I wanted to focus on just a few plants for this update. Most of the transplants I purchased haven't really made any progress. They were established plants when I bought them, so I didn't expect to see anything spectacular yet. The three plants I'll cover in this update did experience some changes, though.
Strawberries
The strawberries have really been leafing out, and within the past couple days have actually started blossoming. One thing I find all down the edges of the strawberry bed is bird crap. Since the berries have a cage over them, the birds can't get at them, and it's driving them crazy. Perhaps I should add small spikes to the top edges of the cage to keep them from standing up there and drooling... from their butts.
Blackberries
I was looking into the possibility of adding another fruiting plant. While fruit trees can be grown in large containers and pruned to stay at eye level, that was going to require more research. Instead, I decided on blackberries. They are indigenous to this region, and I knew that they grew rampantly, but I saw many container blackberries on the Internet, so I though I'd give it a try.
Blackberry stalks work on a 2-year cycle, so I knew that I wouldn't get any fruit this year. The stalks grow, then bloom the second year. During that second year, new "first-year" stalks grow to replace the ones currently in bloom. They say the trick is to simply cut off the stalks that bloomed during the current season, and that should keep the plant from becoming too terribly unruly.
I purchased a bare-root blackberry bush from Home Depot, similar to the way I bought my strawberries, and planted it in a nice soil mix in a 5-gallon bucket. I drilled holes around the bottom edge and put rocks in the bottom to allow for good drainage. I placed the bucket on a 12" paver at the end of my garden row. This will let me move it if I need to during this experiment. Within a few days, the tiniest little plant poked its head through the soil.
Blackberry stalks work on a 2-year cycle, so I knew that I wouldn't get any fruit this year. The stalks grow, then bloom the second year. During that second year, new "first-year" stalks grow to replace the ones currently in bloom. They say the trick is to simply cut off the stalks that bloomed during the current season, and that should keep the plant from becoming too terribly unruly.
I purchased a bare-root blackberry bush from Home Depot, similar to the way I bought my strawberries, and planted it in a nice soil mix in a 5-gallon bucket. I drilled holes around the bottom edge and put rocks in the bottom to allow for good drainage. I placed the bucket on a 12" paver at the end of my garden row. This will let me move it if I need to during this experiment. Within a few days, the tiniest little plant poked its head through the soil.
Potatoes
I guess these are potato plants. I've never actually seen them before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The plants are very stiff, and the leaves feel thick and waxy. Interesting.