Tilling, Transplanting, and Sowing for The Month of May

 This is when the garden season gets quite busy is during this month because of the many things that need to be done.  First of all tilling the rest of the garden needs to be done before I can start transplanting or sowing seeds into the garden.  I also like to wait a few days after tilling the garden before I actually start planting any seeds or adding any plants into the garden soil.  I like to let the birds in the area find as many caterpillars and bugs in the soil as they can before any planting is done.  

One of the first seeds planted into the garden were my bean seeds.  I like to have just two ten foot rows of bean plants because I find that pole bean will yield plenty of beans with this many plants.  This will definitely be enough for a summer harvest as long as most of the beans sprout.  I am hoping that this rain will get them sprouting real soon.  

June is just around the corner and this means that my June bearing strawberries should be ready for a good harvest with all this rain.  Although some of them have started turning red and even a few of them are pretty much ready for picking.   The bigger and largest harvests of strawberries will definitely come in June rather than the end of May.  Once we get a little bit more sun I am sure most of the berries will ripen and deliver a good and hopefully decent harvest for this year.

 I have two rows of corn planted, one short row of potatoes, and another large row full of cantaloupe, pumpkin, and zucchini seeds.  I planted my squash and melon seeds a little bit later because I wanted to make sure that I got my beans, corn, and tomato plants into the garden as soon as possible.  zucchini plants tend to grow fast and they don't need as much time as melons or eggplants for example.  

I still have peppers and eggplants that I need to transplant into the garden.  I was hoping to get my eggplants into the garden by this week, but ended up getting a little busy with my tomatoes instead.   This week I will at least add my eggplants into the garden and probably some of the more mature peppers as well.  Some of the younger peppers I will wait some time before adding them to the garden.

Time for Harvesting Many Spring Crops

It is that time of the year when spring crops are ready for harvesting which include radishes, lettuce, pea pods, broccoli, and soon to be harvested potatoes.  These are all cool weather crops but are best harvested when the weather gets just a little bit warmer.  You don’t want to pick them in very hot weather because they will most likely start to bolt and no longer be edible.  May to June is the perfect months to harvest these kinds of vegetables.

Let’s start off with lettuce which is usually the first plant to be harvested right next to radishes.  I have had just one harvest so far, but I know there is plenty more lettuce in the garden.  I like to space out harvests especially if I have many lettuce plants.  There is only so much I can store in the fridge and so much I can eat each day.  This way we have plenty of time to eat it without being overloaded with lettuce.
 

Radishes are also another springtime vegetable that is great to have through the cool weather months.  I grew about a half a row this season planting two different kinds of radishes.  One of them was supposed to be a traditional radish while the other was supposed to be much larger.  The key to radishes is to keep them covered with dirt and don’t forget to water them otherwise they will crack and possible rot in the ground.  I was able to get some good sized radishes from this harvest which I have been enjoying in many salads this year.

Last but not least comes my strawberries.  They had been growing this entire season and when they started producing many flowers I was excited to starting picking and enjoying them.  Since these are June bearing strawberries it is a good bet that they will fully ripen in the month of June.  This is the first good harvest I got from them since I started planting them years ago.  It takes a few years before you get a bountiful harvest from these plants

Running out of Time Planting Seeds into the Garden

It looks like time is starting to run out and I only have a couple of weeks to get all my plants and seeds into the ground.  Weather and other factors have prevented me from getting everything in on time and this can happen from time to time.  I will just have to work as fast as possible in order to get everything done before the month is over.

I do have my spring crops in the ground which I placed in the garden about a month ago and they are thriving with this cooler weather.  I am hoping to start picking the leaves off my lettuce real soon because they are growing really good.  Both my green and red plants are just about ready for harvesting which may be done by this week.

Even though I haven’t picked any lettuce leaves I did pick some of my strawberries that were ripe enough to eat.  I picked about four pounds worth of strawberries which is large for a first harvest of these berries.  I am hoping to get another harvest from these plants within the next week or so, then I can start focusing more on plants that need to be transplanted right away.

 Along with transplants there are some seeds that must be planted in the garden including beans, carrots, and corn.  I have planted my corn already and they have been sprouting and I have thinned them out this week.  Now I just need to till some more of the garden and get my beans into the ground before planting any other seeds.  My pole beans need a little bit more time to grow and produce beans and that is why I like planting them in May rather than June.

Season Cooling off With Very Little Summer Crops to Harvest

The weather here has been getting cooler over the past couple of weeks and those hot humid days are probably over for this year.  I don’t expect to get much more summer crops this year except for some beans, cherry tomatoes, steakhouse tomatoes, peppers, and maybe decent sized eggplants.  What I have in melons is it for this year and now is the time to start picking them off the vines.

At the moment I have picked one crimson sweet watermelon and two honeydew melons from their vines this past week.  None of the other melons were ripe yet and have not fallen off the vine which is an indication that they are ripe enough to be eaten.

Although weather is cooler I am still seeing flowers on my eggplants and one of them actually is producing a few vegetables on the plant.  I am not certain how big they will get with the lack of sunlight and warm weather, but I am happy that I could get a few more from this season.  As long as a frost doesn’t occur for some time I could get a couple of decent sized eggplants.

Peppers and cucumbers are also still producing flowers, but I think that they are pretty much done for the year.  I think the last cucumbers are on the vines right now and are probably ripe enough to be harvested.  Peppers are done producing flowers and a couple of them have fruit on them that I will have to pick either today or sometime this week.

 I will soon have to cover my strawberries for the winter, but I am going to wait a little bit and put straw on top of them most likely in October.  I will also have to cover my rhubarb this season since it is the first winter for these plants.  I probably could pick some of the stems, but I want to wait until next season in order to prevent from picking too many stems this year and possibly harming the plant.  Plus rhubarb needs at least one cold winter to produce tasty stems for cooking

A Look at My Garden Progress and First Pea Harvest

I just wanted to get you up to speed with what has been going on in the garden for this season.   I actually picked the first harvest of strawberries last week and had another harvest a couple of days ago.  It looks like only two harvests will come from these plants, but I will be adding many more plants this year for more berries next season.

Today was a good day because I had a second harvest from my pea plants.  This was just the first harvest from my pea plants and it was a small, but successful one.  Although there were not many that were ready for harvesting there still was enough to get a small yield.  I would say that this will last just one meal.  There are plenty of more peas on the plants which I plan on picking in the coming days.



Blueberries are looking good and I can’t wait to start picking them which happens at the end of this month.  July is when I get the bulk of these berries, but getting a little early would definitely be small taste of what is to come hopefully.



If I were to take a guess I would say that the next harvest will come from my lettuce plants.  Many of them are ready for picking and cutting, but I have held off for the moment.  My king crimson red lettuce is the best out of all of them for the moment.  I do have green lettuce that looks good as well and even a broccoli plant that is producing a head.  I would say real soon I will be cutting many of the leaves from my lettuce plants.



I also just wanted to mention my tomatoes have flowers on them and should be seeing tomatoes coming from them real soon.  I have staked them and all I need to do is tie my plants to the stakes to prevent them from falling over.  I will have to do this sometime this week at the latest or at least before tomatoes start to come through.

More seeds and Transplants Placed Into the Garden

I have finished my vegetable and fruit transplants except for a couple of lettuce plants and my rhubarb that I plan on placing in the garden real soon.  Weather and temperatures are getting warmer and it was time to get my eggplant, melons, and pepper transplants into the ground.

I placed them in the ground today because they were starting to grow right through the peat pots and some of the leaves were beginning to turn a light yellow.  I like to place them in the ground with all the leaves green or at least most of them.

Beans have also been planted recently and they have already began to sprout.  I have already set up the trellis that I use every season and the way they are growing I will have to place the ropes on the trellis very soon.



My strawberry plants are growing well and some of them are already getting runners.  Most of the plants are also producing flowers and some even are getting berries.  It won’t be long before they get bigger and start to turn red for a June harvest.



Blueberries are also on the way to ripening now that I have placed a net over them I can now wait for them to ripen in the sun.  They are still small at the moment, but I think they might be ready at the same time as my strawberries possibly.  I would say in a month the first harvest of blueberries will be ready.



Last but not least my tomatoes were definitely ready to be placed in the ground.  They were getting pot bound in the containers I placed them in so I put them in the ground this past week.  I will have to place stakes around them real soon.  I like to place stakes around them when I first put them in the ground so that I don’t damage the roots.  I think a few days after will not hurt them.

Getting Ready for the New Strawberry Season

Last year I planted the first set of June bearing strawberry plants and since it was the first year I wasn't going to get anything from my plants.  Today I removed all the straw from the plants and found that all of them had survived the harsh winter.  Now that they have survived there is a good chance that this season they will begin to produce the fruit and berries that I am looking forward to consume.  Some weeding was done today as well and wanted to just loosen the soil for some air circulation to the roots.

Most of my plants indoors have been getting enough sun to grow, but not enough for successful flower production.  I decided to place most of them outside especially my alyssum, dill, tomatoes, and rhubarb.  They need as much sun as possible and by putting them outside I am also getting them used to the weather and preparing to harden them off.  This is the process of getting them acclimated to the elements that they will find outside once I place them in the garden for good.

Here is my rhubarb plant that I purchased this season.  I have two of them, but this one was the first to get some leaves and the other is getting leaves, but a little bit slower than this one. I plan to put them in the ground once the roots start pushing through the peat pot.  Right now there is just one root that happened to show itself through the pot recently.

Gardening is Out and the Winter Season is In

It is now getting colder and most of my plants are done for this year except for a few peppers and my strawberry plants which will be protected with some straw.  I didn’t think my pepper plants would last through November, but I am still picking the peppers right off the plant until the very first frost which will end the season officially.



Before or when the ground freezes straw needs to be applied to plants that you want to save for next year.  Certain plants don’t need straw especially if they are perennials like blueberries.  Strawberries on the other hand can survive without straw, but you will be taking a risk not covering it with straw.  It is always best to cover them with straw before the real cold weather arrives.



At the moment I am just enjoying the very last of the summer fruit and vegetables.  I had recently started cutting my watermelons which are really tasty and juicy.  I am trying to keep them around for as long as possible in order to enjoy their incredible flavor.  They should be able to last a month or so as long as they are kept in a cool refrigerator.


Carrots are still outside in the ground and they will be ready once Thanksgiving comes around the corner.  In a couple of weeks I will have them up from the ground and they will be cut and ready to be eaten immediately.  With enough of them I could can them and enjoy them all through the cold winter months.  There is only one row, but if they are big enough I will can them for future enjoyment.

Tilling a New Spot for Strawberry Plants

I decided that yesterday was warm enough to get some tilling done for the upcoming spring months and harvest.  I am looking to plant some seeds of spinach, radishes, celery, peas, and potatoes.  I also have been growing lettuce plants indoors this season to transplant them in the garden when the weather is a little bit warmer.  Right now the temperature is still below freezing which these plants don't tolerate well.

This is where I plan on putting my spring plants and seeds for this year.  This should be enough room to plant all of them.









I also found a perfect spot for my strawberry plants this year.  My onions that were grown in the garden the past couple of years is where I am going to put my new strawberry plants.  It is a big enough area where I will have enough room to put my strawberries and even more if I wanted to add more plants to this section.

I hope to put my strawberry plants in the garden very soon since they have been sitting in a bucket of water for a couple of weeks.  I have been putting them outside in order to harden them off, but I want to see some consistent warm weather before planting them.

Melon, Pepper, Eggplant, and Cucumber Seed Planting

It is not time to start planting them outside, but it is time to give them the head start they need by starting them indoors.  I am using peat pots this time because it will just make things easier later on in the season when it is time to transplant all of them.  If they don't take I can always grow them directly in the soil.

I will place a fluorescent light on top of them once I fill the containers they are sitting in with water.  This is how I like to water my plants especially seeds because there is no need to use a spray bottle because the soil will soak up the water from the bottom up.













My plants are looking good especially my strawberry plants.  They have been soaking in water for about a week or so and I will be placing them in there own peat pots.  It is too early for them to go outside and I don't want them to just sit in a container of water for a month.  I will most likely put them into peat pots either this week or by the end of the weekend.

Alyssum, dill, and wildflowers have been sprouting and are just about done with the germination process except for dill which has just begun this process.  It was planted later so naturally it will be a little bit behind my alyssum and wildflower seeds.

Early Planting of Strawberries and Potatoes

I have received my potatoes and strawberry plants this evening in the mail.  I had ordered them this year and I would be getting them sometime in the beginning of the growing season.  Today they arrived and I need to plant them in the garden as soon as possible.

This means I have to start working the soil a little bit sooner than I had anticipated.  I was hoping these would come in a little bit later and possibly the end of March.  It looks like these plants will have to be in the garden sometime this week.  It is supposed to be a good day on Thursday so it looks like I will be aiming for that day to put them in the ground.

Planning on Including New Seeds and Plants Never Cultivated Before

I like to keep my garden diversified and not grow the same thing every year.  Although I do grow some of the same things each season I always like to add at least one new plant that I haven't grown before.  This year is different and instead of one new plant or seed I am going to be adding five new plants which should make for an interesting year.

I purchased them about a week ago and they just arrived today.  Radishes, peas, and a few lettuce seeds are what I have at the moment.  I did get some potatoes and strawberries which are also going to be grown in the garden this year hopefully.  I also have celery seeds which I am going to be planting this spring along with lettuce, spinach, peas, and possibly radishes.

When the new year came around I actually didn't think I was going to buy all these new plants, but I thought it would be better to add some new for a little bit of a challenge.  The strawberries and potatoes will come later in the springtime because they are plants rather than seeds.  They don't send them until it is about time to put them into the soil.

Just Started Harvesting First Strawberries

I have been watching my strawberries very closely because many of them are red but are just not quite ready to be harvested.  I did find a few that were ready to be picked and that is what I did earlier in the week.  This has been about the average time that I would normally pick these berries.  In terms of timing they have began ripening as they have for the past several years.

A good size and were very tasty after I took a couple to see if they were sweet enough and juicy enough to be harvested.

I am also getting blueberries, but they are no where close to being harvested.  They take a much longer time to ripen as compared to strawberries.  July is usually when I start picking them on average.  Sometimes at the end of June I may pick the first of the season.

Since we are discussing fruit I thought it would be wise to notice a tomato is starting to grow on one of my plants.  It is probably a Roma as it has an oval shape which is the only shape that Romas will take.  It probably isn't a cherry or a steakhouse tomato so I am going with Roma.  In a couple days when it gets bigger I should be able to determine what exactly it is.  Stay tuned to find out what type of tomato is growing in my garden.

Zucchini and Tomatoes Producing Flowers of Some Interest

I have been seeing some flowers grow on many of my tomatoes, but only a couple of plants have actually started opening with promise of fruit coming soon.  My cherry tomatoes are always the first to produce anything because they don't need as much care as the others do.  I still end up staking them up so they are not left on the ground.  It will probably be a few days until I start to see fruit on these plants.

As you can see there are only flowers and no fruit just yet.

Zucchini is very easy to get flowers rather quickly.  They are normally the first vegetable in the garden that I happen to harvest first.  Male flowers come first followed by the female ones which are what we are looking for because that is the part that we end up eating.  I have a couple of plants that have already produced female flowers and one of them was not pollinated while the other may have.  I am not sure yet because it opened up today and it will take a day or so before I can tell if it was successfully pollinated.

This is the only thing that has been exciting for the most part.  I did pick some more strawberries which has been a great benefit to me.  They are not going to last long while I keep eating them everyday. 

Strawberry Harvest and Finishing Corn Planting

I finally was able to get all my corn plantings completed and was able to easily plant two successful rows of corn in simple five foot increments.  I now should expect to get corn in different times and they should only ripen throughout the season instead of all at once.

Not only did I finally finish the corn section, but I also had time to pick the first strawberries of this year.  I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do this because I didn't know if there was enough ripe strawberries to do anything with.  Luckily I received about a pound of these delicious fruits and enjoyed every minute of it. 

This is just the beginning and later on I will get more berries that I will eat and enjoy throughout the whole season.  I will keep you up to date on that aspect and let you know every time I go outside and pick these wonderful berries.

What Has Been Happening in My Garden?

If you are wondering what has been going on this week with my garden, then you need to read the rest of this post.  I will be discussing a few things that have been going on including some events that have taken place and what plants I have left to transplant into the garden.  I also was able to accomplish some tasks this week as well.

Last week I was able to get my tomatoes, squash, and sunflowers into the garden with some great success.  This week I only had melons, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, and some late growing tomatoes left to be added into the garden. 

Melons and peppers are what I was able to get done because they can take a while to adapt to the soil compared to other plants.  This coming week I will finish up with the rest of my fruits and vegetables and after that I will add my flowers to the soil.

Watermelon

Peppers

So far only the bush beans and corn that were planted earlier have been showing signs of life.  The pole beans should be coming up very soon and I would think sometime this week they will begin their sprouting process as well. 

Corn

Beans

Other than this it has been a pretty normal gardening season to start the year.  Some strawberries are starting to turn red and they will soon be picked maybe by next week if the weather is good.  I will keep you informed of what is happening in the garden in future posts.