Seed planting: Peppers, Eggplant, Bok Choi, Amaranth, Fennel

On 25Feb11, seeds of the following plants were planted in the 806 inserts (8 six-pack format) using perlite/potting soil mix (# indicates seed accession number):

Fennel #37 (ca. 12 plts)
Bok choy #56 (48 plts)
Eggplant, Hybrid Nubia #20 (12 plts)
Eggplant, Black Beauty #19 (24 plts)
Eggplant, Hybrid Shoya Long #155 (48 plts)
Amaranth, Red Stripe Leaf #157 (36 plts)
Amaranth, White Leaf #158 (24 plts)
Pepper, Shishito #153 (36 plts)
Pepper, Yolo Wonder #16 (60 plts)
Pepper, Quadrato d’Asti Rosso #140 (48 plts)
Pepper, Emerald Giant #141 (36 plts)

That comes to:

84 eggplant
180 peppers
60 amaranth

Saturday 2-19-11 Garden Workday

Bruce weeded the eastern half of Bed C1 and marked the location of lettuce plants on the bed with twigs. Germination by location-planted was probably around 50%. Beds D1, D2 and E1 All had higher germination rates than Beds C1 and C2. The eastern half of C1 and all of C2 need to be weeded. Bruce noted potato shoots breaking through the surface in Beds AB10 and CDE3.5 of the Norkota Russets , 3 of the Cal White and 8 of the Red La Sota.  AB9 Cauliflower plants are less vigorous (less than half the size of collard and broccoli varieties transplanted the same time).  Broccoli plants are are 6 to 8 inches high and collards are about 5 to 6 inches tall. Lacinate Kale in A6 and Red Russion Kale in B5 are are growing well. Beets in B6 are growing very well. Giant Southern mustard in bed B3 are growing very vigorously and are also being munched.  Bruce picked another cucumber beetle off one of the plants.

All beds need some amount of weeding and all should be mulched.

The mountains and hills to the South and East had a relatively heavy cover of snow down to about 1,000 ft.

Garden volunteer work was cancelled Wednesday due to intermitant rainy conditions. Bruce harvested 8.1 pounds of assorted lettuces and miscellaneous salad greens including arugula, endive and delivered these and 8.2 pounds of radishes (with their greens) harvested the day before from Bed 4 of the "Auxilliary Garden of Grace".

Carrots germinated bed A4

On 16Feb11, Mark observed that the carrots in bed A4, had germinated.  Germination took 18 days.  Mark completed the thinning of lettuce in bed E1, and did some weeding in that bed.  The recent rains had exposed one of the potato tubers in bed CDE3, and that tuber had a lot of green growth on it.  That tuber was re-buried.  None of the potatoes have broken through yet.

15Feb11 harvest

Bruce and Mark harvested all of the remaining radishes from bed 4 in the auxiliary GOG.  They were mostly Sparkler #113 and a few Plum Purple #111.  The latter were well formed and consistent, but the former were very inconsistent and many were cracked.  There was an edge effect.  Many of the Sparkler had extensive top growth and a tiny root.  Also there were split crowns and split roots too.  Sparkler should be avoided in the future.

13Feb11 observations

Lettuce seedlings in C1, D1, E1, C2, and D2 are doing well, but a lot of thinning is still needed and so is weeding.  In the lettuce beds there are hundreds of henbit seedlings.  Coles: cutworms appear to have headed a few plants here and there.  The mustard is getting well consumed by cucumber beetles.  Still no carrot germination, and growth from potatoes yet.

11Feb11 Lettuce bed A1

Feb 9 Work Day

Bruce, Emily, Judy and Peggy worked in the garden roughly two hours (10:00 AM to 12:00 noon).  germinating lettuce plants direct seeded, were thinned and weeded in beds C1&2, D1&2 and E1.  Large lettuce (green leaf), endive, arugula (4 lbs), and pak choi (2.2 lbs) were harvested (pulled and roots removed). Mature outer leaves were harvested from collards (8.4 lbs) and pick-and-return lettuces and mustard and endive (2.5 lbs). Produce was delivered to the Open Heart Kitchen operations at Holy Cross Lutheran at 12:45 PM.

20 ft frame w/ deer netting was moved from East of the mulch pile and the lettuce beds were hand-watered.
Mark had watered the other dry beds earlier in the morning.

Friday afternoon work party can include turning compost pile and building new one with raked chick weed and mowed greens interbedded with dry leaves and partially composted horse manure. The first compost pile has diminished roughly 12 inches in height from the original 42 inches.

Summary_ February 7 and 8

We Have been hand watering (daily) the following: new direct-seeded lettuce beds (C1&2, D1&2 and E1), new onion seedling transplants (A1 & A2), new direct-seeded turnips (A2),  the new direct seeded co-plantings of carrots and radishes  (A4) and the beet seedlings that were pricked out and planted within last two weeks (B6). All other beds have been watered as needed including brassicas, lettuces, chard, peas, and potatoes.  The weather for the past 2 weeks has been dry, windy and unseasonable warm.

8Feb11 harvest

Approximately 7 lbs of radishes were harvested from bed 4 at the auxiliary GOG.  Bruce delivered them to OHK.  We had planted several varieties: Sparkler #113, Plum Purple #111, and Champion #110 made a lot of top growth but little or inconsistent root growth…not too happy with those.  The Crimson Crisp Hybrid  #105 did best, with scant top growth but large consistent roots.  Raxe #112 did OK too, as did Cherry Belle #108.  The Crimson Crisp is labeled as Burpee brand but it can’t be located on their website.  These seeds were purchased from Lowes.  On 11Feb11 six additional packets were purchased from Lowes, total of 24g.

Routine maintenance 6Feb11

On 6Feb11, watered all beds thoroughly (it has been very warm and windy).  Thinned the green salad bowl lettuce in bed D1.  Lettuce in bed E1 not yet visible, however germination is occurring in the other lettuce beds.  Weeded bed B4 and B5.  The radishes in bed A4 are germinating now.  Saw several cabbage butterflies in the GOG today.  Beds AB7, 8, and 9 have a lot of grass growing and need weeding.  Lettuce in bed B1 is mostly ready for harvest.  No sign of potato growth yet.  The contents of the first compost pile have now reduced more than a foot, and are still warm.

Seed planting: Tomato, Okra

On 4Feb11 the following seeds were planted:

Tomato, Delicious #138 (18 pots)
Tomato, Pantano Romanesco #139 (9 pots)
Tomato, Thessaloniki #137 (3 pots)
Okra, Star of David #168 (10 pots)

As of 11Mar11, all are germinated and growing well.

Wednesday, Feb 2 Work day.

Diana, Teresa, Peggy and Bruce worked on the Garden accomplishing the following: cleared rock from the E2 bed, Did light weeding on various beds where needed, removed twine from all of the beds to eliminate tripping hazard, Hand watered entire garden including a careful watering of newly seeded beds A4, C1, C2, D1, D2 and E1. Lettuce seeds are starting to germinate on beds C1 and D1.  Also spread new mulch in 4 aisles.

Bruce also delivered 11.1 lbs of Collard greens and 5.5 lbs of leaf lettuce and Pak choy heads to the Open Heart Kitchen at Holy Cross Lutheran. Bruce had harvested the produce the night before and delivered it on his way to the Garden Wednesday morning.