I just set out the first of the 'mater plants. Siberian and Subarctic, new heirlooms for me this year. Early, short season breeds. I tried Stupice last year and wasn't overly impressed. This is the first spring that I haven't used a tiller. I started the lasagna business last fall.
I was amazed at the number of earthworms I saw! There were easily several dozen in each hole I dug for the transplants, several adult worms and many small worms. This soil improvement business *is* what it is cracked up to be.
The early season stuff that I planted...onion sets, radishes, assorted greens, snap peas and snow peas....is going like crazy. I simply pulled back the mulch and spread the seeds on the soil, covered with a light layer of mushtoad compost and pulled the mulch back over and they are off and running.
The broadcast salad garden is breaking through nicely. I transplanted African Marigolds into it and the other beds, along with several Amaranths.
Had our first salad last night, Lovey wasn't too hot on it as it was pretty strong, but it consisted of store bought romaine with fresh dandelion greens and garlic scallions. Felt like a great accomplishment to me and damned tasty.
Temps today were hot, 86F, but will cool tomorrow and be in the 60s and seventies for the next week or so with nightimes in the up40s and low50s, except for one night they say will be mid30s.
Hauled a pickup load of twigs and sticks and prunings and stuff that would take years to compost to the landfill today and lucked out in that they called it readily compostable and didn't charge me for it. The large stuff they charge you for taking, chip and shred it, then compost it or use for mulch. I guess the carge covers the chipping. At least it is recycled.
Potted three more cherry 'maters. Fertilized the strawberries in the pot. Found that the potted Hostas survived and are doing their thing.
Gonna go out now and lay cardboard around the asparagus and cover with compost and mulch. THis is it's second year and it was damned hard to resist.
Later, got food to attend to! ;-)
Shit, the weather monitor thingie just went off and informed us we are in a 'nado watch 'til 1am.....nothing new hereabouts, but I still don't like it much. Tornados are hard on gardens!
Care Charlie
"If we're all down trying to unclog the sewer, who's gonna smell the flowers?" ~ Billy Rose