Garden Update: March
Update: I wrote this blog post before we had another 3 snow storms that brought in 15-18 inches of snow depending on the spot in my backyard! One more is starting to night. Our reservoirs are going to completely filled this year.
March, 22th, 2023
Ok, apparently we are having the wettest winter on record here in Northern Utah 700+ inches of snow in the ski areas. Last weekend we had two days of sunshine and warm weather. It was 52℉ and all the multiple feet of snow had melted from the south facing yards. I got out and raked all the leaves and chopped them up with the mower ready to become mulch for the garden or compost pile. I tended to all the potted plants that were still sleeping and even turned my compost pile. But I knew that awesome weather wasn’t going to last. This week we had three snow storms. Thankfully they have been intermixed with rain storms thus helping keep the snow build up to a minimum.
I am incredibly grateful for all the precipitation we are getting. But I am very ready to get into the garden daily again and start prepping beds for planting onions, potatoes, kale, broccoli, radishes and my most favorite kohlrabi.
As I look through my pictures from the past 4 years by this time we had already prepped beds and planted all the spring veggies. We were wearing shorts and t-shirts and anticipating apple blossoms. I’m certainly missing my half tunnel this year. I would definitely have it filled with lettuce and spinach and kale already. We have left our big tunnels without the plastic skins this winter to help rehydrated the soil. Now the big job is to put the plastic back on. If any of you reading have skinned a high tunnel you’ll know it’s quite a tedious job of tightening and adjusting until the plastic is perfectly taught.
March 29th, 2023
Alright, I procrastinated getting pictures for you due to having to shovel all the snow! I’ve finally have our March garden up date pictures and they are all still inside. The first is an awesome picture of our first tomato. Shh… don’t tell him it’s too early! We have been cutting off the blossoms that have been forming but apparently missed this little guy.
Our lettuce is doing fantastically well. Having fresh greens when there is still snow on the ground is a life saver for someone who eats a lot of fresh plants.
This year we started onions early because last year our onions grew very slowly. However, this year we upped our game and changed the potting soil and got better grow lights and now we’ve had to cut back our onions twice so they will fit on their shelf and already they are in need of another haircut. If you are interested in these they are Red Bull from Territorial Seeds.
One of my favorite parts about gardening is getting fun extras that you wouldn’t normally get at the store. For example “onion chives” from trimming back your onions. They are perfect for putting on baked potatoes or nachos or in burritos. Then I love the tender juicy leaves on broccoli plants along with the mini florets that grow on the stalk, there’s squash blossoms and the ultimate garlic scapes. Oh let’s not for get you can pickle radish seed pods if they go to seed and made naturtium seed “capers”. There are endless ways to extend the edibility of a plant.
More Brassicas! So much broccoli and kale. Our new favorite variety of broccoli is Fiesta . It grows very fast and puts out lots of eat decent size florets along the stems. There is nothing like fresh broccoli, even kiddos can’t deny how sweet and flavorful it is.
Last, but certainly not least, is new to me herbs, skullcap and fever few. Do you remember them from the February update? They were so tiny tiny and now they are huge!
Well, that’s it for
