Good morning, and happy… spring? Welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging.
Our weather here in Denver has not been pleasant.
If you consider just the temperature, it doesn't look too bad: highs hitting 60°, some sunshine — perfect March weather!
Except when you add in the wind. Oh, lordy, the wind. On the calmest day this week we had gusts at 13 mph; the other days the gusts have ranged from 22 to 31 mph (that's from the Weather Underground station nearest my home). It was really hard to get photos this week because the wind kept whipping everything around.
And since it's the weekend, we have yet another snow storm coming in. Another upslope storm, so who knows what will get out of it? Forecast is for snow off and on through the weekend, with accumulations of 4" to 8".
Oh, and overnight lows down into the single digits; it's just not right to have it so cold in late March.
Yes, yes, yes, I know we need the moisture — but could we please get it mid-week rather than on the weekend?
So, even though the first daffodils of the season have opened, which means its time to plant snap peas, I haven't even started them sprouting yet. Last year's experiment of planting the sprouted seeds directly in the garden, rather than growing the sprouted peas in small pots for a few weeks was so successful (and such a time saver as I grow so many snap peas!) that I'm going to do it that way from now on. But the timing is critical, so I'm waiting until I have a forecast with no possibility of wet for several days before I even start the sprouting process.
At least my tomato seedlings are doing well, despite my best effort at killing them. Those little pots dry out so quickly under the metal halide light, and I forgot to check the moisture level one morning. It cut done on the germination rate — but not by much. The seedlings are putting out their first set of true leaves now; in a couple of weeks they'll be ready for bigger pots and, perhaps, a place in the Mister's happy time set up downstairs.
Since I won't be working outside this weekend, I guess I'll give the melons, cucumbers and squash an early start — I do so hope I can get melons to ripen earlier than September this year!
And I still haven't gotten the cauliflower and kohlrabi started — another good snowy weather project.
That's what's happening here. What's going on in your gardens?