Gardening Goals ~ 12 -11 Weeks before Average date of last frost

        Okay if you are following me, I have missed a few weeks. Well holiday is one reason and COVID-19 is another reason. You can go back and read about what an amazing 2021 we are off too in Life of a working mom: 2021 off to a crazy start (missy-lifeofaworkingmom.blogspot.com). Everything is starting to get back to normal. That is life though. I’m not prefect no matter how hard I try. Need time off is fine. You can always follow with my in Week by Week Vegetable Gardner’s Handbook. I love this book, because it keeps me on track.  This week will be the week my body needs! I need to get my hands dirty!

 Weekly Goals

1.      Plant seeds – I will be starting to plant seeds, onions, leek, kale, collards and lettuces. If you follow me on Facebook at PA Gardeners we will be posting tips on how to grow each plant. So join us!

2.      Water plants – I need to remember to water indoor plants and outdoor seedlings!

3.      Make gardening Trays – We are going to work on getting rid of plastic in the garden. I will have a little for plant markers, but we are going to soil blocks and wooden trays. It is time to get rid of anything that isn’t good for our environment. I will have a few plastic containers, for cuttings but not much.

4.      Clean up green house – Yes this is still a goal, will most likely always be a goal.

    Here is where you can check out the rest of the blog post for 2021 garden.It doesn’t seem like a lot going on in the next week, but it will keep me busy. I’m so excited to get my hands dirty this week. Check out our Instagram, and Facebook pages to see photos of what we are doing in the garden! What do you have planned in your garden?

Life of a working mom: Gardening Time - 16-15 Weeks before average frost date (missy-lifeofaworkingmom.blogspot.com)

Life of a working mom: Gardening Goals ~ 18-17 Weeks Before Average Frost Date (missy-lifeofaworkingmom.blogspot.com)

Gardening Time - Leeks

            I don’t normal grow leek. Honestly it more I don’t really know how to cook with them. This year I decide to give them a try! I want my littles to learn to try new things. I guess that mean I need to too. I have to learn about Leeks, because I don’t know much about them then what is on their seed pack! Which is very useful information, but to be a good gardener I like to know a lot about a plant that will be in my garden.

            I picked the Bulgarian Giant Leek, from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds. I am not 100% sure why I pick this one. It was the one I like though. Hopeful it likes my garden.  Baker Creek has given me some great information on when to start the seeds, when to put them outside (6-8 weeks before last frost! ~ that is soon!!) and how to plant them. I will use the details they gave me match to my Week by Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook to plant them.

            What Are Leeks and How Are They Used? (thespruceeats.com) stated that leeks are apart of the onion family. That I knew, but they have a lesson onion taste. Okay my family might like them, then they are huge onion people. They also give great detail on how to harvest and prepare the leek. I will have to come back to this article. Growing Leeks | Tips for Planting Leeks in your Garden (bonnieplants.com) has a lot of tips on planting leeks. One being you can harvest as soon as they are an inch tall. Another one is that they do better in the fall. I will be planting them in our fall harvest too. (Having fresh healthy food all year round will be amazing!) Rotation of Leeks are the same as onions. According to An amateur's guide to crop rotation - GardenFocused.co.uk they should follow, peppers and tomatoes, and after them will be beans, peas and sweet potatoes. What should be planting with leeks? Leek Plant Companions - Learn About Companion Planting With Leeks (gardeningknowhow.com) states that lettuce, cabbage, strawberries and carrots do great with leeks. I think I will be trying lettuce with my leeks this year.

            Well I spent a lot of time today learning about leeks. I’m so excite to give this plant a try in my garden! Hopeful this helps you learn a little more about leeks too. If you have any tips for my please let me know. I believe gardening is always a learning thing!