Veggies and other Wonders..

Today was 75 degrees!! The first of many fine spring days. I went to Home Depot today and bought some garden soil to mix into one of my raised beds. Also a bag of potting soil, seed starting is just around the corner..yahh!! I also noticed the shelves are no longer bare and beginning to be stocked with all sorts of spring favorites..aka..spring veggies. Hence I dove right in and purchased some cabbage, broccoli, and a couple new crops that would soon make their debut in my spring garden. I found some Kale..I have never grown kale before, the plant itself is very alluring, those curled little leaves just drew me in..they had me at hello..smile I also found some romaine lettuce, a new crop for me as well. I've grown many a leaf lettuce in my day, but romaine that's something different. I will have to look up some information on my new additions to insure I care for them proper. I brought my new finds home and proceeded to rake my freshly tilled vegetable bed. Judging from the weather report today was my window so to speak. A window of time where it would be sunny and dry enough to get my plants going before the rains started. We are reported to receive about 3 inches of rain in the coming days.. Therefore time was of the essence and today I pushed to get my first vegetable patch finished. Usually I have my spring patch in by atleast mid March.,..boy am I behind. But our winter here in Indiana was long and harsh..and the spring which just began this week in truth will most likely be wet. Wet weather makes for yet another obstacle for us gardeners to get past. But I press on. Hopefully my plants will enjoy a nice drink and no storms.
Kale is a hardy biennial (it take two years to go to flower and complete its life-cycle), but it is usually grown as an annual.
1.  If you’re planting during the cool season, find a spot where your kale will receive full sunshine. If you are planting during the warm season, or in a warmer climate, plant kale in partial shade.  Kale enjoys companion plants such as beets, celery, herbs, onions and potatoes, but does not enjoy being planted near beans, strawberries or tomatoes.
2. Kale also prefers loamy, well-drained, moist (but not soggy) soil of average fertility. Surprisingly, it isn’t a fan of soil that is too rich in nitrogen, so it will do best with a pH between 5.5 to 6.8.  If your soil is too acid, try adding some wood ash to sweeten it. Light, sandy soils and very heavy clay soils will “negatively”* affect the flavor of kale, but it still has the potential to grow in these environments.
3. Seeds will germinate in cool soil, but they sprout best when the soil temperature is around 70 degrees. If you’re starting them inside, then do so 5-7 weeks before the last expected frost. If you’re direct sowing the seeds outside, do so 2-4 weeks before the last frost and/or anytime at least 10 weeks before the first frost of the next season. No matter when you plant, the soil temperature must be at least 40 degrees or higher for good germination.
*The hotter the weather, the more bitter and tough the kale, but even bitter and tough kale is nutritious and can be made into delicious dishes.