Oakland County Greenhouse update

Greenhouse bed #1 - Nasturtiums!

Greenhouse bed #2 - space for seedlings

The garden beds in the greenhouse are growing well. The nasturtiums are overwhelming the corners. The tomato plants are getting quite big and should be staked. I hate, however, to put lots of work into these beds as I am going to have to dismantle them in a month, so I think I'll let the tomatoes go. They have some flowers on them and I am hoping for a tomato before the season ends. Tomatoes in this bed are too big to dig and transplant to a container but I have 8 pots of tomatoes in the seedling beds that are finally starting to warm up and green up and come back from their phosphorus deficiency. They'll go to the greenhouse in late March or early April when the temps have modulated a bit.




Greenhouse bed #2 is doing well if a bit slower than the first one. Don't know if it is just the varieties that I've planted here, but the growth seems much slower than the other bed and they are side by side. The only difference is that this bed is closer to the vented windows and may be a bit colder. The lettuces are slower but the chard is fabulous. Have had great success at growing chard in these beds. I enjoy chard when it is braised in a bit of olive oil and a touch of garlic. Wilt the greens down and give them a good stir fry. Finish it off with a bit of good balsamic vinegar and you have a tasty, nutritious side dish.

Pretty broad bean flowers

Vicki took out the spent peas and the huge nasturtium in the middle and now there is some space for siting more seedling trays and transplants. Pam and I worked yesterday here in the greenhouse transplanting parsley, carnations and stock and we filled most of this space. Plan to go back on Friday and continue transplanting and I'll probably move some of the flats to Vicki's greenhouse.

Worked at Vicki's greenhouse yesterday and sowed 17 flats of seed - flowers, herbs and veggies. Not growing too many vegetables this year - we'll have to see what the market is like. Lots of people offer tomatoes and most of the common herbs at Oakland County, but I don't think there is the same kind of offering at the Armada market. Thinking about renting a truck this spring to get more plants to market - that is if we have survived the winter well.

I say that because I put some primroses in the greenhouse and most of them rotted. The daffodils are also very slow to emerge if at all. Am worried about winter losses, because we never covered the pots for winter and I think we'll have trouble with a lot of rot. Well live and learn - still have the plastic from this last year so I can remedy my ways for next year.