May 13 status

Put in dahlias a couple days ago, and peppers, eggplant and tomatoes about a week ago.

Bed 1: tomatoes and peas.  Not sure how well the peas are doing.  I put down the last iron sulfate  (beds 1,2, and quarterplot) a couple weeks ago, plus blood meal (all plots) about 3 weeks ago. Have the frame for the netting up.  Need to spray copper.

Bed 2  the peas in the center of the pea and the onions in the center are doing very well, as is the radishes and spinach in that area .  The vegetables on either end aren't doing as well.  Lisa's lost lettuce from the far end--I'm not sure of the cause. Some lettuce is doing okay, but not great.  The new iris isn't doing well but the parsley is.

Bed 3 Lisa has leeks, chard, betts and something I forget from path end to center.  The eggplant is at the far end, the plants are healthy and under the row cover.

Bed 4  The new glads are doing very well, up about 8", while the old ones aren't.  Don't know if they got dehydrated,  don't think there was much difference in the depth.  The broccoli and a cabbage are starting to take off, but the other cabbages are slow.  Picked a few cabbage worms.

North Quarter: the dahlias, 11 old ones plus a duplicate, most of which had pale sprouts. A few cases there's multiple tubers in one hill.

South Quarter:  the peppers at one end, 3 new dahlias at the other.  Put the peppers here to try to get ahead of the nematodes(?) or whatever it was that hit them last year, due I think to their following the tomatoes.

Lisa has several squash plants started.  I'm thinking squash in South Quarter and bed 3, beans in beds 2 and 4, we'll see.

Weather has been dry--down about 5 inches at Dulles, though we had a good rain in late April and the soil still seems moist when turned.

April 19 Status

Got about .2 inch rain yesterday--first in a good while.  Starting to see glads, both the old ones and the tips of Lisa's new ones in bed 4.  Need to finish planting the rest or give away.  Down to 3 leeks left in bed 4.  Planted a bearded iris in bed 2 and a stock in bed 4.

April 7 Status

Planted Lisa's new glad bulbs on Thurs, I think.  Used bulb planter so they're down maybe 4-5 inches.  We'll see how they do.  The brassicas are okay, transplanted a stock plant, finished digging all but the remaining leeks and the radicchio.  Put leaf mulch around brassicas.

Weather's been dry, down about 3 1/2" this year, not much rain in sight.

Finished the landscape blocks in front.  Applied moss stuff behind mailboxes, may have been too lean. 

March 31 Status

Beds 1,2 and quarter plot north and south are dug, beds 3 and 4 partially dug except for leeks and radicchio.

Peas are up in beds 1 and 2 and all or almost all lettuce/radish etc. plantings in bed 2 are up.  4 rows of glads in bed  4. 6 broccoli and 4 cabbage set out in bed 4.

Notes for future.  I didn't get all the glads from quarter plot north last fall.  Ideally I'd strain the dirt and get them all.  The ones I missed sprouted, probably around Mar. 15 or so.  Might try replanting a couple rows of glad bulbs in the fall under leaf mulch.

Around the house, completing the second row of landscape blocks.

March 20 Status

The peas in bed 1 are showing, Lisa has lettuce in bed 2, plus radishes and spinach.  Been carrying water every day but the water troughs were righted this morning so hopefully water will be turned on.  Planted 4 or 5 rows of glads in bed 4.  Forgot the bulb planter so not sure how deep they are.  Perhaps need to add soil after they get up. 

Started spading south quarterplot, the winter greens are bolting or close.

Lisa Says: No More Seeds

She resolves not to start seeds, particularly impatiens, next year.

Weather is warm and dry (80 today), carrying water to the garden for the peas, stocks, and onion sets.  Harvesting collards etc.

Status Mar 9

Lisa planted peas and stocks in bed 1 yesterday, I watered today. (Low on rain and none in the 7-day) Bed 2  should be ready to plant Sunday. 

Got soil samples from the beds, but haven't sent them off yet.