Shovel & Sage

09/21/2024

Not so patiently waiting on cooler temps. I am usually planting brassicas by now but the sun is so brutal I am having problems hardening them off without wilt. The gorcast shows next week we will have some cooler temps and I’m crossing my fingers they will here here to stay.

09/05/2024

Late summer harvest

09/05/2024

September is finally here! This is your last chance to plant fall cherry tomatoes! You can start a second round of warm weather crops like squash, cucumbers & bush beans. If you left your peppers in through the heat give them a little trim & some fertilizer and you should see them start to flower again. At the end of September you can begin to sow your kale, collards, mustard, Swiss chard & carrots if you water 2x per day until they sprout and get a few sets of their true leaves. Don’t rush it, we have plenty of time to get the brassicas in.

08/21/2024

Fall seedlings growing under the lights in the garage. I germinated them indoors and as soon as they sprouted they went outside. It’s way too hot for most cool crops to germinate outdoors.

08/21/2024

I spent the last few mornings cleaning out the garden and prepping for fall planting. There are a few peppers, okra, watermelon & butternut squash left but that’s it.

06/03/2024

The harvest is looking a lot like summer now.

05/13/2024

It’s the time of year where harvest basket photos take up most of the squares and photos of the actual garden are few and far between. It’s a mess out there! May is busy. Busy picking, preserving & cooking. It’s hot & humid and the mosquitos are horrible. I run out in the mornings and run out in the evenings to harvest and check on things as quick as possible. In the next couple of weeks I will start pulling out the spent plants like corn, green beans & cucumbers and making sure the cowpeas, peppers, eggplant and melons are ready for their time to shine.

03/09/2024

02/02/2024

February planting guide. Let’s hold off on those tomatoes for a little longer. I have a feeling we may see another freeze.

01/31/2024

The tomatoes are loving the greenhouse.

01/27/2024

Little greenhouse project is complete. Moving my tomatoes and peppers in this week. It’s staying a nice 65 degrees inside.

01/12/2024

If you haven’t started your tomato & pepper seeds now is the time! First week of February will be the last week you can start tomatoes for the spring summer garden. Years ago I would plant my tomatoes on Valentines Day. Now that the USDA updated the hardiness zones I will wait until March and look for a 2 week forecast of night temps above 45.

01/12/2024

Garlic, potato onions & shallots

01/12/2024

Will be covering everything with frost cloth and hoping for the best.

01/12/2024

Second basket of harvest before the freeze.

01/12/2024

First basket of a big harvest before the freeze.

01/06/2024

Weekend harvest: Flame Cauliflower, chard, bok choy, collards, mustard, romaine, carrots & turnips.

01/01/2024

First harvest of 2024: broccoli, kholrabi, Salanova green & red butter lettuce & French breakfast radish.