Welcome back! This week has been a calm week for the radishes and lettuce, they are growing slowly but surely! I think I have a hang of the whole dirt gardening. However, last week I had planted sprout seeds in an indoor sprouter thinking this week I would be able to share that my sprouts have grown…Unfortunately, I have other news. Stay tuned! I am hoping to share some wisdom for gardening this week.
Update on radishes: This week, the radishes have really grown in height. I also noticed that there are baby plants sprouting in the front row. I have been watering the radishes each day and I have kept the plant box outside overnight as the nights have been warmer and not freezing. For most of the day, the radishes are in direct sunlight, which I believe has been key to their quick growth. Referring back to the growth chart, I think the radishes are in between the vegetative and budding stages. I am seeing the red roots in the dirt, which is a sign of growth and maturity. I have been referring to this video about radishes. The lady in the video suggests about 45 days from planting to harvesting the radishes and we are on day 29…over half way there! The green leaves will continue to grow in height, which means the radishes are growing underneath. More watering and sunlight should do the trick! This video was very informative about the length of time for germination of radishes and signs to look for when they are ready to harvest. It is a quick video full of information.
Update on lettuce: This week, the lettuce have been spreading throughout the dirt and getting thicker. I have been watering the lettuce each day and I have kept the plant box outside overnight as the nights have been warmer and not freezing. Like the radishes, for the majority of the day, the lettuce is in the direct sunlight. This has been crucial for growth. As I refer back to the growth chart, I think the lettuce would also be between the vegetative and budding stages. There is little lettuce leaves poking up through the dirt, which is interesting why the whole box is not full of lettuce because I put seeds throughout. It seems that the majority of the lettuce has grown in the middle of the box. I am thinking this is because the water was able to sit in the middle as the dirt may have not been level. I have been referring to this website about buttercrunch lettuce (aka butterhead lettuce) and when to know when it is ready to harvest. It suggests about 70 days for optimal development of the lettuce but can be harvested on day 24 as young lettuce… we are on day 29 and I do not think it is ready to be harvested yet! I will continue watering and ensuring the lettuce is getting enough sunlight. This website is a short article with step by step instructions of how to harvest lettuce and also signs showing that the lettuce is ready to harvest. Very helpful and easy to follow! I also learned that you can harvest the lettuce by cutting the top part off and leaving the roots, which allows the lettuce to re-grow!
Update on sprouts: So, I am sharing my wisdom from my sprout experience this past week. Last week, I had began the sprouting process by putting the seeds into sprouter, watering them, and setting them in sunlight indoors. They even started sprouting little green stems! Then, one day last week, I decided it would be a good idea to put the whole sprouter in the sun outside on the deck for the day to get sunlight and warmth to help with the growing process. However, I forgot to bring in the sprouter that evening and the seeds got too cold and basically froze and dried up. The next morning I could instantly tell the seeds were no good. They even had a weird rotten smell. So, I dumped the seeds out and replanted this week. I will NOT be putting the sprouter outside but simply leaving the sprouter near the window where it gets an abundance of sunlight and will water as needed. Hopefully next week I can share that I have sprouts ready for eating!
My goals for next week:
>Keep sprouts alive and hopefully harvest at the end of the week
>Water lettuce and radish plants daily
>Research more about harvesting lettuce and radishes