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The Peas Sprouted!

by: Jill Richardson

Sat Jan 02, 2010 at 16:57:14 PM PST


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Hooray! We've got peas. Very teeny tiny little pea sprouts, but they are peas nonetheless!


Those are peas on either side with a weed in the middle

Mmm. Delicious sugarsnap peas, fresh off the vine.
Jill Richardson :: The Peas Sprouted!
To see just how tiny these little peas are, here's a view of the bed where I planted them:

The peas are planted along the fence, but you can't tell.

More and more carrot sprouts are popping up every day, but none of them seem to be getting any bigger. I decided it was time to give them a hint:

We'll see if that works.

Also, I made a graph for our older daughter so we can chart how long it takes for each type of plant to germinate:

Maybe that will increase her enthusiasm? I'm thinking I'll tell her it's a science experiment, since she loves her toy science kit so much.

For the full story about "Flower Power Farm" (the name we chose for our garden):
Part 1: Preparing the soil and planting the carrot seeds
Part 2: Preparing the soil for peas and cruciferous veggies
Part 3: Enter the Pests
Part 4: The Carrots Sprouted!
Part 5: Gardening with the Kids
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The Peas Sprouted! | 21 comments
The carrots may need a bit more of a challenge.... (4.00 / 5)
Why not taunt them?

"Hey carrots, you wusses.  The peas are kicking your asses up and down!  You gonna lose to some peas?!"

That's more like it!

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

hey now (4.00 / 5)
these carrots are from California, not Jersey. Let's at least start out by being nice to them. I'll resort to potty-mouth tactics later if I have to.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman
[ Parent ]
Hee hee... (4.00 / 4)
You have a point!

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens
[ Parent ]
Im hooked on Jersey Shore (4.00 / 5)
anyone seen that on MTV? It's horribly awesome.
[ Parent ]
Not yet... (4.00 / 5)
I fear I may see myself as I was ten years ago.  That's why I don't plan on watching it...

Heh.

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

[ Parent ]
Actually (4.00 / 5)
I think I might remove that sign. It'll block their sunlight. Very counterproductive. Hmm.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman
[ Parent ]
Talking... (4.00 / 5)
...should do the trick.

"The Carrot Whisperer".

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

[ Parent ]
I'm gonna have to make one of those signs for out here (4.00 / 5)
I love it!

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....
[ Parent ]
I just got home from a trip to my Dad's (4.00 / 5)
in Missouri. Greeting me were my sprouts of broccoli, bok choy, carrots and mesclun... oh ya and the chia cat grass I got for Xmas is beyonded sprouted they're like 4 inches tall. My orange trees are flowering and ::knock on wood:: it looks like the oranges may actually not all fall off once they become pea sized like last year, and the year before. There are far less bugs this year on both of them. I wonder if it's the cold nights we've been having or maybe they're just more mature?  
Love the sign! (4.00 / 5)
Plus so jealous. Here in Michigan it's 14 degrees and we're expecting more snow, so it will be awhile before we're planting peas ;-)
awwww (4.00 / 4)
that sounds very not-fun. That's precisely why I moved here, after 26 years (and 26 winters) in the midwest. Living here, you kind of forget how abnormal it is to be growing stuff in the middle of winter. What's funny is that I worry that it's too cold for our plants to grow, since it's in the 60's, and that's freezing for us.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman
[ Parent ]
Jill, I seem to recall that (4.00 / 4)
peas like cool weather, at least when they're small.  Sugar snap peas here go on sale around May or so...maybe April, I forget, but our last frost-date isn't until mid-May: just to give you an idea.

Boy is it cold right now.  The Canadian deep-freeze is ON: nobody's planting anything unless they have a heated greenhouse.

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found. -- Calvin Trillin

[ Parent ]
oh well that's a good thing then (4.00 / 3)
cuz they've got all of the cool weather they can stand for many more months now.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman
[ Parent ]
yes (4.00 / 3)
peas, onions, & "brassys" (brassica or cruciferous vegetables- cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, turnips, rutabagas, radish, mustard, spinach) all want cool weather.

come firefly-dreaming with me....
[ Parent ]
cool! (4.00 / 4)
YaY for peas!!

an idea for the older girl.... use/encourage her scientific bent.
put her in charge of the notebook tracking planting dates, watering, mulching, any bug problems, etc....& how much produce you get & what you do with it!
its how real scientists do experiments...
a scientist (or gardener) must keep careful notes- so you know what to do to recreate a good outcome & know what not to do if disaster occurs! (i keep one each year...& have a 'map' of my garden beds, lists of planting dates, type of seed, purchased from? saved?, etc) & a list of monthly chores that need doing.
i applaud your wanting to get both the girls enthused over this garden.

another idea just popped in my head. ferry-morse puts out a soil test kit (appx $20) that has stuff to do 10 tests each for phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium & pH... (www.SeedAndGarden.com)
you shouldn't need to do that many tests, but if it will inspire her to help..... she could test the soil(w/ your help of course!)& y'all find what is needed to remedy any soil problems.

come firefly-dreaming with me....

very cool (4.00 / 4)
Yes, I want to put her in charge of the notebook. The problem's been that I've done a lot while she isn't around and then I record it so I won't forget it. But when she plants her cauliflower, I'll have her write that down FOR SURE!

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman
[ Parent ]
She can still be in charge of the note book (4.00 / 3)
and you make entries into it when you need to. The two of you can work as a team.

I like RiaD's soil test kit idea. That way you could both explore the soils in different parts of the yard and determine what would grow best where, why, and it the soil was deficient in something or the Ph wrong, how to adjust it.

Very cool!

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

[ Parent ]
that would be very neat! (4.00 / 2)
I'll see if she's interested. For now I bought the girls wooden bird houses to paint.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman
[ Parent ]
Where are your snail traps? (4.00 / 4)
You need to put out the beer in shallow plates to ward off the brown snails or they will eat every last sprout.
George is right (4.00 / 4)
Better a pre-emptive strike than to come out and find that your seedlings have been munched to the ground.

Reminds me, I haven't seen too many snails or slugs out here lately. I think it's because the hens are eating a lot of the eggs. We still have a few but not like my dad does. Yet another reason that I'm in debt to the hens. And now with my new Plant Protectors version 2.0 I think I'll be able to sick the chickens on the cucumber beetles around the squash, cukes and melons, at least until the plants start fruiting.

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

[ Parent ]
i'll third this! (4.00 / 3)
i use old plates from thrift store/yard sales ($.05/ea) & put at least one in each area new stuff is sprouting. 1 can of the cheapest beer will fill plates for a couple days.

come firefly-dreaming with me....
[ Parent ]
The Peas Sprouted! | 21 comments
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