Early March Garden Update

This month we had another late freeze, with temperatures falling to the mid-twenties on March 6th. We have two days of heavy rain ahead, and then some sunny days. At that point, I will have a better idea of what is going to make it through the winter, and what has died.

I am currently harvesting asparagus, cilantro and lettuce. I am hoping to harvest some radishes and maybe my cabbage this month.

I have planted seven tomatoes and a few leeks and I am hoping to plant some zucchini, eggplant, and cucumbers in a week or so. I am also hoping that my potato plants start popping up in a few weeks!




●●● Currently Harvesting

Cilantro

The freeze has hurt it a bit - especially the parts that bolted and were moving toward seed. But I still have a whole lot of this left. 

As with previous years, I am going to let it go to seed, so I can have a nice crop again next year. 

Still plenty left to eat and share!





Asparagus

Planted from Crowns: Jan 20

First Harvest: February 8th

I planted 15 new crowns on Jan 20th. I have had at least eight of them and maybe more show a small shoot. But with the roller coaster of weather we have had, those tender shoots have mostly died. I am not sure how many I have actually alive. Right now, I am only seeing about two.

Most of the old shoots came up (I think I have around 15 up), but again, I am not sure how they weathered through this last bit of mid-twenty lows. You can see from the photo that many of the tops have frozen and fallen over. Not sure what to do about those?

I did harvest about ten shoots of asparagus from last year's crowns.  I am supposed to go very light this year, and I am not really sure what that means, so I am probably done harvesting for the year.

Lettuce
Transplanted: October 20th and January 20th 

One of the two red leaf lettuce from October 20th is still producing. The other got bitter and bolted, so I pulled it. The three I planted in January are doing well. I am enjoying pulling a couple of leaves a day for a salad or for sandwiches! The spinach is growing strong, but none of the kids seem to like it. I should probably just pull it, but I hate to pull a thriving plant :o)

●●● Hoping to harvest this month

Radishes

Crimson Giant
Planted from seed: Jan 20
Days to harvest: 30 days (February 20)

Actual harvest: Going on 47 days and these babies are just starting to show a little bit of red bulb. I am guessing we might get to put some in our salad in about two weeks.

Cabbage

Transplanted: Gosh, I have no idea when I put this in, but I am guessing on January 20th when I planted everything else.

Days to harvest:  60 - 105 days (March 21 - May 5th)

Planting this guy was just a whim. He seems to be doing pretty well, starting to curve his leaves in and look like a real cabbage plant. I'm thinking I might get to harvest him in a few weeks

●●● Planted this month
Tomatoes
Plants planted March 7th

Days to harvest: 55 - 75 days (May 2 - May 22)

Since I think the last of the low temps are past, I had Dave and the boys pick up some tomatoes to plant. Natural Gardener still has their freeze warnings on the plants, but I think we'll be good from here on out...

The boys bought way more tomatoes that I would have; seven plants in total. I was kind of stretched where to put them, so I just put them in any open spot I could find in the garden. With so many winter plants in the garden this year (onions, garlic, carrots, radishes, lettuce, potatoes and my big lawn of cilantro) there just isn't that much room.

Celebrity
I planted two Celebrity tomatoes. The boys found two rather large plants (probably from the same batch that my small almost dead one came from).

Firework
Then K picked out a new type:  Firework. We'll see how it goes. It is supposed to be an early producer, with days to maturity 55 - 68 days. No idea how old these plants actually are, but if I guess two to three weeks, I might actually get some fruit by mid to late April... we'll see.

Yellow Pear
Dave also picked out the same Yellow Pear that was so fruitful last year. I have to admit, I was hoping for a red cherry tomato. The yellow was tasty and prolific, but a tomato sauce made from these babies looks like vomit. Days to harvest:  75 days

Roma
He also picked up two Romas. I haven't grown Romas before, so we'll see what they bring.


Leeks
The boys also saw a Leek plant and picked it up. I know nothing about Leeks, I am not sure I've ever even cooked with them, but hey, I am an equally opportunity killer ;o)

He bought one small pot of them, that I planted yesterday. But in looking at them today, I could clearly see that there were three different leek plants all bunched together.

So today I pulled them apart and planted them separately. I had to do some pretty serious root pulling, since they were all grown together. I'm not sure if that was the right thing to do, or not. But it felt right. We'll see in a couple of days how they are doing.

Searching the internet, it looks like the days to maturity for transplants are around 75 to 120 days. So, I am thinking I'll be able to pull these guys in mid-May.


●●● Hoping to plant soon
This month I am hoping to plant some cucumber and tomatillo from seed and zucchini and eggplant transplants in a week or two.

●●● Hoping to see this month
Potatoes
Seed potatoes planted: February 19
Yukon, Ratte and Red

Days to harvest:  Early May to mid-May, guessing from last year

I have not seen hide or hair of these guys, but based on last year's experience, I am hoping to see these guys start to pop up by mid-March

●●● Hoping to harvest next month

Carrots
Snacking Carrots "Rotild" from Renee's Garden
Planted from seed:  Jan 20

Days to germinate: 10-20
Actual days to germinate: 19 days (February 8)

Days to Harvest:  70 (April 19)

Sunshine Carrots (Yellow and Orange mix)
Planted from seed:  Jan 20

Days to Germinate: 10 - 20 days  
Actual days to germinate: 19 days (February 8)

Days to Harvest:  88  (May 7th based on germination)

Strawberries
Planted:  February 8

The strawberries I planted in the garden bed are going pretty strong, 

but the ones in the new sandbox bed continue to get eaten up and look about as small as when I planted them. I am still thinking it might be insects, especially since they just got eaten again since it has warmed up a bit. But I just don't know for sure.

Days to harvest:  No idea, but I am expecting mid-April, based on when strawberries produce around here.

●●● Hoping to harvest in May

Onions

Planted from sets: Jan 20

Days to harvest:  4 months - based on last year's experience (May 20)

Garlic

Planted from sets:  I can't remember, sometime in the fall?

Months to harvest: I am thinking May. I will wait until the bottom leaves start to turn brown

Tomatoes
If all goes well, I am hoping to start harvesting tomatoes in mid-May... we'll see!

Leeks

Again, I know nothing about leeks, but I am thinking these guys will be good to go around mid-May.