I've been watching jealously as one by one my fellow bloggers have posted pictures of their first spring shoots. Now I can finally join in the fun!!
Farm mom inspired me to plant garlic for the first time last fall. I have not yet removed the thick layer of straw that covered the planted cloves all winter. Today I went out to inspect the patch and guess what - the garlic is already growing even through all that mulch! I still didn't remove it but I pulled back a good section and found several sturdy looking sprouts. How exciting!
Then I wandered over to my strawberries. I planted them last spring in a big metal pot that we found when we tore out the bushes around our house. I neglectfully forgot to mulch them over the winter so was prepared to find them dead this spring. They are more durable than I expected. I found several fresh green plants making their start already. Mmmm, I can't wait for that first batch of jam.
I planted two pear trees last spring as well. One tree didn't even live through the summer but the other is doing well. Check out the little tips already growing this spring.
I am so excited now and all fired up for spring. Last year my Mom and I went to our favorite nursery on Mother's Day. I'm hoping we can make that a tradition and find some great new plants this year. What are looking forward to this spring? How did your plants come through the winter?
7 comments:
Oohhhh I can't wait to plant garlic this fall! All your spring-lings look wonderful! :) My strawberries are by a fence, so the leaves pile up there in the fall and I call it mulched. LOL Worked though...I pulled the leaves off a couple of weeks ago and they are doing fine. I am looking forward to the soil drying out...my potato and onions are here finally and now it is mudddy as can be with more rain on the way! (((hugs)))
Happy Spring, Jena! Between the green shoots and the new babies on the farm, doesn't it give you hope? You've inspired me to go search for new life, too, and to think about planting . . .
Jennifer - LoL, I love your mulching method! Glad to hear it worked out for you. We've had decent weather here but I just watched the forecast and it calls for rain or snow for the next 7 days. Hopefully your garden and mine will both dry out sometime before summer!
Ruth - It is great feeling to see all this new life about. I'm never thrilled to get out of bed and go do chores but then I end up standing in the barn just watching the critters. We have 4 of the lambs all together now and it is so cute to watch them taking turns climbing on the flakes of hay. Good luck in your search, and your planting!
Will your pear tree produce fruit without another one? I know apple trees need at least one other variety to produce. Is there another one nearby or are you planning to plant a second? Or is it one of those self-fruiting trees?
I think it does need another variety to produce. I'm planning to replace the dead one when we go back to the nursery. I put in an order from the Conservation District today for some other fruit trees. I order 1 peach, 1 cherry, and 2 different apple trees. The man I spoke with seemed to think that all the trees besides the apples would do fine without another variety, so long as the trees were all in the same area. I'm not sure that's true. I'd love to have a bunch of each but our yard is pretty small.
We just planted 6 apple trees today. As far as I know, sour cherries don't need another tree, but sweet do need another sweet variety to produce fruit. I'm also pretty sure that peaches need another tree. Even if they don't, the fruit yield will be higher per tree if you have more than one, since it increases the chances of pollination. (according to my dad, who knows a lot about peach, apple and pear trees, since he has acres and acres)
FD - Thanks for letting me know that, I haven't taken time to look in to it. Maybe I'll try to order another peach tree then. The cherry tree is a Montmorency which I guess is a sour variety so I should be okay there then. Thanks again and good luck with your own trees! :)
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