Are You There Blog? It's Me Jeremy.

The Acorn Squash Has Come A Long Way

Don't think because the blog has been quiet, so has the garden. Due to other chores and a last second assignment to Mexico City, I haven't been able to sit down and write up a little somethin'-somethin' for Two Thumbs. But fear not, there is plenty to talk about.

First, as they'd say in the racing world, the field is set. I've just about used up all free space I have for planting. So what I planted this weekend will in all likelihood be the last veggies. I've updated the veggie vitals to the right. As you can see, I finally chose my heirloom breed. Kudos once again to Merrifield Garden Center for an abundance of choices. I think I had three different varieties in my hand before going with Mr. Stripey tomatoes. But, I was very tempted to go with Pineapple tomatoes.

Aside from the stripers, I planted Romanian sweet peppers, thyme (the seedlings just weren't progressing very well), and Bush Whopper Cucumbers. The story behind the Bush Whoppers is pretty simple. Unlike its cousins, this cucumber breed grows more as a bush rather than a vine-spreading, space-swallower. Because space is already limited and I planted it next to the acorn squash, I needed a plant that wouldn't spread wild through the garden.

As for those acorn squash, you can see for yourself (above) how much they have progressed since starting as little seeds less than two months ago. 

The other seedlings are doing pretty well. One of the fastest sprouters has, without question, been the cilantro. It looked pretty rough when I first transplanted it to a large pot outside. But the steady rainfall and a little bit of sunshine have done wonders. Once we get the jalapenos and tomatoes spitting out fruits, we'll have the beginnings of a damn good guacamole. 

Our next entry we'll look at the fastest "climbers" in the garden this year. Here's a hint: Think Popeye's adopted kid.

Check Out The Legs On That One!!!

Cilantro Seedlings

A couple posts ago I mentioned a problem I was having with my new sprouts called "legging". Legging occurs when the newly sprouted plants do not get a proper amount of sunlight. The sprouts are so desperate for light, they grow very long stems trying to reach for sunlight. Everyday for the first week, the sprouts would actually lean towards the window.

Legging is bad because the plants use all their effort to grow up rather than begin a strong root foundation. Also, the long, thin frame leaves it succeptable to the outside wind and cool temperatures.

I had to go a couple routes to help alleviate this problem. Since we've had a lot of rainy days, I needed to find a way to provide artificial sunlight. I ran over to the local garden center and bought a 150-watt grow light. On cloudy, cool days I leave the plants inside and turn on the grow light for 8 hours. This process helped in stopping the plants from continuing to leg. At least now they can begin to strengthen their roots and stalks.

In The Second Week, Jeremy Created Light

My second route was to actually plant some of the sprouts in their permanent summer homes. The acorn squash seedlings had become quite leggy but had good leaf structure. Knowing that we had passed our last freeze, I planted the squash in a pot I planted cucumbers last year. But when I planted them, I buried the sprouts almost to the leaves. The plants were not strong enough to handle winds and hard rain. By burying the plants so deep, the soil provided support. But as you may see in the picture below, some of the stalks still could not handle the stress and broke off. This is not a bad thing in that surviving stalks now have more room to grow and spread. Kind of like the garden's version of natural selection. 

Planted Acorn Squash

I also read another option to alleviate legging is fanning the plants with paper or other objects. This simulates wind and tells the plant it needs to strengthen itself in order to survive the environment. To me, this sounds like you'd have to do a lot of fanning. So my advice is to get the plants as much natural sunlight and warm temps as possible. And if you can't, buy the light.

Let's also update the status on all our crops. I can say as of this past weekend, ALL of our seed varieties have germinated. Some better than others. 

The Outside Crops

All the root veggies have begun popping up. The rutabagas came up first followed by the onions and carrots. The salad mix lettuce has also made its appearance. Last year's peppermint is still rising from its winter death bed and the strawberry plants are all coming back to life. The chives plant is a huge weed (which is awesome for mashed potatoes).

The Sugar Peas Are Reaching For The Trellis

I'm very impressed with the way the dwarf sugar peas have sprouted. I fully expect within the next week or two the sprouts will have reached the base of the trellis and will quickly head to the top. They have been the fastest growers.

The Inside Crops

With the legging problem under control, I'm feeling good about the inside guys, too. The cilantro has begun making leaves with that signature rigid look. The chamomile and thyme haven't done much since first sprouting. The lavender has one stalk that looks healthy with large leaves. The rosemary is the runt of the family. But my focus is on the New Mexico chile varieties. They both germinated a little earlier than I expected, but they look really good at this point. I have my fingers crossed.

Because we are going on vacation for a week and a half, the inside crops will be under the kind care of a coworker in the bureau. They are in my boss's office in front of a large west-facing window. So let's hope for some long and sunny afternoons!!!

All-in-all, we're looking pretty good. Once we get back from our trip, it will be time to get the other veggie plants into the pots and on their way to producing great eats.