Weed of the Month

April's weed of the month is chickweed. A friend of mine, Teri, said "a weed is a plant I just don't know yet." Chickweed is one of the first to show up in spring and can choke out small starts such as carrots. It is edible and very rich in Vitamin A, folic acid, and iron, but it also looks great in the compost pile.

Tomato germination?

Wondering how those tomatoes are doing? Hopefully as good plant parents you just became prematurely nervous. I had doubts about some cucumbers I started and was beginning to plan the funeral, but lo and behold, today I see their green stems about to let the first leaves pop out of the soil. Phew!

Tomato germination?

A question came in about length of time for germination. I think if you are in doubt, maybe take a peek by lifting a seed gently out of the mix and see if it has swelled, is opening, or has rotted and squishy( I hope not). If your mix is turning hard after watering maybe the addition of a little perlite ( the white chi-chi balls you see in potting mixes), a heated silica product that does little but make spaces and help hold heat in the mix, can help lighten it. If seeds are kept at a cooler place, it will take longer to germinate. That is kinda why I do the paper towel in a warm place method; it seems to help with germination success. I am pulling for your seeds. Let me know and we can think about what is happening (or happened) some more.

Drought?

Will the weather bring any substantial rain? Folks are getting nervous. Klamath Basin declared a drought emergency. Think mulch, lots of mulch to hold waterings from evaporating. Helps with weeds, also. Haven't done enough around here. Maybe that will be a goal for this year.

I received my first question about onion transplants! That's what I'm talking about. Hope more are coming as the garden season picks up. I realize not everybody is as garden crazy as I am!

Mission

Please use this site for any questions you might have off of the Diary of a Northwest Gardener blog. You may give information also. It can be anything related to the subject that might help folks have an easier time with their agricultural efforts. I am an organic farmer, so my answers will come from that slant.