Garden Plans > 2011: the Lassen Eat more Greens Plan

About this Garden Plan
Here is my garden paln for spring 2011
Plan Type, Soil and Location
Garden Location:	HUnterdon County New Jersey
Garden Size:	21' 11" x 23' 11"
Garden Type:	Home garden
Garden Layout:	Raised Beds
Sun or Shade:	Partial Shade
Garden Soil Type:	Good soil
Plan Notes
march 25: started basils, hot peppers, head lettuce, and broccolis in peat pots. Plans for garden continue: pricing posts and wood for beds. Looking for marigold varieties now. April 9-10: spent the weekend filling raised beds with compost and rotted goat manure from Andrea. One 4x8 bed is about ready to plant. April 15: weather is changeable, but 50s by day, some 60s. Nights are 40's mainly. Planted Gabriella lettuce, arugula, radishes, broccoli raab. I have been setting out the seedlings to get accustomed to the outdoors as well. They are not ready to stay out yet. Finished filling the 2x8 bed, which will be my perennial bed-- I transplanted my bunching onions from down below to make clusters of onions at both ends of the bed. I put 3 small rhubard plants (from Lowe's, oh well) down the middle. Victoria. We shall see! Also stuck in 4 pack of Swiss Chard because I couldn't resist seeing something green, but put hot caps over them so they don't get eaten. No fence yet. April 17: major changes: I went to see Tony and to bet some baby broccoli, and I came home with 6 Bok Choi (baby size) and 3 hybrid broccoli--- and half-flats of unseperated Red Sails, Red Kale and Rainbow Chard!!! I have more seedlings than I havebeds!!! I put the red sails in around the rhubarb, knowing that it will mature way before the rhubarb grows up, and I put the Bok Choi and broccoli in where the Red Russian Kale was going to go. Also, I put as many Kale seedlings as I could fit in the back of the bed, which will still be bush beans after I harvest the early young kale. I wonder how I can save some of those seedlings for later plantings????? I feel Like I struck seedling gold!!! Temps were 44 overnight, and the wind finally died down. High of 60, and lows in the upper 40s all week. Rain tomorrow-- we've had a lot of that lately! Easter SUnday, April 24: almost 70, after a cool week with rain. Lots of rain this spring. Just planted out the marigolds and will put out the seedlings of broccoli raab and sprouting broccoli, and lettuce. I have the floating row cover for the nights if it needs it. Everything looks okay, and the wire fencing goes up today. I also put in large Russian radishes and Black seeded Simpson seeds, and tucked in nasturtium seeds here and there. I cleared and composted the new berry patch I may be geting free plants from Califon from Hunterdon FReecycle, or if not, I will order them ASAP so I can get a crop this season. If I have to buy, Iw ill get 1/2 raspberry and 1/2 blackberry. It hink I can do 10 plants if i space it well. May 1: 70 degrees and very nice for the whole weekend. FInished filling last 2 beds. Plan on trying tomatoes (!!) and have black plastic on that bed to warm it up. Planted the rest of the kale seedlings from Tony, thickly, so I could use it for salads. Put in 3 rows of bush beans -- I know, early, but what the heck. I bought tomato plants from Tony, but I will keep them in at night for another week, and then put them out under cloches. Sandy and I took down 2 trees, and I Hope sun will be plentiful! It keeps moving, so it is hard to see how it will play out in July. May 6: Got a load of mulch dumped from A1 tree service, so I was able to hit the paths in the garden pretty hard. It is hard when I have to wheel barrow everything. I get tired! But the weather is good, 70ish and lows in the high 40s. The soil in the tomato bed is warm under the black plastic. I put in the 7 plants I got from Tony and I have room for one more. I kept the plastic down and cut holes for the plants. I also used aluminum foil around the bases to add in reflective light. We will see! I have the cloches on them in case it gets cooler tonight--- I also planted them deeply. May7: another nice weather day. 70 and sunny and breezy. I uncovered the tomatoes for the day, and planted 3 dill, 6 Italian parsley and 3 large-leaf basil. Also, the final tomato plant- sweet million, my favorite cherry. May 8th: another warm sunny day, MOther's Day in fact. I planted out the Cilantro seedlings I started-- they look wimpy, but they will grow. I put clear plastic over the part of the bed I planted bush beans to keep that soil warm and get them sprouting. I am so far ahead of the game I am stoked!! May 13: after a sunny week in the 70s (40s lows) it is cloudy and 56. I popped in 6 more broccoli plants, and Tony gave me more mixed lettuce and Bok Choi which I graciously took. BC is bolting a bit, but who cares. I planted beet seeds between the broccoli and bok choi, 2 types. I picked a bunch of Bok Choi tops to saute for dinner. First real picking that amounts to much! The lettuce is also ready to harvest the outer leaves, and the kale and chard, too. The straw mulch was a mistake--- the seed are sprouting and making a mess, so I will remove it and lightly till to break up the seedlings. I'll keep it around the lettuce tho, to keep it clean. May 20: we have had 7 days of downpours and no sun. My lettuce seedlings are a green mush.

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