Plant your taters on Good Friday

     As you can see, I won't be getting the potatoes in real soon.  When I learned that adage,  I lived in the St. Paul area.  Have you guys down there got your potatoes in yet?  Maybe this year you have to be in Texas to get potatoes in this soon.

     I did, however, get a chance to start some root crops inside today.

Onion    Ferry-Morse Sweet Spanish Yellow Utah Jumbo   Germ-10-12 days   Harvest-115 days
Carrot    Burpee          Nantes 1/2 long                                Germ-14-21 days   Harvest-70 days

     Except for one time in the 1970's, I've always grown my onions from sets.  I've never started carrots from seed before, nor have I heard of anyone else doing it. Don't know if they trans-plant well or not, but it's worth a try.  We don't have any carrots left from last year, and we're very fond of carrots here.
     I was going to plant some radishes in the green-house, but they're still predicting nights down to 0 degrees F in the next week or so.  Besides, I don't have any greens to go with them.  I am planning to start some greens in the green-house at the next new moon in two weeks, and my radishes at the next full moon in about 4 weeks.  That way they should come in at the same time, about the end of May.

Poultry 

    Two weeks ago, the ladies in the hen house were giving me an egg every third day or so.  Now it's one almost every day.  That should mean 5 or 6 a day within the next two weeks.  In spite of last year's failure, I'll probably let one or two setty hens try hatching some out again this year after I get a new rooster.

     'Til next time, may your seeds germinate and may your flowers bloom.  And may your chickens be smiling.

Planting 2013, 25 March - 2nd Moon, Waxing Gibbous

First Planting in the house on March 25.  All from seed on hand.

Brand             Plant Name     Days to        Days to    Comments
                                               Germination Harvest
                        WATERMELON
Am Seed         Crimson Sw       3-10            60-65         Round, striped, 20-25 lbs
                        CANTELOPE
Am Seed          Imperial 45        5-10              87
                        CUCUMBER
Burpee             Pick-a-lot hybrid 7-14            54             Pickling
Ferry-Morse    Straight 8             8                 60            Pickling & slicing
                        PUMPKIN
Ferry-Morse    Jack-o-lantern   10-15        100-115       Last year turned orange about Oct 15
           ?                    ?             SEED SAVED 2010       Productive, did very well in 2010
                        SQUASH
Ferry-Morse     Acorn, Table Q 7-10          58-75
        ?               Acorn, Table Q  SEED SAVED 2010   Good quality and quantity in 2010
                         PEPPERS
Northrup King  Calif wonder     10-12            75
Cal wonder sw  Burpee              10-21            75
                         TOMATO
Am Seed           Rutgers             15-20          55-60
Am Seed           Beefsteak          15-20          55-60
Am Seed           Red cherry        15-20          55-60       

Planting time

     It's the first quarter of the second lunar month.  Time to plant, inside of course, the fruits that bear above the ground. Like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and melons.  So I checked on the seeds that  I should have inventoried during the winter, and I had what I needed.  Then I realized my planting pots and such were in the garden shed.  A 50 foot run through a little over 2 feet of snow separated them from me.  3 fifteen minute sessions of shoveling got me to my recycled pots and potting soil.


50 feet of snow 'twixt me and the gardening supplies

     After washing the pots with soapy water and rinsing them in a solution of 1/2 gallon of water to 1/4 cup of bleach, I was ready for planting.  I didn't want to repeat last year's error of not cleaning them well enough, and watching my tomatoes wilt in their starting pots. 



This year they're sterilized
 

     Supper's ready.  Lasagna, m-m.  Planting will wait 'til tomorrow.