Pretty good I must say. I was having some anxiety that things weren't growing well at all and then I looked at the pictures from the last post and I realized things have indeed been growing well. Except for the spinach which I ripped out and fed to the chickens yesterday. After having germinated weeks ago, many plants had just begun to grow their first true leaves. They were wasting precious greenhouse real estate so, they had to go. In their place I plugged in 6 Melissa Savoy Cabbage which was needing more space. I gave the chickens all the very small brassicas that had been frost damaged and re-planted the large healthy ones in my largest bed. Now I am left with 3 Gustus Brussels Sprouts, 4 Thompson Broccoli and 2 Snow Crown Cauliflower. I have more of everything but the savoy cabbage started that I will nurse along until more space opens up when the peas and lettuce finish.
The Blush Butter Cos lettuce is huge! It is also so incredibly beautiful. It will pain me to pull it up and eat it! But, I am looking forward to having butter lettuce to make wraps with that didn't cost nearly $5 a head. A few are nearly large enough to be harvested, perhaps in another week.
The Lincoln peas are climbing up the brush now and I will stop watering them until they are starting to set pods. I have been deep watering them weekly but I started to notice lots of lush leaf growth and not so much climbing. Too much watering can have this effect.
I potted my calendula, chamomile, sage, oregano and stevia and they now are sitting just outside the greenhouse and putting on some nice new growth. Sitting with them is a pretty little mini rose that my brother gave me for Mother's Day which needs a bigger pot.
All of the tomatoes had to be brutally pinched of all their sun scorched leaves. I wasn't patient enough to gently harden them but instead just moved them to the greenhouse during an ideal stretch of weather. Though it was warm and there was no cold stress, the sun was too strong even filtered through the greenhouse and the leaves started to yellow and wither in some places. I knew they would be fine because once adjusted they were starting to produce suckers and new top growth that was a lush darker green. I now have them sitting in the 5 gallon black pots out of the greenhouse to get some extra heat during the day and to make it easy to bring back in should we be threatened with a frost. Doubtful at this point but, it's Maine, you never know. These little babies will be put in their final pots for the summer next week(end). I am anxious to try a new compost that I have been eyeing at the feed store since last year. A local company makes it called Coast of Maine (who make organic gardening products from local sources). Their Lobster Compost is the one I want to try as well as their fish bone meal for the tomatoes to prevent blossom end rot. I'd also like to try using a fish emulsion fertilizer during planting to give everything an immediate boost. Our growing season is so short here that I don't want to waste a minute!
I had thought that I was going to get my Back to Eden garden started this year but, yet again, I will need to wait. Because of this I have been forced to be creative! I am going to be making instant temporary raised beds out of 2 Bagster dumpsters. You know, the dumpsters in a bag that you can get from Home Depot. They are only $30 each and are 8' x 4'. So, for $60 I will have raised beds that need little more prep than being filled, amended and planted. No heavy lumber or whacking my thumb with a hammer. Simple. I'm so excited to try this idea. Yeah, it's a little red neck, but you know what? I so don't care. I am just thankful for a solution to growing my garden.
After I "get the garden in" I will do another post. Til then, enjoy the rest of spring!
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