Growing Veg 2016/#4: Planting Greenhouse & Veg Prep
Spring has finally arrived here in Lithuania. At least, it’s spring today. The weather has been very temperamental so who knows what it will be like tomorrow, but for the past few days it has been warm and sunny and there has been a corresponding explosion in growth. All of a sudden fruit trees have burst into bloom, the grass has become lush and green and the dandelions have finally started to appear.
On advice from the lovely ladies in my local seed shop I had planted my pepper seeds way back in mid February. All grew well, though some grew bigger than others. They’re not a bad size – about 30 cm (12 inches) but I will probably start them earlier next year so that they’re bigger by the time I plant them out.
I planted my tomatoes and cucumbers at the end of February. I repotted them at the end of March and by mid April they were already getting very big. I started hardening off the tomatoes by leaving the plants out in the polytunnel for a few hours each day and waited patiently for our last frost date. I finally planted them out, along with my cucumbers, peppers and chillies, on April 30th. I had deliberately planted more seeds than I needed so that I could choose the strongest plants to plant out. I have now planted out the following:
- Tomatoes x 21 plants (5 each of Monika, Fantasio & Cetia and 6 of Pink Rise)
- Cucumbers x 6 plants (3 each of Mirabelle and Melody)
- Sweet Peppers x 12 plants (4 x Stanley (red), 3 x Rodrigo (red) and 5 x Turbine (yellow))
- Chilli Peppers x 7 (all Cayenne)
Now that the days are bright and warm we have also started work on our outside vegetable beds. Arūnas had recently rotavated an extended area for our vegetables this year. Yesterday he dug 12 raised beds. With my long-term back problems I find it easier to work with raised beds. I have now prepped two of these beds and planted one with onion seeds and sets. I didn’t try onions from seed last year so they are a new venture for me. I have planted a particularly large variety called Exhibition that are expected to grow to a 1 kg (2 pound) size. We shall see!
Already my arms and legs ache, but I must admit to loving working in the garden and watching my babies grow from seed to plant. Here’s to a good season!
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Love seeing your plants all happy and thriving. I am working on my garden here, but we have had so much rain, it is making it difficult to finish up my boxes. For now, I have tomatoes & pepper plants started in containers, lettuce, onions and carrots in the 1 box that is finished. I look forward to being an old pro like you (and I don’t mean your age) 🙂
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Thanks Amy! I’m far from a pro but I like to think I’m slowly getting better! Sounds like you have lots going on – that will keep you busy. Best of luck with your plants! J.
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Looing more than more than good … the weather is temperamental the world over (el niño probably) – I watch the forecast for home in France and live it here in the US and I listen to locals and they tell me what we have (wet wet stormy wet wet stormy) is very unusual. I kow wha is happening in Auvergne (wet wet snow wet sun wet snow) is also bizarre. I guess we just have to go with the el niño flow … here I have pots on the deck because I’m not here long enough to do more. What you are doing is, as ever, my inspiration 🙂
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Thanks Osyth! Pots are a great idea when you have limited space or time. As for the weather, we’ll just have to run with it because we sure as heck aren’t going to change them!
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Looks amazing June. Who disd the ploughing? It would be a contender for the Ploughing Championships back in your ‘olde sod’!!
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Arūnas rotavated and then dug the beds by hand, Gary. I tried a bit of digging today for our salad beds – it’s not for the faint hearted! But he’s well able for these things – keeps him strong!
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I love the idea of the twine hanging from the ceiling of your polytunnel and supporting the plants. Ingenious! I’m so envious of the simple life you and your husband have created for yourselves.
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Thanks Laurel. I find the twine is the cheapest and easiest way to support them. I can add more strings as the plants become bigger. Puts a bit of a strain on the roof, but we’ve added new supports this year to help with that. I love my simple life but I have to tell ye, it’s hard work and very poorly paid! But I wouldn’t swap it for the world. 🙂
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