Tag Archives: spring gardening

Cold Weather Protection for Vegetable Gardens Class-this Saturday

Here’s the flyer info for my class this Saturday April 5th-Hope many of you can come-it should be good!

 

WOW pic for blog

 

Saturday, April 5
Cold Weather Protection for Vegetable Gardens
Protecting your crops in spring
Time: 10 am-12 pm
Instructor: Jannine Cabossel
Location: Whole Food’s Community Room (St. Francis location)
Please RSVP to 505-983-9706 or email: homegrownnewmexico1@gmail.com

Jannine Cabossel, a Master Gardener and ‘The Tomato Lady’ at the Santa Fe Farmers Market will teach a class about how to use row cover, cloches, hoop houses, wall of waters, and other items to get your garden in earlier with protection.

Jannine has extensive experience in growing vegetables on her 3000 square foot garden using all organic methods. Follow her blog at giantveggiegardener.com. Suggested $10 donation. Become a 2014 Member for $35 with $250 value-includes all classes, potlucks and tour.

First Day of Spring!

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the first day of spring and Spring Equinox. Today is the day where the hours of daylight and hours of nightlight are of equal duration. The Spring Equinox or Vernal Equinox as it is sometimes called is of particular importance to pagans where activities such as egg hunting, egg races and egg eating are done. Hey, isn’t that Easter? Oh yea, the Christians borrowed a few pagan rituals along the way-how else could they get converts in Constantinople’s day? No one wants to give up the Easter Egg hunt. Blasphemy! Nevertheless this means tomorrow, the days will start getting longer as we head towards summer and gardening. YEA!

Of course with spring, comes spring winds in Santa Fe (which I hate). Elodie once said the reason the wind blows in the spring is to wake up the trees which have been sleeping all winter. I like that and it makes it more bearable, if just a little. Today is cold and windy. Double jeopardy.

If I could go away for one season here in Santa Fe, it would be in spring because of those winds. Of course I’d miss starting my vegetable and giant pumpkin seeds early and marveling at all the beautiful blossoms that will start shortly. I probably would have to start a late garden. Ooooo!

So what would I do? Maybe go fly fishing in New Zealand, Chile or Argentina where all those BIG brown trout are starting to spawn as it is fall in the Southern Hemisphere or I could go to Hawaii. There I could go snorkling, swimming in warm water, drinking a Mai Tai, and doing the hula dance (after the Mai Tai) Ah, but I’d have to be rich to do those things.

Think I’ll stay inside instead today, besides the juniper pollen is out in full force. Triple jeopardy. At least I’m rich in my mind with these fantasies!

Spring Winds-Wake Up Trees!

The temperatures are warmer here in Santa Fe and it would be absolutely delightful if it wasn’t for the winds. Ahh, spring winds. The last few days it has been really blowing here. Why do we have the spring winds? They say the winds wake up the trees from their winter slumber. I like that old saying, otherwise I would hate the winds in spring. Glad the spring wind is good for something! The crabapples are blooming, the apple trees are blooming, the redbuds are blooming, the apricots are blooming, and the aspen leaves are popping out around here.

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10 Things to Do in March in the Garden

Now is the beginning of our season for fruit and vegetable gardeners. I got my light boxes out! Woo! Hoo! Here we go! Here are 10 things to do for or in your garden this month.

1. Finish ordering your seeds or getting your seeds if you haven’t already.

2. Get your light tables and heating mats out and ready to go. Use florescent lights that are at least 3000 lumen. I use the daylight ones. They produce less ‘leggy’ veggies.

3. Start tomato, pepper and eggplant seeds indoors to set out later as transplants depending on variety.

4. Finish your garden plans

5. Get your soil tested to see what amendments you might need to add to it.

6. Put  horse manure that has been aged for at least 6 months on your garden beds and dig in. Don’t put on ‘hot’ manure.

7. Hurry up and finish pruning your fruit trees. Not much time left.

8. Spray your fruit trees with dormant oil before their buds turn color to smother any dormant bugs.

9. Water your trees.

10. Plant COOL SEASON vegetable seeds OUTSIDE on ST. PATRICK’S DAY.  Some varieties include carrots, beets, lettuces, spinach, arugula, bok choy, swiss chard, onions, brocolli, cabbage, peas, radishes, mustard, kale and other greens.