Time flies, and it's already February! This is the month when I usually start sowing seeds, but since I have a business trip at the end of the month, most of the spring and summer planting will likely happen in March.
However... I couldn’t resist, so I sowed some seeds already 😂 More on that later.
Indoors or Outdoors?
Every winter, I bring my lemon tree indoors. This year was no different, but it didn’t seem very happy inside. So, I moved it back outside, and it looks noticeably better. The same thing happened with my kumquat tree—when kept indoors, it started shedding leaves. But once placed outside, the leaf drop stopped.
Although I ventilate the house a few times a day by opening the windows, it seems that even in chilly weather, my citrus plants prefer the fresh air. The recent mild temperatures must have been encouraging, as the lemon tree has started sprouting new leaves. While I worry that using energy for new growth at this time of year isn't ideal, the existing leaves don’t look very strong, so I’ll let a few of these fresh ones stay.
Starting today, the nights are expected to drop below freezing, so I wrapped my lemon tree with an eco-friendly fleece I had originally bought for covering leafy greens. This is my first time using fleece, so I’ll be checking it daily—opening it in the morning when it's warm and covering it again at night. Let's see how it works!
I also moved my Hive figs, which I grew from seeds I brought back from Hive Fest and had been in my kitchen, outside. They seem also happier there, growing sturdier and faster. Normally, they stay covered with a plastic roof. I took it off for the photo 😉
First Harvest of the Year
Although I had been picking herbs already last month, I was surprised to find that corn salad had grown quite well. I harvested some along with purslane while thinning them out.
Paired with some lettuce in the fridge, these will make a nice winter salad for lunch. The thought of harvesting even a little from my balcony and seeing more greens emerge as spring approaches fills me with excitement.
One of my favorite winter Japanese or Asian greens, edible chrysanthemum leaves, is also growing little by little. I can’t wait to enjoy it in miso soup with nameko mushrooms and tofu, served alongside a big bowl of steaming rice ☺️
Among the corn salad, I found baby spinaches, which I sowed at the end of summer.
Feeling optimistic about my leafy greens, I couldn’t resist and ended up sowing arugula and more spinach—way earlier than their recommended planting time 😁 But in nature, seeds that drop in autumn simply wait and sprout at the right time, so I figured... why not?
While growth is slow during autumn and winter, cold-season greens require little watering and have fewer issues with pests and diseases. Scattering hardy seeds like corn salad and purslane in autumn can add some greenery to an otherwise monochrome winter garden, plus they provide a nice harvest. I highly recommend them.
At first, I thought I wouldn’t have much to write about this week and considered organizing my plans for the upcoming season. But surprisingly, there was quite a bit to document—including my first harvest!
Winter days are still cold and short, making plant growth slow. But even in this season, gardening brings discoveries and joys.
Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday. Happy gardening 🪴
はやいことにもう二月！種まきを始める月なのですが、月末に出張の予定があり、春夏の植物の種をまくのは主に3月に入ってからになりそうです。でもまきました、待てずにまいてしまいました 😂 それはのちほど。
屋内か屋外か？
例年、冬にはレモンを屋内に取り込んでいて、今年も家の中に入れていたのですが、なんだか元気がなく、外に出したら心なしか元気です。金柑も取り込んでいたら葉が落ちてきたので、思い切って外に出したら葉が落ちなくなりました。
一日に何度か換気のために窓は開けているものの、ちょっと寒くても風通しのよい屋外がよいのかもしれません。このところ暖かかったのがうれしかったのか、レモンからは新芽が出ていました。この時期に新芽にエネルギーを使ってしまうとよくなさそうですが、今ついている葉っぱが元気がないので、いくつかは残しておこうと思います。
今日から夜はマイナス気温の日が続きそうなので、昨年葉ものに被せようと思って買っていたプラスチックフリーのエコフリースをレモンの木にかぶせておきました。フリースを使うのは初めてで、暖かい日には朝フリースを開けて、夜また閉めて様子を見ようと思います。
ほかにも、Hive Festから持って帰ってきたイチヂクの種から育てているHiveイチヂクたちも外に出してみました。こちらも外の方がうれしいようで、心なしか成長がはやく、がっしりしてきました。写真を撮るためにはずしましたが、普段はプラスチックの屋根をかぶせています。
今年の初収穫
先月もちょいちょいハーブを採ったりはしていたのですが、意外とノヂシャが育っていたので、間引きを兼ねてスベリヒユとともに収穫しました。
冷蔵庫のレタスと合わせたらお昼ご飯にいい感じの冬のサラダになりそうです。こうしてバルコニーからちょっとでも食べ物が採れること、これから春に向かって葉物が増えていくことを思うとなんだかうきうきしてきました。
大好きな冬の葉物のひとつ、春菊もちょっとずつ大きくなっていて、お味噌汁になめことお豆腐と入れて山盛りのご飯と共に食べるのが楽しみで仕方ありません。
夏の終わりにまいたほうれん草も今更出てきていました。
葉物が育っていることに気をよくして、まだ種まき時期ではないのに、ルッコラとほうれん草の種をまいてしまいました 😁 自然界では落ちた種が休眠して、適当な時期に発芽するはずなのでいいですよね・・・多分。
秋冬の葉物は成長は遅いものの、虫や病気の心配が少なく、水やりの手間もないので、秋にノヂシャやスベリヒユなど耐寒性の強いものの種をばらまいておくと、モノトーンになりがちな冬の庭に緑が加わって、収穫もあり、オススメです。
今週は書くことがないかな、今年育てるものについて整理も兼ねて書こうかなと思っていたのですが、意外と書くことがありました。さらに収穫まで！寒くてまだまだ日照量の少ない冬は植物の成長がゆっくりですが、そんな時期にもガーデニングには発見や楽しみがありますね。
それではみなさん、素敵な日曜日を！Happy gardening 🪴
win tips and upvotes from the Hive Garden. Don't forget to engage with other Hive gardeners!The #gardenjournal challenge lasts for around 10 days from the 1st of every month - you have the chance to
Thank you for starting and organizing the gardening community. I'm happy to share my garden journal every Sunday 🪴
Your plants look healthy, I hope they remain so as they grow.
Thanks. Unfortunately not all such as my lemon tree ... but it's like us, sometimes catch cold or are injured. So I wish it recovers soon ☺️ That's gardening.