Sowing early greens
In the satellite garden, soil temperatures were around 50°F. Encouraged (and it was another beautiful spring-like day), I went ahead and tucked my early sprouting potato experiments into previously amended soil and covered them with a thick layer of straw. It'll be interesting to see what the results are.
Further emboldened by the sunshine and warm temperatures (what, worry that it's only Feb. 5, hmm), I proceeded to do a bit of final prep in the main vegetable garden beds, and made a first sowing of spinach, lettuce, mâché, turnips and beets. Hey, that's what succession planting is about, and I have PLENTY of seeds....
I'd amended all of the blocks in the fall with plenty of compost, so all they needed was a bit of loosening up.
The soil temperature in these blocks is probably closer to 45°F, as they're shadier in winter, but it should be OK for germination of these cool-season vegetables. This post reminded me of the range of germination temperatures for different veggies.
Whether we get some final blasts of winter before spring is actually here -- well, I'd better order some floating row cover fabric.
Further emboldened by the sunshine and warm temperatures (what, worry that it's only Feb. 5, hmm), I proceeded to do a bit of final prep in the main vegetable garden beds, and made a first sowing of spinach, lettuce, mâché, turnips and beets. Hey, that's what succession planting is about, and I have PLENTY of seeds....
I'd amended all of the blocks in the fall with plenty of compost, so all they needed was a bit of loosening up.
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| Main vegetable garden blocks after final prep |
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| what the soil actually looks like (the camera saw redder beds in the photo above) |
Whether we get some final blasts of winter before spring is actually here -- well, I'd better order some floating row cover fabric.
I love reading your posts - and dreaming about the arrival of my spring - 2 months hence.
ReplyDeleteYour post brings up some things I've been struggling with this year. What can I plant in a satellite garden that won't get visited more than once or twice a month with reasonable expectation of having a successful garden? I have some ideas, but haven't yet committed with action.
ReplyDeletePat,
ReplyDeleteWe're about a month earlier than 'normal' - so I'm more bold that I would have been the last two winters, when the soil would have still been frosty!
Lauren,
For your satellite garden, in the summer, I'd stick with deeper-rooted crops -- hybrid, disease-resistant tomatoes and vining squashes (borer-resistant C. moschata cultivars) which root at the nodes. But a lot depends on whether you've got critters (eg. woodchucks, rabbits, etc.) to contend with.
In fall to spring, onions, shallots, garlic, potatoes, etc. are good too, requiring little maintenance. My 'satellite' garden is in the Piedmont, along with my main vegetable garden, but I'm juggling with my mountain raised beds (where we are in the summer).
So it definitely takes some planning, depending on where your less maintained beds are.
Contact me directly though the profile link, if you'd like some more thoughts.
Lisa
Thanks Lisa for the suggestions. Yes, there are a few critters. The occasional deer, wild turkeys on occasion and one incredibly large muskrat.
ReplyDelete