spring fever

This weekend's respite from drowning rains was a welcome one. And with the equinox quickly approaching (tomorrow), it's about time. Thanks Mother Nature! The season pokes through winter's moldy duff, emerging in budding leaves and tender new growth. Plans for one project are well under way, and another friend's parents have given me permission to plant seeds and starts in their backyard. No shortage of soil work to keep this gardener focused and busy. A quick shot of the next project: a series of 5 raised beds each measuring approximately 3' x 10.' The soil is rich and highly workable at first glance, and should provide ample opportunity to experiment with layout and design. Plans to hatch...

seed flats sown

Spring looms through cold rains but daylight savings is the home gardener's best friend. To busy myself and make it through these winnowing winter days, planting seeds proves a welcome respite. Instead of using 2.5" pots with a few seeds in each (last year's method), I'm testing a new and hopefully more efficient way of cranking out some early spring starts.

The flats (11" by 20") are filled to just below the top edge with a self-assembled mix consisting of 1 part peat moss, 1 part perlite, and 2 parts compost. A pinch of seeds is broadcast over the surface of the media and additional mixture is sprinkled over the flat to ensure the seeds are covered. The flat is kept moist (propagation domes work best) and warm. Germination should follow in a few short days.

In choosing what to plant first, cold-hardiness wins the selection game, and the seedlings sprouted so far include cabbages, chards, kales, mustards, mache and other various greens. In spite of the seasons' reticence to relent on this mucky cold wetness, it's also time to start thinking of tender varieties to begin indoors; i.e. tomatoes and the rest of the solanums. Yum.