The Growing Challenge Update
Posted on April 22, 2008 by
I’ve been busy with the garden lately. The picture above is a moth or cicada in its pupal stage. Anyone know exactly what it is? It wiggled in my hand when I picked it up.
- I now have all 8 blueberry bushes planted. The first ones to go in are even showing new leaves already. An important thing to note with blueberries is that you’re supposed to have at least two different types growing for cross-pollination purposes.
- My husband and I cleared away crazy amounts of weeds (above, same type of weeds behind my neighbor’s fence, I don’t know what they are) and made room for 8 raspberry plants (pictured below).
- Taught Argo the Wonder Dog how to pull roots for me, which was cute and helful, until I planted the raspberries and they looked like roots to him. Luckily, the plants survived.
- Behind the raspberries, I’m piling up the turf I dug out from the yard. I’ve read that if I cover it with black plastic for a month or so, it’ll break down. I’m planning to plant wildflowers there once the process is complete.
- Dug a bed on the side of the tool shed and planted peas (so late, but I’m trying anyway) and broccoli rabe on Sunday.
- Tomato seedlings have three leaves now.
- Oregano and strawberry seedlings are still very tiny. I think I’m going to break down and buy some strawberry plants this week.
- Sage seedlings were doing great, but then all but one died suddenly. I may try sowing directly after the last frost date.
- Peppers seedlings exploded! There was nothing there, and now they are tall and healthy. The leaves unfurl. I wish I’d done some time lapse-y photos. It was cool to watch.
- Only one lavender seedling came up.
- I’m very behind on getting the other seeds started. We’ll see what happens.
Oh man, I want to plant so badly. So much soil to till first.
Lavender is very difficult to grow from seed. I’ve tried many times and have failed miserably. I finally gave up and just bought some plants and they were doing fabulous, but then we moved so I don’t know how they are doing now.
I’m guessing cicada solely based on its size. That thing is huge!
Hey thanks for the great blog, I love this stuff. I don’t usually do much for Earth Day but with everyone going green these days, I thought I’d try to do my part.
I am trying to find easy, simple things I can do to help stop global warming (I don’t plan on buying a hybrid). Has anyone seen that EarthLab.com is promoting their Earth Day (month) challenge, with the goal to get 1 million people to take their carbon footprint test in April?… I took the test, it was easy and only took me about 2 minutes and I am planning on lowering my score with some of their tips.
I am looking for more easy fun stuff to do. If you know of any other sites worth my time let me know.
Noelle — my friend’s mom told me that black plastic works wonders — lay it out where you plan to dig, weight it down, and wait a few weeks. Even just a week of sunlight will kill the grass underneath and make it easier to turn. If you use garbage bags and are careful not to tear them, you can still use them as garbage bags when you’re done.
Dianne — I have 2 lavender plants I bought a few years ago. They are so beautiful! I’m hoping for many more, but I may have to pick some up at the garden store if these seedlings don’t work.
MG — I think you’re right.
The new moon is on May 5th. You should start your next batch of seeds then. You’ll have time to plan out what you want to plant.
Blueberries like some shade if I remember correctly. Here at my house they grow best right on the edge of the woods where it’s partially sunny and loaded with pine needles. Same with blackberries but check me on that.
the black plastic is such a great idea, i’ll have to try that! don’t feel bad, i’m very behind in starting my seeds also. i’ve never had much luck starting lavender from seed either, but i’m giving it yet another try.
allie, i’m jealous of your sunny yard!
noelle & danielle, i’m trying something called lasagna gardening today–instead of tilling, you just put down a layer of a flat, semi-heavy biodegradable material (cardboard or several layers of wet newspaper) and that will smother and kill the grass. on top you spread any organic material (manure, compost, dead leaves, etc) in layers and plant in that. it’s a lot of shoveling but not a lot of digging. if you google “lasagna gardening” you’ll come up with a few different methods ranging from very simple to a bit more complicated.
i was really dreading tilling up the grass so i’m hoping this works.
Could be a Death’s Head Moth, Clarice.
Sorry, that’s creepy. Just the first thing that came to mind. I hope Noelle posts pictures when she gets her garden going. I’m so jealous of people with yards.
great job Allie! this will be an amazing garden for you. i can’t wait to see all it grows.
Mickey — that just gave me the willies.
Erikka — thanks! How’s the plot situation going?
Maria — gardening has gotten me to love the sunny yard. Before that, it was just hot and bright, but now, it’s great for my plants! I read a lot about lasagna gardening! I’m dying to know how that works out for you!
Danielle — I’ll finish up getting my seeds started this weekend if you will.
Michelle — my blueberry packages said full sun, but I always thought they liked some shade too — they’ll get some in the afternoon.
I have a balcony … but it doesn’t get sun AT ALL. I can kill a potted plant faster then anyone … hey, is there like a world record do you think for that?
I’m passing the photo on to my mom. She knows bugs.
SO … I showed your photo to nature expert mom. She was unsure if Cicadas had this stage, she was thinking they went through incomplete metamorphosis (without a pupa stage). She was thinking it could be some kind of beetle.
Are you watching it at all? I’m curious what it is …