I know, it's been a long time since last post on what is going behind the scenes..:p
Well, it's official, S P R I N G arrived and a beautiful sunny 20 degrees with it. Most of the time, actually all the time I'm digging, yes it lasts I know, still not bored with it. Have done some pretty things like tidying up rose garden, trimming winter consequences [dry branches] and deciding which are going to be replanted and where, as that also requires more digging.
Also, I've got new pair of white garden gloves, ladies times...😂
Last year's yield of zucchini was more than good - too good maybe? Every time I saw that dear darling is bringing another one, just picked - my eyes rolled around, what with so many zucchini, we already had them in every possible shape.
Certainly not fan of frozen ones. In order not to repeat the same scenario this year decision is made, we are planting only 4 zucchini Grabovskiy 37. But, not in containers like cheery tomatoes [which we have to move every day from in to outside due to the big difference in temperature during the day and night] - and that's not fun part honestly.
This time I decided to bury the pots directly in the ground, cover them with with nylon box and leave the seeds to germinate that way. That's why greenhouses are great, but they have a drawback as they taking up too much space, maybe we have found a conceptual solution for how we will combine raising beds and a greenhouse in the future according to the season and need, but let's leave that now for later.
Along with zucchini, pumpkin arrives! Mom had the perfect pumpkin last year, the perfect balance of fleshiness, sweetness and juiciness. We brought one with us, we ate it baked from the oven, saved the seeds, dried on a napkin for a couple of days, packed them in a jar and here they are now, ready for another round!
Same process with zucchinis, you just need to leave one zucchini to ripen and you have provided yourself with seeds for the next season, it's that simple!
At that stage, this variety of zucchini completely changes color, from pale green as it is during the consumption period to bright yellow when it's fully ripen. Apart from the color, the inside of the fruit also changes, the fleshy part becomes flabby, mushy and slimy at the same time, the taste and smell no longer correspond to what we normally like on our plates.
I am not sure about the pumpkin variety, it is most likely a White Pie.
The pots were previously washed and disinfected. The measurements fit perfectly so that 4 pots fit under each roof, exactly as we planned. I dug the earth as deep as the height of the pot.
The green leaves sticking out in the left corner are daffodils whose buds are about to open very soon. There were roses in this place until a few days ago, now moved to the freshly arranged garden next to it.
In addition to the gloves, I got another new toy! A sieve for the soil, which was there all along, but I didn't know about it. A simple gadget that you can make yourself, and it is ideal for cleaning the soil from excess grass, roots and everything else that we don't need, and at the same time it loosens the soil perfectly.
The pots are placed inside the excavation, then the soil is sown, which will fill them with airy layers. The cherry tomatoes we planted got a portion of compacted soil, which I didn't like, seed germination takes place best in loose soil.
Ready to plant the seeds, but before that one more step - calcium. This is the first time I use it, none of the plants I plant have a greater need for this mineral, although the fruits are full of it. Vitamins do not cause headaches, and I couldn't wait to finally use it!
I sprinkled it around the pots and then added another layer of sifted soil. This method of germination will enable the plant to easily adapt to external conditions and the soil in which we will later transplant it. Taking the seedlings out of the greenhouse directly outside and planting them without prior acclimatization can sometimes contribute to wilting. And in addition to all that, it will be able to absorb moisture directly from the soil, nylon will create condensation, so there will be drops from above as well. It will save me time on watering. I think I saw a video on Instagram where germination took place in containers buried in a similar way, the plucking was really satisfying to watch. 😍
Two seeds in each pot at a distance of 5 centimeters. Pieces of dried eggshells are still visible, they have not been completely ground into powder. I didn't want to, even though they take a long time to dissolve in nature and the powder is quite fast in action, let the process go smoothly.
Thanks to the grate, I have saved the life of many earthworms, a hoe certainly would not have avoided them, they were safely returned to their place, albeit different, but same.
A layer of soil was added to the roofs on the sides, which will contribute to better sealing and quick heating.
The rest of my job here is to tap the surface occasionally to let the droplets fall down and peek for any new changes.
Guess what's new? The rocket sprouted! Some of the leaves still have traces of soil after the struggle to reach the surface.
I'm sure of one thing, there will be rocket for sure this year, for the rest I can not guarantee.🤣
