Growth

Things are starting to grow. If I have a success so far this year, it is the onions. Nearly all of the sets have grown into decent looking plants. The plan is to water every day and fertilize with 10-10-10 every month. I am trying to catch the small weeds and grasses that are already sprouting on a daily basis. Last year's onion crop had a lot of small bulbs and, by the end of the season, a fair number of competing plants in the bed. I didn't fertilize, didn't weed, and didn't water as regularly as I think I should have.



I am also pleased that the 5 grape vines (Mars) that I planted last year have begun to grow. Two are now full with leaves, three are starting to bud. I felt that the grapes struggled last year. They are in an area that, when we put in the trellis, we found ground water just a foot or two down. They are too far from the source to water, so I am hoping the ground water will work. I picked the area they are planted in because the grass is always green in that area of the yard and I think there must be an underground spring or something.

I have asked Doug Shaw for some muscadine and scuppernog starts. I visited his yard the other day and they are starting to grow at about the same rate as my grapes, sending out leaves.