Spring 15% off Sale, But is it Really Spring?

It is April 20th as I write this, and I know that it is officially Spring as of almost a month ago, but outside a winter storm is raging. It isn’t actually snowing, although it feels like it could, and just to the south and north of Gabriola it did snow two days ago. It appears that we are having another cold, late Spring like last year.

Rather than get too down about the weather though, I prefer to think about the things I’m planting or about to plant that inspire or excite me.

For example, every year I grow sweet potatoes, and some years they do well and I get a significant amount of tubers for little effort, and in other years I barely get enough to overwinter and try again the next year. Why plant sweet potatoes? I love them and want to get a variety well-adapted to our climate, even though we are at about the most northerly tip of its grow zone. It does love heat and a long growing season.

Nevertheless, in the ten or so years since I started growing them, it has definitely adapted— somewhat. When I first started growing sweet potatoes here, I needed to have them either in a greenhouse or covered or they wouldn’t produce any tubers. Now, I start them inside and plant them out in the field about the same time as my tomatoes or squash, and they always produce at least some tubers. In the summer of 2021, I harvested these from one plant!

This was a huge, unusual harvest which is why I took the picture, but It is so exciting to imagine the possibilities of growing sweet potatoes in our temperate climate. They will gradually adapt to growing here, and maybe, in a generation or so, they will be a staple crop.

I’ve also planted four types of peas already, both in the ground and in trays. They are all doing well, having sprouted up and grown to a few inches already, despite the weather. There is something about pulling a pea right from the vine and popping it in my mouth that stirs me, every year. So I grow huge amounts to eat and for seed, but never have enough.

And oddly, the Mizuna that overwintered in the field and has now put out bright yellow flowers is inspiring me. The plants are getting pummelled by the wind as I write this, but they keep springing up, defiant, against the onslaught. They are a truly hardy crop and I love having them in the garden.

The end of April is fast approaching and even though the weather sucks, once things warm up a bit anything you have in the ground or in pots will take off. Get them in as soon as weather permits. And if you haven’t got things going yet, it’s not too late but the clock is ticking! You can still get a late harvest from tomatoes if you start now, and maybe peppers too, depending on the summer we get— but it’s pushing it. Otherwise the timing is right for peas, carrots, parsnips, beets— the cool season crops. Hold off for a few weeks with beans, squash, and the warm weather stuff, unless you start them inside and transplant them out.

We’re offering seeds at 15% off for our Spring sale, and we are selling out of many varieties so don’t delay. (We are growing more seeds this year to meet the demand; in fact, we are not selling at our Farmer’s Market this year and are devoting all our space to seed growing. So thank you for your support!)

Happy upcoming Earth Day everyone,

Sal,

Sweet Rock Farm Seeds