The beginning of May is always an interesting time.
On the one hand, it is often (like this year, once again) quite warm already, if not very warm.
On the other hand, the “Eisheiligen” (“Ice Saints”) time mid-May can still bring frost (as we had it the last two years, at the start of May).
Come as it may, the plants started indoors are always quite big by this time and in desperate need of being put into single pots. Even better, also into the sunlight outdoors. (Although, they shouldn’t be put into direct sun immediately lest they get sunburnt!).
Separating Plants
This year, everything could be put outside immediately, at least. The young plants were so well grown and nicely rooted, but also – thanks to my usual intermittent watering – so dry… It was actually good for separating and replanting them, as it made it easier to pull them apart and gave them less of a shock to suddenly be without water, with disturbed root systems, in the fresh air…
And then, they got more water than they had seen in recent times, relatively mild conditions outside in the shade; it was good.
The most important chile peppers were outside that way, single in pots. From there, they could go into bigger pots or into fields (or raised beds).
Still More
Latecomers of seeds I just wanted to test, old as they had become (which reduces their germination rate) are still coming, if few and far between.
Well, and I had not been able to resist the seeds that had been put outside at Arche Noah, Austria’s Native Seeds / Search, because they had only been used for germination testing… and thus, I now get a few more small plants, which I will also need to take care of.
The Question of Future Weather
Next challenge: Will we get a cold spell? One strong enough I need to rescue all these plants back indoors? Or would it shortly have been better if I had already planted everything out?
My fava beans and peas definitely have grown tremendously – and the temperatures will probably soon be too high for their comfort, if the warm weather continues as it has.