Late April Gardening in Mid Coast Maine {Zone 6a}
It was non stop rain here on Monday and Tuesday but luckily, things are starting to clear up now. Hopefully I’ll be able to head outside later today and get a little work done in the kitchen garden and pursue my plan in gardening in Mid Coast Maine.
.
For starters, I need to finish mulching the rhubarb with the seaweed I brought up from the shore a few days ago. After I get that done, I’ll plant a few more rows of radishes and then a row of lettuce.
The good news though is that the pea plants are doing well.
And the asparagus is up, and looking beautiful. The crowns were only planted last year and according to Johnny’s {which is where I bought my asparagus crowns from} one year after planting, the asparagus can be harvested in the spring for 7–10 days.
If we harvest any more than that, we could damage the young plants. But hey, We’ll take what we can get.
The 6 cabbage seedlings I set out a few days ago are doing well.
All the tender plants I started are still inside though, nice and cozy under the grow lights and protected from the wind and the rain. Where they’ll mostly likely stay for another 2-3 weeks until things warm up a bit more outdoors.
My tomato plants are coming along… All 125 of them. 😉 Last year I think I planted about 65 tomato starts in the garden. We’ll see how many make it to the religious family sized garden plot this year.
I always like to start a few extra tomato plants just in case. And this year, if I end up with too many, I can always sell my extras at The Duck Lady’s stand so it’s a win-win.
As to the other gardening news, The Duck Lady picked up our seed potato order from The Maine Potato Lady yesterday.
This is the first year I’ve bought seed potatoes from the company, so we’ll see how it goes.
Here’s what I ordered:
- 10# Yellow Finn
- 5# Red Maria
- 3# French Fingerling
- 3# Austrian Crescent
- 3# Magic Molly
24 pounds of seed potatoes. I hope that’s enough! It seems it feel like I should have ordered more of the fingerling potatoes as those are our favorite, but we’ll see.
This time I need to remember to document how many pounds we harvest from each variety this year so I’ll know how many seed potatoes to order next year. Gardening, it’s a never ending learning process. And I love it.
How about YOU? What’s popping up in your garden these days? Is your asparagus up yet?
Have a good one,
~ Mavis
Donna Kennedy says
We have got our vegetable garden planted yesterday and I have my flower garden under way. Gardening is bringing me such joy.
Melonie K. says
Most of our asparagus are up, but since I just planted them this year, they’re not being harvested. It’s been exciting to watch the shoots break through though. I’ve been texting my best friend with #AsparagusWatch2023 updates. Luckily she’s starting a new garden as well, and doesn’t mind the updates. Much…. hahaha 😀
My plant order from Logee’s arrived and we have added elderberries, blueberries, and arctic raspberries to the perennial beds. One of the blueberry plants has flower buds on it – dare I hope for a harvest this year? EEE! I’ll be keeping watch so I can cover them before the birds spot any berries that do form. Tulle bought on clearance at the fabric store works well for us on that – it also keeps our dog from harvesting ripe berries. Who knew a Lab would sniff out and delicately eat ripe blueberries off the bushes? I learned the hard way! 😉
Diane says
I had two Cocker Spaniels growing up that would do the same thing! My two particularly went after the raspberries. They were both so nimble and gentile in gathering their bounty. They were so stinking cute, I didn’t even mind! Thanks for the memories.
Laura says
My lab does this with blackberries, even the thorny and obnoxious ones that grow on the side of our road (Himalayan if you are local to the Seattle area). It amazes me that she doesn’t get stabbed doing this!
Randini says
Our Rhubarb (in the PNW) is up and huge already. Divided from one plant a co-worker shared with me over 20 years ago, I have now have a ‘border’ of Rhubarb plants. Every year I look for more recipies or ways to use it. Over time i’ve made: rhubarb pie (of course!), rhubarb crisp, rhubarb vodka, rhubarb bbq sauce, rhubarb jam, rhubarb-applesauce, rhubarb-apple fruit leather, rhubarb muffins, and rhubarb sauce for ice cream or over salads.
Rosemary says
Today I picked some romaine, red leaf lettuce and spinach. I have picked a lot of red leaf lettuce since March 30th – it is a great producer. Today was the first picking of romaine and spinach. My tomato plants have one tiny tomato and the eggplant and pepper plants have a bunch of flowers. There is hope! The sunflowers and corn are over 12 inches high, and the green beans have crawled up the trellis and onto the roof frame (the greenhouse does not have a roof, but the frame is still there). The cucumbers have almost reached their trellis and the radishes are getting taller. Only 3 of the beets came up and they look kind of weak. I have 2 different plantings of onions and they are all doing well. I also did some weeding and gave the weeds to the chickens (they love it). Gardening chores are done for the day!
SueD says
We’re under a frost advisory for the fourth night/early morning in a row. The great terracing project is still on hold, so I shall be planting in fabric grow pots and EarthBoxes again. I do have 1 asparagus that has not started growing yet-had to move my crowns when we began the terracing, and this is the lone survivor. I did enjoy some time outside, picking up sticks, stray pieces of paper or plastic, etc. Tomorrow, the grandpuppy comes for a several nights sleepover, so I shan’t be getting much done then.
Jules says
We will finally be able to start planting this weekend. There has just been too much rain and soggy ground to get anything planted. Although in my herb box my chives and parsley came back and producing marvelously.
Cindy Brick says
Are you kidding?!? We’re still getting freezing temps and snow off and on here in Colorado. Like last night…
Plus 70-degree days and sunshine. Which drives me totally nuts.
I invested in a grow tunnel, and will be planting peas in there early next week, along with greens. I’m hoping this protects them from the deer, who enjoy ‘harvesting’ before I can get to it. I’ll also plant a bunch of greens outside the tunnel….they don’t eat everything, so perhaps some will be left for us.
Then on to beans. In the tunnel, though.
Ca says
I sure would like to see where you folks are from when you post about your gardens. It’s fun for me to learn how gardens grow in different parts of the country/world. Thanks
Jenny says
Yes! Me, too! It’s great when we know who lives where, especially for gardening!
Cynthia Parido says
Hi Mavis,
I live near a beach and was wonder if maybe I should be harvest seaweed for the garden too. Can you tell me what it is good for?
Thanks from Port Hadlock, WA.
charwelsh says
I’ve ordered from the Maine Potato Lady in the past. Great potatoes! Yesterday, finished filling holes in my yard where I had large rocks removed last fall – 5 tons of soil moved with shovel and wheelbarrow – took me 2 weeks off and on to do it, but it didn’t cost me anything except my (retired) time. Today, I bought two pickup truck loads of mushroom manure and added all of the first and half of the second load to my planting areas and started a new raised bed. Sadly half of it is still on the truck as I ran out of energy.
Carol says
Here in Iowa, my asparagus is up and the rhubarb is getting bushy. Raspberries are leafing out but blueberries are slower. Garlic planted last fall is doing well. We’ve still been freezing some night. Wind is a killer for me. Such a wimp!! Hoping to get potatoes and lettuce in this weekend.