Getting Ready to Grow Again

All the nasty dried up onions have to go

After spending the first week of 2012 at Harbin Hot Springs, I am ready to work on the soil again and grow something new. By the way, I really enjoyed my stay at Harbin; however, it is not for everyone. It's rustic and clothing optional. If you don't want to see naked people in the pools, it is not for you. I wore my bathing suit the entire time because that's what I am comfortable with. It doesn't bother me to stand out a little, and there were a few others who kept their bathing suits on. Anyway, the water was awesome. I attended yoga classes (included in the entrance fee) everyday while I was there. As I spent my time in the mountain, I missed my garden. I couldn't wait to work on it again.

Dried up garlic chive flowers with seeds

Most of the first generation green onions I planted are now looking moldy, dried up, and infested with black aphids. All the garlic chives have flowered and seeded. Before I started ripping everything out of the soil, I cut off a bunch of dried up garlic chive flowers to collect seeds. I will replant some garlic chives as they are very good with scrambled eggs and Chinese dumplings.

After the seeds are collected, I started pulling everything out of the soil. The green onions have rooted deeply, and widely. I shook off us much soil from the roots as I could. In addition to green onions and garlic chives, this bed also has red potatoes. The potatoes are sprouting now. I accidentally pulled out a couple potatoes while pulling the green onions. I just planted them back into the soil.

Next step is to mix in some compost from my worm compost bins and add more soil.

Only potatoes are left in this bed now