Belgian lettuce
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I resumed daily walkabouts around our property line after the snow melt and noticed the toll taken on our trees. Of 15 remaining trees, all but one of which I planted, only six have no apparent issues. Most of them are damaged from either the 2020 derecho, or from one or more of the straight… Read more
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March 2 is the day to plant Belgian lettuce, according to family tradition. It’s garden lore from my Polish grandmother, one of the few tips from her about gardening I remember. This year, Belgian lettuce seems doubtful with more than a foot of snow on the ground seven days out. If I can work the… Read more
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Today I planted Belgian lettuce. There is nothing particularly “Belgian” about the seeds. According to my maternal grandmother it is called Belgian lettuce because it is planted March 2. It’s the tradition and that’s that. I planted arugula as well because when everything is mixed together in a salad it will taste great. I planted:… Read more
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A text message came March 20 while I was stopped at a traffic light in North Liberty. “In total we need 22 120s this week so you actually might be able to do it all tonight!” It was 4: 51 p.m. The combination of daylight savings time and the vernal equinox provided a window to… Read more
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I turned the first spade of garden soil Saturday. In a couple of hours I removed cages, stakes and last year’s brush from the cherry tomato patch, turned over and broke up the soil, planted six kinds of lettuce, and posted the afternoon’s highlights on social media: First spade of dirt turned; chives, walking onions,… Read more
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Snow fell in darkness leaving a thin blanket of white. The pin oak tree began shedding last year’s foliage indicating warm weather activated new leaf buds and pushed out the old. Seems weird to rake leaves in February. More to the point, it’s not normal. In a couple of hours I return for a fifth… Read more
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Today is the day to plant Belgian lettuce according to my late maternal grandmother. Not a specific variety, any lettuce seed will do. March 2 planting makes it “Belgian” in a way someone who grew up in a Minnesota-Polish farming community would understand. It’s not happening this year, as the ground is frozen and covered… Read more
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