Phase II: Green Leafy Things (plus post-Irene update)

So, that was an interesting week. I like how it also falls to the local TV weatherperson to explain earthquakes to viewers at home. I guess they have access to the maps in the studio? Took more than one gen-ed science class in college?

I got my comeuppance with my mocking of the earthquake earlier this week when the pepper plants really did topple almost completely out of the ground during Irene. The biggest plant is about an inch around at the base, so snapping completely in half would have taken a lot more wind. Some creative emergency trellising and we're back in the vertical position. The largest basil plant also was uprooted but I could just tamp that back down.

All in all, the neighborhood's plant life fared fine - nothing I would even categorize as a branch, let alone limb, came off a tree. Glad we got those oak saplings lo those many years ago.

I am a bit concerned that the insane amount of rain will drown out the seeds I planted last week for what will be the Green Leafy stage of the season. I sowed some chard along with more fennel, and started bok choi in the basement (or, if you prefer, bok choy, or pak choi, or even pak choy. Or Chinese cabbage). It's total guesswork here when to start these plants I feel with fall around here. It could be hotter than hell into September, or get really hot in the middle of October and force these guys to bolt. I'm holding off on the kale we'll plant until later, probably the end of September after the basil starts to go south. The chard should deal with potential early-fall heat better than the kale, and given I've seen boxes of kale being grown around Columbia Heights more or less in the middle of winter, I'm not too worried about waiting longer for it.

The bok choi isn't futzing around, by the way. It had germinated in two days after I put it under the desk lamp. In another day - bam! - sprouts.

Now for the ever-exciting compost update, How's It Rotting? Pretty well, actually. The "browns" of the can -- the sticks, leaves, etc -- have broken down almost completely, taking much of the paper with them. The compost was almost ready to use for the second planting but wasn't quite there. It probably will be come kale time, but truly will come in handy when we need to re-enrich the topsoil early next spring. If I had been better about watering the can it may have been ready now, but I don't think the tomatoes were that big of nutrients whores. Another dose of blood meal and compost tea should do the job.