Homemade Staycation

It started snowing yesterday and it is not going to stop until sunday. We are expecting 15-18 inches from the storm.The long term weather report is calling for a cool and wet April and May. This might be good for the outdoor crops, because we picked crops that thrive in cool weather, such as carrots, onions, lettuce, and broccoli.  

Since snow can be expected any month of the year in Montana, it is good to grow some tropical plants to take your mind of the endless winters. We ordered a dwarf banana tree last march and it has been doing great under the lights. It came as a small, lifeless root that we placed in the soil. Growing bananas was a new thing for the farm so we did not know what to expect. It took a while to get started, but the long days and strong light helped get the banana established.

It now makes a new leaf every week an has begun to push a new shoot out of the stump. Bananas are considered a herb because after each bloom the stalk (or tree) dies. The small shoot at the bottom of the plant then replaces the dead stalk and forms bananas again.

Picking and Grinning

The first tomatoes are just about ripe. The rest of the tomatoes in the hydroponic system are starting to catch up with this one, so the harvest should not end for another few weeks.

Outside Garden

I placed some yellow onion sets and cold heady peas (Blue Podded) in a freshly tilled area of the garden along the fence before the snow came. As long as the storm does not bring really cold weather with it, the snow and dirt should insulate the seeds enough to germinate.