Spring! - What will you be planting?

For some, the time change tonight elicits an enthusiasm for Spring and plans for new growth in herb and vegetable gardens. What are you planning on planting this spring?

I've already got some shallots, onions and garlic planted. Later, it will be tomatoes and basil, at least. And some flower bulbs out front.

[Jenise]

I just picked up several bags of organic compost to work into my raised vegetable bin, which I devote half to lettuce-y things as well as parsley and, this year, a final attempt at growing cilantro and half to tomatoes. No room to really do much else.

What about you, now that you're a bona fide homeowner and member of suburbia?

I just took out my spinach crop so Gene could till the raised beds and add amendments. I have flat leaf parsley, sage, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, chives, and lemon verbena growing. I am putting in cilantro, mixed lettuces, arugula this weekend. Next month I will begin to put in tomatoes of all kinds, basil, and cucumber. We have a large Farmer's Market not far from here and we go every Saturday, so it is not worth putting in all the stuff we used to when the kids were home. I had a bumper crop of lemons this year. Many were the size of oranges, no seeds and so juicy. I have a Satsuma Mandarin tree started and a blueberry shrub that is going to fruit this year.

Peas & tomato plants have started off indoors & the peas will be heading out soon. Just tidied the herb garden up today and much is still going strong - mint, fennel, rosemary, oregano, parsley, chives and a few others. Onions I chucked in the ground last year are starting to emerge - but I admit I have no clue as to when to plant or harvest onions. Also have a couple of small beetroot that have wintered in the greenhouse and hopefully are ok to plant out soon.

I wanted to grow a giant pumpkin, but Pete said no.

We're just heading into Autumn now, so it's not planting season, but next year we've been thinking of adding garlic to our lemongrass and sage plants. And maybe a giant pumpkin...

Karen, have you ever made preserved lemons with your crop ? I just did a batch today - lemons were on special...

I'm going to plant 5 acres of watermelons and 2,000 grape vines.

Another 25 Rhododendrons.

We gave up on annual food crops a few years ago when we realized we lacked the time to tend them as we both work.

Limit ourselves to herbs now - damn, lost a Rosemary this winter, better plant a back-up!

[Jenise]

Another 25 Rhododendrons.

We gave up on annual food crops a few years ago when we realized we lacked the time to tend them as we both work.

Limit ourselves to herbs now - damn, lost a Rosemary this winter, better plant a back-up!

25 MORE? Where are you going to put them? (Out in front--move a few cars? )

[Jenise]

I'm going to plant 5 acres of watermelons and 2,000 grape vines.

Duane, why so few?

25 MORE? Where are you going to put them? (Out in front--move a few cars? )

The neighbours WISH!

I'm going to plant 5 acres of watermelons and 2,000 grape vines.

Duane, why so few?

Have you ever tried to eat more than 5 acres of watermelons?

I'll bet you were talking about the grapes. I'm doing replants in the 5 acres I planted last year and finishing out the block this year. I also don't want to get in over my heard and not be able to take care of them properly either. Then there is the 40 acres of almonds I still farm so I have plenty to keep me busy.

We're just heading into Autumn now, so it's not planting season, but next year we've been thinking of adding garlic to our lemongrass and sage plants.

Celia, if you're thinking about adding garlic, autumn is exactly the time. Except in the coldest climates, the most favorable time to plant is late September thru November in the Northern Hemisphere, late March thru May in yours - earlier in colder winter climates, later in warmer ones. I would think in Australia you'd be looking at late April and May as ideal.

I wanted to grow a giant pumpkin, but Pete said no.

We're just heading into Autumn now, so it's not planting season, but next year we've been thinking of adding garlic to our lemongrass and sage plants. And maybe a giant pumpkin...

Karen, have you ever made preserved lemons with your crop ? I just did a batch today - lemons were on special...

Celia, I did make a pint of preserved lemons because I had seen recipes asking for them. After the proper amount of curing time, I took a look and my jar with the lemons had oozed out salt or something and caused the metal flippy thing to corrode.
They were so salty, I ended up throwing them out. Do you have a tried and true recipe? I have some lemons that are starting to get a tad bit soft and I would like to try this again

Karen, they're meant to be salty - I rinse them before I use them. You're supposed to make them in a jar without a metal lid, but I've never managed to find one big enough that would seal, so my lids always corrode too. I make them by cutting lemons in quarters (not quite the whole way through), and then filling them with a couple of tsp of sea salt each. I then squish them into a jar, and then fill the jar with lemon juice. Lots of people make it with just the juice of one lemon and warm water, but I've had a batch go off on me that way, so now I use all lemon juice (which means I really only make it when lemons are cheap).

Food Safari, a program here in Oz, had a segment on these just last week (which is why I made some..)
This link has a recipe and a video :

http://www21.sbs.com.au/foodsafari/inde ... ipe&cid=33

Cheers, Celia