Hello again,
Just a quick note to remind you if you have some garden space it is time to plant the 2nd crop of peas, lettuces and cole crops.
Here at Skillin's we have a fresh and new supply of several types of lettuce, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower, bok choi...yum yum!
I have a second planting of green leaf lettuce already started in some containers. I had to pick some slugs off of them this AM but hopefully a sprinkling of Slug Magic around the pots will attract the slugs to the Slug Magic and away from my lettuce. (It should; Slug Magic works great!)
I want to plant a third planting of lettuce seedlings. This I will do tomorrow AM. With (hopefully) hot summer sun coming over the next few weeks I am going to try the lettuce (in this case Red Sails leaf lettuce sold right here at Skillin's!) in a partial sun spot. I think the location will work but I will let you know!
Not that you ask BUT I am a leaf lettuce fan as opposed to growing the head lettuce. I am not that good a farmer to grow a good head lettuce and I appreciate the fact that the leaf lettuce can be cut and used often and as such seems to have less desire to bolt. My favorite leaf lettuce is Red Sails. It looks good in the garden and tastes great!
I just planted a second crop of broccoli--again in containers (I don't have much space and I want to try the container route). After I have pulled my first crop of broccoli (they are still producing but are on the wane) I will then put a third planting in that spot. Each time I plant a new crop of vegetables I put a healthy dose of Plant Booster Plus by Organica (Garden Tone by Espoma is also a great choice) into the hole just before I plant. These fertilizers are all natural and contain loads of healthy microbes and good dosages of calcium. Calcium is essential for good fruit and vegetable development.
We have brand new crops of lettuces and cole crops such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbages, etc. with more on the way all through the summer!
With my lack of space I need to find a good spot to plant some peas BUT I WILL!
Yesterday's torrential rains "beat the stuffing" out of many flowers--especially rose bushes. As soon as you can get out there with your pruners and snip those rose flowers off that are beaten up. Prune a good couple of inches back from the flower bud. This pruning will encourage more new growth on your rose and the sooner you get new growth, the sooner you will get flowers! For more detail about good pruning techniques for roses and other flowering plants click Garden Talks Week of March 30 for some nice illustrations!
Skillin's is open all day today until 6 PM (7 PM at the Falmouth greenhouse); we are all closed on Saturday to observe Independence Day and then we are all open on Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
July 3, 2009
Showing posts with label lettuce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lettuce. Show all posts
Friday, July 3, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Garden Talks June 8--Cleome and Peonies; Broccoli and Lettuce; Perennials!
Hello again,
Wow! What a beautiful run of weather we have had!
I want to just "line item" some quick thoughts that I have--mostly as a result of talking to many of our customers who are fine gardeners.
Cleome is one of my favorite annuals. It is a tall flower needs at least half a day sun to do well. But once it begins to flower in early summer; watch out! The colors of the cleome are ELECTRIC! As the plant grows and clumps it you get more and more flowers and the cleome fast becomes a standout in your garden. One customer I spoke to plants her cleome right around her peony plants. Peonies flower in the latter part of June; they are brilliant but then they are done for the year. As the peonies complete their flowering and the peony foliage starts its decline the cleome really "turns it on" and earnestly starts to become its "showy" self. So pair up peonies and cleome. Sounds like fun!
Gardening friend and guru Paul Parent reminded listeners the other day to cut the broccoli florets when they are small and young and tender. Yummy! Store the small florets in a zip lock baggy in your refrigerator. The sooner you cut the more florets you will get. Just keep adding little florets to the baggy and use them when you want. Young is when they are the most tender as well! Good timely advice as my broccoli is ready to cut now! Paul Parent can be found at http://www.paulparent.com/.
Speaking of cutting vegetables I highly recommend the planting of leaf lettuce. About the time I planted my broccoli I planted Red Sails leaf lettuce and the plants are bearing many juicy lettuce leaves now. Very very good tasting!
Many of you know I absolutely recommend the application of the all natural Four Step Lawn Program by Organica. I started to use the Program last year and I am elated by how good my lawn seems this year. My turf is pretty thick and the weeds are under control. NOW is the time to apply Step #2--the Kelp Booster; this product supplies much needed calcium and natural beneficial microbes to your soil. Put that Kelp Booster down and really improve your soil. (Kelp Booster can also be applied to your garden. Calcium is extremely beneficial to all plants--especially vegetables!).
I love my perennial beds. Tom Atwell--a great friend of local Maine gardening--wrote a terrific article about Must Have Perennials in this weeks Home and Garden Section of the Maine Sunday Telegram. I highly recommend you read his piece and I don't think he or his supervisors would mind me giving you the link: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=259877&ac=Home.
I agree with all the names on his list and I soon will write about a few more Must Haves for you. And what the heck I challenge my good friend KCB to do the same!
More Garden Talks soon....
Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
June 8, 2009
Wow! What a beautiful run of weather we have had!
I want to just "line item" some quick thoughts that I have--mostly as a result of talking to many of our customers who are fine gardeners.
Cleome is one of my favorite annuals. It is a tall flower needs at least half a day sun to do well. But once it begins to flower in early summer; watch out! The colors of the cleome are ELECTRIC! As the plant grows and clumps it you get more and more flowers and the cleome fast becomes a standout in your garden. One customer I spoke to plants her cleome right around her peony plants. Peonies flower in the latter part of June; they are brilliant but then they are done for the year. As the peonies complete their flowering and the peony foliage starts its decline the cleome really "turns it on" and earnestly starts to become its "showy" self. So pair up peonies and cleome. Sounds like fun!
Gardening friend and guru Paul Parent reminded listeners the other day to cut the broccoli florets when they are small and young and tender. Yummy! Store the small florets in a zip lock baggy in your refrigerator. The sooner you cut the more florets you will get. Just keep adding little florets to the baggy and use them when you want. Young is when they are the most tender as well! Good timely advice as my broccoli is ready to cut now! Paul Parent can be found at http://www.paulparent.com/.
Speaking of cutting vegetables I highly recommend the planting of leaf lettuce. About the time I planted my broccoli I planted Red Sails leaf lettuce and the plants are bearing many juicy lettuce leaves now. Very very good tasting!
Many of you know I absolutely recommend the application of the all natural Four Step Lawn Program by Organica. I started to use the Program last year and I am elated by how good my lawn seems this year. My turf is pretty thick and the weeds are under control. NOW is the time to apply Step #2--the Kelp Booster; this product supplies much needed calcium and natural beneficial microbes to your soil. Put that Kelp Booster down and really improve your soil. (Kelp Booster can also be applied to your garden. Calcium is extremely beneficial to all plants--especially vegetables!).
I love my perennial beds. Tom Atwell--a great friend of local Maine gardening--wrote a terrific article about Must Have Perennials in this weeks Home and Garden Section of the Maine Sunday Telegram. I highly recommend you read his piece and I don't think he or his supervisors would mind me giving you the link: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=259877&ac=Home.
I agree with all the names on his list and I soon will write about a few more Must Haves for you. And what the heck I challenge my good friend KCB to do the same!
More Garden Talks soon....
Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
June 8, 2009
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