our homestead: transplanting sweet peppers

Peppers, on a journey to the greenhouse

The last sunny day we had around here I was able to transplant my 'little bell' sweet red pepper starts out to the greenhouse. I was waiting for the weather to warm up just a tad more (especially night time tempertatures), since peppers need some more heat than tomatoes to thrive. They're now all nestled into the greenhouse amongst the tomatoes.

Baby peppers in their new home

All I have left in regards to starts growing on my windows are some 'Five Acre Farm' melon seeds I saved last summer after enjoying one of their melons at the farmers market. I guess they are an heirloom seed passed on to them from a Grandmother: a small, cantaloupe-like melon with a pale green shell with black speckles. I remember they almost looked like large eggs. I plan to let the melons snake around the ground of the greenhouse, whereas I'll have my tomatoes and peppers supported vertically with twine. My theory is that the melon plants will act as a living mulch, keeping the soil's moisture level up during the heat of the summer. It's amazing how hot it can get in my greenhouse on a sunny day...especially since I don't heat it. I had to open the window recently because my greenhouse themometer read 100 degrees!

Oh, and all the while I was working in the greenhouse, getting my peppers situated, these two pups were hanging out in the shade with their new friends, the Muscovies: