Sowing Peas
Somewhere I’ve heard that there
is a tradition of planting the first peas on St. Patrick’s Day. Usually
I don’t get to take part in this tradition because of heavy snow
covering and frigid arctic air blowing. This is the first year in
Vermont that I was able to celebrate this custom, as sunny days and
record-breaking temperatures just melted the winter away.
Before you start sowing you should always test
to see if the soil can be worked yet. To do this form a ball with the
soil in your hand and strike it with the heel of your other hand. If it
doesn't crumble, conditions are likely too wet. If conditions are right
you can sow other cool-season vegetables, too, such as spinach, kale,
lettuce, radishes, carrots, as they function better in cooler
temperatures, and can also withstand light frosts or fairly heavy
freezes. Planting as early as possible is imperative for these
vegetables, which falter when temperatures rise in June. When
temperatures warm, cool season vegetables start to use more food than
they manufacture, which is not conducive to high yield.
A little note about your Shiitake mushroom logs
I
soaked the Shiitake logs in the lake for a couple of days. If you kept
your log outside, now is the time to give it a good, cold soak, so the water
has a chance to get right into the center of the log. Depending on the
ambient temperature, mushrooms will start to form in 1-2 weeks after
watering.
Hopefully
the weather will continue to stay mild here in Vermont, as there is a
lot more gardening and landscaping to be done before welcoming the first
of our guests on May 25th!
“Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” ~Hans Christian Andersen
Happy Gardening,
Claudia
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