What a week here in the Charleston area! I think the weather can’t figure out if it’s winter or spring. After 3.9 inches of rain last week, we received another 2.3 inches this week (almost all of it in the past two days). That was interspersed with below freezing temperatures and a couple hard frosts. Surprisingly, most of my garden has survived – including the strawberry buds (see above picture). Unfortunately, there were some casualties.
THE NEW:
Let’s start with the sad news. Fresh from the last frostbitten loss, about a dozen asparagus spears were poking out of the soil. Alas, they didn’t make it either. All the leaves on my pomegranate trees died, as well. Thankfully, the tree is still “green,” so there’s hope for a come back.
Pomegranate leaves after a frost
Now for the good news. I planted a half bed of white Texas Granex onion sets this week. This picture was taken right after transplant. The recent rains have them standing up strong!
Texas Granex onion sets
In my potato bed, I had two spuds about to poke through the soil of my potato bed a week ago. They are nowhere to be seen now. (I hope the frost didn’t kill them!) However, I do have a purple potato plant and a fingerling potato plant through the soil, with leaves, in my buckets.
Purple potato ~ 3 weeks post planting
Fingerling potato ~ 3 weeks post planting
MOST CHANGED:
My coleus seedlings are developing color! Time to transplant them into cups, I think.
Coleus ~ 4 weeks post planting
SEEDLINGS:
My seedlings are doing well. I have a few more peppers to transplant as well as a few herbs (and the flowers). Here are the transplants, doing well in their cups.
Herbs, Peppers, Artichokes ~ 4 weeks post planting
Tomatoes ~ 4 weeks post planting
OUT IN THE GARDEN:
Before the big rain storm this week, I made another application of epsom salt. I used the foliar application via spray on the kale and spinach and via watering can on the beets and carrots. On my other crops, I sprinkled the epsom salt itself around the plant (and over the area where I planted the potatoes), then I watered it in. The rain soaked it deeply into the soil, so we’ll see how my plants fare.
I’m harvesting Easter Egg radishes every couple days or so. I’ve harvested pink, red, white, and purple ones.
Easter Egg Radishes
My watermelon radishes are bouncing back.
Watermelon radishes ~ 50 days post planting
The Red Creole onions are starting to fall. Harvest time is coming!
Red Creole onions ~ 19 weeks post planting
All my other crops seems happy, just slow growing. I plan to fertilize this week with fish emulsion (5-1-1) and Morbloom (0-10-10). It’s been over a month since I last fertilized, so I hope that will help.
The weather forecast is calling for warmer weather the beginning of this week, then a cold front will bring temperatures around freezing. Typical Charleston weather – fickle!
Spring is four weeks away. I’m ready for it!
Sanctuary Gardener 