Squashed Butternut

From the green room to the garden... Done!

Seed Seeds Seeds, on the grow

All three seed-trays were empty, and its summer. This was a sad state of affairs that needed resolving. The seed-trays were washed in hot water, then rinsed in hot tap water, then filled with black-magic seed mix.

Into the three trays went 20 each of:
Spinach (winter giant)
Spinach (bloomsdale)
Cauliflower (all the year around)
Cauliflower (violet sicilian)
Cabbage (copenhagen market)
Brocoli (italian Precore)

That a load of Brassica and a lot of spinach.

As its early summers its also time to get the cucurbits in. They are a lot larget than the tiny brassics so they go into individual pots rather then seed trays. Into 4 pots each went:

Pumpkins (harvest gold)
Squash (sunbeam)
Zucchini (blackjack)
Zucchini (blackbeauty)

In previous years the pumpkins have suffered mold and not produced fruit - perhaps this year will reverse the trend.

Bean there done that.

Peas and beens from the last post were planted in the sprouting chambers the next day. 30 of the 40 peas have gerninated. The beans are beginning to germinate too. It appears to happen more slowly with beans than with peas.

Also (last weekend) planted leek seeds and strawberries seeds (seeds saved from last year's crop of alpine strawberried). Both were planted in pots in the green-room and both have started to germinate.

Plonked some old parsnip seeds into the patch along with turnip seeds (white and green).

Went to Nichols to get a small tunnel. After placing it over a small patch of the patch it was clearlt warmer inside than out (when you stick your arm in. To test it properly one of the punnets of 2 squash were transplanted from a pot into the patch under the tunnel. With some luck it'll thrive (the zucchini put into the patch died).

Seed This Done That

Finally manages to get some more seeds into the green-room. This time:

Squash
Tomato (both types)
Strawberry Spinach
Thyme
Coriander

The Zucchini have gerninated as have some of the cucumbers.

Rhubarb and Squash

Rhubarb has gone to flower, does anyone know if it's possible to harvest the seeds?



Pumpkin, Giant Pumpkin, and Zucchini. These are physically located in the background of the picture above.

Green room to Garden

Seedlings that sprouted during the week were moved into the garden, again the area by the tree. 1 Giant Pumpkin, 1 Pumpkin, 2 Squash, and 3 Zucchini. All the previous transplantings appear to be living, but a few might die over the next week. There has been snow in the last week so it isn't that surprising that something might have died.

Also spent some time digging the remaining areas in the patch for the season. Compost is needed.

Rhubarb is doing very well and might flower soon. It got very big and might have to be moved soon.

The sprouting chamber is showing almost total success with onion, red onion, leek, and spring onion.

Experiments

Planted a few seeds that in the past have been unsuccessful. This time, not expecting much, they were panted in an the area at the base of the tree behind the vege-patch.

One row each of:
Honeysweet Sweet Corn (Yates)
    Sprout 6-10 days, Harvest 12-14 weeks
Country Gentleman Corn (Kaiotes)
    Sprout 5-10 days, Harvest 90 days
Organic MarketMore Cucumber (Mr.Fohergill's)
    Sprout unknown, Harvest 8-10 weeks
Green Button Hybrid Squash (Yates)
    Sprout 6-10 days, Harvest 6-7 weeks

The Yates corn expired in August 2005 so not much hope there!

The area wasn't prepared too well, it wasn't dug over too deeply so not much hope is held. In previous years the corn hasn't sprouted and the cucumber plant remained about the size of my hand - no fruit. Cucumber was successful in the house last year and a few fruit, but the didn't grow larger then my thumb and were never harvested. Eventually through winter the plants witered and died.