Gardening Notes March 2004

This week we're hitting near 90 degrees everyday. Sure makes the 55 forecast high for Sunday look nice. More like normal temps. The cool weather crops will be making seeds before they get to 6 inches tall. Sigh, such are our springtime seasons.

I should have the fence finished this afternoon around the shady garden. Hope to get a few beds filled with baby plants just as soon as the fence is up and secure. 

I have run out of time to put together the new section for the Shop. It has sure done a great job getting so many little plants started. But I did get some more photos so it will give a glimpse into where all these plants come from. It's one p.m. now so I am calling the newsletter finished for the week so I can spend the rest of the afternoon out working on the garden. 

Didn't get as much work done on the garden this week as I had hope since all my time went to trying to clean out the septic line. This has become a chore I hate with passion. But today for the first time, the line was draining fast and fine. I had put in the last of a gallon of vinegar and was delighted to find a calcium chunk almost as big as the pipe itself, just wanting to float away. I went ahead and poured the second gallon down and if it is clear this afternoon, I will go ahead and close the cleanout opening and cover the excavation. I can flood the line to float out any pieces that I can get out of the way.  I am sure the electric meter reader will be very happy.

I tried the oldest compost pile and found I have plenty of nice rich addition for the garden beds. It would have been more and better if it had gone through a shredder first but it is sure better than nothing at all. The only thing I have in the ground is the Horseradish and already it is difficult to water but it appears that I will be limited to 3 hoses to water all the garden beds. The new big fenced garden I had hoped for will not happen this year. At the best, I have a section of very old chicken fence. I spent a few hours yesterday to drag it out of the sand and leaves that had piled up over the last few years. I am out of fence posts so it will have to just be wrapped around a few trees to hold it in place. The rabbits would clean out all the plants as I put them out otherwise. 

With the new photos I plan on taking today, I will start the new Shop section. I have been taking lots of pictures as the work progressed and it should all look very nice. I have a good shot of the first baby plants and want to get more of all the many trays of plantlings. The continuing plant notes will be kept here but I need to show where the baby plants are being sprouted and kept warm and under 24 hour light. They are sure doing good. I can't plant them in bigger cups fast enough. Hey, it is almost spring. I am still trying to figure out a way to get some lettuce, spinach and the other cool weather lovers out with individual protection.  Randy had ordered some seeds that I know nothing about the plant so I will have to do more research and see where they need to go.

I don't want to take a picture of the garden yet; I've just barely cleaned it from last season's debris. What a mess that giant weed made. I am afraid that there will be thousands coming up from all those seeds that went everywhere. They aren't so difficult to handle when they are small and it will be worth my time to make sure they don't survive to grow another crop.

With all the news seeds to try, the new grow light space in the Shop is full to the brim already. Seems like it as I move things around to use the space most efficiently. I've never had such a set up and this is like Christmas for me. For all these years, I've had to make do with window sills and toting plants outside for sunshine and back inside at night. I tried for so long to get Stevia to grow only to find that it needed the 24/7 of the lights. The seed order just came in today and all need planting.

I looked to see if there were any new trays of seeds showing any new growth. Oh good grief, they are not just sprouted but almost an inch tall. Oh my. I know already that I will be taking them outside for sunshine as the days will allow. The main problem there is to protect the babies from the evil winds of March.