garden progress

Little happening ... with not knowing where I'll end up, it's hard to throw seeds into the ground. Those that I did plant a couple months back - many have been eaten. A few things are thriving - see some beautiful purple cabbage plants, finally some cilantro, one beet plant, and the one dill holds strong.

It's sparse out there once I weeded extensively. So I did go ahead and throw some seeds: spinach, carrots, beets (red and golden), green cabbage, cilantro, broccoli de rapa. Many are seeds that I got for free or on sale, so it hurts less - and the others are for gardening in 2007, so I should use them up. These are all things I eat a lot of, so I would really appreciate a good crop.

Thought about doing some transplants of tomatoes and peppers, but with being gone/busy last bit of February, don't want to lose any of the work I'd put out. Will clear out the other bed, where I left the okra be, and plant tomatoes and peppers there.

The potatoes died in the cold we had a couple weeks back, though I wonder if they'll come back (my Norwegian landlord says so). The garlic and carrots survived fine, and while the beets and cabbage and cilantro wilted, they're back stronger than ever.

For snails, I'm stunned at how prolific they are. The slug/snail bait Sluggo does seem to work some wonders, but they just keep coming back in droves and that stuff ain't cheap. So what I do now is: lay big plastic pot bottoms upside down near where I've spotted snail damage. Each morning (or most mornings), collect snails underneath. I've found cardboard really doesn't work as well, though I've captured a few that way. Most days I collect anywhere from 5-20. It's crazy how many there are! I have a yogurt container filled with water/soap/vinegar, and I toss them in there. I used to crush them by hand/foot - and while that was rewarding for a while, it lost its charm. Probably next week I should throw out more Sluggo, to protect the new seedlings - if there are any. Not sure what nutrients my garden bed needs, but things are slow-growing.