Vegetable Garden: December Update

I should be thinking about Christmas cards and Christmas presents, but all I really want to do this week is spend time in my garden. I decided earlier this fall that I wanted to try a cool-weather vegetable garden this year. I stocked up on seeds, read all I could, and got to work in September. August just seemed too hot to be planting cold-weather vegetables.

In September I planted salad greens, broccoli, and carrots from seed, and cauliflower from seedlings I bought at the hardware store. In October I planted radishes and spinach from seed, and red onions from sets (little baby onion bulbs).

Some of the salad greens in the first planting got washed away and/or dug up by the squirrels, so I planted more seeds a few weeks later. The first planting has produced some tasty, tender baby greens, but the second planting still just looks like little tiny seedlings. It turns out early September was the perfect time to be planting lettuce.

Mixed salad greens in my garden

The broccoli seeds I planted in the garden didn't sprout at all. I read that broccoli grows much better when it's started as seedlings and then moved into the garden, so I made a later, half-hearted attempt to grow broccoli seedlings inside in vermiculite. They sprouted, but after a month of sitting on my windowsill, they still weren't very big. I got impatient and tried moving them into the garden, but they were fragile and snapped. Next year I'll try planting broccoli seeds inside in late summer, when the house is warmer, and use a different medium, and maybe I'll have some transplants ready to go in the garden by September.

The first planting of carrots died from lack of water when I was sick one warm, dry week in fall. I planted more in October, and they've stayed about an inch tall for the last month.

The cauliflower has been an epic failure, but I've learned a lot. First I fought off the cabbage worms, then I thought I had deer eating my plants. It turns out it wasn't deer--my last remaining cauliflower plant got eaten in spite of having a cage over it. Based on my research, it's probably cute little bunny rabbits that slipped in through the 4-inch gap under my cage, but I have yet to actually see rabbits in my yard. So it's still sort of a mystery. But next year I'll build a better cage.

The radishes look healthy, but also haven't gotten very big in this cold weather. I should have planted in September. They're surviving the cold, but if I get any radishes to eat, it won't be until February at this rate.

Spinach seedlings in my garden

I accidentally planted onions on top of my spinach seeds because I forgot where I planted them. I planted some more spinach seeds in early November, and they continue to grow slowly but surely, despite the squirrels digging them up every other day with their incessant digging for acorns. I think if I had planted in late September, I would have had a nice crop by now. As it is, I might get some spinach in February.

The red onions look beautiful. They're sturdy enough that the squirrels don't bother them. I actually did a second planting in early November, and they're smaller, but just as happy as the October planting. It takes about 14 weeks on average for onion sets to mature, and it will probably take a little longer as a winter crop. I expect to enjoy nice, fat onions in late winter to early spring.

My red onions don't mind a little cold.

Despite the setbacks, so far my cold-weather garden has been totally worth it. I won't get a huge harvest this year, but I know exactly what I need to do differently next year: plant earlier, water (almost) daily when the weather's warm, keep the insecticidal soap on hand, and build some really sturdy cages to keep out the cute, fluffy rodents. See? It's simple. :)

Christmas Gifts for Gardeners

I've always struggled with shopping for gifts. I just don't spend that much time shopping in general--for me or anyone else--so I don't know what's out there. Plus, if you're shopping for that favorite family member with entirely different interests from you, it's hard to predict what they'll love and what they'll hate. So, if you have a friend or family member who loves gardening, I'm here to help! That's the one thing I do know how to shop for. In no particular order, here are some Christmas gifts to please a range of gardeners in your life:

1. Amaryllis. This bulb makes a great gift for your favorite hostess or grandmother. You can buy them in a variety of lovely containers and in colors ranging from white to red. They're easy to grow indoors, and if you get one that's barely sprouting at Christmas, it will be in full bloom in January when gardeners like me get depressed at the lack of greenery. If they live in the South, the bulbs may be planted in the garden after they've finished blooming indoors. Jackson and Perkins is a great resource for amaryllis gift sets. You can also check your local florist or garden center for these.

Single Stardust Amaryllis from jacksonandperkins.com

2. Gift card for seeds. For your favorite vegetable gardener, get them a gift card to a seed company like Seeds for Change or Burpee. They'll have great fun pouring over the seed catalog trying to decide how to spend their gift card in preparation for spring. Seed companies carry so many varieties that you won't see at Home Depot or Lowe's. ("Do I want red peppers or purple peppers?") Your friend or family member will be thinking about your thoughtful gift when the seeds sprout in the spring and when they're harvesting the produce in the summer.

3. The finest watering can money can buy. My mother had a beautiful blue watering can that started rusting and peeling with time. After some research, I replaced it with a Haws watering can. Haws has put a lot of thought and care into creating watering cans that do the best possible job of getting water to your plants without disturbing the soil or foliage. They offer several styles based on your needs and a range of colors based on your tastes. There are several companies that sell Haws watering cans, so feel free to shop around for the best deal.

Haws watering can from williams-sonoma.com

4. Tools. If you use your garden tools with any frequency, they usually need to be replaced after a few years. Metal tools get dull and rusty from use, and plastic tools get brittle and snap from being in the outdoors. Chances are, your gardener friend could use some replacements for their most frequently used tools. You can pick up cheap plastic trowels and cultivators at the hardware store that make great stocking stuffers, or splurge on fancy wood-and-metal tools with a "lifetime guarantee". If you want to get them a pair of hand pruners that will be their best friend, you can get them a Felco 2. Or, you can get them a useful tool that they might not already have, like a pair of snips for cutting flowers and vegetables or a dibble for planting bulbs.

Garden tools, from left to right: hand cultivator, hand
trowel, hand pruners, snips, transplanting trowel.
Image from from doityourself.com.

5. Plant markers. Earlier this year I had a mix-up where I planted onions on top of spinach because I forgot where I planted my spinach! Even if you're not working with seeds, plant markers are a fun way to label your herb plants or keep track of the names of your roses. Plant markers range from the boring to the artistic. For the serious gardener, I'd suggest metal plant markers that you can write the names on and will last forever. Make sure you get ones that are rust-proof, or they won't last for more than a few months. If you're looking for something more whimsical, you might check out these colorful herb markers I saw on Etsy.

Plant markers by fromArtisanHands on Etsy.com

Have a lovely Christmas season!