Records

It was about time I got myself a little journal to keep some of our garden records in. Got the book, now I need to make sure I keep writing in it - though the blog last year has helped. Much to do with record keeping now as the spring season approaches....

I have sown some seeds to get a start on cool season crops. Things like kale, broccoli and cabbage will go in the ground as soon as they can, which is usually mid-April. I even updated my planting records! Also I am settling on where to put all of our crops this year, you can look at the current plans on the records page.


We got our last order of seeds in last week from Pinetree Garden Seeds. They have some smaller sized packets for our smaller garden. I was really excited to get some Alpine Strawberry seeds. Those went in the freezer to be cold treated so that I can get them started in spring. Now we are only waiting on two crops for the garden - Sunchokes that will arrive in April from Jung Seeds and Potatoes I have yet to purchase.


It's been an interesting last week for weather. As I mentioned, last Tuesday (3/10) we had a blizzard with a total of 10 inches of blowing snow. This wasn't as bad as our December Blizzard, but it buried the car deeper.


After the blizzard blew through, in came the cold air... -17F in the early hours of last Thursday (3/12). That was over 30F below the average for this time of year. I guess to make up for the cold and snow, we were served with a heat wave of +47F on Sunday and Monday. Wonderfully warm days above average...but that lead to huge melt-off. The water had no where to go but our back door. Luckily the ground slopes more to the side of the house, so the water went around the house and down the street. Now we have been glad to get a couple of days back below freezing just to slow the melt some and give the water a chance to settle. It won't last too long as predictions are for warmer temps over the weekend, which might take care of the rest of the snow.

Enough of the crazy March weather...I'm off to find a sunny and dry blog to read.

Planting Records 2009

Record of 2009 seeds and plantings. This page will (probably) be updated throughout the season as plants are added and growing notes are made. I will put a planting layout, garden information, planting dates, and a plant/seed list. Some things will be "TBA" while I get it all in order.

Contents:
Past Seasons
Garden Plans
Planting Actions
Seed List

Past Seasons:

Planting Records 2009 (here)
Planting Records 2008

Garden Plans:

Layout for Spring 2009:

(Click to Enlarge)

Here are the vegetable beds I am planting this year. I have filled in some things like perennial crops and will soon fill in other crops. The new beds will not get started until after the ground can be worked - I will add compost and raise them.

Additional layout notes:

• I decided to put the sunchokes in a northern part of the yard (position not reflected in the diagram). This way they are far from other beds and vegetable production.
• I will try to so a spring and fall planting as well as some succession plantings, so a few of the crops will change over the season.
• Radishes will be planted in various spaces as they fit.
• This year I will really try to get some companion planting done. It will make the new space more inviting to a the insect friends and to people. I will just have to keep and eye and make sure not to crowd anything out (I have done that in the past).
  

Garden Information (Some are also links on the right bar)

• Zone 4 (1990-2006 Maps)
• Dates: Frost Dates (NOAA)
  • Soil Workable: April 06 - April 15
    
  • Last Frost Date: May 10 (50% 32F), May 20 (50% 36F), May 27 (10% 36F)
  • First Frost Date: Sept 27 (50% 32F), Oct 07 (90% 32F)
    
• Seed Germination Range by Temperature (Victory Seeds)
• Soil and Weather Observation (NDAWN North Dakota)

Some Useful Sites for Planting Times:

• North Dakota Ag-Extension
• Skippie's Vegetable Garden Blog

Planting Actions:

Note on key dates:
Cool = As soon as soil is workable 4-6 weeks before last frost.
Warm = After last frost (up to 3 weeks later depending on crop).
Fall = From date of first frost.

(Open in full page) [Scroll over for more rows or columns.]


Seed List:
(Open in full page) [Scroll over for more rows or columns.]

Rabbits, Vegetables, Spring - Oh My

Wow. It's been a nice few days and a great Saturday. Friday afternoon we came home a took a stroll around the perimeter. Oops, rabbits. I spotted evidence they have been in the tulips and crocus. We were walking the dog, so I plucked some of her loose fur and scattered in the bed. Maybe it will help?

I can't complain too much -- the last couple years they have only destroyed one plant that mattered. Although we never get tulips on the North side of the house (that's the rabbit run). Our vegetable garden is safe because 1) It's located near the house and 2) It's watched by Dakota our fear inspiring husky. Okay, actually she's a big baby and I think the rabbits just taunt her from the edge of the yard. As you can see Dakota loves that she can lay in the grass now that the snow melt has dried.



We have seedlings sprouts from a 04/05/2008 planting: leaf lettuce, bibb lettuce, spinach, and I'm pretty sure one pea.



Actually these were sown before our almost last snow. I figured the snow wouldn't last and I wouldn't have to water them in -- a gamble, but maybe it will work out. So, that's 14 days germination time for the lettuce, spinach, and kohlrabi. I won't count the peas yet since it's one sprout. To my surprise the radishes haven't broken the soil yet.

The seeds that germinated indoors from 03/26/2008 seem to be doing okay. I transplanted the lettuce and swiss chard in a container outside. That just leaves four tomatoes that are really taking off now. I will have to pot those up a couple times before they will make it outside. Also there are two cinnamon basil plants -- they're look fine and really smell like cinnamon!




The Planting Update:

• Today (04/19/2008) direct sown
  
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Echinacea
• Kohlrabi
• Carrots
• Snap Peas Ann
• Bibb Lettuce
• 04/14/2008 started indoors in 9-cells
  
• +Echinacea
• *Cinnamon Basil
• +Nasturtium
• +Lavender
• +Johnny Jump Ups
• -Parsley
• +Wild Flax
• *Purple Alyssum
• On 04/19/2008 (5 days) + some emerged, * fully germinated, - no germination yet
  
• (04/13/2008) direct sown
  
• Sugar Snap Pea
• 04/12/2008 Transplanted seedlings from 03/26/2008
  
• Leaf lettuce
• Bibb lettuce
• Swiss chard
• 04/05/2008 direct sown
• Snap Peas Sugar Ann
• Shelling Peas Strike
• White Kohlrabi Hybrid
• Radishes
• Swiss Chard
• Spinach
• Leaf Lettuce Mix
• Bibb Lettuce

Planting Records 2008

Name [# days to harvest]

• 06/01/2008 direct sown
• Leaf lettuce 'Green Ice' (north, middle-2)
  • (sprouts 06/10/2008, 17 days)
    
• Shelling Peas Strike (north, middle-1)
  • (sprouted 06/07/2008, 6 days?)
    
• 05/24/2008 direct sown
• Carrots (patio bed, middle-front)
  • (sprouted 06/04/2008, 11 days)
    
• Carrots (patio bed, south-front)
  • (sprouted 06/04/2008, 11 days)
• Cucumber (kitchen bed)
  • (sprouted 06/03/2008, 10 days)
  • (true leaf 06/16/2008, 23 days)
    
• Spaghetti Squash (kitchen bed)
  • (sprouted 06/03/2008, 10 days)
  • (true leaf 06/13/2008, 20 days)
    
• Watermelon (front of SE corner)
  • (sprouted 06/04/2008, 11 days)
• Pumpkin (back of SE corner)
  • (sprouts 06/10/2008, 17 days)
    
• 05/03/2008 direct sown
• Kohlrabi (kitchen bed)
• (sprouted 05/13/2008, 10 days)
• Carrots (patio bed middle-back)
• (sprouted 05/18/2008, 15 days)
• 04/19/2008 direct sown
  
• Sugar Snap Peas (S. triangle)
  
• (sprouted 05/08/2008, 19 days)
• Kohlrabi
• (sprouted 05/06/2008, 17 days)
• Carrots
• (sprouted 05/14/2008, 25 days)
• Snap Peas Ann (patio, south-back)
  
• (sprouted 05/08/2008, 19 days)
• (flowers 06/12/2008, 35 days)
  
• Bibb Lettuce
• (sprouted 05/08/2008, 19 days)
• 04/14/2008 started indoors in 9-cells
  
• Echinacea
  
• Cinnamon Basil
• (sprouted 04/19/2008, 5 days)
• (transplanted 05/28/2008, 5.5 weeks)
• Nasturtium
• (sprouted 04/20/2008, 6 days)
• (transplanted 05/12/2008, 4 weeks)
  
• Lavender
  
• Johnny Jump Ups
• (sprouted 04/22/2008, 8 days)
• (transplanted 05/20/2008, 4 weeks)
  
• Parsley
• (transplanted 05/24/2008, 4.5 weeks)
• Wild Flax
  
• (transplanted 05/20/2008, 4 weeks)
• Purple Alyssum
• (sprouted 04/19/2008, 5 days)
• (transplanted 05/24/2008, 4.5 weeks)
• (04/13/2008) direct sown
  
• Sugar Snap Peas (N. triangle)
  
• (sprouted 05/02/2008, 19 days)
• 04/05/2008 direct sown
• Sugar Snap Peas (patio, middle)
  
• (sprouted 04/21/2008, 16 days)
• (flowers 06/18/2008, 76 days)
  
• Snap Peas Sugar Ann [52 days]
  
• (sprouted 04/21/2008, 16 days)
• (flowers 06/02/2008, 41 days)
• (pods forming 06/12/2008, 51 days)
• (harvesting 06/16/2008, 55 days)
• (count: 3)
  
• Shelling Peas 'Strike' [49 days]
  
• (sprouted 04/21/2008, 16 days)
• (flowers 05/31/2008, 39 days)
• (pods forming 06/09/2008, 48 days)
  
• Radishes
  
• (sprouted 04/21/2008, 16 days)
• (baby harvest 05/29/2008, 37 days)
• (done)
  
• Swiss Chard
  
• (sprouted 04/21/2008, 16 days)
• (harvesting 05/25/2008, 34 days)
• Spinach
  
• (sprouted 04/20/2008, 15 days)
• (harvesting 05/20/2008, 30 days)
• (starting to bolt 06/17/2008, 58 days)
  
• Leaf Lettuce Mix
  
• (sprouted 04/20/2008, 15 days)
• (harvesting 05/20/2008, 30 days)
  
• Bibb Lettuce [75 days]
  
• (sprouted 04/20/2008, 15 days)
• (baby harvest 05/20/2008, 30 days)
• (harvesting small heads 06/15/2008, 56 days)
  
• White Kohlrabi Hybrid
  
• (sprouted 04/20/2008, 15 days)
• (true leaf ~05/15/2008, 24 days)
  
• 03/22/2008 indoor sown
  
  • Tomato Super Sweet 100 Hybrid
    
  • (sprouted 03/30/2008, 8 days)
  • (potted 04/20/2008, 3 weeks growth)
  • (transplanted 05/24/2008, 7 weeks) [hanging bucket]
    
  • Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid
    
  • (sprouted 03/30/2008, 8 days)
  • (potted 04/20/2008, 3 weeks growth)
  • (transplanted 05/24/2008, 7 weeks) [hanging bucket]
  • Swiss Chard Bright Lights
    
  • (sprouted 03/27/2008, 5 days)
  • (transplanted 04/12/2008, 2 weeks growth)
  • (harvesting 05/18/2008, 7 weeks)
  • Looseleaf Lettuce Green Ice
    
  • (sprouted 03/27/2008, 5 days)
  • (transplanted 04/12/2008, 2 weeks growth)
  • (harvesting 05/25/2008, 43 days)
  • Butterhead Lettuce Burpee Bibb
    
  • (sprouted 03/27/2008, 5 days)
  • (transplanted 04/12/2008, 2 weeks growth)
  • Cinnamon Basil Ocimum bacilicum
    
  • (sprouted 03/29/2008, 7 days)
  • (transplanted 05/28/2008, 9.5 weeks)
    
  • Snap Pea Sugar Snap (failed)


• 03/19/2008 indoor sown
• Cauliflower: Little Cloud Hybrid
• (sprouted 03/24/2008, 5 days)
• (transplanted 04/30/2008, 5.5 weeks)
  
• 02/18/2008 indoor sown
• Parsley, Extra Curled Dwarf: Petroselinum crispum
• (sprouted 03/03/2008, 14 days)
• (transplanted 04/23/2008, 7 weeks growth)
  

My Gardening Events