When I went outside to finish all of my renovations to Patch it was raining. It wasn't supposed to rain today. It was supposed to be cloudy and rain for the next 3 days. So naturally I was disgruntled and frustrated. I'd spent yesterday working outside and getting things settled or planning on it because I knew it was supposed to rain all week. When that went all wrong I swore that today I would get things into order and then my plants could absorb all the nice rain for the next 3 days and end in a climate revision. Usually the rain brings cold, breaks the heat, but around this time in NOVA it brings the heat. So I was hoping that would happen. I didn't even have to water today because of the rain. All I did was pout and take a look at the Topsy Turvy, raised beds in Patch and Potagar, and brought the greenhouse in out of the rain. Luckily, I headed up and out right when the rain started to hit so it wasn't soaked, water logged.
Green but Slow...
I remember writing about my green but slow thumb and wondering what was causing the plants to slow grow, to the point that they were taking almost double the time. Well I figured it out. It was thinning they needed. They needed it badly. I finally sucked it up and thinned out the radishes (3" apart) and the spinach (down to 3) and the radishes, a much faster crop, has boomed. It looks like they grew an inch overnight. I even thinned the tiny carrot germs. and now they have REAL carrot leaves. Not just the seed leaves. I am so excited. I was being so careful with the thinning just in case plants died that I didn't realize I was stunting their growth. Now all I have to worry about is what I assume are carrot flies. When the carrots popped out so did the flies and thats why I assume thats what they are... I of course can't be sure because all of the pictures online are close-ups so that I can't compare but I think I'll need to invest in some row covers, otherwise, I'll be left with larvae filled carrots and completely disappointed.
I only viewed these things very quickly so I didn't get to take the pictures I promised but I will go out and get them, rain or shine, tomorrow. If your growing carrots and the bed isn't higher than two feet get row covers because the carrot flies will appear, even if you've never seen them in the area in your life and you've lived there for 20+ years. Trust me they don't just bug the carrots. They are all over the place and to be honest I don't know that they haven't already killed most of them and that's why I only have a few of the real leaves in what 3 weeks. I may actually replant if I hit 1/3 of the way to my second rotation and not much has happened. The second carrot rotation should be around mid-June, so if nothing much happens to the carrot plants after I thin, more, and cover them. They are OUT and new ones are going in with immediate covers.
I still need to steady my topsy but it seemed to be out and it was rainy and windy out so I guess I shouldn't have been so upset after all.
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