Identifying Our New Chickens

Now that the chicks have grown up a bit, almost 3 months old, I set to work identifying our brood.  It turns out that we have a collection of:  Dark Cornish, Black Austrolorps, Buff Orphington, Partridge Rocks, Delaware, Speckled Sussex, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Red Star, Americana, New Hampshire Red, and Rhode Island Reds.  Twenty eight in all.

Here are examples of each kind:

Americana

Black Austrolorps

Buff Orphington

Dark Cornish

Delaware

Partridge Rock

Red Star

Rhode Island Red

Silver Laced Wyandotte

Speckled Sussex

New Hampshire Red

The Chick's Have Come Home to Roost

We decided to get a batch of chicks from the Murray McMurray Hatchery.  We ordered 25 and they sent two free ones, one that is a exotic chick.  They all made the trip in their little mothership of a box.

 They were born and shipped out on Saturday and we picked up on Monday morning after a call from the post office.  They got settled in their new home all fluffy and small. 

Day 3 (Day of their arrival)

After a week and a half they are starting to get their wings and stretch their limbs.  We lost three from the bunch, but they seem to have stabilized.  I'm sure there's some percentage of chick mortality figures out there...

Day 12

What Can You Plant?

Now that Spring has arrived, what can you sow outdoors in the Pacific Northwest? Hardy leafy greens and spring peas. Green onions, Cilantro, Radishes, Turnips, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Potatoes. Under a cloche you can sow baby carrots, parsley, broccoli, cabbage, beets, endive, and lettuce. There's still time to start indoors; your tomatoes, peppers, celery, and leeks. Time to start your Zinnias indoors.

The starts from the seeds I planted in January and February are growing steadily now.  

 

Transplanting Your Seedlings

When your seedlings form their second set of leaves, it's time to transplant them into individual containers.  They can then form a good root ball that will take them into the garden or a bigger container.  Yesterday I transplanted the lemon cucumbers, cabbage, endive and lettuce.  There will be more this coming weekend.

We also finished the onion box made of a wood box that contained metal roofing from the barn.  Onions don't need a deep box, so this will be perfect for planting my Walla Walla starts when they are a little bigger.

President's Day Weekend 2014

In view of her recent stormy mood, Nature seemed full of regretful relentings on Monday, and, as if to make amends for her harshness, assumed something of a summer softness. The sun had not the glaring brightness that dazzles, and the atmosphere, purified by the recent rain, revealed through it's crystal depths objects with unusual distinctness.  ~ E.P. Roe, Opening A Chestnut Burr

Before the rain and wind came this morning, I got right out and planted my peas, using the "tomato" cages that I've found to be too weak for tomatoes but perfect for bush pea supports.  On the end with the metal teepee, I planted Chinese peas to climb it.

 

I also worked on the hardware for the new onion bed once the rain started, inside the barn cutting two by fours for the saw horses that will hold the re-purposed metal roofing box that will be the "raised" bed for the onions. 

Checking In On My Babies on Valentine's Day

Here are what I call my January babies, named for the month they were sown.  By mid February, most seeds have come up.  I'll separate and transplant them into containers in a week or two. 

January Babies - Leeks, Walla Walla, Endive, Lettuce, Snap Dragon, Petunia

There's many ways to start your seeds.  For the longest time I started them in peat pellets, but now that I'm planting more, there are flats that you can use.  In January I only had a few different plants that I could start, so I used a non-divided flat and just divided it off by hand.  In February, there were so many different plants I could start, and wanting to maximize space, used a subdivided flat.  Each row holds a different kind and can hold a lot of seeds, more than the average garden can hold, so you've maximized your growing space under your lights.

February Babies - Viola, Heliotrope, Pansy, Lavender, Parsley, Tomato (Stupice, Yellow Pear, Oregon Spring), Pepper (King of North, Cubenelle), Cabbage, Cucumber (lemon, pickling), Cauliflower, Celery, Celeriac, Beet, Broccoli, Asparagus

All your seeds need is light, moisture and warmth.  To start them, when it's chilly out, use your warming pad to start the process.  Keep the light on them twenty four hours a day.  Babies like the light and are in a continuous state of vegetative growth.  Just don't let them dry out.  

Tonight I heard the first frog of the season, croaking a Valentine tune to the ladies.

Groundhog Day 2014

Hmmm...six more weeks of winter.  Well over here in the Northwest, it's been pretty mild so get your garden gloves on.  Take a look at your beds and start dreaming of what to put in them.

I've got some compost this year and some good dirt to add to them.  I'm going to cloche a couple of them so I can work them a little earlier than the others. 

I saw this pallet garden idea that looked so intriguing that I want to try it.  You can staple some landscape fabric on the bottom and fill with dirt.  I'm thinking at an angle propped against a wall would be cool, or stacked for a raise bed look. 

February Indoor Seedings

Part of the reason to keep a garden diary or in this case a blog is to keep track of what you are planting when and how they come out from seedling to harvest.  That way you can adjust and help your garden.  I moved eleven miles away; away from the Puget Sound, higher in elevation, more centered in the convergence zone and in a sunnier patch of earth, changing the timing of the garden.  All said, I know I have a better location than the one at my other house.

Today I sowed indoors:

Flowers ~ Viola, Heliotrope, Pansy, Lavender

Herbs and Vegetables ~ Parsley, Tomato (Stupice, Yellow Pear, Oregon Spring), Pepper (Cubenelle, King of the North), Cabbage, Cucumber (Lemon, Boston Pickling), Califlower, Celery, Celeriac, Beet, Broccoli and Asperagus.

The January seedlings are almost ready to be transplanted to individual containers.

House Wren by Donna Caplinger

January Babies

Fifty five days til spring.  That's less than 2 months to plan your garden.  All the seeds I planted this month are coming up.  The little Walla Walla seedlings, Leeks, Lettuce mix, petunias and snapdragons bringing up the rear.

I have several projects planned this year.  How many I'll actually get done, we'll see at the end of the year.  One project is building a cloche.  Another is a cold storage room in my basement.  Then there's work on the alpaca pen, a strawberry barrel and other ideas.  One needs more time to the day.  

This weekend we're going to the North Sound Alpaca Association's Winter Social for good food and presentations.  It's a good learning experience every time we go. 

Preparing for Spring.

Just placed my seed order for this year. Wonder if I'll have enough room? Wonder if I can keep on task?

CAROUBY DE MAUSSANE PEA (65 days)
EARLY FROSTY PEA
KNIGHT PEA (56 days)
CHIOGGIA BEET (55 days heirloom)
BLOOMSDALE LONG STANDING SPINACH (heirloom)
LARGE PRAGUE CELERIAC (112 days)
REDVENTURE CELERY (95 days)
MARY WASHINGTON ASPARAGUS (heirloom)
CALABRESE BROCCOLI (55 days heirloom)
EARLY SNOWBALL CAULIFLOWER (55 days)
EARLY JERSEY WAKEFIELD CABBAGE (60-75 days)
CUBANELLE PEPPER (65 days)
KING OF NORTH PEPPER
OREGON SPRING TOMATO (68 days)
STUPICE TOMATO (65 days heirloom)
YELLOW PEAR TOMATO (80 days)
BLACK VELVET NASTURTIUM
BREADSEED PINETREE MIX POPPY
CORAL REEF POPPY
FANTASIA MIXTURE SUNFLOWER
JOHNNY JUMP UP VIOLA
MARINE HELIOTROPE PERUVIANUM
PICOTEE COSMOS
ROCOCO MIX PANSY
FINO FLORENCE FENNEL (98-112 days)
DANVERS HALF LONG CARROT (75 days)
NANTES CARROT (72 days heirloom)
BOSTON PICKLING CUCUMBER (heirloom)
LEMON CUCUMBER (65 days heirloom)
HOMEMADE PICKLES CUCUMBER (54 days)
Golden Butter Wax Bean (50 Days)
PROVIDER BEAN (50 days)
ROYAL BURGUNDY BEAN (51 days)
STRINGLESS GREEN POD BEAN (heirloom)
SUGAR BUNS CORN (72 days)
GOURD MIX
SMALL SUGAR PUMPKIN (95 days heirloom)
WINTER LUXURY PIE PUMPKIN
HOWDEN PUMPKIN (105 days)
BLACK ZUCCHINI SUMMER SQUASH (50 days heirloom)
GOLDEN ZEBRA SUMMER SQUASH
WALTHAM BUTTERNUT SQUASH (90 days)

www.superseeds.com

Extending Your Gardening Season

Wipe away those winter blues by planning your spring garden.  Extending your garden season starts in January.  Start prepping your beds for an early planting under a cloche.  I'm planning one bed for lettuce and greens.  Get started by planting your seeds indoors under a light.  Use a warming pad if it is cold.  I have a place out in the barn where I start my seeds, so unheated it needs a little warmth underneath.

Plan out your garden.  Forget about winter and get busy!

In January you can start indoors:

Vegetables:
Leeks and Onions
Artichokes, Cardoon, Endive and Lettuce

Flowers:
Bee Balm
Carnations and Pinks
Dahlia  (from seed)
Geraniums
Lawn Daisy
Petunia
Roman Chamomile
Snapdragon
Viola
Wallflower
Wax Begonia
Yarrow

March ~ Start Your Tomatoes

March Madness is upon us, with just over a week 'til spring, and the itch to get out in the garden pulls every time the rain lets up.  It's time to plant your tomatoes indoors to have them well grown by the time May comes around.  Choose an early maturing tomato like Early Girl, Stupice, Oregon Spring and Yellow Pear, to name a few, for better results in our Northwest region.

February ~ Celebrate Presidents Day!

Spring is coming despite the freezing mornings and chilly rain.  Get started gardening by planting peas and onions on Presidents Day, February 18th. 

Early greens can be planted also at the end of February.

Be careful overworking the soil with all the rains that saturated it.  Instead cover with a cloche to warm the soil and reduce the amount of saturation.  If the soil crumbles in your hand, it’s ready to work.

The time is right to safely divide your perennial plants that bloom between late spring and fall.