Observations
As I walk around the homestead there’s so much swimming in my mind, so I’m jotting it all down here.
Progress reports - indoors
Pole beans, started 2/12 in a cup - yes, they can be grow in a cup with a bit of soil. It's about three feet high but no flowers or beans. Not ever potted up.
Corn, started 2/12 in a cup - just grassy stems. Not ever potted up.
Sweet potatoes, trying to grow slips in soil and water 4/4 - no signs of life. Check them at four week mark, pull when 6 inches.
Bellflowers, seeded 4/16 - no signs of life but yes, signs of algae on the top of the soil. Cover removed two days ago. Under lights. Could take 2-3 weeks to germinate.
Asters, seeded 4/16, one per cell - most cells have popped up, about an inch tall
Lettuces, seeded 4/18, two per cell - most cells have popped up, about an inch tall
Dill, seeded 4/18 - no signs of life yet. 10-14 days germination
Cosmos, out to GH 4/20
Tomatoes, large out to GH 4/20
Tomatillos, large out to GH 4/20
Tomatoes, small in house - four more twos in cups need to split up to singles and repot deeper
Tomatillos, small, in house - two leggies to repot deeper
Ground cherries - one two need to split into singles
Peppers, overwintered in mudroom - I can't tell which are dormant versus which have died. I see one with a green stem.
Peppers, keystone, large in house - four sets of leaves, potted in a recycled pineapple container, some hole in leaves
Peppers, ancho grande, small, in house - happy
Pepperoncini, small, in house - happy
Peppers, grocery store, small, in house - happy
Sunflowers, RM, started from saved DH'd seeds - low germination rate, leggy
LESSON ABOUT CUPS - I've learned that cups with more than one hole take up water better than the one-holed cups.
Progress reports - GH
Bachelor buttons - leaves are returned after being eaten by chickens
Zinnias - some plants, leaves are returned after being eaten by chickens
Cosmos - happy
Marigold - happy
Basil - pinched and planted tops for more plants
Parsley - leaves are returning after being eaten by chickens
Cilantro - leaves are returning after being eaten by chickens
Tomatoes, large - wilty first day, better
Tomatillos, large - wilty first day, better
REGULATING TEMPS IN THE GREENHOUSE IS CHALLENGING - mostly on sunny days. Sunny and 40 degrees could mean 85-90 degrees in the GH. What helps: Roll up one GH side, opening top and bottom doors, and running two industrial fans - one venting to the outside.
Because nights are still cold, plants are shrouded with frost cloth and the heater kicks on to maintain 50 degrees. I'm not willing to remove the bubble wrap yet because of those nighttime temps.
Birch beds in back - need spring cleanup
Crocuses came up - all yellow! The packaging showed purples and yellows.
Tulip leaves are almost fully formed.
Alpine ____ - yellow flower plant - jumping out of the ground
Josh's arch gardens
Chives x 3 - moved from rolling metal herb bed with half their roots, then leaved trimmed halfway - happy
Violas - happy
Fenced garden near chickens
Garlic - fresh leaves about 6 inches tall
Onions - getting established
Carrots - a few growing under the wood pieces
Greens - the ones the chickens didn't get to aren't dead, lol
Bachelor buttons - happy
Pansies - more popping up that need to be moved!
I've been covering half these beds with frost cloth at night and opening in the morning.
GH garden
Comfrey - clump is sprouting, could divide this year
Soil under trellis and for corn has been broadforked and ready to plant. Want to cover with cardboard till planting time to keep weeds down
We are happily homesteading on less than one acre.
This is a drone shot in midwinter.
Front yard
Helliobore - flowering happily
Forsythia x5 - blooming, many flowers at the base and not as many on the tall sprouts. East side has expanded outward and also has some self-rooting volunteers to dig up and transplant.
Tulips and daffodils - leaves about six inches out of the ground
German iris - leaves about six inches out of the ground
Lilacs - budding, looks like they may be a dwarf variety
Japanese grass - new edging transplants are happy
Perennials showing growth mounds: Jerusalem artichoke, asters, black eyed susans, purple coneflowers, Jacob Cline bee balm - asters and native beebalm need dividing!
Potatoes - planted from indoor sprouts - check progress
Blue spruce, replacement shrub - browning out like the old one did. Moles eating it??
Serviceberries - two need pruning of crossed branches
Baby oak - can't see new growth yet
Far east side - spring bulbs in grass I need to tranplant before hubby mows them down.
Hydrangea -needs pruning
Rock/Herb gardens in ground
Perennial mounds are growing
Broadleaf weed and dandelions growing as well - pull and feed to the flock.
Raised kitchen garden beds
Covered at night with frost cloth. Watered from rain barrel on sunny days.
Onions - getting established
Cabbage x3 per bed - happy
Brussel sprouts - disappearing. Likely too soon to plant them out yet. - Need to start new seedings.
Tomatillos and ground cherries - gone, was just too early to plant out yet