Your garden is looking great. Thankfully I haven't put anything in yet here in Helena Montana as it has still been cool and we woke up to several inches of snow (May 9) yesterday. Between the weather and the critters, I sometimes wonder why I bother to garden but it is so worth it when I harvest the first peas or kohlrabi. And that's why we never give up
I’m loving this time of year. Have been eating lettuce, spinach, kale, collards, asparagus and a few green onions, also strawberries. I have two rows of beans starting to pop up and potatoes, broccoli & cabbage growing good.
@@SusansInTheGardenIt is!☺️ My in-laws moved to Spokane a couple years ago and they surprised me with some pics of the house! It looks pretty much the same except for the yard. Alas the five maples that lined the front yard are gone and so is the weeping willow on the side.🥺
I’m not growing parsnips this year, but I always pre sprout seeds on paper towels and then place them in the garden. I’ve always had great germination and a successful crop with this method.
I just grew Bak Choi successfully 🎉. I started transplanting brassicas under a frost cloth tunnel and at times plastic on top for those cold nights several weeks ago Z5a, WI. I’ve since switched to bug netting for those lovely yellow butterflies 😉. So I looked up some recipes on Bak Choi and found an explanation of ‘Pak’ vs. ‘Bak’ Choi-Pak has a green stem and Bak has a white stem. I know people use it interchangeably but I thought there was more to it. The peas look like they need more sun, heat or both. We are having the Best spring here in a Long time! It is work to use all these covers on long rows and it has paid off so far. I had planted sweet peppers out last Friday and they are doing excellent under frost cloth. I needed the room and less to babysit as the tomatoes are getting ready to move out to greenhouse. I was smart to start the tomatoes late April with a plant out date aimed at June 1st, but our temps are holding nicely with some huge fluctuations and no deep 30s. I filled the larger 4 cell Bootstrap Farmer cell packs half full, sowed all single seeds except one in each group. After germinating I separated out the extras and filled the cells full with soil. This will eliminate potting up and they are already healthy, stocky 3-4” plants. No more jungle for me. I’m tempted to plant some out, but tomatoes are not as hardy as peppers. I do know from last year that they will grow back after a frost if not killed to the ground. We had a freak 5/25 freeze last year. I’m prepared with frost cloths if needed and tonight will be cool but not frosty I hope. La Niña is returning and we are getting regular light rain so far. We are still perfecting the irrigation system we started last year as it will still be invaluable going forward. It’s all worth it to me as I know I won’t have a recall on my food and I know it isn’t tainted in any way. Just having so much fun discovering flowers that overwintered and ones I didn’t know were still alive. FYI- I grew artichokes last year because you had and one overwintered under mulch in the garlic bed🎉. 😂I had no idea that could happen here. Too bad I tore the others up. Oh, your husband’s winter sown onions-I’m experimenting with a few and some leeks and peppers. If I find that these vegetables will get to production in good time then that will be how I start them going forward to alleviate all the unnecessary work. I had sowed a few tomatoes not long ago, but think they need heat as I haven’t seen them. Another way would be to set them on a heat mat in the greenhouse and that might work. I hope this year I can narrow down my favorite tomatoes as it would make things easier😊. I’ve also had to get tricky with sowing jugs later and setting on east side of building and moving south when temps stabilize.-that has been very successful in these warm winters.
Interesting about your peas. I have 3 varieties that did great but my green arrow had terrible germination and the ones that did germinate are growing slowly. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your garden with us! I always learn something from you. Had to laugh that now I know what you do when you can't sleep. I'm on the east coast so posting a video at 7 a.m. EDT is only a bit early. Unless I'm missing something, you posted this at 4 a.m. your time. :)
Love seeing how your beautiful garden is doing. However, @1:00 I would have sown my parsnips with my carrots but everything I've read said to not plant them together, so I didn't. Will like to know how everything goes with your combo planting of these two.
Hi there. I have never heard of that! I've grown our carrots and parsnips together for decades and they've always grown beautifully. And I will definitely do monthly updates on how everything (including those crops are doing), so stay tuned!
Yes, I find your videos very educational. I heard once you plant your carrot seeds if you cover them with cardboard or something that that germinate better. Do you know if that is true? Also, your lettuce looks great. Do you direct sow your lettuce. Thank you for sharing!
Actually it is true. I use an old door screen, and cover them with that and I lightly water through the screen if needed. The frame keeps it off of the soil, so no issues with preventing early sprouts, while protecting the others, until germination.
Hi there. I haven't tried cardboard over carrot plantings but I believe it will work. Before I learned about the burlap method, I used to plant carrot seeds and then cover each row with a scrap board for about 7-10 days, which worked well. But I like the burlap method the best so far. Re: the lettuce, I started them indoors at the end of Jan. and transplanted them out to the garden on Mar. 15. They were covered with plastic row cloches from Gardener's Supply until the weather finally started warming up. I'm so glad you are enjoying my videos!
I happened to notice that you have extra misters on your raised garden beds. Are you finding that the drip hoses are not enough or are you just using them for extra water during the hot summer?
We find that certain crops benefit from a bit of extra moisture. Primarily things like lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard. Sometimes, we just use them right after we transplant something, to keep them unstressed. Then we remove those misters.
SEEDS TIP: If you plant from a pack of Cape Gooseberry (physalis peruviana) seeds be aware that these may also contain some Ground Cherry (physalis pruinosa) seeds as well. These produce similar fruits but the seedlings quickly morph into very different looking plants. The latter produces fruit much faster that`s smaller, supposedly sweeter, and the plant grows lower to the ground. Like me you may weed out the seedlings before discovering this and you never know which type may be in seed packs. Thank goodness I left one alone trying to figure out what these odd things were that kept popping up near my gooseberries because it has already started making fruits. PS: I used very hot red pepper powder on the leaves to keep my wild bunny friend from eating them. I helped her during the bad drought and heatwave in Louisiana last year and she has turned into a nibbler. Ha!
I don't feel so bad. My puny peas look better than yours; but are thin and slow growing. We had a number of temp swings in March/April on L.I. NY and took a long time to grow. I should be picking pods by now. Do you move your hinged raised bed cover or leave it on the same bed?
Hi, Marilyn. Yes, I think everyone's peas look better than ours this year. It's really strange. We are able to move the hinged raised bed covers to other raised beds each year, since we always rotate where we grow each crop.
@8:55 😳I had NO idea that I NEEDED Cupcakes Cosmos until NOW!☺️😂
That's funny! They are the coolest flower ever.
Your garden is looking great. Thankfully I haven't put anything in yet here in Helena Montana as it has still been cool and we woke up to several inches of snow (May 9) yesterday. Between the weather and the critters, I sometimes wonder why I bother to garden but it is so worth it when I harvest the first peas or kohlrabi. And that's why we never give up
That is so true, Ruth! But wow, several inches of snow in May is just not nice. Hang in there.
Awe Montana, so miss it. But gardening such a challenge. Look at the mountains and you remember why you are there❤
Formidable vidéo bravo
A bientôt
Merci!
@@SusansInTheGarden de rien c'est avec plaisir
I’m loving this time of year. Have been eating lettuce, spinach, kale, collards, asparagus and a few green onions, also strawberries. I have two rows of beans starting to pop up and potatoes, broccoli & cabbage growing good.
That sounds wonderful, Joyce!
Spokane!💕I lived there as a young lass in a lovely Dutch Colonial on S. Houk St. It was our family's favorite house.
Well, that's a cool memory.
@@SusansInTheGardenIt is!☺️ My in-laws moved to Spokane a couple years ago and they surprised me with some pics of the house! It looks pretty much the same except for the yard. Alas the five maples that lined the front yard are gone and so is the weeping willow on the side.🥺
You are an excellent educator and presenter Susan. I am in a similar zone to yours on Prince Edward Island, eastern Canada. Thanks so much.
Thank you, Donna, and nice to meet you!
The vegetable beds are really green
It's nice to see new life in the beds again.
@@SusansInTheGarden I also love gardening but have very little time
@@gardeninglife-wt8bd That's frustrating, isn't it?
I’m not growing parsnips this year, but I always pre sprout seeds on paper towels and then place them in the garden. I’ve always had great germination and a successful crop with this method.
Yes, that is a great method for starting parsnips. I have used it a few times in the past.
I just grew Bak Choi successfully 🎉. I started transplanting brassicas under a frost cloth tunnel and at times plastic on top for those cold nights several weeks ago Z5a, WI. I’ve since switched to bug netting for those lovely yellow butterflies 😉.
So I looked up some recipes on Bak Choi and found an explanation of ‘Pak’ vs. ‘Bak’ Choi-Pak has a green stem and Bak has a white stem. I know people use it interchangeably but I thought there was more to it.
The peas look like they need more sun, heat or both. We are having the Best spring here in a Long time! It is work to use all these covers on long rows and it has paid off so far. I had planted sweet peppers out last Friday and they are doing excellent under frost cloth. I needed the room and less to babysit as the tomatoes are getting ready to move out to greenhouse. I was smart to start the tomatoes late April with a plant out date aimed at June 1st, but our temps are holding nicely with some huge fluctuations and no deep 30s. I filled the larger 4 cell Bootstrap Farmer cell packs half full, sowed all single seeds except one in each group. After germinating I separated out the extras and filled the cells full with soil. This will eliminate potting up and they are already healthy, stocky 3-4” plants. No more jungle for me.
I’m tempted to plant some out, but tomatoes are not as hardy as peppers. I do know from last year that they will grow back after a frost if not killed to the ground. We had a freak 5/25 freeze last year.
I’m prepared with frost cloths if needed and tonight will be cool but not frosty I hope. La Niña is returning and we are getting regular light rain so far. We are still perfecting the irrigation system we started last year as it will still be invaluable going forward.
It’s all worth it to me as I know I won’t have a recall on my food and I know it isn’t tainted in any way. Just having so much fun discovering flowers that overwintered and ones I didn’t know were still alive.
FYI- I grew artichokes last year because you had and one overwintered under mulch in the garlic bed🎉. 😂I had no idea that could happen here. Too bad I tore the others up.
Oh, your husband’s winter sown onions-I’m experimenting with a few and some leeks and peppers. If I find that these vegetables will get to production in good time then that will be how I start them going forward to alleviate all the unnecessary work. I had sowed a few tomatoes not long ago, but think they need heat as I haven’t seen them. Another way would be to set them on a heat mat in the greenhouse and that might work. I hope this year I can narrow down my favorite tomatoes as it would make things easier😊. I’ve also had to get tricky with sowing jugs later and setting on east side of building and moving south when temps stabilize.-that has been very successful in these warm winters.
Nice to hear from you!
Interesting about your peas. I have 3 varieties that did great but my green arrow had terrible germination and the ones that did germinate are growing slowly. Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Kimberly. Maybe it's just not a good year for Green Arrow?
Thank you for sharing your garden with us! I always learn something from you. Had to laugh that now I know what you do when you can't sleep. I'm on the east coast so posting a video at 7 a.m. EDT is only a bit early. Unless I'm missing something, you posted this at 4 a.m. your time. :)
Hi, Dianne. I always schedule the video to post at 3 a.m. PDT, which would be 6 a.m. your time. I wonder if something with UA-cam delayed it?
Love seeing how your beautiful garden is doing. However, @1:00 I would have sown my parsnips with my carrots but everything I've read said to not plant them together, so I didn't. Will like to know how everything goes with your combo planting of these two.
Hi there. I have never heard of that! I've grown our carrots and parsnips together for decades and they've always grown beautifully. And I will definitely do monthly updates on how everything (including those crops are doing), so stay tuned!
I covered our pak choy bed with agricultural fleece but yesterday I discovered I still got aphids! Argh! I don't understand how they got in!
Darn! Did you cover the bed as soon as you planted your seeds or seedlings? Or was it a bed you had an aphid problem in last year?
Great update, thanks!
Thank you, Barb.
Yes, I find your videos very educational. I heard once you plant your carrot seeds if you cover them with cardboard or something that that germinate better. Do you know if that is true? Also, your lettuce looks great. Do you direct sow your lettuce. Thank you for sharing!
Actually it is true. I use an old door screen, and cover them with that and I lightly water through the screen if needed. The frame keeps it off of the soil, so no issues with preventing early sprouts, while protecting the others, until germination.
Hi there. I haven't tried cardboard over carrot plantings but I believe it will work. Before I learned about the burlap method, I used to plant carrot seeds and then cover each row with a scrap board for about 7-10 days, which worked well. But I like the burlap method the best so far. Re: the lettuce, I started them indoors at the end of Jan. and transplanted them out to the garden on Mar. 15. They were covered with plastic row cloches from Gardener's Supply until the weather finally started warming up. I'm so glad you are enjoying my videos!
Hi, Elizabeth. Thanks for sharing your method with us!
I happened to notice that you have extra misters on your raised garden beds. Are you finding that the drip hoses are not enough or are you just using them for extra water during the hot summer?
We find that certain crops benefit from a bit of extra moisture. Primarily things like lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard. Sometimes, we just use them right after we transplant something, to keep them unstressed. Then we remove those misters.
SEEDS TIP: If you plant from a pack of Cape Gooseberry (physalis peruviana) seeds be aware that these may also contain some Ground Cherry (physalis pruinosa) seeds as well. These produce similar fruits but the seedlings quickly morph into very different looking plants. The latter produces fruit much faster that`s smaller, supposedly sweeter, and the plant grows lower to the ground. Like me you may weed out the seedlings before discovering this and you never know which type may be in seed packs.
Thank goodness I left one alone trying to figure out what these odd things were that kept popping up near my gooseberries because it has already started making fruits.
PS: I used very hot red pepper powder on the leaves to keep my wild bunny friend from eating them. I helped her during the bad drought and heatwave in Louisiana last year and she has turned into a nibbler. Ha!
The battle is real, right?!
@@SusansInTheGarden She`s sneaky too but I can almost read her mind at this point.
I don't feel so bad. My puny peas look better than yours; but are thin and slow growing. We had a number of temp swings in March/April on L.I. NY and took a long time to grow. I should be picking pods by now. Do you move your hinged raised bed cover or leave it on the same bed?
Hi, Marilyn. Yes, I think everyone's peas look better than ours this year. It's really strange. We are able to move the hinged raised bed covers to other raised beds each year, since we always rotate where we grow each crop.