Cold frames doing well

The cold frames are the first garden area to get transplants. On the right is mache and arugula that I transplanted last week.

 

On the left side, is tatsoi, scallions, more arugula, lettuce, and spinach.

Germinating mache and onion seeds

My garden plan has something to start every two weeks. This week I started germinating mache and onion seeds.

For the onion seeds, I added about 1/4 inch of vermiculite into recycled  plastic containers. Sprayed with water until saturated, and then dropped 125 seeds on top. After covering, I placed the containers on a heating pad. The silver insulation sheet on the heating pad helps to moderate the temperature to about 75 degF.

Garden status - end of September

For the last few days my garden was trying to survive some very strong winds and rain. I held my breath, hoping the remaining fruit wouldn't be knocked off. There was an open bucket in the garden that collected 3 inches of water. Plants survived okay, but slugs are having a party.

Can I stretch the season a couple more weeks? I still have peppers, tomatoes, and squash growing. Much of the fruit is almost ready, and would have been in the hotter summer air. But September days are cooler and warm loving plants are growing slower.

I could pick the green tomatoes and let them ripen inside, but the texture and flavor is not quite the same as vine ripening.

Lettuce is back! There is a wire tunnel over the lettuce bed, just in case I have to quickly throw on row covers for a cold night.

 

The cold frames are doing better this year. Arugula, chard, mache, claytonia, carrots, and scallions could use another month of growing before November when I can expect some snow.

Planting mache and claytonia in cold frame

I continued to plant my fall garden this weekend. The mache  and claytonia transplants (4 weeks old) found a cozy place at one end of the cold frame.

 

I have to be careful transplanting the claytonia. They don't particularly like the transplant, but after adding grass clippings around the plants and a few days of sunshine, they seem to perk up and do okay.