Oh, I miss those days!
One exception would be my Mexican limes that are actually Mexican limes. I planted a bunch of seeds I saved from limes I got in Puerto Penasco, Mexico about 35 years ago, several sprouted, and four made it to maturity, although one was in the ground when we moved so we left it and the buyer let the tree die. Currently two are in the ground at the current house and one is still in a pot, they all bear heavily.
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Ooops ! This went on the wrong year.
Finished my last two rain barrels this morning, before/during this mornings storm.
But I have a leak! Anyone else doing rain barrels?
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Yes, indeed. Some limes are just hardier than other citrus. Key Limes are another one which often does great on their own roots. These are adapted to do well outside of their tropical Asian origins. There are also some peculiar Australian citrus which are getting closer and closer to breeding truly cold-hardy trees/bushes.
It would be great if scale resistance were bred into citrus. What a plague.
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Wow! That’s quite a setup! Hopefully, you can fix the leak easily. There are a lot of sealants to help with that, silicone gasket caulk, teflon tape, plumber’s putty, Magic Tape, etc. The low pressure of a barrel setup at least makes the fix easier than when household water pressure is involved.
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Leak fixed! Just need to unscrew and re-screw on the union. So glad I included that isolation valve! Made it so much easier.
First fava flowers!
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More fava flowers.
Winter sown sugar snap peas!
These were the stonefruit beginning to bloom a little over two weeks ago.
Manzanita in the background, which the hummingbirds seem to love!
I forgot to take a picture of the stonefruit in full bloom. They have now dropped just about all of their petals.
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Is your manzanita the variety that you can make tea from the bark?
We’ve been really busy in the kitchen-garden department. Average last frost for us is March 12.
We’ve seeded peas, carrots, scallions and potatoes directly to ground, and have a couple hundred starts going in the greenhouses – onions, lettuce, kale, spinach, tomatoes, cabbage, various herbs. We’ve been cleaning out and prepping the beds. All the fruit trees have been oiled. DH has a new strawberry project going this year, which requires a lot of bare-root planting. We haven’t yet pulled our cloches, but are harvesting spinach, and the peas are ready to stake. We’ll (hopefully) be getting a steady supply of asparagus in a few weeks here.
We’re winding down our harvested supply from last year - we have some spuds around, a few carrots and shallots. In the freezer, a modest supply of beans, squash, peas, berries. We’ve too much canned tomatoes, pickles and applesauce. I’ve been trying to make it a priority to work through our stores before we start harvesting seriously again.
Looking forward to another season!
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This week I am working on an article about growing vegetables ( and other edibles?) in containers. All input is welcomed, but it will be specific to our sort of Mediterranean climate.
I never really thought about visual appeal, but some of you have shared really attractive containers! I won’t be using your pictures.
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I’ve had very good results with growing Sungold tomatoes in a big pot on my balcony. One plant routinely produces about 100 fruit per season. Basil and parsley and chard and (to a lesser extend) kale also thrive, in window boxes. My containers are very utilitarian, but I’m happy to provide pix if you want 'em. And I’m definitely not in a Mediterranean climate.
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Thanks! Did you stake them? If so, how?
This right here. Works good.
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Thank you!
Amazing as always!
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One suggestion is to always check the potting soil’s pH. Most vegetables need a pH of 6.5–7.2, but many herbs prefer 7–7.5. Many bagged soils are a bit acid, or become acidic over time.
Another tip: When reusing soil, it’s very important to supply a Calcium and Magnesium source, as these nutrients get depleted and are not in many fertilizers.
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Thank you!
Latest pictures of peas
And beans
Does anyone know what this might be? They are both under and on the remay that is supposed to keep insects out.
It’s very slender, maybe a quarter of an inch long, has barely perceptible wings, but flies when you disturbed.
Maybe a fungus gnat? I’m sure the soil is too wet with all the rain we’ve been getting. I’m praying its not the fly of the onion root or corn root maggot.
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