Yesterday, Negin and I filled a second box with peat moss + vermiculite + compost. I keep forgetting to add bone meal. The new box is filled about 6 inches from the bottom with empty bottles and cans, about 2 deep. The terra cotta style containers are parsley, spinach, arugula that were started March 31. You can see an early version of the setup from my rooftop in the picture below.
The second box is on the south side, it is covered with one of the orange and brown afghans. We planted new Seed Savers Amish snap peas, an old packet of Burpee spinach, Botanical Interest chives from last year and some lettuce seeds I got in a zine that my pal T. sent me from Pittsburgh. The other box on the north side is also covered in the same kind of afghan. It was planted on April 11 with carrots, chard, radish, and lettuce that I had started inside. I have just started to see the chard sprouting up, but I'm not sure if it has been warm enough for the Chiogga beets, that prefer 40 degrees minimum. We had a couple cold nights, one of which I put newspapers on the box, the other I used one of the available pressed board tops.
The collards from last year have bolted. They are ridiculously tall and have some lovely yellow flowers. I'm waiting so I can collect the seeds which I hope to plant.
The sprouts are coming along ok too, but I'm not sure when and where I will put all of them.
i'm digging the rooftop picture! next time i'll try to remind you to remember the bone meal (not that i know what that is).
ReplyDeleteHey thanks! Bone meal is crushed bones used as an organic fertilizer, it adds phosphorous to the soil. And since we have a soilless medium, we need all the nutrients we can get.
ReplyDeleteOrganic gardening is not necessarily vegetarian gardening.