Today I made the decision to wash and put away the Carhart jacket for the season. This is not something I decide lightly, because it just might backfire on me with snow, hail, sleet and other forms of nastiness. But I feel lucky. I heard this week that the global warming that's going on right now is backing up average temperatures to the tune of 8 hours annually since 1988. So here's the King Of Rationalization in action:
Last average frost in our zone --April 15 (traditionally, according to USDA numbers)
"New" last average frost in our zone -- April 18 (do the math from the paragraph above)
Current 10 day forecast -- No temp less than 42F
Here's what all that complicated math means to me - take the gamble and plant beans!
Fast Forward to April 2. No April Fool here. Guess what went into the ground today? Yes, that's right. Beans. Actually we've been out planting greens, choi (lots more Wendy than me, but I think I actually did plant one or two, so I could claim "we" did it), more snap peas, broccoli, and thousands of onions. Hope they bulb this year; it's always iffy given our clay and climate.
We've been planting between rains. That's a wonderful thing, especially considering that last year, and a large part of the year before that, rain was hardly a consideration. No complaints about too much water falling from the sky. I agree with my father's belief that rain is just the liquid form of sunshine. I hope it keeps on coming on.
Thunder and daylight together mean that it's time for coffee and morning chores. I'll blog faster if you flog me harder with comments.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Near the Ides of March
I love weather, especially in the lower middle Tennessee area. It is never boring, never predictable, always a challenge. This week, though, is shaping up to be absolutely splendid. The snow we had over the weekend stimulated everything that could germinate, I think.
I've been remiss about posting plantings here, so here goes with the list as of March 10:
Garlic - not nearly enough, but all sizes, all green, all growing
Onions - We've stuck a bunch into the ground, more to come, and they are just now showing green tips. Time for more mulch and a happy dance or two over them.
Radishes - my personal favorite. You can stand at the end of the rows and see green stripes along the ground. They are only about an inch tall, but this week will make them shoot up.
English peas - the kind you shell, not the sugar snaps. They're up, checking things out, looking around for deer, sheep, and other dangers. They'll likely shoot on up this week, too.
Wheat - This is a maybe you'll get it, maybe you won't kind of thing. We planted a bushel of wheat in October, and it's coming on now, having been grazed sporadically all winter by our escape artist sheep (who went to the butcher this week). If it comes on, we'll be sending out small amounts for you to try in late May. It's truly an experiment, both in growing and in recipes, but we'll see.
Collards - The ground looks like algae has escaped and crept all over it. Cross your fingers for rain, sun, and a little time for some good cooking greens.
Beets - We are determined to have beets this year, after nothing last year. Stand by for news.
Salad mix - Just yesterday a brave few poked up. With luck in a week the field will be green with baby lettuce, mizuna, mustard, arugula, and a few other goodies.
Broccoli - one flat went into the ground yesterday, another will today, and more later.
Potatoes - They are still in burlap sacks, and it makes my back hurt, but probably this weekend we'll be plantind several hundred pounds of seed potatoes. Our favorite is Irish Cobbler, but we'll have some other varieties also.
Finally, to the greenhouse. I should wait for Wendy to list off all the things she is waving her magic watering wand over in there every day, but suffice it to say that the Choi, the cippolini, and the Fuyo Shomi are almost ready for transplanting. Flowers are germinatine, she even has eggplant poking up all over the place. Yesterday she found peppers pushing up for air, too.
March is a great month. We've got to burn 2 woodstoves all night every night, and then vent the place all day because of the heat buildup. If anyone knows how to shift temperature 12 hours either way, let us know.
TTFN
I've been remiss about posting plantings here, so here goes with the list as of March 10:
Garlic - not nearly enough, but all sizes, all green, all growing
Onions - We've stuck a bunch into the ground, more to come, and they are just now showing green tips. Time for more mulch and a happy dance or two over them.
Radishes - my personal favorite. You can stand at the end of the rows and see green stripes along the ground. They are only about an inch tall, but this week will make them shoot up.
English peas - the kind you shell, not the sugar snaps. They're up, checking things out, looking around for deer, sheep, and other dangers. They'll likely shoot on up this week, too.
Wheat - This is a maybe you'll get it, maybe you won't kind of thing. We planted a bushel of wheat in October, and it's coming on now, having been grazed sporadically all winter by our escape artist sheep (who went to the butcher this week). If it comes on, we'll be sending out small amounts for you to try in late May. It's truly an experiment, both in growing and in recipes, but we'll see.
Collards - The ground looks like algae has escaped and crept all over it. Cross your fingers for rain, sun, and a little time for some good cooking greens.
Beets - We are determined to have beets this year, after nothing last year. Stand by for news.
Salad mix - Just yesterday a brave few poked up. With luck in a week the field will be green with baby lettuce, mizuna, mustard, arugula, and a few other goodies.
Broccoli - one flat went into the ground yesterday, another will today, and more later.
Potatoes - They are still in burlap sacks, and it makes my back hurt, but probably this weekend we'll be plantind several hundred pounds of seed potatoes. Our favorite is Irish Cobbler, but we'll have some other varieties also.
Finally, to the greenhouse. I should wait for Wendy to list off all the things she is waving her magic watering wand over in there every day, but suffice it to say that the Choi, the cippolini, and the Fuyo Shomi are almost ready for transplanting. Flowers are germinatine, she even has eggplant poking up all over the place. Yesterday she found peppers pushing up for air, too.
March is a great month. We've got to burn 2 woodstoves all night every night, and then vent the place all day because of the heat buildup. If anyone knows how to shift temperature 12 hours either way, let us know.
TTFN
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