It is hard to believe that we are already needing an garden update as February 2022 is nearly gone. It is freaky but my cold weather transplants are already 2 weeks old. I will be getting them harden off this week and into the ground likely by the end of the week. Lets dig into how my experiments are going.

Experiment 1: Chinese Peppers

These guys have yielded the last of their peppers. I have pruned them and they are currently overwintering. I will replace their soil come spring so they have a new batch of nutrients to go through.

What is more exciting is that the seeds of these plants are starting to germinate. We are going into the second generation of my pepper plants.

Everything is going according to plan so I must have missed something.

Experiment 2: My Mulberry Tree

I think the fungus gnat infestation has done a number on my baby shrub. It is still alive but I feel like it’s not really recovering.

There is a chance that nothing is actually wrong. It is a deciduous shrub and it has not gotten a dormant period. It may just be trying to do it despite the weather. Its issues started when it was suppose to lose its leaves. I may just be messing with its lifecycle.

Experiment 3: Dragon Fruit Attempt 4

More and more of my little dragon fruit are starting to get their first little hairs. I need to do some transplanting to experiment with what technique is the best. I have a boat load of them and they will not continue to thrive if left to their own devices.

These plants have been pretty happy and healthy.

Experiment 4: Poinsettia

This has been less than stellar. I have one leaf left on it. I don’t hold out much hope for it but there is some signs of hope.

While it is still alive, I don’t know much about its natural lifecycle so it may be happy or about to die.

It maybe normal for it to drop all its leaves. One really positive thing is that it is starting to grow new leaves. It is possible that this thing is about to start thriving.

Garden Update on Everything Else in February 2022

My sweet potatoes have been going crazy. I have one that has become quite the lengthy vine. You can see it in the dragon fruit picture.

My basil and pineapple sage cuttings are growing strong. One basil plant is rather sickly though. I am not sure it is going to survive.

My seedlings are starting to get strong. I am probably less than a week from transplanting the first round of cold tolerant plants outside. This is going to be a false spring this week. While the next week will dip below freezing, I think everything will be ok. I hope. It is going to be a bit colder than I would prefer. If it stays in the mid 20’s lows I might delay my transplanting until 10-14 days.

I am kind of playing it by ear. Either way they will be getting harden off this week.