our maine home – zone 5b
Yesterday, from the hoophouse.
I’m happy with this year’s overwintered greens. Clockwise from lower left: Bloomsdale spinach, escarole, arugula, baby kale. And plenty of self-seeded claytonia.
We’ve been eating homegrown greens for a few weeks now. It’s amazing that they survive the cold winter nights (under row cover).
I planted these in mid-September. This year, the electric fence did its job and kept out voles.
I am appreciating these fall greens in the hoophouse. They are looking about the right size going into winter. No vole damage for a while now.
I spread more hay mulch today. The ground was too frozen to rake the raised beds in the fruit yard. Tomorrow I think I’ll have to harvest leeks. I’ve put it off too long. I also have to remove the asparagus stalks which have dried up and fallen over. And mulch those beds too.
I pulled the overgrown arugula in the hoophouse. I stripped most of the edible leaves from the long stalks and then couldn’t bear to compost the flowers before enjoying them as a bouquet for awhile.
Snow was predicted earlier, but the forecast changed. And indeed we are getting rain, rain, and more rain and strong winds. A real snow melter.
I thought it would be pleasant enough sheltered in the hoophouse but the temperature was somewhere in the 30’s and my hands became numb almost immediately.
Nevertheless I planted some arugula, Salanova lettuce, and tatsoi in some of the empty rows in the hoophouse. Sam watered them in with the hose. Now we are warming up inside.
Chickens have started laying again, sporadically.
I spent a humid hour and a half in the garden this morning. Plants are growing and need a little help. Okay, a lot of help in some cases.
Mostly I weeded under and around the corner A-frame trellis. And laid out more hay mulch in that area.
The scarlet runner beans are just starting to bloom. Two hummingbirds perched on the tomato trellis in anticipation.
I dug out a huge mass of white clover which was overtaking the front doorway of the A-frame. The oak leaf and Encore mix lettuces needed only a light weeding. They look great. The Ovation mix is overgrown and mostly bolted. Hard to pick it.
The arugula quadrant has not done well at all. Mostly weeds. I tried first Sylvetta with no luck, then I planted Bellezia. A few feeble sprouts. I don’t get it.
I also started to train my 8 cucumber plants to climb the trellis. Some are too short to reach it, others are just disinclined to climb.
Bianka’s white runner beans are doing nicely at the four corners of the trellis.
There are a few little green tomatoes.
The fingerling potatoes have a nasty case of aphids.
Happily, cosmos and poppy seeds have germinated in flower pots – a late experiment.
