Some people have actually had harvests this week. Be sure to check them out at Daphne's Dandelions!
I'm still battling this sinus infection, but I had to buy my Walla Walla Sweet onion plants this weekend. It's a good thing I did, as there were only a few bunches left, and they had been picked over and were not the best looking plants. I was going to try to keep them in a bucket of soil, just until I was feeling better, but I was worried they might deteriorate even further. So, I took myself out to the garden and dug a bed for the onions. I don't yet have my compost, so this bed didn't get any. Later I'll sift a bit over the top, and I plan on feeding them with fish emulsion to help make up for the lack of added compost. And keep my fingers crossed they do well.
I ended up with a 3' wide by 7' long bed, containing 120 Walla Walla Sweet onions. They are planted in 8 offset rows, with approximately 4" between plants in all directions. Some of the plants were really small, not nearly as nice as the ones I bought last year.
If the weather and my health cooperate, I'll be digging more new beds in this east garden this week. There will be two 7' long beds at this end of the garden, the 3' wide onion bed and a 4' wide bed for (?) whatever (?) next to it. There are flowers to the right of these beds, which is why they have to be a maximum of 7' in length. As the boxes are removed, they will be replaced with 4' x 8' beds that butt right up to the green wire fence, and the planting area to the right, along the chain link fence, will become the new pathway. I should have room for at least four, maybe five, 4' x 8' beds.
The seedlings are doing well. It won't be long before they'll have to have a bed to live in. Most days they can sit outside on the south side of the shed, sheltered from strong winds but getting some benefit from gentle breezes and sunshine. They spend the nights under lights, as it's still getting into the low to mid thirties. I don't pull the plastic down to cover them though, as I want them to stay as cool as possible without freezing.
All of the peppers and three or four of the tomatoes have now germinated. I had to redo my bottom heat light system, as the clear plastic dome wouldn't fit tightly on the flat when it was in the asparagus crates, so the potting mix was drying out. It worked well to just put the lights into an empty flat, then set the flat of seedlings inside that. I also moved them into the laundry room plant window, where they could get more light.Since I was no longer using the asparagus crates, I decided they could be used as a step stool for Annie and Otto. Yes, I let them back in the bed. Of course, they can't jump that high on their little dwarf legs, so..........
I stacked them together for the proper height, and made a skirt to hide their ugliness.
I added a padded top, and made sure everything was Velcroed snugly into place. Now I need to redecorate the bedroom to match!
I stacked them together for the proper height, and made a skirt to hide their ugliness.
I added a padded top, and made sure everything was Velcroed snugly into place. Now I need to redecorate the bedroom to match!
I really like the look of your raised beds without wooden sides, and would love it if the same were possible at our house. However, the weeds would quickly take over - so that's not an option for me, at least.
ReplyDeleteWell, for somebody who doesn't feel too well, you sure put out the mustard!...and then did some sewing too! What are you made of iron nails :o)
ReplyDeleteLucky girl - digging in the dirt already! Our soil is still frozen solid.
ReplyDeleteWhat a clever idea for the skirt. The puppies must be happy.
Dear Granny - You put the rest of us to shame! I'm amazed at how much you can do even when you're sick. Your lettuce plants look good. We still have snow on the ground, this week will be in 40s, hopefully everything will melt soon!
ReplyDeleteAnnie,
ReplyDeleteMy dogs sleeps with me too, you just can't beat the snuggling. I just love the step stool you made. Very resourceful!
That's a lot of onions! I've got onion-envy. My bed is about half that size, and I need more room. We ran out of onions months ago.
ReplyDeleteHope you're back to 100% soon. Those sinus infections are terrible to have.
EG, The paths between these beds will be narrower, just the width of my rake, and as I get grass clippings, I'll be laying down layers of newspaper and covering it with the clippings. That will not only keep the weeds at bay, it will enrich the soil, and next year I'll just rake the beds over this year's paths and make new paths for 2012. If I last that long ;-)
ReplyDelete********
Ginny, no, I think right now I'm made of snotty Kleenexes!
********
Maureen, Annie's getting so fat, I thought I was going to have to make her a ramp! I finally decided she needed the exercise....she can just jump.
********
Random, our weather will be pretty good from now on, but still too cold at night to plant much outside. I am going to try to get another bed dug soon for spinach, beets and turnips.
********
Liz, the dogs learned to sleep in their beds on the floor all winter, as we have twin beds in Arizona. I really missed the cuddling, and was contemplating keeping them on the floor here, but I gave in....I love the cuddles!
********
Villager, I planted that many in a smaller bed last year, but closer together, and pulled every other one to use as green onions. We ran out of the large ones way too soon, so I'm hoping to let most of these grow big.
I was appalled at the price of onions in AZ, .99 cents a pound for yellow cooking onions. We got back home and we paid .39 a pound for them....really nice, big, firm ones! I can buy the Walla Walla or Candy sweets here for around .59 cents in the summer, but it pays to grow my own, we eat so many. I should grow one that keeps better, but I love the sweets.
Looks like you've been busy!! I like your stool for the babies! Fantastic work! I hope my onion seedlings are okay to plant. If not, I'll be buying starters also.
ReplyDeleteHolly, I usually get such nice, healthy onion plants from our local feed store, I don't bother growing them from seed. They only charge $1.29 for a bundle of 60 plants.
ReplyDeleteGet well! Looks like spring is almost upo you and your garden definitely needs you healthy, so take good care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteOnly 2 of my 8 onion starts was salvageable so the rest of my green onions will be direct sowed. We don't use them much as I cook and don't eat onions (well, I eat mine).
Your beds and seedlings look great. I really should get used to those black seedling trays. Too flimsy for my re-use-it mentality.
Get well soon!
Merciful heavens, you do make me ashamed of myself. Not making nearly as much progress as I want to be, what with 35 mph winds and migraine headaches, but look at you! Sinus infection and still digging beds and sewing cute little step stools. SuperGranny for sure!!!
ReplyDeleteSinfonian, I reuse those black plastic things, but lose a few every year so now there aren't enough to fill up the flats. I usually do mostly soil blocks, but decided to go with the other stuff this year....in other words, I didn't get my blocks made :-( I'm watching my tomatoes, though. If they don't look like they're doing too well, I'll do another planting in the soil blocks.
ReplyDelete*******
SB, silly girl, you grow rings around me, what with all your beautiful flowers!
Everything is looking good Granny!! I wish that I could find onion plants for that price here..lucky gal! I'm sure with your green thumb, those plants will do great!
ReplyDeleteThe step stool turned out really really nice. I bet Annie & Otto appreciate their new stool :)
That is a great job on the puppy step stool! The onion bed looks great too. My onion seedlings are just now starting to look big enough to even think about planting them, but I am going to wait another couple of weeks to give them more time to "girth up" a bit. I need to pick up some sets from the local nursery to fill in the rest of the onion bed.
ReplyDeleteI wouls certainly grow more onions, potatoes, squash if we could store them here... so maybe I'm glad we can't because I don't have room. :-D Great start, those little onions will perk up in no time.
ReplyDeleteIt sure doesn't take you long to get back into things at home, just look at all those seedlings! And all the onions! I LOVE the stool for the dogs, we had to make one for our elderly Bernese Mtn dog a few years back, he already stood shoulders above the side of the bed, but the old guy couldn't jump anymore, we used it so he could get into the car, too!
ReplyDeleteRobin, Annie was hesitant to jump on it the first time. She'd gotten used to me lifting her onto the bed (ouch!)because she decided she couldn't make it on the smaller stool they had been using. Once I ignored her and left her on the floor, she decided she could make it. Now she doesn't think twice, just jumps on up.
ReplyDelete********
Kitsap, I was planning on starting my own onions next winter, thinking I would be here at home. Unfortunately, now that the AZ property sale didn't go through, I'm not planning on being here again next year.
********
Erin, we made the dogs a carpeted ramp, and Annie had no problem with it. Otto, however, was AFRAID of it! He's such a wuss! Mr. Granny just lifts them into the vehicle now, but Annie is quite a heavy load to tote ;-)
Barbie, I almost missed your comment!
ReplyDeleteI do love home grown potatoes, but I don't think I'm going to have enough room for them this year. I might not grow the butternut squash, either. I have soooo much of it still in the freezer!