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I haven’t written any articles since the end of Sept. because, well I guess I have been busy, and this Winter has been just crazy, weather wise. Just about zero snow and only a handful of days where it went below freezing during the day. It sure looks like an early Spring this year.
I had picked the last of my Brussel Sprouts and Fall Broccoli in early Nov. and I still have some in the fridge that looks fresh & crisp. For some reason Fall veggies seem to keep for months with no loss of quality. I am also down to my last clove of garlic.
It’s time to start some seeds indoors, so today I seeded my Cayenne Peppers, Bell Peppers and Spring Broccoli. Check out the link 2012 Ongoing Garden Journal if you are interested in what varieties I planted and how many of each. You will find an ongoing record of all my seed starting, growth and harvest throughout the season.
The traditional time to start peppers seems to be late March or Early April, but I have found that by starting them NOW, I start harvesting 1 1/2 months sooner. Peppers are slow growers so they don’t get long & leggy if kept under a grow light. Last year I moved mine out to the cold frame around April 1st and set them out in the garden around April 15th, under “mini-greenhouse‘s- see article on mini-greenhouses. They all thrived and produced bumper crops. Same schedule for my Broccoli which also produced and early & healthy crop, long before the cabbage loopers came around.
I will be starting other veggies over the coming weeks with Brussel Sprouts & cabbage next in line. I will also be direct seeding my peas, carrots, rutabaga, sugar snaps and spinach in the next few weeks, depending on the weather.
It’s also time to start garden clean up, preping the soil and setting up a new compost bin! This is the time of year to not only think about and get excited about gardening, but to start, to get the maximum yield. Join me!
Blessings,
Ron
“The Garden Guy”
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