Early Daffodils
I caught this sight out of the corner of my eye while petting my niece’s puppy. These green sprouts are Daffodils which are beginning to grow a few weeks earlier then last year. I took a similar picture on March 7th 2010 for my post Signs of Spring.
As I think about the timing when these plants first grow, I’m reminded that last year at this time I was busy cloning grape vines, but this year I haven’t even pruned those vines. I better get my self into gear as soon as the cold returns, or I will lose the opportunity for the year.
It’s important to prune grape vines, as grapes will only grow out of the new green part of the vine. When you prune a grape vine, your reducing the amount of top growth that the roots need to supply with nutrients. Since the size of the roots are not changed, it is easier for the roots to supply ample nutrients and water to the new growth, which in turn encourages better grape production.
Fall Planted Garlic
I’m very happy to see that my store-bought fall-planted garlic is still alive and well. I got these cloves at quite a discount compared to garlic bulbs in most gardening catalogs. I know these are not “Gourmet” garlic bulbs, but they are an important first trial before I invest in the much more expensive bulbs. If this garlic crop does well, I’ll begin diversifying with the more expensive bulbs.
Goat Manure
I also have some work cut out for me this weekend. Above is one of the first of many piles of manure that I hope to place into the garden in the next few weeks. This particular pile is Goat Manure, which is very good for a garden, and contains very few seeds.
