Garden Update - Week 1

My little vegetable garden has survived its first week. So far the night temperatures have stayed well above freezing, and there has been enough rain that watering hasn’t been necessary very often. It gets about 6-8 hours of sun each day, so there has even been a little bit of growth.

So far the fences and the organic stink bombs have kept the deer and the bunnies away. I will spray some more this evening just to be sure… pew!

In about two months I’ll be making salsa, pasta sauce, pesto, roasted poblanos and crema de poblano (a cream soup). I’ll also be drying hers, and donating extra peppers, onions and tomatoes to local food ministries here in Rochester.

The Garden is Planted

I have finally finished planting tomatoes, peppers, onions, basil and rosemary. It’s a bit early to plant here in Rochester, but spring seems to have come to stay. So I’ll be watching the forecast carefully for the next couple of weeks.

I planted extra plants this year, because of something I’ve been hearing on NPR. Scotts Miracle-Gro has started a program to help feed those at risk for hunger. By planting a little extra and donating the surplus to local food agencies or soup kitchens, we can help Scotts raise one million pounds of produce.

If 40,000 people donate 25 pounds of produce - about one grocery bag - then we’ve met the goal! It’s not hard. One cucumber plant can yield 15-20 cucumbers; a single bell pepper plant can yield 6-8 peppers.

If you’re interested in finding about Plant A Row for the Hungry and the GroGood program, visit http://www.grogood.com/