To prepare the massive flowering thyme for partial transplantation, it seemed wise to trim it down some. And what better use than a delicious roast chicken?
Month: April 2012
Top Hats
These days, POD’s all about trying new things. For years, the Endurer’s been asking for berries. For years, he’s been ignored. Suddenly, though, there seemed to be a new wisdom in his request: they’re perennials. One and done. Just like babies! But, one hopes, less noisy and more tasty.
Anyhoo, this dwarf Top Hat bush found a home alongside a semi-dwarf Sunshine Blue about a month ago. In the intervening month, both bushes turned burning-bush/toddler tantrum crimson and I feared the stress of shipping and replanting had already gotten the best of them.
It seems the tantrum has passed.
Spuds Sprouting
It only took about a week longer than anticipated, but the French fingerlings say, “‘Allo!” Vigilance has been employed and the soil has been kept (more or less) consistently moist, yet somehow not soggy.
Happily, Plants on Deck just received a delivery of Bennett Compost, so in other couple of weeks, rich handfuls of Bennett’s best will be hilled around the growth.
First Harvest
We Live in Strange Times
Last year, spring sprang late.
The year before, it sprang and ran.
And this year’s just a bewildering, disconcerting, and unsettling mess of a spring. These travel-stressed and sunlight-starved Celebrities made their debut just yesterday. But we’re looking at an 88 degree afternoon. Which is hot. Too hot, POD thinks. When the heat of the day hits, they’ll be coming inside for an afternoon rest. (Thanks, Endurer.)
Which is, you know, insane.
Celebrities
POD’s generally a big fan of growing its own. And usually that extends to seedlings, but things are different this year. And, one suspects, things are going to be different for the next 18 years or so. So, with that in mind, POD purchased three nice, hearty tomato seedlings a few weeks ago.
Evidently, Gurney’s decided that it was time to plant, even though the pages of this blog indicate that we’re running more than a month early. These Celebrity seedlings arrived on Wednesday, and after a few days acclimating to daylight after their darkened journey, they’re finding a new home this afternoon. Much like their new minder, these starlets were made in Michigan, my friends.
Inconsistency
Well, it seems the results of our March 4 planting are mixed. Several (but not all) radishes sprouted in the window boxes and all the peas popped, but the lettuce and chard were both busts.
Since that planting, though, we suffered a freeze, which probably didn’t help. And to be fair, the dirt’s tired and the seeds are 3-6 years old. Maybe it’s time to clean out the seed stock and start anew? Then again, maybe it’s just time to try again, one month later…
Spuds
These ginormous French fingerling seed potatoes could have very easily been cut into smaller segments. But that would require 2-3 days “healing” time. Which would require some advance planning. Which, alas, the good folks at POD no longer really do. When it comes to gardening, at least.
But hey! Potatoes! Something that’s never before been tackled here at Plants On Deck — as they don’t play well with tomatoes, they’ve never been planted. But the tomatoes are moving to the front of the house this year (where sunlight is more direct and water is more readily available), so potatoes are the new tomato.
These babies were plopped on top of about four inches of dirt, six inches apart, and topped with another three inches of soil. The 18 gallon container (drilled well on both the bottom and sides to promote drainage) is home to five seed potatoes — which is, perhaps, a little tight, but we’re planning on harvesting a majority as new potatoes, anyway.
Happily, the heavens opened soon after the spuds were planted. The tricky part’s going to be keeping the soil consistently moist (not too wet nor too dry) until harvest.
In a few weeks, once the plants reach a towering height of six or eight inches, they’ll be “hilled” (that is, some more dirt and compost will be gently mounded around them, leaving about two-thirds of the plant exposed). This hilling process will be repeated until the plants reach to top of the bin. After the plants have bloomed, POD’s sending in the little fingers to find the wee fingerlings.
Grow Great Grub promises the whole enterprise will take 45-60 days…
Plants On Deck 