The days are getting longer, the frost is behind us, and we’ve been busy getting the first seeds of the season into the ground. It’s one of our favourite times of year — everything feels full of possibility.
What’s Going In
This week we planted our first rounds of:
- Lettuce and salad mix — a blend of butterhead, oak leaf, and red romaine
- Spinach — both smooth-leaf and savoy varieties
- Radishes — Cherry Belle and French Breakfast
- Peas — snap peas along the trellises, with shelling peas to follow
We’ve also started beet and carrot seeds under row cover to give them a head start while the nights are still cool.
In the Greenhouse
Our tomato and pepper seedlings are coming along nicely under lights. They won’t go outside until late May, but we start them early to make sure they’re strong and stocky by transplant time. This year’s tomato lineup includes Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Sungold, and a new-to-us variety called Blush — a tiger-striped cherry tomato we’re excited to try.
Looking Ahead
By mid-April we’ll be planting brassicas — broccoli, cabbage, and kale — and getting the herb beds going with basil, cilantro, and dill. If everything goes to plan, the first salad greens should be ready for market by late April.
It’s going to be a great season. We can feel it in the soil.