Second crop coming along--I planted this inside, and just moved it out this week. It should be ready for picking in about a week. This variety is called Salad Bowl.
First crop, planted February 8 in the cold frame. It's been picking size for about two weeks now. This is a mix of Red Sails, Black Seeded Simpson, Green Ice and some other varieties.The cold frame is simple to do: we dig a patch of ground, pile it with brush and burn it off. Then rake it to smooth the soil, and plant and water well. Larry makes a frame with scrap lumber, covers the frame with chicken wire and plastic sheeting. the sheeting is held in place with rocks. Nothing fancy, but it works. The chicken wire keeps the plastic from sagging down on the plants when it rains or snows. The bed is kept covered, and no additional water is usually needed because the cold frame acts like a terrarium to recycle moisture.
The third crop, a mixture of all kinds of lettuce varieties, is in the ground and just sprouted. It should be ready about the time the first plants are too old to eat ( leaf lettuce tends to get bitter as it ages or as the weather gets too hot).
Wow, I love fresh leaf lettuces :)
ReplyDeleteThey're the best, aren't they? I often grow bibb and romaine too, but I probably won't this year. We just planted asparagus and I'm going to run out of space! The big plantings still have to go in--tomatoes, corn, beans, etc.
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