While spring started several weeks ago, today was the first day it seemed the weather got the memo. Sunshine, blue sky, temperature greater than 60 degrees - what more can you ask for?
We have slowly been preparing for warm days by starting spring indoors, with seed trays. Peppers are always the first thing we start. Three weeks in, and the peppers are mostly well on their way. The jalapenos germinated poorly this year, but fortunately those are the easiest to buy at the nursery. We also planned to start cauliflower at the same time, but somehow I forgot.
Maggie has a huge seed library, in multi-colored boxes. They remind me of cassette tapes. With all of the craziness in the world, sometimes it seems these are the most valuable things we own. She started the overdue cauliflower today, along with cabbage and herbs. Tomatoes will be next week.
The corkscrew willows we purchased at the garden fair in February have been transplanted into soil after rooting, and they have responded with tiny leaves. The pussy willows have set some leaves, but have not set roots. I think we will get them into soil next week to see if that helps them along.
With the warm weather, things outside are starting to green. The garlic is always the first things up, poking green shoots through the mulch. It looks like more made it through the winter this year, or perhaps we planted more. We are on our third cycle with this garlic. Maggie bought a bunch of heads at the Viroqua farmers market several years ago, and since then we have been able to hold back enough heads to plant without purchasing more.
Maggie successfully started rhubarb from seed last year, and it made it through the winter and is slowly unfurrowing its huge leaves. This plant has been a cautionary one for us, as it shows the importance of amending the soil. I have planted two rounds of rhubarb in other spots, but failed to amend the soil. These plants are also coming up, but they seem to struggle. Last year, I watered each with fish emulsion in the fall, in the hope I can nurse them back. I have a great rhubarb cake recipe, so between all these plants, we should get enough to bake with. We also plan to plant strawberries this spring, which is always a good match with rhubarb. That bed was topped with leaves and manure in the fall, a lesson learned.
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