This is February, a Month That I Will Remember for a While
This is February, a Month That I Will Remember for a While
There was some good things that happened. We are now in recovering our health, our Beagle became ill at the same time. She had some surgery and is well into recovery, as she is now her stubborn self and finely my computer is back up and running. It has been three weeks of trauma. We will be going back to the Vet’s to see if Amber is doing as well as we think she is. The recovery was long and tedious. Thank goodness for Carbonite and their service tech’s without their help I would still be down.
The best for last,
early in January I was learning and reading about nematodes and how they can help in the greenhouse and garden. What I found out after I bought some is that it was to cold for them in the garden, although they did a great job in the greenhouse. I am not having any problems now with gnats eating my seedlings. Because I was too soon in my main garden I am going to need to repeat the process when it warms up. I am hoping to control the harmful insects that harm my peaches, nectarines, roses and vegetable in the Memory Garden.
My tomato seedlings are doing very well. A bit long as I was to sick to take care of them sooner. I am going to transplant them into 4” pots and bury them a bit.
The sweet peas are coming up, along with the sugar peas.
The rest of the Cafeteria Garden and compost are looking good.
We have been short on rain, so I am need to plan how I am going to water sparingly.
Hope you are doing well in your garden.
It has taken me a bit to get started
A few weeks ago I mentioned that my seedbed heat mat in the greenhouse went out, and that I had some cuttings still in the bed waiting for them to take root. Most of them did and I potted them up. What was left I was hoping to work around.
I was able to remove a lot of them it and made it possible to remove some of the medium I am using for seedlings and cuttings. The medium I am using is lava sand and vermiculite. I dug out three 5 gal. buckets of the material, which left me with a four foot plus empty space. My thought was that if I left the old mat in place and laid the shorter heat mat on top I then did not need to disturb the other cuttings in the bed. It worked. The mat was plugged in and the thermostat was set and the medium started to get warm. I am a happy camper.
On the 26th of January I planted four types of tomato seeds. One is for friends; they saved their favorite tomato that they grew last summer and are hoping that they can have it again. (me too, hope I do a good job raising the seedlings) The others are mine from fruit that I had grown the previous summer.
I know it is hard for us to keep tract of each other’s weather, but California’s weather has been on the strange side. Really cold, dry then warming up a bit then making a change for cold and dry again not enough rain, a lot of fog.
After seeding and watering I left the greenhouse and tried to concentrate on other things. The other day I went in to the house and uncovered the seed bed (I put a tent over the seed bed) and was shocked how beautiful the seedlings were doing. It was a lovely surprise. 
My first thought was “Wow what else can I plant.” Then I told myself not to get so excited and take care of what I have, after all it is only the beginning of February. Although, I am going to plant some snow peas J as they can go into the garden early. I will make a plan and plant seeds as soon as I can.
After checking the outdoor garden called the Cafeteria Garden, I am pleased with who the onion, lettuce leeks, and radishes are doing. Now to get on to other chores.
Hope you are having a wonderful time planning your new gardens, whether 
it is flowers or vegetables. When it is spring, we in the colder climates need to be well rested for the clean up after winter. Those of you in the warmer climates please tell me what your garden life is?
