Grubbing Out Stumps and Asparagus Class

They are my" favorite" spring flower.
Dig that trench 10in deep, 10in wide and plant the crowns 18in apart for the best results.
Having a good time at the Asparagus Festival - people, plants, and food always a good mix.
The cedar stumps removed and the holes filled with runoff from the rain.
Cutting the trunks too short was a big mistake - leverage is a good tool.
But cutting the roots and using a pry-bar worked.
My son, Andrew, helped me with the stump cleanup - we may have to use his truck too.
Because I don't think the leaf and brush guys will take them and we will have to take them to the leaf dump.


The weather cooperated and with my saws-all in hand, and help from my son and wife, I was able to cut the stumps out and get them to the street. I will call the city to see if they will take them or if I have to remove them to the yard waste site, but the space is clear and now I can get onto the next job. This spot will probably lay fallow for a year while I plan what will go here but I am thinking seriously about grapes and an apricot tree.

Before the chicken coop is built in the garden shed I need to clean it and repaint it. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I will be able to get that done this week.

I got another tray of lettuce planted in the hoop house this week. Most of the zinnias are seeded and they are amazing germinators - most are up in three of four days. The Four-O'clock are really slow to germinate even with good bottom heat. I was also happy with the germination of the Stevia seeds as I got six plants from the seed packet and for as small as the see was I was happy with the germination. The tomato and pepper seedlings are real poky and we need some good sunny weather to move them along. I have not started any cubits because I want to read up on the ones I want to try to graft and the month of May and early June are packed with activities some which will take me away from the greenhouse and its care so I will have to plant accordingly.

The Negronne fig , which was dormant last week, has sprouted and the Chicago Fig outside is really happy - green and growing 6 to 8 inches so far this season. I have even seen several figs that are already swelling and growing.

I planted shallots bulbs today on the back of the hoop house as the ground there was ready and easy to work. I had found two nice one pound bags at Trader Joe's several months ago and decided to use them and see what I got. Hopefully they will sprout and multiply. The onions in the cold frame would like to go into the garden but the soil is still very wet and as it rained last night not tilling is in the immediate future. Moving some sorrel and getting rid of some sod close to the area where the cedar trees were taken out is something I might be able to do this week but no planting in the main garden is remotely possible -

Saturday I had a good time helping people who bought asparagus plants from the Gardeners' Club of Green Bay. I was the answer guy for planting questions and with plants, ruler and aquarium I explained the trench method for planting this crop. We talked about fertilizer and that gave me reason to invited people to the Urban Chicken workshop and expound on the value of chicken manure as fertilizer and compost. Everyone was eager to go home and plant asparagus. I think most everyone understood the need to let the plants grow undisturbed till 2013 before the first harvest.
Happy Gardening