It's officially Spring (finally!) and we are all hoping to leave as much of the madness of the last year behind us, but here in the Landscaping and gardening industry, we are still seeing some effects of it, and we probably will for some time.
With everyone stuck home last year, filling their time with home and garden projects, everyone sold out of a lot of things- especially hardy edibles. This trickled from the corner store on up to the wholesalers in Oregon. Add to that the ice storms they got whammied with this winter, and we are facing some late arrivals and some just plain non arrivals of a lot of stuff, unfortunately. But we have been working hard and searching tirelessly to get in the tried and true staples our wonderful customers depend on us for, and some have arrived here at our Appleway and Barker store!
Seed potatoes are in! We have Russet Burbank, Yukon Gold, Red Pontiac, and All Blue. 2.5# for $3.49 or 5# for $5.99. You can stretch seed potatoes pretty far by cutting them in half, or quartering them. Just make sure there are a couple eyes per chunk, and spread them out on a sheet of newspaper to dry overnight before planting. Some folks like to make hills and plant a few per hill, others like to do them in rows. Just a few inches deep and a foot or more apart should do it. Potatoes thrive with consistant water, and as they are growing and you see bits of potato at the soil surface, mound more soil up over the plant- it's okay if you bury some of the stems and leaves- they will grow even more potatoes that way. Typically harvest in the fall as the plant tops begin to yellow and whither, but if you want New Potatoes or Baby Reds, just dig some in July!
We have Onion sets! Red or Yellow. $1.99 per bag, approximately 12 ounce bags. For big onions, plant an inch deep and at least 6" apart. For green onions (Scallions) plant a few inches deep and an inch apart. Harvest Scallions when the tops are 8" plus tall. Big onions are harvested in fall when the tops of the plants begin to yellow and flop over. During the growing season, cut off any flowers before they form- they're pretty, but they're just sucking energy away from the onion itself.
Horseradish! Our jumbo crown divisions are a steal at $3.99 each. Horseradish is incredibly easy to grow, but it will eat up some space if you let it. It's a great plant for those spots that are difficult to get anything else to grow in because they are too dry or rocky or compacted. Bury the root so that just the top of the crown is visible. Water regularly but not too heavily. Wait 2 seasons to harvest. Dig some roots in fall, winter, or early spring. Hint: The cooler the soil has been before harvest, the more pungent your horseradish will be. I like to grate mine, pack it into a recycled dressing jar, fill to the top with white vinegar, and refrigerate. Mix with sour cream and serve!
Mary Washington Jumbo Asparagus Crowns! $.99 each or 20 for $14.99. Asparagus does well in moist, well drained soil. plant in trenches about a foot apart and cover until the top of the crown is just peeking out. Give it a couple years to establish before harvesting. An established Asparagus patch will provide you with asparagus for many years to come! You can save a little space by planting strawberries with them. They are good companion plants that utilize the soil at different depths. Which leads us to Strawberries: We have Shuksan June bearing and Fort Laramie everbearing, bare root bundles of 10 for $7.99. Our 4" containers will be rooted and ready soon, and will be $1.49 each.
Bare root Raspberries are here as well! We have Fall Gold everbearing, Heritage everbearing, and Boyne summer bearing. Bundles of 5 canes for $14.99. We will have potted Raspberries available a little later in the season.
We also have a good selection of Elderberry bushes, Red Currants, Gooseberries, Table Grapes, Thornless Blackberries, Hardy Kiwi Vine, Rhubarb, and more!
We will let you know here as soon as other edibles arrive, so keep your eyes peeled, and happy planting!
Commentaires