It’s May 21st and we’re expecting a 90 degree day! It’s hot and humid and feels more like the middle of summer. Mary and I got up early (9AM is early for us) and headed to the patch to give the plants a drink so that they don’t dry out from the heat.
Today I put up a scarecrow that I made using a couple pieces of wood, a Funkin, a flannel and a hat from the Salvation Army. I’m not exactly sure that it will keep the geese away, but it definitely gives the patch a fun touch! I plan on swapping the pumpkin for a Jack-O-Lantern come October!
This being my first year actually keeping track of my progress, it’s hard to determine what’s normal and what isn’t. I’ve already learned a few things that I’ll never forget. When there is a risk of frost, cover plants with something porous if possible. Don’t use mason jars alone as they can create a magnifying effect and burn the plants. I used mason jars and covered them up with plastic grocery bags to diffuse the sun so that it doesn’t create a concentrated beam.
A cotyledon is a significant part of the embryo within the seed of a plant. Upon germination, the cotyledon may become the embryonic first leaves of a seedling. The number of cotyledons present is one characteristic used by botanists to classify the flowering plants. Species with one cotyledon are called monocotyledonous (or, “monocots”) and placed in the class Liliopsida. Plants with two embryonic leaves are termed dicotyledonous (“dicots”) and placed in the class Magnoliopsida.
Plants use Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash (N, P and K for short) for healthy growth. Nitrogen is directly responsible for healthy green leaves. Phosphorus is vital for a healthy root development. Potash is essential for flower and fruit development. Plants also require the correct pH level (the relative amount of hydrogen in a substance) to control how they utilize the Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash available to them.
This year’s preparations started on Wednesday, April 21st. I received 10 cubic yards of mushroom compost and I hired a couple of young kids to help me spread it over 3 plots. We got it done in about 2 hours. I added a large bag (20 pounds) of gypsum and 15 pounds of sulfur. After a bit of rest and visit to the chiropractor, I headed back out to the garden and spread the sulfur on the entire plot and the gypsum on the right-most plot only.
I met Greg during the Spring of 2009 while working on my plot in Downers Grove. I’ll admit I was a bit jealous of his plot at first because of his tall fence and extremely efficient rototiller. I could tell that he’d been doing this for a while. Not sure why I get so competitive, even when it comes to things I’ve NEVER done. He added fuel to a fire who’s path was still a bit uncertain.
