Re: The Spring Garden, So Far

Truth be told, not much is happening. The temperature is a little cool

>today but Spring definitely is here in this part of FL. What I judge to >be the last northbound flight of American "robins" (Turdus migratoreous) > passed through >nearly a fortnight ago, most of the warblers have disappeared, Northern >cardinals and titmouses are more numerous, most deciduous trees are >breaking new leaves, the dogwoods (Cornus florida) are blooming >, >as are the red maple and daytime temperatures have been in the 80° (26+) >range here lately. Of course, azaleas are in full regalia but some of >those start blooming in January. > Fall-planted peas are finishing up and what might be the season's >last planting of "Little Marvel" peas went in yesterday. However, for >the first time, I'm trying a variety, "Wando", purported by the seed guy >to more heat tolerant than most. Probably plant some of those next week >and then bi-weekly until the heat makes doing so unproductive. > Some of the fall-planted mustard greens are blooming, so that's the >end of those puppies. OTOH, the blossoms, very young seed pods, and >tender tips of the stems them are delicious saute'd in olive oil with a >bit of garlic so.... > Overnight lows are over 45° (F) consistently enough here that seems >time to plant tomatoes, peppers, cowpeas and (maybe) eggplant. Still >too early for beans or okra, though. I'll probably start everything >but the peas outside in toilet paper tubes because I'm not sure yet >where they're going. Two or three tomato plants will do it but lots >more peppers than in the past couple of years. Those are jalapeño, >Tabasco, "Italian" pepperoncini, California wonder. > The garlic and onions are growing apace. All of the garlic is the >same variety but some is store-bought and some is home grown. This is >the first time I've had home grown that was suitable for replanting and, >depending on its success, may be the last time for store-bought. Got >snake-bit, though, with the onions. Onions go in when the weather >cools, which is (generally), sometime between late September and late >October, sometimes later, though. That's not global warming, y'all; >it's standard-issue autumn in west-central Florida. As a rule, onion >transplants are ready in December or January and to make it easy on >myself, I plant onion seeds in raised containers. This year, for the >first time ever and only days before the planned transplanting date, >raccoons destroyed all but about 10%, if that, of the transplants; foot. >Believe me, next fall, the onions get caged. > In late spring of 2014, I planted (grocery store) ginger in a >raised container situated in the medium shade of a white oak (Quercus >alba) where it receives very early morning sun for most of the year. On >the advice of online gardening mavens, I left the ginger undisturbed >until frost killed the fronds, which occurred in mid-February. This >morning, I harvested about 3/4 of the rhizomes and am pleased with the >result. Presently, they are air drying in the shade. Of course, I now >have to learn to prepare ginger for storage and the flavor will >determine whether I pursue ginger cultivation. Left a number of >rhizomes in place in hopes the colony will be self-purpetuating. This >year's planting will go into a separate container so as not to distort >the results.

About all that has been done toward gardening is starting seeds in the greenhouse. Some spinach and onions which will go out as soon as winter leaves us for the season. Next week is supposed to be warm with temps in the 50's and 60's. Last week I started some herbs and so far don't see any germination. Today I started tomato and pepper seeds.

Some of my rhubarb is poking through. Some of it needs to be divided but not sure when I will do it. I really do not need any more plants. As soon as I can check the soil temps I will plant some Petite Pois Peas.

The raised beds are a mess. The weeds took over. I was out of commission all last summer and everything went to pot. DH did set out the tomatoes and harvested a bumper crop which I did manage to get into jars. Some of my perennial herbs got overtaken by weeds and disappeared when my son weeded the bed. If the seeds I started don't do anything I will replenish when the farmers' market opens.

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The Cook
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