Showing posts with label blueberry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blueberry. Show all posts

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Spring Update

Not only an early spring, but a very wet one as well...

Last frost reached out to Mother's Day, so couldn't make too early a use of the warmer days.

Gooseberries in place (1 on s. side, 1 just north of Comfrey plant along fence). The Red Currants are in containers now (both woke up just fine) with exact homes TBD, and the 3 Nanking Bush Cherries are in Azalea pots wondering if they were ordered impulsively.

Order 2 "Ben Curan" Black Currant shrubs from Jung's yesterday, after realizing over the last 2 weeks that BCs are among the most shade-tolerant Ribes. Will try them along the fence in the high-shade area under the pine overhangs.

Lagging on getting the Red Torpedo onions in, since I made a point to give the garlics enough room this year, plus I have Broccoli and Cauliflower at the other end of the bed. Might put the Torps in the middle of 7 tomato spots... need to decide very soon. Have 20 Cippolini and 20 LTS onions in and growing.

The Elliot Blueberry I purchased last year and never planted is still hanging in, and actually doing well considering it was completely above ground all winter. Will at least re-pot it to a larger container.

The lettuces are doing well, have the smallest bed co-planted w/spinach.

Started 6 massive Sunflowers to interplant between the tomato spots, and will (try to) use as bean towers.

Done with frosts now, so plan to get squash planted in the next week or two. Think I'll try 3 varieties in the ½-barrel: zuchinni for spilling forward into the year, Delicata to trail on the fence towards the Asparagus, and Butternut to trail on the fence towards the west.

Have done NOTHING with the middle bed yet. Will probably be home to pepper plants. Has the chives now, and a straggler Blackberry coming up!

I see lots of worms by flashlight when I come home at midnight-thirty and check on the yard. Looks like they're happy.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Early Spring 2010

Wow, what an early spring we're having this year. Getting report of local apple orchards that their trees are averaging 2 weeks ahead of sched.

The home and garden centers are packed to the rafters with plant starts, even though it is still most of a month until the last frost date (Mothers Day)!

I put in a 3rd blueberry plant ("Chippewa") at the north end of the existing grape and blueberry plantings. This variety is supposed to stay a little shorter than the 2 "Blue Ray" plantings already there; needed shorter growth so as not to block late day sun to the raised beds.

Have 3 sesame plants started... we'll see how long they last. Just received the shipment of Onion starts from Dixondale Farms; same variety as last year. Will contact Rick and Roy to share.

Ordered some fruiting shrubs from Gurnee's: 2 red currants, 2 Pixwell Gooseberries, and 3 Nanking Bush Cherries. Hope I can find homes for them!