This week, Judith digs trenches for her potatoes and mulches her rhubarb, despite the cold weather.
Greetings fellow gardeners,
It would seem that the more typical April weather has arrived. I noted the cooler temperatures when I woke up this morning, covered in too-many cats. Hopefully, you have resisted the urge to plant anything in the ground. If so, all will be well. Most of the flowering bulbs will wait out the cold and continue on. I worry about my little cherry bush that flowered so early, and my cherry crop may not be that great this year.
Snowy daffodil
The snow is like a blanket during these cold temperatures, so most of the blooms should bounce back as the warmth returns.
Rhubarb
The rhubarb is growing well in its new location, and it is time to add a nice mulch of compost around it. As you can see from the picture, it is planted with lots of leafy soil and it is quite happy. The extra compost should encourage more growth, which I want, because I really love rhubarb.
It is approaching the time of year when our plant stands are seeming to be quite full. I have planted up several tomato plants and there are other seedlings that would like to be potted up as well. In my case, I am very restricted in my use of space and need to find ways to keep too-many curious cats out of my seedlings. I will plant some other seeds, such as cucumbers, on my outdoor sheltered plant shelf in early May.
Plant stand
This week I started digging a trench for my potatoes that I am making a good six inches or more deep and hoping that it will do well. I shall be waiting a while to plant out the potatoes as the trench is full of snow at the moment. The reason I am going back to the trench after trying pots, is that I want to see if the trench will give me more potatoes. I have managed to save a few of my grandpa’s potatoes over the winter, and this year I decided to grow a crop of Yukon gold as well. If you want to grow potatoes, be sure to get your seed potatoes soon. Most nurseries have drive-by service and will choose good potatoes for you. The nurseries usually have a nice selection, and you may find other interesting selections online.
If you only have room for potatoes in pots, then by all means go for it! You want to be sure that there is about three inches of soil in the pot, place the potato on it and cover up the potato with good soil. As soon as you see green growth, cover it up! Continue to do this until you reach the top of the pot. It is important to keep covering any green bits with soil as potatoes form along the stems that are covered by the soil.
Do not be discouraged by the weather, this is only April. Keep watering your seedlings and continue preparing for our new gardening season. Enjoy your week. Judith.
(Email: lapisdragonarts@gmail.com) Veggie Bites are available at https://gardeningcalendar.ca/articles/veggie-bites/
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