Better Days - Lessons Learned

  The New Pepper Bed

Minnesota is not known for long springs, and this past weekend the proverbial switch was flipped from winter to summer. Suddenly all of the sweaters look like yesterday's news. I think - were some of the seedlings better hardened off, it would be possible to plant out tomatoes and peppers. But they are not hardened yet.

In fact, they are bloody weaklings. Those that have grown large in pots are the weakest of the lot. An hour in the sunshine and a light zephyr, and they're wilting and gasping for water. We'll see how they are in a week.

This brings me to the lesson learned: Don't start tomatoes until 6-8 weeks prior to planting out. The Wisconsin Chief's that I planted far later are in the best shape. The early Delicious variety has a lot of duds and a lot of plants that spent what I now consider to be too long in the greenhouse. 

The peppers still need that massive head start. They are genuinely slow plants.

Bottom line, the little greenhouses are great for starting seeds, but not for maintaining teen-age plants.

We are intending to build a 4x6 hard-sided greenhouse for outside the garage, by that new bed, in the fall for next year. The hope also includes cutting down the fruit fly infestation that came in on the potting soil.

Building beds seems to be down to a pretty well established system now.  I replaced the disintegrating store-bought bed near the garage with this 3x6 made from ground contact materials that should last. Because the new hatchback is a little smaller than the old sedan, I ended up buying 6' lengths of boards and posts. I like them, actually. It feels a little neater, and it should be easier to reach across the bed - especially this one near the garage. Also new with this build was rolling the chicken-wire around the corners rather than cutting each panel. Fewer sharp bits to cut one's arms on while reaching down. This one is destined for peppers this year, which should thrive in the hot micro-climate on the southwest face of the garage.

This week has the first 80 degree temperatures, and the overnight temperatures don't show anything below 45 overnight for the next 10 days. 

Update:

• The apple trees have some green buds on them
• Raspberries are leafing out
• Garlic is at about 4"
• Rocket has sprouted
• No sign of the snap peas planted out last week yet
• No sign of the beets
• No sign of the kale
• Blueberries are starting to bud
• Tulips are threatening to pop
• Fritillaria have blossomed
• Day lilies have 3" shoots
• Lilacs are leafing out
• Strawberries are up and filling in

In short, things are waking up outside. The grass/clover may need to be cut, which will bring some welcome green to the compost.