Thursday, January 31, 2019

Garden Calendar and Amish cutting ice

It is hard work doing it and there was 3 more than came to help. I kept watch in case some went in the pond. I know they have a 20 ft extension ladder and rope to pull anyone back out. I have a couple blankets at the door I can toss to them if needed. It looks like it will be an all day job. Our neighbor told us that the ice he cut from the pond last February was still solid in his spring house. BUT we didn't really have that hot of a summer.

Hubby asked me last night to put my start seed dates, transplant and plant dates for this gardening season on a calendar. I had bought this calendar for that reason. It also helped me to decide what I was going to plant in spring and then in fall. I was able to work out succession planning at the same time. I ordered the items I need to make soil blocks a first for this attempt (Eliot Coleman), that will be in Feb the 7th for pick up. I do have some empty water containers to do some winter sowing in (Kevin...a Garden for the house) I haven't decide what to plant in them.Plus I need a place they can't get blown away.

I am making sure I don't start my transplants too soon, which I have done and then had to transplant them into bigger pots and then transplant in to the garden... wasn't the best for the plants or me as it added stress along with starting other transplants.

February seeds to start transplants : Tall Utah celery (first time) Celeriac (first time)Tokyo onions, long purple eggplant and diamond eggplant.

March is going to be busy over 40 different seeds to get started or planted if the weather works with me which it usually doesn't. If it's too cold to plant my peas ( March 18th)in ground I will start them in seed blocks. I do have them broke down to so much a week instead of doing all of it at once.

There will be around 38 to start in April. Plus April 19th is potato planting. Sweet potatoes will be May 23rd.

What I did realize was I have no banana pepper seeds which I need and all of my tomatoes are determinate which is good for canning as they come mostly in within 2 wks but not good for having tomatoes to eat during the season.I probably have too many varieties of carrots,lettuce and Swiss chard. But I don't know what will grow well here.  I am planting more heirloom but  still deciding on what to harvest seeds from. My field paste tomatoes is a given.  I hope my fall garlic produces good so I can use my own garlic to replant this coming fall. I have Egyptian walking onions already planted. Scarlet runner, painted lady runner and sunset runner I will use to replant next year.I just have to make sure I don't plant in a way something cross pollinates.

I need to start labeling my markers so I don't have to do that while trying to start seeds or plant.

Stay warm , blessed be