Last year, I bought a grass seed cover to put over my early lettuce, greens, and radishes, which were up an inch or so, to protect them from below freezing temps. It had a picture on the pack showing people using it over a vegetable garden, with the caption, "Increased Crop Yields". I also used it to protect my peas from being eaten by the rabbits. I liked it because it let rain come through.
Today, I decided to see what would happen if I put the fabric over my recently planted seeds that weren't up yet to see if they would come up sooner and start growing. I noticed something through a tear in the fabric after I put it down. I turned it up to see there were some radishes coming up!
I went ahead and put the cover down. I was planning on trying to make a hoop house or cold frame, but I'm going to see how quickly the rest of the plants come up and grow.
When I first planted, I only had one package of radish seeds, I think, cherry belle. Yesterday I purchased these. I've grown Crimson Giant before. This will be my first time to plant the French Blush.
Since some of the other radishes are up, I decided to plant some more, diagonally as the area was too much of a rectangle to try a circle, and I left room between the rows to plant lettuce in a couple weeks.
I found lots of perennials greening up today. There is a new spring in my step!
Radish! Yummy! Do you have rabbits running around your garden? Wow ... I would love to see that. I don't see that around here unless those rabbits are the owner's pets. wild rabbits on the loose, that's a sight on my list.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing how a plant popping out of the ground will put a new spring in your step! Can't wait to see everything in a few weeks
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your seedlings are making an appearance. It's very gratifying isn't it? I hope the weather continues to lift your spirits.
ReplyDeleteHow great to see seedlings outside! I hope you get lots more showing up :)
ReplyDeleteI planted radishes in a container to see how they will do. I think there is a new spring in a lot of our steps here lately!
ReplyDeletemorning sue
ReplyDeletecan't believe you've already have things popping up. i haven't begun to clean out my little herb garden...one of these weekends i will get to it.
have a wonderful day.
erin
Where do you live that you can start seeds? We still have snow on the ground, besides mud!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the wash tubs in the picture, they are some of my favorite options for original pots.
ReplyDeleteMy blog is pretty cool, also, about criticism.
The only one I have seen so far.
Until then...
Exciting stuff! Do you have any trouble with slugs attacking your radishes? I'm hesitating to sow any this year because mine were all munched to bits last year by underground attack.
ReplyDeleteI always let my boys plant radishes when they were young because they germinate so quickly. Kids like that instant gratification when it comes to gardening. :)
ReplyDeleteSusan, I'm getting excited for Spring... I'm thinking it's around the corner. Now that I've seen Your post, it must be! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for the comments.
ReplyDeleteI've been checking, and with the cold we've had, the radishes have been just sitting there. We have milder temps forecast for the weekend and beginning of next week, so hopefully, they will start growing, and more will come up.
We do have rabbits, but they can't get to the plants under the fabric.
I bet radishes will grow in a container as long as they aren't too crowded. I thin mine, but my mother-in-law never did. Some grew big enough, and others stayed spindly.
I've had slugs on hostas and such, but not in the vegetable garden.
I think Sunday, I'll aim to remove the dead growth of the perennials that have greened up well and started growing. It's too soon to remove the leaves that are mulching the beds, though.
May we all have springs in our steps!