Notes From The Potting Shed # 10 (June)
- themarigoldgc
- Jun 11, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 12, 2024
We had some steady rains over the past two weeks. Not a lot if one checks the water gauge, about 40mm (1.6 inches), but enough to soak the seeds so I haven't had to water a whole bunch.
My garlic seems to grow a couple of inches each time sunshine follows a good rain.
Carrots and Other Seedlings
While it was not much for outdoor weather, it was kind of a bonus. Seeds have to be kept moist in order to germinate so usually means a quick daily watering. With the rains, several of the beds just came up on their own, no watering required.
Forgetting to water seeds daily is a common reason for poor carrot germination. Carrots can take up to 3 weeks to germinate (I know, that is crazy beans!) so sometimes folks miss a day or two, which causes the seeds die in the garden bed. Keep on watering till you see those green tops poking through. After that, you can cut back to twice a week, and later on, as little as once a week.
If you are finding it difficult to keep the soil damp, cover the carrots with burlap sacks. Water through the burlap, it will keep the soil shaded so it stays moist longer.
Seedlings need water every 2nd day at first and then less as they root in.
We've had crazy cold and gusty winds over here. Many have said that their tomatoes are turning purple from the cold wind. I held off planting my tomatoes because of the cool temps and crazy winds, but I also know that if I don't get them in the ground soon, I am hooped! Such a dilemma!
Was going to do it on the weekend but they were predicting possible frost so everything got tucked back into the greenhouse for a few days. I finally got the tomatoes into the ground yesterday (June 10th) as we have a sunny, warm week ahead. They are looking perky and happy today.
The Soil
Besides the fact that this rain is so needed, it has also helped my soil with absorption. The soil in my garden (and my brother's, too) this spring has been so hydrophobic (repels the water, does not soak in) that is has been tough going to water in the seeds and seedlings. I do not remember this happening when I lived here on the prairies in the early 2000's. Maybe I planted later as I was so busy in spring at work (spring is crazy busy at greenhouses) and running kids around?
On the island, soil becomes hydrophobic in summer, after a few months of no rain. Here, to have it happen in spring, after the snow melted away, just seems so bizarre to me. The soil is damp an inch below the soil level, but very crusty and dry on top.
The rains have fixed up that problem. If your bed is not yet planted up, you can also run a hoe through it to break up that crusty layer on the soil's surface. It becomes a bit tougher when you have plants in the bed, but you can run a small hoe in between the rows.
Oh... Regarding tulips. You can go two ways with them once they finish up.
You can clip out the flower stem after the bloom is finished but leave the leaves standing until they go brown. This puts energy back into the bulb so they bloom again next year. This works well in a flower bed where perennials will grow and hide the unattractive yellowing leaves.
Or, you can lift the entire bulb, leave the leaves on, snip out the flower stalk. Place them in a box or a pail and stick them in the shed till planting time in fall rolls around again. Remove the browned off tops and plant. I may do that with these ones in the mulch all around the perimeter of the patio.
What else can I tell you?
I picked up another bag of potatoes (hubby's favourite - Red French Fingerlings), as they were on sale, and I have a great spot for them. Why not, eh? We cannot grow nearly enough to store for the winter but will have fresh eating spuds for the summer and maybe, just maybe, enough to get us through the Christmas holidays. Every bit helps in today's economy. They are also sprouting in the bag, btw, so will need a trench or a larger hole so that I can place the sprouts in the ground.
Potatoes can be planted till mid to late June.
I bit the bullet and ordered another pistachio green raised bed (check out this black one, wow!) to go on the other side of the greenhouse. The mister is putting that together as I type. Edited to add that the beds are on sale right now, too!
I was going to wait till next year (because of the cost involved) but was trying to figure out what to plant in the shady area at ground level, how many pots I would need for my peppers, how high to build a shelf to hold the peppers.. I finally decided that if I buy the bed now, those questions all go away. I can grow the peppers and eggplants right in the bed, no pots required, and no need for shade veggies underneath the shelf of pots. I already have two part shade beds for veggies.
In one bed, I have the tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons, as they require more water. In the new bed, I have the peppers and eggplants as they like to be grown on the drier side, do not like wet feet. They both get watered every 2nd day right now, just till they get rooted in. After that, the tomatoes will be watered every 3rd day while the pepper/eggplant bed will only need a good deep soak once a week. This gives your peppers more heat and flavour, plus gives you more peppers. If they are kept moist, they will flower and fruit much less, and the peppers will have little to no heat.
Learning how best to use the greenhouse is always a learning curve. You need to get to know your property, how much sunlight you get in the greenhouse, your spring weather, fall weather. Just keeping doing your thing, trying new things each year. Not everything will work each year, but that helps you figure out what to do next year. Having these raised beds in the greenhouse will be a game changer for me, as the soil will warm up earlier, allowing me to plant earlier.
We are also no longer going to have to use the greenhouse for winter storage (yay!) as the shed has been rearranged and set up with new shelves to house the pots and patio furniture. Spring planting will be far more organised next year. It only took us two years to get to this point, hah!
If you have not done so yet, this is a great time to direct sow your seeds. Flowers (calendula, zinnias, cosmos, alyssum) and veggies like carrots and beets. You can also sow your warm weather crops like cucumbers, squash, pumpkins. Start melons indoors rather than direct sowing the seeds. They need that head start with these cool night time temps we are having.
We have been harvesting our fall sown spinach for a few weeks now but some have already started to bolt. Doesn't take long once things start to heat up... not that it feels like we have had any hot-to-handle days yet.
I have planted up one whole bed with brussels sprouts! That is like a lot lot lot of sprouts! I had sown some seedlings in April, during a lovely warm spell. Then I bought a 6 pack, too, as the seeds were taking so long to come up with our cold spring weather. Lo and behold, everything came up just fine, so now I have sprouts for days. Trust the process, you all!
This is where hubby dumped the straw that was on top of the garlic this winter... in a corner bed that I had planted up with tulips and other bulbs last fall. Poor tulips!
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What To Direct Sow Now.
Rutabagas - these guys are sown in late spring or early summer so that they grow during the heat of the summer and finish off in the cooler months.
Squash and pumpkins can be direct sown now.
Cucumbers can be sown now, too. Hoping we get no more temps much below 10°C (50°F) or that will slow down and stunt the growth.
Carrots, of course, and beets.
Swiss chard for a late summer crop.
Mustards, cress, arugula.
Not to late to sow seeds for calendula, borage, gem marigolds, many of the annuals.
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