Growing Onions From Transplants

WeeBee Farms will have Onion starts late April through mid-May. Here's how to plant them:
Choosing the right site-
Onions love to grow in full sun in light, well-drained soil that's high in organic matter.

When to plant- to get to optimal size onion transplants should be planted 2-4 weeks before

Protect cool weather plants and Salad Bowls during hot weather!

This week is unusually hot and sunny for April. The salad bowls, lettuces and mustard greens are wilting in the heat. Make sure to water them like crazy, and if possible, give them shade during the hot part of the day!! Freshly planted seedlings are more vulnerable to heat because their root system has not spread out yet. Even more vulnerable are plants in little black pots. Keep these in the shade on hot days, or plant them in the evening and water them deeply.

Tips for growing cold weather greens and Salad Bowls

Our "salad bowl" planters are ready to put on your deck or porch. Here are some quick tips.
Buy one before Mid-May, as they love cold weather and won't be bothered by frost, but do not do well in heat. Harvest about half of each plant when the plant is around 6" high or so. Lettuce will be fairly long-lasting if you keep using it. Harvest often, by pinching off outer, bigger leaves.
Here are a few veggies that may be in your bowl:

• Mustard (Osaka purple, mizuna or komatsuna, ruby streaks): short-lived, eat leaves while small.
• Kale and chard: eat leaves while small, do not let it get big or it will take over the whole bowl.
• Spinach or Arugula: short-lived, eat small young leaves.
• Chives: a long-lived perennial. Harvest by clipping or pinching. Replant outdoors when bowl is done.
• Garlic Greens (sometimes marked by a stick if they haven't come up yet) Pinch off leaves and use in salads or with rice, eggs, stirfries, soup, etc. Bulbs will be tiny and not fully formed- not worth waiting for.
• Italian Red Bunching Onions - eat green part, or wait and use little bulbs like scallions

Keep the bowl well-watered in a place where it gets at least a half day of sun. It will probably be finished growing in June. Bowls can be re-used for years or returned to us.

9 different kinds of kale plants for sale! Come to our first day April 7th!

Delaway        O    Karen’s 2011 favorite. Very sweet and productive

Dinosaur        O    Also called Lacinato, Tuscan, Black Nero. Delicious, gorgeous

Red Winter    O     Very hardy, pretty and good tasting. Eat small or medium leaves

Judy’s Kale    O     Tall, broad leaves, good for bunching. Excellent taste

Peas

Swiss Giant snow peas

My son Caley grew his own pea plants to sell, and I grew some too. Now is a good time to plant them outside. Peas are very cold hardy, and it's best to plant them in April or early May.

Types of Pea Plants that WeeBee Farms is selling:
                             Type                      height trellis?
Green Arrow          shelling     65 days    24"     no        high yields, 4" pods, disease tolerant
Wando                  shelling     68 days    24"     no
     heat tolerant heirloom