January 5, 2017

Good morning, thought it would be a good time to give a veggie update. Even with the periodic cold snaps, this “winter” doesn’t seem to be much of one. It is giving me ideas that could really be pushing the envelope.

I got my second sowing of peas in. The first sowing is 12 to 18 inches tall. The tips of some of them got a bit nipped with that recent 17 degree morning. The second sowing is just now breaking the surface. My hope is to have a nice long harvest. My variety of peas is enation resistant so as long as I keep them hydrated just maybe a warm spring will not affect them too much. The last two springs have been very favorable to peas. Maybe 3 times is charm?

Harvested the first broccoli and it was tasty!! There are several more heads that are getting close. My hope is for lots of side shoots to prolong the harvest. The next crop to go into this bed is sweet potatoes, which will go in around the 15 of April. The cauliflower has not shown any signs of curd yet but I expect any day. Since the cut worms nailed both my kohlrabi and cabbage’ there will be a very limited supply of kohlrabi but I have diminishing hopes on the few cabbage plants. They just don’ look like they will make. Time will tell.

I have managed to get a couple successions of carrots this winter. Normally I do not make winter sowings but this year is different and I see that they are continuing to grow.

I put the Asian greens, green onions, beets, chard and kale under temporary greenhouses and they seem to be doing quite well. The production of Asian greens, green onions, chard and kale is slowly ticking up, whereas the beets are getting real close to being of size to harvest.

The garlic is looking real nice at about 8 inches tall. I got a very good germination for the bulb onions and they should be ready for transplanting by March if not sooner.

I also put the lettuce under greenhouse film and it really likes the added warmth. I may be able to offer lettuce soon.

The turnips are cruising right along. It is amazing how easily they still are sizing up. It has gotten to be a challenge to not let them get tooooo big. The chickens say “yum”

Since discovering the tomatoes under the film, I have spread out a sheet of film where tomatoes will be planted. Call me crazy but I am very soon going to out plant tomatoes. I am “patiently” waiting for a shipment of Agribon 70. Not sure how many will be planted out, but the weather seems right to push the envelope in a serious way. I am planning to have a double layer of fabric: a lower layer of Ag 19, then the film with the 70 over the top. This should be a warm bed. There will be a thermometer under the covers so that I can track this experiment. Not counting my “eggs” yet but I think I should be able to pull this off.

I am not sure what to expect this spring but for one thing it should be different.

I expect to harvest chard, kale, spinach, Asian greens, green onions, carrots, lettuce, broccoli, sun chokes, and turnips.

Please ask about availability and quantities.