Time to start pepper plants from seed. This year I am planting bell peppers, Italian sweet peppers, corno di toro red peppers, jalapeno, northstar, biggie, serrano, pepperoncino, anaheim, Thai hot, ancho magnifico, fire ball and cayenne. I use self watering starting containers and place them in the kitchen oven and leave the oven light on. This provides the 80 to 90 degree F temperatures needed to sprout the seed. Once they sprout, I move them under grow lights for 16 hours a day and I keep them watered. When they have 2 true leaves they are transplanted  in individual peat pots and kept under grow lights until they are ready to set out in the garden the end of May.

Yesterday I set out some broccoli, cauliflower, green cabbage, red cabbage and kohlrabi.plants that were started from seed on March 2, 2013 (See my post dated March 3, 2013). These will all do well in the cooler spring weather. I should have kohlrabi to eat by May 1st!!

Last night's dinner guests celebrated St Patrick's Day and of course corned beef and cabbage were served along with boiled potatoes, boiled carrots and Irish soda bread. Dessert was chocolate cream pie!

All these recipes are in my cookbook, Dad's Home Cooking; Traditional Recipes for Preparing Healthy Family Meals available on Amazon.

Steaks on the barbie last evening for dinner guests! these were served with baked potato, corn on the cob and tossed green salad.

The first of March is the time to start some cole crop plants from seed. I started some broccoli, cauliflower, red cabbage and green cabbage. The seeds were planted in some recycled sterilized pots using purchased potting soil. I mark them with wooden labels than I have made so I can keep track of what has been planted. I will keep these inside until they sprout and then put them under a grow light. If I have a nice day I will move them out in the sun and bring them back inside at night. These should be ready to set out in the garden in about 1 month.

                            What’s Happening in My Winter Garden?

Winter vegetable gardening provides many tasty veggies for you use throughout most of the winter here in the Puget Sound area.  I plant my winter crops mostly in early August so that I have carrots, Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, mustard, rutabagas, turnips, red beets and cabbage in the winter. 

In January I order and receive seeds for the next year as well as ordering onion plants for growing storage onions and seed potatoes which are shipped to me in the spring when it is time to plant. When weather permits, I remove the winter weeds that grow in the planting beds in the winter. I also fertilize the asparagus bed in February after removing any small weeds that are growing.

The above is my garlic patch. The 6 small plants in the foreground are  multiplying onions. Behind the onions and in front of the garlic are 6 shallots that are just barely emerging from the soil. In the back are 56 each Roja garlic.. All of these bulbs were planted on October 26, 2012.

Mid February is Blueberry bush pruning time. Blueberry bushes that have not been pruned on an annual basis (after 3 years of growth) may become overgrown and less fruitful . Proper pruning of blueberries is essential to maintain plant size, shape, and productivity . In the first three years only prune out dead, diseased and broken wood and any crossing or contorted branches. Every year after 3 years, prune  to maintain  an open center to allow sunlight to pass through and allow air movement.Pruning steps are:

1. Disinfect pruners in 1 tablespoon bleach to 1 quart water.
2. Visually observe the blueberry bush.
3. Imagine what the plant should look like when pruning is completed.
4. All diseased and broken canes should be removed first.
5. Canes that are seven years old or older should be considered for removal.
6. No more than two to three mature canes should be removed each year to avoid pruning out too many fruit buds.
7. Selective pruning will help to stimulate new cane growth each year.
8. Remove branches that are touching and any dead twigs.
9. The bush should be narrow at base, open in the center and  free of vegetative clutter.

After pruning fertilize with a 10-5-4 acid loving rhody/azalea fertilizer at the rate of one hand full (2/3 cup) spread over the soil in a ring at the drip line under each plant. Lightly rake into the soil without disturbing roots. No other fertilization for the rest of the year. Keep PH between 4.5 and 5.1.Note that buds are forming on my branches...spring is coming!