STARTING OUR SPRING VEGGIE GARDEN STAGE 5

Corn is peeking up!

Why does your Avatar remind me so much of Alfred Hitchcock?

LOL!

The Birds!! Run!

Ha!

A couple of years ago we visited the Chattanooga Aquarium, and this starling, who I doubt was an official exhibit in the rainforest with the parrots, was yacking up a storm having a very loud "conversation" with everyone who went by. Unfortunately, he wasn't speaking human or else his accent was really bad. (Starlings can mimic human language and even have some sense of the grammar involved, although just how much is the subject of much study.)

I suspect he was saying "Help! I got trapped in here a few weeks ago and I can't get out!"

I know they are an invasive pest, but they are pretty. Anyway, that icon is me talking too much. :)

I was thinking Poe and the Raven. Didn't think you posted a picture of "yourself" that's funny.

I saw a few snowflakes a few minutes ago. No matter what the calendar says, spring has not yet arrived in the San Luis Valley.

We are just getting going with our garden here in the PNW. So far we have:
Potatoes---up
Peas---Just coming up
leeks---sets and looking good
onions transplanted from GH
Carrots---Just starting to come up
In the Greenhouse we have:
18 Tomatoes---I will transplant outside early May. Will have to give some away
6 Peppers--Also too many. I got two to overwinter in the GH and one is setting buds.
Cabbage
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Spinach
Lettuce--Need to transplant soon
Zucchini-Just planted
Delecata Squash-Just Planted
Cucumber-Just Planted
Need to plant parsnips and rudabegas very soon
PLUS, we have a new deer fence. I have great expectations for the 2013 garden.

Happy Gardening Everyone

You're doing great, beebonnet! Congrats for getting that fence up.

I just got back from the nursery and I have bought seedlings of -
Eggplant
Zucchinu
Burpless cucumbers
Boston Lettuce
Brocolli
Tomatoes
Can't wait to get them planted.

I see a splendid salad in your future, rita. :)

I am just so ready to get my plants out. Have to wait some, still a little cool.

I transplanted 10 bell peppers this evening.

Have to spray the tomatoes for little green worms. The tomatoes are about tangerine size, in clusters of 5-6 tomatoes.

I also had to spray tomatoes for worms. Lots of little green ones running around eating the leaves as well as the fruit. I'm still looking for a good organic insecticide. I use BT, but I guess I'd love seeing the critters just die. I was at a garden show a few weeks ago, & purchased an egg case of prating mantis. We'll see what they do.

I am so thankful that we don't have the green worms here. Hope we never do. I thought BT was organic. We do have to use it on the brassicas because of the white butterfly cabbage moth although, birds do a good job of picking them off. Some years, nor fast enough.

I've NEVER had this many tomatoes, this early in my season. The little green worms are making lace doilies outta the leaves, but they aren't touching the tomatoes. However, I did find one wicked cutworm (black with greyish diamond patterns down both sides), with his head sticking inside a tomato!

He went to wormworld....

But, still don't want the little green worms to grow up and decide the tomatoes look better than the leaves, so Bt it is!

My outdoor eggplants are huge already! Too many in one EB, so have to divide them.

Linda

LOL @ "wormworld"!!

LOLOL! ^^_^^

KELP MEAL AND SEAWEED EXTRACT
Calalily uses about half a coffee can full of kelp meal on a 4 x 34 raised bed, to help green up early tomato plantings. Just sprinkle it on the soil.

She also uses seaweed extract (which comes in a powder form) at a rate of 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water, then waters the plants with it.

I just love it when the veggies start to produce and I can go outside and pick dinner right in my own garden and eat it just a short while later. I do love stir fry and last year had delicious stir fried beans mostly from my yard long beans. Will have those again this year, I already have the seeds but its too early to start them as yet. Last year I didn't have peppers this year I do. And Zucchini can go in those stir fries too. A nice pepper, bean and sliced zucchini stir fry. Yumm, Yumm. And eggplant can be micowaved and is easy to cook. Some red sauce and maybe a sprinkle of cheeze and dinner is served. Then there is my famous (famous in my own mind) tomato and cucumber salad. Plus fresh tomatoes eaten every way you can think of. I love love tomato sandwiches and never seem to get tired of them.

Maybe I will start my cucumbers this weekend. I have lots of seeds and always start some of my own to go with those burpless cucumber seedlongs that I bought.

Now I'm hungry...

Now I wish I were planting a garden this season. Y'all are tempting me, but I keep remembering the squash vine borers, cucumber beetles, and voles last year.

Wish someone would build me a chicken coupe, then I could let the chickens have the run of the empty garden. Best "pesticide" there is! I was reading this morning, that chickens will even eat baby mice! They would get rid of my voles, for sure.

I'm heading off for vacation. So whatever survives our son's ministrations will be most welcome when we get back LOL!

Oh, yes Honeybee! Chickens will eat baby mice. Mice have been an issue this past winter in my chicken coop. But one of my hens especially loves the babies...I have not doubt that chickens are descended from dinosaurs! This hen has started hunting like a tyrannosaurus!

Anybody here using/following the Mittleider Gardening method?

First tomato of the season 2013 is PEACEVINE CHERRY.
Even with the cold weather my first tomato arrived only 5 days later than usual. All the other plants are loaded of green tomatoes.
Too bad that I will be leaving tomorrow and back in two weeks ... ouch ... I hope my DH will harvest and take some pictures ... but I doubt it.
I hope I can enjoy everybody else pictures while I am away.

I really want to plant my tomatoes but the nights are cool. But I am impatient.

Oh well (sigh) A bean plant from the north

The Sugar Lace II growing in pots. These are really odd looking vines. Supposed to be a very productive variety so we will see.

The snow peas are growing really well. I like growing in pots they are doing better than the ones in ground. Sprouted sooner and are growing faster.

Supposed to get down to 41 tonight so I bought in all my veggie seedlings.

I haven't even started my beans yet. Too cold!

Pea's are looking good there !! Some Beans grow a lot like peas .. That was one one of a few I left outside when it got down to 30 degrees .
Didn't even phase them ,(the beans) so I am going ahead with planting a few ,. everything else is wait , wait , and wait some more ...lettuce, onions,, beans .. in the garden so far..

I checked back and last year I planted my tomato seedlings on May 3rd. This year I plan on getting them in ground this Monday so that will be April 29th. I seem to get earlier each year.

They are calling for potential frost next weekend now. So, I guess my tomatoes are NOT getting transplanted this weekend.

whats with all this cold this year!

It supposed to get in the 30s on Thursday. I'm going to plant out more and just hope for the best. I can't keep putting it off. I may wait to sow seeds, but I can't wait on everything. I'm lossing my enthusiasm.

I uncovered my English peas this afternoon. Some of them have begun to flower. I sure hope the birds leave them alone!

I've forgotten how to spell enthuzziasmmm...

Much the same here , 30's for night time temperatures next weekend , To cold for the tomato plants I have ..
Radishes ,onions , lettuce, herbs for salads ,I guess it is!!!

I've been complaining about the weather a lot, but I've never had lettuce do so well as this year; and radishes, turnips, mustard greens and spinach have been going like gangbusters. I wish the peas would get in gear, though - a few blooms but the plants are too small to produce much.