Planted and Fertilized at home

Ah!  Spring is definitely here, and I've go the bug!  I spent almost the whole day in the garden, after starting the morning at Zumba.  I pulled out some old veggies and gathered fennel and basil seeds before planting.  I put in basil, dill, and chive seeds.  Plus I had starts of Celebrity Tomatoes that I planted, which are VFNT resistant.  If anything can survive my diseased home garden beds, they seem the most likely candidates.  They went in the North and West beds.  I hope they at least taste decent.  Also, I planted marigolds (for looks and to discourage nematodes), snapdragons, and celosia.  The latter I've never grown before.  The flowers went in North, West and South beds, plus pots.  DH harvested the worm bin and put the castings in the North and West beds.  Finally I gave a very thorough fish fertilizing to the Carrotwood tree and the hedge on the North side of the house that I'm hoping will pep them up, along with the deep watering they've been getting.

Fertilized Community Garden

Used fish emulsion to fertilize at the community garden.  Picking lots of lettuce, kale, broccoli greens, celeriac.  Planted some strawberry plants that I found in the compost bin last week, more lettuce from seed, plus transplanted in excess broccoli starts from friend.  Thanks friend!

Fertilized and applied compost at home

Today I used the fish emulsion to fertilize the N. and W. garden beds at home, plus pots and citrus trees (except missed one on the side yard).  I also applied compost to the two lower mandarins.  The lowest one is still looking less than thrilled with life.  When we planted it initially (was it only a year ago?) the dirt there was shockingly pale and whitish/chalky.  I wonder if that is impacting the tree.

Fertilized at Community Garden

Today I fertilized with Fish Emulsion at the Community Garden.  I also planted the rest of my onion starts.  I harvested a good bit of lettuce.

Fertilized at home, Carrotwood Tree

Today I used seaweed and fish emulsion deeply on the citrus trees.  Trying to perk up a little mandarin in back.  Used this on a quetionable apple tree on the back slope to see if it would leaf out better this year.

Also used the seaweed and fish emulsion on the N. Bed, S. Bed, W. Bed, and pots.

Still trying to help the Northern part of the Carrotwood Tree.  Used the seaweed and fish emulsion deeply there, then wound a new soaker hose around the back area and watered deeply.  Please let this help!

Finally, took that seaweed and fish emulsion to the front yard and fertilized the North hedge.  Somewhere on that hedge the dial-a-sprayer must have clogged, so I don't know how much fertilizer that hedge actually got.

Fractal Cauliflower

This cauliflower was so much fun to grow!  I got a bunch of starts at what I'll call a "Squirrel Sale" at a local nursery - a squirrel had munched on many starts in each 6-pack so they were super cheap and I bought a lot.  More survived than anticipated, so we've been eating A LOT of cauliflower.  Some was the usual type that is white with a usual cauliflower form.  This one we affectionately called the Fractal Cauliflower.  It was so beautiful!

In addition to growing cauliflower for the heads, I also like to eat the leaves.  I typically will de-stem the leaf and then stir fry it.  My favorite accompaniment to the greens is crimini mushrooms with salt, pepper and olive oil.  The heads we've enjoyed steamed and roasted.  My mom took some home to make a soup out of.

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After posting this, a friend commented that it is Broccoli Romanesco.  I can see both Cauliflower Romanesco and Broccoli Romanesco on line.  I suspect they are the same thing, don't you?  Since it is such a pale green, who knows what to call it!

Fertilized Carrotwood Tree

I fertilized the backyard Carrotwood Tree with Osmocote and GroPower today.  I've continued to do approximately weekly deep watering of the tree to help it leaf out and get healthier.  Since the fall when the whole thing was looking pretty sorry, one side has leafed out but the other has not.  The side near the neighbors is the one struggling.  I've asked them if their watering/fertilizing/chemicals has changed in the last year, but they haven't really.  That side is harder for me to deeply water due to the slope of the land.  I wonder if it is just a water issue or if one of the main trunks is diseased.