Quick Update

OK, Just a quick update on what's going on with the garden.

On Saturday I overdid the plan purchasing because they plants were CHEAP (and I ignored the sprouts that I meant to turn into starts so instead they turned into little moldy seeds in plastic bags...oops). ANYWAY, so I many peppers and tomatoes...a few more than planned but when you're getting a sturdy, already harden-off organic plant for a DOLLAR it's hard to stop.

I ended up spending about 6 hours Saturday afternoon planting and planting and planting. There were two empty squares left in the 4x9 square foot garden and then tons of pots with plants in them. So far only two plants have died. I sort of felt the roots give way when I was putting them in the ground and knew it wasn't going to be good. Still, it's just 2 tomatoes. I have time to replace those in the next few weeks. I may miss the farmer's market saturday...or I make make some effort and run up to it. I'll be dog sitting in Lewiston but must have priorities with the plants.

Each tomato plant also got a bit of crushed eggshell in the bottom of the hole. I'd heard this extra calcium will prevent blossom end rot. I'll let you know.

I am having to buy ever more dirt. There just is no dirt in my yard. I hate the pile of plastic bags this generates so some lucky soul may receive a lovely braided rug made of plastic garden dirt bags.

The potatoes in a bucket are looking great. All planted buckets (there are more potatoes...see above noted lack of dirt), have leaves and one is ready to have dirt piled up on the leaves. Woohoo! Hope they are making little tubers too. These are noted "heavy feeders" so have quite a bit of worm compost in them. The worm compost has quite a few squash and melon seeds in it. Many of these are sprouting! I thought they'd all sprouted and been re-killed while in the composter but I guess not. Fortunately they look nothing like potato leaves and are easy to sort out. There is quite a bit of worm compost in the garden as well so may have to sort them out of there too.

I put in 3 squares of onions and am again trying the chard which went to seed so fast last year I didn't get much out of it.

The pots so far have tomatoes, peppers, strawberries and chocolate mint. All seem to be doing well.

The pea plants I put in too early either dehydrated or over hydrated. At anyrate, they appear mostly dead so I planted new peas.

Also in the garden are:
Beans Parsley Calendula Radishes Kale
Spinach and much much more.

I keep meaning to get the carrots going in buckets but with the lack of dirt they aren't started yet. Must get on that.
That's all for now.