More to plant now and clearing misunderstandings

Necole tells me she is now sowing arugula outside. Good idea! My seeds are ready. Arugula has the advantage over lettuce that of lasting MUCH longer, but it is not as universally liked. It would be ready now well before the end of the school year and still available in September. Jose has started arugula and Swiss chard, among other items. Both will be available this spring.

I simply forgot to mention radishes. In recent years I've been raising Hakurei turnips as a preferable substitute, but it wasn't available this year and the Johnny Seeds rep suggested Tokyo Cross turnips instead. I will soon sow that outside. All three are ready to harvest before summer if started now outside.

No, one does not sow pepper or eggplant seeds outside now! I start them usually in April in the greenhouse window, but late March might be reasonable. Some you use grow lights, which use artificial energy. A majority of NJ's electricity comes from nuclear power, and I am glad I need none for my garden -- especially today with the news from Japan.

I allow my own grass clippings to stay on my lawn, but some neighbors kindly bag up theirs, and we grab them from the curb before Montclair has to pay to have them removed. Sometimes neighbors even kindly bring their grass clippings to me!

Ludwig writes, "I planted scallions three weeks ago--in my "window garden"--and they are ready for harvesting. But I did not use seeds. I planted lower parts of stalks (with roots) from the consumed supermarket scallions. Sun was usually shining for about three hours, each afternoon. The soil in the pot was watered each evening."

Pat