Spring Developments

More Peas

ok, one last attempt at the peas. Worms and moths continue to attack my 'Dakota' shelling peas. I am unable to grow peas from seed. So, I bought four containers of 'Alderman' peas from Sky Nursery. I get the impression that developed veggie starts are a bit more resistant to insects. New-sprouting seeds are just to tender and get eaten or damaged.

As for my other plants...the walla walla onions are coming along nicely. The cippolini onions are growing, but slowly. Also, the spinach and broccoli is coming along. I plan to treat the spinach with some fish fertilizer to promote growth.

Operation "Leave My Peas Alone"

Earlier this week, before the rains came, I got outside and did what I could to keep my Dakota peas intact. I saved toilet paper tubes for the past six months. After cutting each tube in half I placed each one around a sprouted pea plant. Although I didn't have enough tubes for every seedling, many plants are accounted for. Afterwards, I placed remay over the planted area and held it down with anything nearby. Thus, I'm hoping that my efforts provide a modicum of protection against cutworms and birds.

 

Early Spring Vegetables

Last week I attended Seattle Tilth's March Edible Plant Sale. I was down in the Sodo District in the Pacific Market Center parking garage. I picked up spinach, broccoli, and onion (cipollini) starts. And, I finally got around to planting them all a couple of days ago. The temperature was decidedly chilly most of the past week.

As for my 'Dakota' peas...they're starting to sprout. They are still covered in remay to keep birds away. I plan to shield them in a couple of days with toilet paper tubes to deter cut worms. So, a half tube around each sprout and a remay cover should keep everything pretty well protected. When the peas grow beyond the length of the tubes they should be well enough established that  I can remove the remay.

As for the problem with rodents...they have been doing less damage lately. I get the impression there aren't many bulbs left to eat that are unsprouted.

First Planting of the Year

Yesterday I planted 'Dakota' variety shelling peas (Territorial Seeds). The seeds were from 2011 so I hope they are still good enough that some of them sprout. I plan to plant a second crop of seeds (packed for 2014) in a couple of weeks. The temperature is getting warmer, but overnight temperatures are still a bit cool. Also, I don't have to water anything yet since it has been raining constantly for the past couple of weeks.

2014 Northwest Flower and Garden Show

I finally attended the Northwest Flower and Garden Show last weekend for the first time ever. Needless to say, it was a very cool event. There were tons of displays, plenty of ways to spend money, and many organizations/booths to visit.

Spring is Coming

I planned to do some gardening yesterday but when I got to the p-patch it was too cold and I wasn't dressed for the weather. I did learn (in the few minutes I was there) that something is digging up and eating my buried tulip bulbs. A lot of the spring bulbs have sprouted and are poking up through the topsoil. It looks like it's time to fertilize. Also, the hellebore are showing signs of development (new green leaves and blooms) and the cyclamen coum are in full bloom. Finally, the scilla is also poking up and blooming in small, compact clusters of blue/white flowers. I wished they would gain some height as they tend to bloom close to the ground, and are sometimes hard to spot.