Let's grow vegetables!
Greetings fellow gardeners,
With the situation being what it is, I thought I would send out some regular notes on growing vegetables. My kitchen garden talk featured a section on Victory Gardens which seems very on trend at the moment.
Let’s get started.
In order to grow vegetables, you need a place to plant them. If you have an established bed in your backyard you are all set. If you want to add vegetables to your perennial border at the front that is quite doable. If you do not have space to dig you can plant almost every vegetable in a pot. And for those of you who want to take up your front grass and plant a garden; that is impressive! The key word for everything is compost and good soil. Adding compost before you plant gives your vegetables a head start. Well-rotted manure and good soil is also a good addition. One of our members, Janet, said Ritchies in Richmond will take your order over the phone and you can pick it up. Nurseries often have their own soil blends which are excellent. Beware the black soil offered at your grocery and hardware store. It is an excellent filler but has none of the nutrients that you need at this time.
If you want to start your vegetables from seed, it is a good idea to start your tomatoes now. You want a nice sturdy seedling to plant out in late May. Most other vegetables can be directly sown in the garden at various times in May.
Lettuce
I am going to plant a pot of lettuce this weekend and put it outside in a sheltered area. Lettuce is an excellent cool weather plant and will be tough enough if well protected. Using a pot of good soil sprinkle your lettuce seed on top and lightly cover. Be sure to keep it well watered. I like to plant leaf lettuce as it comes quickly and is easy to harvest. Baby romaine can also be tasty and the delicious buttercrunch lettuce is a little more delicate. As the seedling emerge you can thin them out so that the stronger seedling has more room to grow. As the lettuce grows, harvest it by using a pair of good kitchen scissors to cut it to about two inches above the soil. The lettuce will regrow, and you should get about two more meals off it before it gets bitter. If you leave it alone it will grow tall and form flowers and then seeds. If you have a heritage variety like Black-seeded Simpson, you should be able to keep the seed for next year. Some of the hybrid lettuces tend to be finicky.
Next week: More about tomatoes and other vegetables. If you have questions or suggestions about vegetables, please contact Judith at lapisdragonarts@gmail.com