Bare Root Strawberries and Garden Updates

Strawberries are a popular snack in our household, and sliced strawberries with whipped cream is one of our favorite desserts. Of course, we use low fat whipped cream. The problem is strawberries can be expensive, and they go bad rather quickly.

Strawberry Bed

So I want to grow my own. I've made several attempts to do so, with only moderate success. But I've learned along the way, and I'm hoping I'll have a more bountiful harvest this time around.

In the strawberry pot, I've planted Sequoia strawberries, a June bearing berry that should yield a crop of luscious strawberries in the early summer. I've also planted Quinault in the soil garden. Quinault is an ever-bearing berry, which, theoretically, means it bears fruit in all four seasons. I don't really expect to see much action in the height of the summer months, but otherwise, the Quinault may prove, um, fruitful.

Aquaponics Update

We recently updated our aquaponics system. We changed out the 40-gallon barrel for a one hundred gallon tub, and added a lot more fish; we now have around 40 goldfish in the system and will likely add more in the coming weeks. We also moved the grow bed so the plants would get more sunlight, yet still have shade when needed in the summer months.

Lettuce

Broccoli

The increase in fish should increase the nutrient value of the water feeding the plants, and the new location for the bed should allow us to add more varieties of plants. We've done well with greens and shade loving plants, but we want to add other veggies, such as tomatoes, celery, beets and beans, so more sunlight should afford us that opportunity.

Tire Garden Update

The tire garden is doing quite well. We're already harvesting lettuce, kale and broccoli, and will likely continue to do so into the warmer months. The Texas Tarragon, however, isn't doing as well as I would like. It's struggling a bit, but I'm reluctant to move it at this point. Come the summer months, it will be in a perfect place, with morning light and afternoon shade, so if it can just hang on, it may flourish come April and then into the summer.

Texas Terragon

Kale

After the broccoli, lettuce and kale is spent, I'll plant fennel, dill and mint. These herbs are invasive and may take over a garden bed; they can also be detrimental to the health of neighboring veggies. The tire garden affords each one its own space in which to grow and thrive.

In the coming weeks, we'll be updating our hydroponic systems, adding more plants to the aquaponics systems, and readying the soil garden for the warmer weather. That's one of the things I love most about gardening – there's always something new going on.