Gilding the lily and troubleshooting

Still perplexed that no spinach has sprouted. And something ate the pepper plant baby seedling!

My good bud (and excellent gardener) Lorraine lent me two tomato cages. We visited the raised bed today and she helped me to install them, one over the pea sprouts and one over a newly transplanted pepper plant seedling. (I had started a number of plants from seed -- peppers, lettuces, even artichoke -- two months ago at home when I first learned I would get in the community garden.)

If I am going to be a good gardener, I've got to grow some patience.

So, who's with me?

Now it has been a little more than two weeks since I first planted everything. Notably absent? The spinach and the broccoli.

Spinach should show up almost immediately, and there has not even been one tiny sprout. I'm mystified, because the rest of my greens have sprouted fine. Is my soil too acidic? Spinach (from what I've read) doesn't do well below a pH of 6.0.

The broccoli (or what may have been broccoli) looks like a tiny stalk with its leaves eaten off. For what it's worth, most gardening books say to start broccoli inside and transplant the seedlings outside.

Best so far from seed? The sweet peas (below). So tall and healthy I'll need to make a teepee for them soon.


The transplants (tomatoes, eggplant, strawberries) are thriving. Only issue is spacing: my neighbor's absolutely gigantic tomato plant shades over onto my side. Just look at that monster (below, far right). Harrumph.

Edited to add: Owen and I yesterday replanted the spinach seeds, and I bought and planted a broccoli seedling Nov. 5.