I’m glad you asked! I’ve been updating you on the status of the raised bed garden over the last several days but I have mostly written about the structure of the garden like the mulched paths. I haven’t really written about what is growing in there. It’s time to remedy the situation!
The first picture is a little radish sprout. We grow these every year because they are very easy to do. Unfortunately I don’t know very many ways to make use of a radish aside from salads or eating raw in dip. Still radishes are delicious and we like to have them around!
These little sugar snap pea sprouts aren’t doing much for us yet. The peas just haven’t grown as rapidly as I was hoping nor have they had a whole lot of success in the germination department. Two plants are coming up. I wonder who snuck in to eat those peas I planted? Pesky rabbits! I planted the peas before I had the fence up. I’d better get some more peas out there but it might be too late.
And now for our perennial fruiting favorite the strawberry! I have one 4’x6′ bed filled with strawberry plants. When I decided to remodel the garden area the strawberries had to be worked into the plan. I touched their bed last and moved the strawberries while dividing them at the same time. Before the division they occupied about 3’x4′ of space, now they take up the whole bed. Please forgive the dents in the soil, a neighbor’s dog romped through the bed in the night and left depressions in my newly leveled soil. I’ll have to wait until after the strawberries have produced this year to do any significant work on the soil.
Hopefully these strawberries are ready to produce their fruit this year. Strawberries produce runners that form new plants where they touch the ground making them one of the easiest plants to vegetatively propagate. As the bed fills with new strawberry plants I’ll remove the older plants and allow the newly formed plants to prosper. Don’t expect first year strawberry plants to produce anything significant. It’s a good idea to remove the blossoms during the first year to send energy into the roots then the second year should produce a good crop.
Other vegetables not pictured in this post that are growing in the garden:
Garlic, Red Potatoes, Onions, Spinach, and Lettuce
Strawberries are great to grow! We had some for a number of years. What variety do you grow? I liked the Tri-Star. Perfect for the little gardeners who like to help…taste that is.
Our gardens are growing slowly as well.
Looks like a great start to a good growing season. I am getting really excited to start my season. Still in the prelim phase for now but at least I know it’s coming:D
-Heather
Slow gardening is good, but of course in spring, gardeners want their plants to shoot up like the vining bean Jack planted! We had strawberries years ago and as much as we love them, you’d think we’d keep a plot each year, but …sighs…
Janet,
I have no clue anymore what kind they are! That’s pretty bad isn’t it? We bought strawberries several years ago and planted them in a pot. When we bought the house and built the garden in went the strawberries. They grew and spread and I picked up some more from a plant swap last year. As far as variety I’m not picky, just as long as they taste good!
Darla,
They will pick up steam very soon!
Heather,
It won’t be long for you. All the prelim work will set you up for a great season.
TC,
Everything else is coming up great but the sugar snap peas seem to have other ideas. I really think something ate those missing peas. You’d better go get some berries started then! Now is the time for fruit planting.
You can make curry with radishes. You know like the one you make with ‘tatoes, beans, and all that? Not sure if you make curry in States as an every day dish, but here we can’t live without.
BTW, did you grow your strawberries from seeds? Curious to know how long they’d take to germinate. Any idea?
I LOVE fresh radishes! Won’t be long and they’ll be ready. My peas are slow this year too. Not sure why. Have a great day and get ready for the rain.
Everything looks great! my peas aren’t coming up yet, hopefully soon. I’ve been checking them every day.
I have never grown radishes, I’m thinking of doing it this year around my cabbages to make best use of the space.
Everything is looking good!
Our peas never came up either, I think the seeds rotted. We’ve planted more now and I hope they grow. Are your strawberries the variety that fruit all summer?
You are way ahead of us, but those cute little sugar snap peas look good enough to eat right now! 🙂 Happy Spring!
Sorry to hear about the peas.
I hope the strawberries grow and fruit well. Over here is a variety called Mara des Bois. When they arrive in the local markets, you can smell them from 20 yards away
Rob
Your peas will probably still come up. They tend to kind of bide their time for a while until the conditions are right. Plant more, by all means – it’s not too late – but don’t give up on the first ones yet. You might consider just laying those window sashes that are always in the picture over them until you see them emerge – just space them up with a brick or two.