PEAS, PLEASE!

Finally, it feels like spring!  Yesterday I celebrated by getting some peas in the ground.  Soil temperatures at 6-inch depths were 47 where the dark soil was exposed, and 43 where I hadn't cleared away all of last year's straw mulch.  I planted where it was 47, which should allow slow but reliable germination.  This year I'm planting Sienna and Dark Seeded Early Perfection shell peas, Snowbird snow peas, and Sugar Sprint snap peas.  For some really early tasty tendrils for salads and as a cover crop in an area with poor soil, I'm including some field peas. Later, for a fall shell pea crop, I'll try Recruit, which is reported to have good mildew resistance but poor heat tolerance.

This evening, if the rain doesn't chase me in, I'll get some early radishes (Rover) and some rat-tailed ones for seed pods to add to salads.

Also, yesterday we uncovered and harvested the last of the dismal late carrot crop at the MG-SEEDS demonstration garden.  These were planted as soon as we could get a place prepared for them, in 95-degree soil in mid-July.  They were well covered and didn't show signs of having frozen, but they didn't have time to mature last fall and were small and tasteless.  We're hoping for an earlier start on carrots this year--maybe tomorrow!