High Tunnel Tomato Planters April-12th
Froggy on the porch.
Jessica and her very first radish harvest!
Seed packagers bagging up beans, cukes, summer squashes and more for the next round of planting.
Tomato sorters and organizers.
Tomato variety counters.
Greenhouse filled to bursting with plants for members and sale.
This has been the busiest April I remember with unseasonably warm weather we are getting things in earlier. Members have the most stuff ever planted and coming up already in their beds. They have been harvesting onions, lettuce, radishes and kale already. The potatoes planted last month are up and thriving. Sadly I saw a potato beetle yesterday. We’ve planted lots of onions in addition to our high tunnel tomatoes. We had peas in the high tunnel over the winter to increase the nitrogen. We left most it to let it keep working for us while the tomatoes get bigger.
On April 17th we bedded our sweet potatoes. Hopefully with all the hot weather they will be stimulated to quickly grow lots of slips for us to plant. It was a very well attended meeting with lots of adults and children pitching in to add compost to the beds in the greenhouse, then snug in 4 varieties of sweet potatoes, cover with straw and lastly water them well.
We’ve had water challenges this month. Our water line was broken so we are learning what it’s like to not have it handy. We are being as creative as we can on bringing it in. Bill got a rain barrel in the back of his truck to fill and bring in. I’ve got the big kitty litter jugs to tote in my van to the garden. It makes one appreciate even more what it must have been like to be a pioneer. During this time we also had flooding rains a week ago during which we had to get all our greenhouse babies we were getting acclimated to being outside back inside because they were drowning. I’ve especially been learning (I hope) the fine art of providing pepper plants enough water but not too much water. Their leaves were rather yellow which seemed to be caused by over watering. Between drying them out and getting them outside they are improving. We were going to plant beans and corn last week but the flooding rains stopped that plan for now. Maybe this week.
Our asparagus bed is producing really well. Yum! The lettuce beds are also producing well.
We had the first 2 days of our plant sale last Friday and Saturday. Our sales were down from last year so far. Possibly because of the brutal heat both days here.
Our new Servalution Satellite is coming along well with good participation. They have their beds all planted.
So everyone all the best for a Merry Month of May Gardening! Sue
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