Some gardening shorts from the midwest....

[streetsurfer]

Anyone else enjoy the brief thaw we had?

Outdoors:
I found a blueberry seedling emerging under my lone container'd blueberry bush. I know it wasn't there in late fall. I brought the one seedling that was there then inside and am growing it up for transplanting. This new one must have sprung up under the snow. This seedling came indoors for nurturing until spring also. I wonder if blueberry seeds will give a plant that is true to the mother? I can't remember the type of bush or if it is a hybrid...(I think it was an Elliot).The bushes leaf buds are swelling nice an big already too. Last winter, it being a tender young plant I buried it under the compost pile; this year I left it out in the open. I think it liked it better out in the open but it may have more to do with the following. There's a saying that goes with transplanting...."first year sleeps, second year creeps, third year leaps". I expect big growth from it this year.

I have new growth busting through the soil at the base of a tarragon plant. Maybe this is an indication of an early spring???

I also took advantage of the thaw to find some lost metal stakes in the lawn from a Christmas inflatable.

Indoors:
Mixed some potting soil up. Applied sand to surface of some containers to try and reduce a gnat problem. Treating with a cedar-cide (go-gnats) also.
Planted some more kale and mizuna.

My wife found the Russian Red Kale seeds that MR recommends on a Burpee display so we stocked up on them, and some new (to our garden) lettuce types to try.

Transplanted some herbs into bigger pots.
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The snow is on the way again but the thaw was nice.

[T-Bird]

Very cool with the blueberry bush baby!

I sooooooooooo wanted to plant some mache, etc. but was out of town for work - came back to 20....

10 day forecast is all freezing.....looking to feb.....

[michigan roman]

got my ' territorial seed company ' catalog out and looking for a new variety cherry tomato to try this year , since going raw i dont really grow full size tomatos that much because dont need them for sandwiches anymore and the cherry tomatos taste better so going with the better taste

was looking over my last years parsley bed ive covered with straw ,
its a bi annual so will produce again this year . but thats just going by reading because for some reason ive never grown parsley til last year , guess my taste buds have changed and it now tastes good to me

my gardens 30 x 90 and ive around 10 bales of straw spread on it so its good and protected from deep frost . my neighboor a gardner of 50 years experience always hates winters when theres not alot of snow because shes learned the snow insulates plant roots protecting them from damage , and after winters with light snow her garden hasnt done as well over the years . so when she told me that i started covering my garden in straw every year . plus it enriches soil and becomes texture in soil preventing it from over compacting

[jacsam]

About how thick would you say the straw is on your garden and do you think spreading leaves from your yard would do the same thing as straw?

[michigan roman]

difference between leaves and straw is that the hollow tube shape of the straw once down into soil keeps the soil much more crumbly / loose than leaves which get flattend / compacted very easily allowing the soil to get compacted / hard from the forces of gravity and water . and roots have a much more difficult time growing through compacted / hard soil than loose / grumbly soil . plants grown in the loose soil shall be more healthy / productive . plus the leaves can tend to mmake soil acidic so dont want too many , but that can be nuetralized by adding lime or wood ash . but for a broader spectrum of minerals i never use just one add like say straw , and want to add as broad a mineral spectrum as possible so its leaves / tree bark / decomposing logs / grass / straw / etc . and how thick is the straw , ide put it as one bail per like every 12 x 12 area , i always get everyones straw out on garbage day after halloween / thanks giving for free :D

i years ago used to spread solely leaves cus have alot of big old oak and hickory trees , and between making soil acid and not preventing soil from compacting it made me seek other methods . AND NOW I LOVE STRAW as my favorite add for mentioned reasons

i also have a fire pit and sprinkle the alkalizing ashes all over my compost pile / garden

i was picking everyones bundled up holiday decoration corn stalks outta garbage this fall too to add those to compost pile . next step is filling my truck with lake weeds . but they can keep the critter waste outta my garden
philosophy ;)