See you at market May 8th! Don't forget Salad Bowl Planters for Mother's Day!!!

The cool weather plants are thriving in this weather!!!  But, because of the snow, rain and wind we won't be there tomorrow April 30th, so gear up for gardening next weekend.
We will take good care of the plants until then. They are inside our "shade frames" which are like cold frames, but with just a shade cloth to protect them from the weight of the snow and the full sun on sunny days. These shade frames offer no protection from the cold, but the greens like this weather!

Lettuce and Bok Choy outside enjoying the weather near the shade frame

The greens are pretty happy inside the shade frame too

May 8th will still be a good time to plant all the cool weather plants, and we'll have a few of our famous "Latah" tomato plants. (Super-early tomatoes that are very juicy and flavorful.)
Don't forget to get your Salad Bowl Planter for Mother's Day weekend!!!

April 23rd Market Update

We missed last market due to the cold, rainy, snowy forecast- I didn't think too many people would be gardening last weekend.
Now we have twice as many plants to sell this Saturday! They are all well-hardened off, as they were out in the cold and snow with just a shade cloth to protect them from wind and heavy snow.

It's still cool enough for all the cool weather plants to thrive!

-->We have 8 types of Kale, Broccolini (Broccoli Piracicaba), Rapini (broccoli raab), Colorful Red Mustards, Colorful lettuces (heat tolerant types), Komatsuna ("Japanese Spinach") Onion starts, bok choy, Pea starts, Salad bowl planters, Swiss Chard (3 colors), Collard greens, Cabbage, Garlic greens, arugula and more.

See you at Market!! Saturday April 2nd

We'll be there with cold weather veggie starts: Arugula, Asian Greens, Peas, Lettuce, Kale,  Bok Choy and Salad Bowl planters.

How to "Harden Off" your plants

Acclimating Your Plants before planting them in your garden

WeeBee Farms takes pride in selling you plants that are ready for planting today. However, during periods of extreme weather, we need to protect the plants in the greenhouse and they may need re-acclimated to the outdoors. Or you may have kept your plants indoors or in the shade for a few days and will need to harden them off yourself before planting.
Cold weather plants  (lettuce, kale, broccoli, peas, etc) Plant these in April!!!!!
Acclimating your plants to the outdoors is extremely important to their survival. Because plants usually are grown in greenhouses, they've been pampered. They need to be introduced slowly to the elements of wind and intense sun. The cold temperatures don't bother the plants as much as wind and sun. Once fully hardened off they can take quite a bit of snow, and cold down to 10 or 20 degrees.
Initially, you will put plants outdoors only for short periods of time, perhaps for an hour.  (If you see it wilting, put it back in the shade for a while). You'll want to set them in a semi-shaded area of the yard. Gradually, you will increase the time plants are kept outdoors; you also will gradually increase their exposure to sun. After 6 to 8 days, these plants will be ready for the outdoor life.
Do not cut back on watering. Plants that are in small pots dry out very quickly and need to be kept moist. Plants are also more susceptible to heat and cold in their small pots. Once in the ground, the soil will moderate the temperatures.
It's a good idea to transplant on a cloudy day or in the evening, when the plants won't get full exposure to the hot sun on their first day in the ground. Water the plants and planting hole deeply.
Hot Weather Plants  (Basil, Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers, Squash, Beans)
We don't plant our tomatoes or basil out until May 31st, Peppers a week or two later. They will die at 32 degrees, and they do NOT like cold ground temperatures, especially peppers. We have been successful at growing tomatoes and peppers for 16 years. We are in Boulder County 10 miles north of Boulder. Boulderites may be able to get away with planting a week or so earlier.