First Plantings!

This is a bit of a delayed update, as I was unable to get this done on the day/days it took place.  On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, I finally got my first outdoor plantings in the ground.  The picture to the right shows my 'lettuce bin'.  I decided it would be better to plant the lettuce near the house so that it is easily accessible at meal time.  Planting it in a container also frees up more space in the garden, so that is a bonus too!  Since lettuce plants have short root systems, they work rather well in containers.  Even long root plants can be in containers, but they normally need a bit more space.  With lettuce and several types of herbs, you can really crowd them in a container, and they will still do great.

In the container I planted spinach, 'Baby Star' romaine, buttercrunch head lettuce, and a special mix of leaf lettuce from my local garden center.  I plan on planting some more spinach in a few weeks in the garden, and possibly some extra buttercrunch, so that we will have a steady supply.  It will be even fresher than the "fresh" lettuce in a bag you can buy at the grocery store!  And the best part is that you only need to pick as much as you'll be eating that night.  No rotting lettuce in the fridge!

 Next I planted a few things in the garden itself.  I wanted to try carrots this year, so I got some dead leaves and other organic material and mixed it in with the soil in the area where they would be planted.  I had originally planned on buying sand to mix in, but the ladies at my local garden store said that it was not necessary.  One of the two said they grow carrots every year, and that the carrots even grow in the clay!  She just suggested mixing in the organic material to keep the soil loose enough for the carrots to do their thing.  We will see how it turns out!

I planted one five foot row of carrots with the plan to plant more later on.  I also interspersed a few radishes to help mark the row, since they come up very quickly.  I used radishes with beets as well.  Once again I did not plant all the rows that I plan on using, but I did map the rows out so that the rows are straight and I don't accidentally overlap.  I planted beets last year, but they didn't turn out.  I am crossing my fingers that this year they will work.  The location they were in combined with the late planting and somewhat odd weather, probably lead to their demise.  So with an earlier planting time and new location, I am hoping they do better.

Last but not least, I put black plastic over the majority of the un-planted portions of my garden.  Most of the areas won't be used until I transplant my indoor seedlings, and in the case of the peppers plants, that won't be until June!  Putting the plastic down does a couple of things: 1. It reduces weed growth.  Anything that helps cut down on weeding is a plus.  (Especially a chemical free alternative!)  2. It helps warm the soil, and keep it warm.  Plants like warm soil, and watermelon REALLY likes the ground to be hot when it gets started.  The worms don't mind either.  And 3. You can plant without removing the plastic.  If you cut little holes that are just big enough for your transplant, you can leave the plastic there keeping the weeds away, and providing a 'clean' surface for your produce to grow on.  I had the plastic down for my watermelon vines last year, and it was great.  The watermelon grew right on the plastic, and required only light washing before it was ready to cut into.  It is important to pop some drainage holes in the plastic after it rains, so that the water still makes it into the soil.  The reason you wait for rain is to see where the water pools naturally.  If you would rather not wait, you can always water your plastic and do it that way.  Whatever is easiest!

More to come this week, including some photos of the seedlings.  The tomatoes are already an inch tall!