Ghetto Garden Update - wk 2 April

Well...I guess my thumb isn't as black as I thought.

However, I do want to thank:

Praxxus55712 & Artnuwa11 from youtube: for kicking me off with the heirloom seeds, advice and encouragement. Keep doing what you guys do - you make such a big difference to gardeners both new and experienced!

Mushroom and Poison Ivie: for seeing me through the first set of seedlings I planted, drowned, and lodged. LOL. Thank you ladies - you are inexhaustible wealth of information and encouragement




Cherry Tomatoes - they came in full force just the other day I have no idea - I originally had 1 or 2 seedlings breakthrough the soil and then the other day i counted above 15. I may have gone a little overboard and put too many seeds in there.



The jubilee tomato (fat and yellow) had come up with 3 sprouts about 5 days ago and last night there were 4x that original amount.



The cucumber are doing ok - about 9 plants.



I was happy with the 4 or so seedlings that originally sprouted last Sunday and within the last few days there are about 15 and some slow ones coming through as well






Of all the seeds I planted I think the butternut squash was the most cooperative and even made it through a few days of 98F' but...





But I was most surprised to see them increasing in size and pushing out more leaves. Also there's some weird little rogue seed growing in there - I think it's Spinach - I'm just going to let it grow.



We definitely had some fatalities in those 2 super hot days. We had 8 pretty goodlooking yellow bean plants but we lost 5. Well maybe lost 5.



The leaves fried off but it looks like there are more leaves pushing through so I'm watering them as usual and giving them a chance to grow - it would never hurt to have more beans right?



I had written off the Chard as dead - but in an act of faith I kept watering the little guys and now I have 12 seedlings.



I threw these blue lake in there on Monday afternoon before Lit class and you can't really see it - but 2 of them have already turned and the white sprout is breaking the soil.



Same time that I threw in the Blue lake green beans (Monday) I threw these dwarf sugar peas into 2 pots. I picked them up at a little shop next to the thrift store and they said American Heirloom Seeds. I figured what the heck - it's 3 for $1. And three seeds are sprouting towards the sky already. Oh boy.



The sweet pepper was also fried by those very hot days and I still watered them just in case and now they are back - just 2 seedlings but hey you never know!



The greenpepper decided to join the party too. Who knows - maybe I will get sudden growth too.
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We are having a FREAK cool spell in the desert right now. Normally this time of year is in the 90s if not 100s. After checking the 30 day weather report and some coaxing from the APN ladies I decided it wouldn't hurt to throw in some more seeds and try to catch the growing season. I know people will say OH you plant them to shallow - well my thinking is this - I am forcing the roots to grow outward so they are a stronger plant that can make it in "shorter" soil. So far it's working - as soon as they grow an inch, I add more dirt and so forth. So far it's working.

But now we have a problem, I honestly did not think they would grow like this - so we are going to have to add raised beds to our bucket planting. Who knows. Just another adventure i guess.

Stay tuned and cross your gardening gloves for me.