And the Ginger is coming up!

After the ginger went dormant, I withheld water for two weeks to let them rest. Last week I started the once a week watering again and added a very small amount of liquid fertilizer. This week there are little green sprouts!!

It is very exciting to have the new growth on the ginger and hope that this means I can have a sustainable supply for my home use. It's doubtful that I'll get enough to sell, ever, but now that I know it can be grown successfully indoors the possibilities are endless!

This season I will get pictures of the ginger and turmeric as it's growing!! Still can't believe there isn't one picture of them from the 2018 season!! How did I manage that?

Signing off for now! Happy gardening!!

Are we there yet? Still freezing at night!

With all the late winter snow, ice and colder than normal temperatures, I was beginning to wonder if it would ever be warm enough to start planting seeds. Thinking that I was way behind had me a bit worried, but looking back to 2017, I was just starting to plant seeds on March 12th.

Now that the snow and ice has somewhat melted away from my storage area and I can get to my planting trays and pots it's time to start some of the hardier crops!

The plan this year is to expand the raised beds and move some of the flowers (crocus, tulips and such) to other garden beds. Guess time will tell just how much we can get done.

The daffodils and tulips are up, but not yet blooming. That said, here is a peek at some daffodils from a few years ago just to cheer us up!

Growing Turmeric indoors

Last spring I discovered some turmeric rhizomes (root cuttings), at a local market, and decided to try growing them! I tried a few in water and some in soil, ultimately planting all of them in soil. At first I was very disappointed, thinking that they would never grow. The rhizomes stayed hard and healthy so I just kept watering them and waiting. Be patient! It took a couple of months to get them growing. 

Here we are about 9 months later and the beautiful plants are beginning to go dormant. Time to remove them from the pot, separate the rhizomes and start again. Before starting this years crop I need to get some larger/longer containers that will still be narrow enough to fit in the windows. 

After looking through all of my garden pictures taken in 2018, there isn't one picture of either the turmeric or the ginger plants!! How did I manage that?

On to the steps for growing Turmeric indoors & outdoors...

> Start them early in the spring, indoors. They take 8 to 12 months to mature to a good size.

> Use a rich, good quality potting mix, that drains well but retains moisture. Be sure your pots have good drainage.

> Plant rhizomes 2" (two inches) deep with one or two buds on each piece. Break up the rhizomes to get more to plant! The larger the pot, the larger the rhizomes, so don't over crowd your pots.

> Stagger your plantings for a continuous supply of rhizomes. 

> Keep soil moist but not wet/soggy, needs good drainage. Water every few days to once a week, depending on the temperature of your home, or if outside, the temperature and weather. Water less if it's cold.

> Likes to be warm, so if you plan to set your plants outside in the summer be sure the night time temperature is above 60 degrees F.

> Prefers a sunny location but will tolerate some shade.

> Fertilize with an organic fertilizer twice a month

So, 8-12 months have passed, your turmeric is going dormant. Now what? Time to dig up, or tip the pot out and retrieve those wonderful rhizomes! Select the ones for replanting and begin the repotting. 

You have several beautiful rhizomes left to use in cooking, teas, or other uses, and you want to dry them for making into powder. Below is one of the many suggested ways to process to go from fresh to dried.

To process turmeric:

Boil the rhizomes for about 45 minutes.
Let them dry on a drying rack, in a cool, dry place for about one week.
After the rhizomes are completely dry, peel them. You might want to wear gloves, as the dried root will turn your hands orange.

After peeling, grind up the root into a fine powder to use as a spice or as a tea. 

For more information on using turmeric, please search the many websites available!

Hardy Kiwi in the 2019 garden! ~ It takes two to Tango!!

I am looking forward to trying out Hardy Kiwi!

You will need at least one female and one male plant in order to produce fruit. Only the female will produce fruit but the male will lend a nice ornamental touch to your garden. It can take a couple of years to get fruit production depending on the age of the plants you've purchased.

The variety I purchased for my garden is Actinidia, Anna (female) and Meader (male), which according to my local nursery, are hardy in our zone. I did find differing opinions on the hardiness zones for the variety I've purchased, one says zone 6-9 the other zone 4-9.

Description 1: Tasty grape-sized 1" kiwi fruits. Inside the unfuzzy skin, the fruit is emerald green with small black seeds. Fruit ripens on the female vine: male vine is a lovely ornamental climbing vine. Hardy kiwi are actually sweeter than regular kiwi fruits. Ripens in fall. Zones: 6-9. One plant Hardy Green Male Meader and one plant Hardy Green Female Anna.

Description 2: They can be grown in different types of soils; however, the soil must be well drained
They are hardy in zones 4-9, surviving temperatures down to 25 degrees F below zero temperatures! Kiwi plants are attractive growers that require a sunny location, preferably with wind protection. The vines take very little maintenance-just pruning and support to hold about 100 lbs. of fruit for a mature plant. Plant 10 to 20 ft. apart. They are very pretty when used to cover a wall or fence or used in landscape design. The fruit is very high in Vitamin C and its use in recipes is endless. They ripen in mid to late September. Female plant: Actinidia arguta 'Anna' (Ananasnaya). An outstandingly reliable bearer of relatively large fruit. Male Plant: Actinidia arguta 'Meader'. Use as a pollinator for female

Surprise visitor! A Towhee in the garden!

We have only sited a towhee in our garden one other time in all the years we have lived here. What a pleasant surprise!

When we tried to identify whether it was a Rufus or Spotted Towhee, we ran into some problems, they look very much alike!! We will leave it up to you to decide.

The official description of the Rufus:

Towhees are an extremely widespread bird species and can be found all over the continental United States and Canada. The Rufous-Sided Towhee is a common variety in Oregon and can be easily spotted by its tri-coloring of black on the head and upper body (dark brown on females), rust-colored wings and a white chest and belly. Both males and females have bright red eyes. This is a foraging species and will often be heard before it is seen as it will kick and dig vigorously in underbrush. Their preferred foods are seeds, insects and fruits. They will occasionally appear in back yards to snap up grain that has fallen from bird feeders meant for other species. The name “towhee” was given to the bird by an 18th century naturalist who felt that the word imitated the bird’s ascending call.

The picture isn't great, but will give you some idea of the guy who is visiting our garden.

Hand tool kit ~ there are lots of handy tools out there!

It's a good time for me to take stock of the tools on hand and their maintenance, before they are needed. Tools with wooden handles could use a bit of sanding and some linseed oil. Shovels, pruners, saws could use some sharpening and oil to prevent rust.

Also a good time to make that wish list for the upcoming gardening season! Shop around at the 2nd hand stores and estate sales for some good tools at a low cost. You might find some treasures out there!

What tools are right for you? All hand tools, electric, gas, battery? It depends on your needs and situation.

Pole saw
Bow saw
Pruning saw
Lopper pruner
Hand pruner
Hoe
Leaf rake
Garden rake
Shovels
Spade
Garden fork

Rototiller
Chainsaw
Lawnmower

Files for sharpening blades
Oil - the right ones for each power tool
Oil - for hand tool blades and wooden handles

Extension cords - check them for wear, every year.
Ladders

Assorted screwdrivers and wrenches

Check your hoses, watering wands, spray nozzles, watering cans and other watering tools too!

This list could get huge!!  Guess this would be a good place to stop and make my own list of things to get done and tools to replace before the next gardening season begins.