Here we are at the beginning of spring, when everything is possible. It is time to get outside and plant, making this a very busy season!
- Liquid fertilizer or compost can be added as soon as our perennials reach 3 to 4 inches high.
- Mulches should be pulled back. Seeds and some plants can go into the ground at the beginning of the month. Think parsley in between the lettuce!
- Keep everything well-watered so that seedlings and new plants can be well established.
- For those growing seedlings, it is time to start basil indoors. At my house I will also start okra and Malabar spinach from Baker seeds.
- The garlic chives that I have babied in an unlikely spot seem to be doing well and blossoms will be cut for salads.
- My carrots are not stellar, and I suspect that some birds have been grazing on the tiny seedlings. Therefore, planning on putting a bit a dill between the rows.
As I write, I am thinking of the two bee swarms that left their (my) hive boxes this afternoon. Not a happy occasion for a beekeeper. One swarm has been captured and is now in my backyard. I hope they stay. The other swarm is on its way to a new home, and that is a very good thing for beekeeping.
My adventure this month included root cuttings from a Norm’s Farm elder plant. It was a first for me. I found a suggestion of using Aloe Vera gel squeezed from the leaf as a possible rooting hormone. It seemed to work! Those plants are now on their way to become part of a blueberry plantation. The owner will do some experimenting with them. Commercial possibilities would be good!
On the sweet potato topic, my potatoes have not sprouted as yet but Evelyn Mosley our society member has done very well using Teresa Horn’s method as described on Teresa’s YouTube channel. To quote Evelyn, “You can see my sweet potato slips erupting from the soil! They are tossing soil over the edge in their exuberance!” Now that is success! We do have some great members in the society who are willing to share their know how with all of us.
~~ Reni Erskine