What I planted this week end

Spring garden

Sunday, April 14, 2019

It is definitely April shower time around our area.  We are seeing lots of rainy days along with some sunny days.  The temperatures are oscillating through quite a range from the 30's to the 80's from one week to the next.  With all the rain, this makes it a great time to sow seeds and put transplants into the garden. 

During the last week, I started many seeds indoors and outdoors and set out transplants.  I added only nitrogen fertilizer (blood meal) as I set out the transplants.  I'll add nitrogen to the seeded plants when they are up and actively growing.  This is when the plant needs nitrogen.  My soil test showed I had more than enough minerals in the soil already so no need to add anything else.

Flowers

Indoors, I started flower seeds-Blue Monday Sage, 3 varieties of blue morning glory vines, Giant Red Cock's Comb, Love Lies Bleeding amaranth, purple and rose cleome, Pride of Madeira, Ring of Fire Sunflowers, several different colors of large flowering zinnias, and snap dragon flowers.

Outdoors, I sowed Alyssum seeds.  I also planted marigolds and petunia transplants.  I plant a marigold border around the entire garden bed to keep deer away.  They hate strong smells.  The petunias go into pots that I will add peppers, eggplant, stevia, and tomatoes to a little later.

These supplement the perennial flowers already in the garden-hollyhocks, daylilies, lilies, torch lily, gladiolus, surprise lily, winter jasmine, sedum, roses, peonies, lilacs and fairy lilies.

Herbs

Indoors, I started dill, white sage, Blue Spice basil, and Slo Bolt cilantro.

Outdoors, I sowed chervil, Cardinal Basil and transplanted cilantro and a Golden Sage.  It is pretty gold and green as well as a culinary sage.

I don't need to plant or start many herbs because most are perennials like thyme, garden chives, garlic chives, tarragon, oregano, horseradish and mint.  I did add nitrogen fertilizer to the chives to give them a spring boost.  The other herbs don't really need fertilizer.

I planted garlic in the fall and they are coming up nicely.  

Mini greenhouse without cover, outdoor citrus tree, hostas and garlic

Fruit

Indoors, I started two types of Alpine strawberries-Mignonette and Regina.  I have had Mignonette in the garden for years.  The plants did not survive this winter so I am replacing them and trying a new variety that has larger fruits.

Outdoors, the conventional strawberries are in bloom after overwintering with no issue.  I brought my citrus trees out from the garage to the back patio.  The kumquat is full of fruits.  The orange tree is putting on blooms for the first time ever.  I have been growing the plant from seed for the last 7 years, but this is the first time it put on flowers.  I read that a nitrogen deficiency in the winter months can cause this so I fertilized frequently this winter.  Seems to have done the trick!  My other citrus is just a baby that I got last year so it will likely not flower or product for a couple more years.

The goji berry plant I had also overwintered.  It is full of leaves but it won't bloom for another month or two.

My columnar apple tree has many blossoms.  I need to fertilize it and do a preventive spray.

Kumquat tree

Veggies

Indoors, I started all summer veggies but one.  I saw this new cauliflower hybrid that is similar to a sprouting broccoli called Fioretta.  If it is like sprouting broccoli, it's leaves will taste like cauliflower and stay sweet all summer, making it a great summer salad addition or base when lettuce is heat stressed.

The summer veggies I started are New Zealand spinach, Spaghetti squash, Casper eggplant, Red Burgundy okra, Pablano and sweet peppers from seed saved from my garden, 2 summer squashes (Cocozelle and Early Prolific Straightneck), 3 cucumber vines (Long Green Improved, White Wonder, Fancy Green Slicer) and several tomato types (Cherokee Purple, Italian Red Pear, Super Italian, Little Napoli for a pot, a chocolate cherry tomato, 10 Fingers of Naples, and seed from a large chocolate tomato I bought from Whole Foods).

February sown lettuce and transplanted kale plant

Outdoors, I planted a little row of beets (Bulls Blood and Gourmet Blend) and Icicle radishes along with snow pea seeds in a few pots.  I don't need many pea plants to have all the snow peas I need for salads and stir fry.

The lettuce seed I sowed in late February in the mini green house has come up thickly.  I moved several of those plants out into the garden beds.  The spinach and kale transplants I planted a couple of weeks ago in pots are doing well. 

The Egyptian walking onions, sorrels, sprouting broccoli, chard, corn salad, arugula and cultivated dandelions all overwintered and I am harvesting from them.

Egyptian walking onions

I don't need any hot peppers or green beans this year as my freezer is still well stocked.  I also cut back significantly on sweet pepper plants as I still have plenty in the freezer for salsa for the summer.

I may buy a few compact cabbage plants to add to the garden.  I like the 45 day ones as they mature before it gets really hot and pest pressure gets high.