Cars 108 Garden is in the Ground and Growing!

Last weekend, my wife and I planted our garden at home. This weekend we took the seedlings that were left over and put them in the ground behind the radio station. We had already planted potatoes on the station property in mid-April, and they are doing very well.

Apparently, we missed a few from last year's potato crop when it was time to dig them up. They have sprouted and so we decided we might as well let them grow. The soil at the radio station property is pretty sandy, and is ideal for growing root crops like potatoes.

We also put in ten tomato plants, with some Beefsteaks, Rutgers (both larger varieties) and some cherry tomatoes for snacking. They are joined in the remaining spaces by broccoli and peppers (bell and jalapeno). After all the seedlings found a home, we had a small patch that needed something, so we put in a couple of small rows of carrots.

If you have been thinking about putting in a garden or growing some vegetables in containers, it is not too late. Most vegetables will produce in 90 days or less, which allows you to get them in by the end of June and still enjoy the crop later in the summer.

Many of the varieties that grow in short cycles can be planted more than once in a growing season. Carrots, lettuce, spinach, peas, radishes, onions can all be planted early and late. Check the seed package or ask for advice from the place that sells you the plants. Most are very helpful and knowledgable.

The Michigan State University Extension is also a valuable source of knowlege for growing things. They have a local office in Flint and can be reached on the web at http://www.msue.msu.edu/portal/default.cfm?pageset_id=27254

Last year, we had some problems with deer hopping over our fence and munching some of our crops. Who knew that deer actually liked cayenne peppers? This year we have strung up some twine and hung some old cd's from the line to hopefully keep the varmint damage to a minimum. Time will tell if this strategy works or not.