted they can be covered with a milk jug with the bottom cut out overnight.
The milk jug or whatever is used should be removed in the daytime. If rodents are a problem, these tender plants provide a rare treat this time of year. Make a little chicken wire cage for them. The cage could be covered with a plastic bag at night instead of using milk jugs.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Monday, February 8, 2010
Broccoli for the Spring
Last years broccoli had very small heads. I have been doing some research on broccoli in the hopes of doing better this year. Starting with the assumption that I “know nothink” in the words of Sgt. Schultz, I looked for tips on the internet. The only thing I can think of that I maybe did wrong last year was in the process of starting my own plants. I could have let the plants get stunted or planted a wrong variety. This year the plants will come from Renfrow’s hardware.
The soil is where everything starts. The ph should be between 5.5 and 6.5. Test the soil early and amend it with sulfur, sphagnum or lime as needed to correct the soil ph. Broccoli needs cold weather so plant early. Mine will go in the ground on the weekend of Feb 13th. Broccoli is a heavy feeder and needs to grow fast. It will be planted in a new raised bed with a lot of compost and will receive weekly doses of compost tea.
Broccoli also needs regular water and deep watering. I know I watered last year; but maybe it wasn’t deep enough to support the roots. This year gallon jugs with holes in the bottom will be buried beside the plants to ensure the water comes to the roots from below. Broccoli plants need 2’ all around so there is room for the jugs.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The soil is where everything starts. The ph should be between 5.5 and 6.5. Test the soil early and amend it with sulfur, sphagnum or lime as needed to correct the soil ph. Broccoli needs cold weather so plant early. Mine will go in the ground on the weekend of Feb 13th. Broccoli is a heavy feeder and needs to grow fast. It will be planted in a new raised bed with a lot of compost and will receive weekly doses of compost tea.
Broccoli also needs regular water and deep watering. I know I watered last year; but maybe it wasn’t deep enough to support the roots. This year gallon jugs with holes in the bottom will be buried beside the plants to ensure the water comes to the roots from below. Broccoli plants need 2’ all around so there is room for the jugs.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, February 4, 2010
I'm no Groundhog; But
Paxatawny Phil saw his shadow in Pennsylvania on groundhog's day. He obviously did not go back in his hole; because the officials were holding him. I did not see my shadow. Experience teaches in Charlotte, NC that on when February comes we still have 6 more weeks of winter anyway. It is March that comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.
There may be some blooming bulbs and the grass may green up a little; but winter is still going to be here. There are some garden things we can do in February, however. During the last week, the mulch can be pulled back in a few places and some cold tolerant seeds can go into the ground. We will plant sugar peas, romaine, mesclun, arugula, spinach, turnips, mustard, onion sets, kale, radishes, carrots and beets. Potatoes could be planted at this time too. We are not planting potatoes this year. At least I don’t intend to do so.
Any bulbs that require a certain number of cold days should go in the ground fast if they aren’t already there. Otherwise they can be put in the freezer. Anything that needs to be started indoors needs to be in the pots this week.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
There may be some blooming bulbs and the grass may green up a little; but winter is still going to be here. There are some garden things we can do in February, however. During the last week, the mulch can be pulled back in a few places and some cold tolerant seeds can go into the ground. We will plant sugar peas, romaine, mesclun, arugula, spinach, turnips, mustard, onion sets, kale, radishes, carrots and beets. Potatoes could be planted at this time too. We are not planting potatoes this year. At least I don’t intend to do so.
Any bulbs that require a certain number of cold days should go in the ground fast if they aren’t already there. Otherwise they can be put in the freezer. Anything that needs to be started indoors needs to be in the pots this week.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
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