Be Careful What You Wish For

 Well now.  February blew in with some snow.  How much?  So far this month, it's this much.

 

That's my old bathtub under all that mess!

The nice thing has been that each storm was fairly manageable; between 3 - 6 inches of snow, and most of the time very light, fluffy stuff.  That's because it's been freaking FREEZING this winter.  The last storm could have been worse; they were calling for 6-8 inches of snow followed by sleet and freezing rain.  Luckily, we avoided the freezing rain and ended up with about 2 inches of granular sleet on top of about 8 inches of snow, packing it down to about 6 inches of dense mess.  Unluckily, the storm left us with 40-60 MPH wind gusts, which made cleanup...interesting.

While my brush cutting project has been waylaid, I have been hauling manure to the mound surrounding the wildflower meadow.  Now I'm committed to that project because I don't want a stinky layer of manure outside my back door all summer.   Planting the corn out back frees up the cinder block bed for something different, and I'm thinking of planting my onions and carrots there this year, as these are companion plants.  Companion planting the right plants together can help deter pests and boost growth; in some cases the plants each rely on a different nutrient that the other produces or doesn't leech from the soil.  Mixing in certain herbs or flowers with vegetables can work as well as mixing different crops together.  

Inside, I've started some leeks from seeds I harvested from the plants that went over last year.  I had about a 50% germination rate, so I'm happy!  We don't use a lot of leeks, so growing just a dozen or more plants will give us the small harvest we want, and will free up one or two beds.  

The mescluns and arugula continue to grow, but not by leaps and bounds as it would outside.

 The lower container of spicy mesclun mix was already harvested once, so that's regrowth.

I also pulled the 60 day stratified seeds out of the fridge to sow.  To my dismay, most of my packages had begun to develop mold.  A quick trip down an internet rabbit hole has convinced me to not use the paper towel plastic bag method next year.  Apparently mold is all too common.  Some people have noted they've planted the moldy seeds and had decent germination, and others recommended a quick bath in watered down bleach (10:1), which is what I did for the worst affected. I sowed most of the seeds in the flimsy black plastic seed starting trays I normally use...you know, the ones that break apart when you try to remove the seedlings.

 I was too impatient to wait for the newer models I'd ordered. 

I'm excited to try these - they're hard plastic top and bottom, with a flexible silicone center.  In theory you should be able to push on the hard bottom and pop the seedlings out without damaging the tray.  These are also dishwasher safe, so no excuses for not sterilizing them!  I bought them on Amazon, of course, and they come in a package of six trays that fit perfectly into a standard bottom tray.  These are the smallest version, and I'm thinking if they work as well as advertised, I may invest in some larger squared ones for potting up when seedlings are ready.

 And what method do I think I'll try next year instead of the paper towel/bag?  Outdoor winter sowing.  I just need to find someone who drinks milk to give me the plastic jugs!

Safety first update

 A few posts ago, I talked about the snow stops I had installed on the barn roof, and how they performed in a small snow storm that involved a changeover to rain.  Last weekend we had a storm that left behind six inches of fluffy snow - our biggest storm this season.  I know, it's been a lackluster winter as far as snowfall.  At any rate, I was able to gauge the effectiveness of the snow stoppers a little better this time.  They don't work quite as well as I'd hoped, but I'm still glad I had them installed.

 On the hay room side of the barn I figured the non-stoppered roof snow would give way much quicker, but it appears it came down all at once, despite the guards over the hay room door. The snow definitely spread farther where it wasn't slowed by the stoppers, but it still packed down like cement despite that.

On the mule's side, it was the same thing.  The snow came off all at once and formed a packed mound in the paddock.

I've marked the second photo - the yellow indicates the area I had run the snowblower through, to open it up.  The snow from the roof landed in a mound between the blue lines; at least it blew out farther away from the barn wall than it normally would if the stoppers weren't involved.  And luckily, it wasn't a massive load of snow by the time it came down.  This just makes me think that with deeper snow loads, I shouldn't assume I'll be safe under the eaves.  I have to admit I was a little surprised the snow still came off like this.

Completely safe, on the other hand, are the greens I started earlier this month.  

I started another sowing of arugula and mesclun mix (sweet this time) about two weeks after the first sowing.  I'm completely addicted to the arugula, and can stand there picking the tiny leaves off and eating them for far too long. I don't know if they'll ever get the chance to mature at this rate.  

As January comes to a close, I have two more weeks to wait before I can sow my stratified seeds and see how they do.  I've also ordered some last minute items like seed potatoes, sweet corn seed, and more mini cucumber seeds in preparation for the garden this year.  I've been hauling manure out back to the mound, so I'm definitely going to be planting squash out there, and hopefully corn.   I'm feeling optimistic about the coming season...let's hope it lasts into spring.

Yas, Green!

 The lights on the Christmas tree have barely cooled and it's already put away for next year, and my super cheap-o seed starting setup is humming in its place.  In addition to the seeds I began stratifying last week I have verbena bonariensis, globe artichoke, and teasel on the way, all of which need stratification. 

I know, right?

And because I can't help myself, I've already started some seeds. 

Mesclun mix greens, arugula, sweet basil, and spicy basil.  Just a little somethin', somethin' to tide me over for the next...*checks calendar*...53 days.

indoor gardening update

 I don't know what it is I've done differently, but my seed sowing endeavors have been fantastically successful this year versus last.  My yarrow are happily growing on in their red party cup plant pots.

The baptisia are beginning to look like something other than bizarre bean sprouts.

I've transplanted the Blue Fescue grass, which was a nightmare.

Normally I start seeds in the little expandable pellets you can buy, but for the fescue I though I'd try a small square tray setup that I had on hand.  I used seed starting coir and everything went fine, until I tried to transplant.  I'm not sure if I should have let the grass grow on a little more to build up a better root system, but the roots were out the bottoms of the tray so I went for it.  It was nearly impossible to dig those little suckers out!  Coir went everywhere but the grass was stuck tight...I tried using a scoop, a little shovel, and my dibber, but all of them just made more of a mess than necessary.  Pushing up through the holes in the bottom of each square did nothing, even though I'd watered the tray well yesterday in hopes the coir would stick together and just slide right out.  

Never again!

Hopefully I haven't damaged the little grasses to the point they don't survive the transplant.

The verbena bonariensis are starting to take off a little.  They're getting a little taller, and I probably should have put less in each pot.  We'll see how they fare - I really don't have enough room to repot them and spread them out.

I picked up that little clip fan at a Goodwill a few weeks ago.  It's battery operated and not too powerful, so it's perfect for giving the seedlings a little movement.  That helps them develop stronger stems and better prepares them for life outside, in the elements.  I'm using rechargeable batteries to save on cost, and clip it to a different rack each day.  I also have a small fan that recharges via USB ports, and will use that on occasion as well.

It's been bitter cold, but the sun is strong and there's lots of melting and settling.  The snow pack now sits at 6.5" deep in the pasture, which isn't much.  We missed a whopper of a storm that ended up staying south of us, but winter isn't over yet.

 The melting snow has revealed some opportunistic mustard greens that have managed to survive the cold and snow.

I'm thinking of cleaning up the area in front of that planter and just sowing as much mustard green seed as possible, and letting it go wild.  Why not?  It's a tricky place to mow and the less weed whacking I need to do, the better.  Toward the back of the planter is the domed tray I was trying to germinate allium seed in.  Since nothing happened in over a month under the grow lights, I decided to put it outside to see if it responded better to winter sowing.  I don't think it will - the seed are probably toast at this point - but how will I know if I don't try? 

I'm looking forward to getting into the hillside garden and checking my garlic and my leeks to see how they've fared over winter, but it looks like it's going to be a little while yet before that happens.  Patience! 

 

Black Flies and Mosquitos and Ticks, Oh My!

 'Tis the season!  We're finally seeing the sun and temperatures are creeping upwards.  The grass is greening at a ridiculous pace, the trees are beginning to leaf out, the perennial flower beds are beginning to explode with life.  This also means the little vampire world of ticks, mosquitos, and black flies are hard at work making lives miserable.  I've already picked a half dozen ticks off of me, and the black flies nearly drove my uncle to the brink of madness when he was helping me set up the tiny tunnel.  I say helping, but in reality he pretty much did it all and I just assisted.  So yes, my tiny tunnel is up, and the seedlings have moved from the house to the tunnel!

We set it up in the driveway so it was near enough to a water source and in the sun.  It should receive 6-8 hours daily, with the house shading it in the worst of the afternoon heat.  Once the seedlings are all ready to be planted out, I'll fill this tunnel with buckets of tomatoes to see if they grow better in here or out in the open garden.  I'm really excited to try this!  If it works well enough, I'll find a permanent spot for it so I don't have to take it down every winter.

I also got my aerator set up in the little water feature.  My mom gave me this sphinx-like downspout a few years ago and it has a hole in the center, so I purchased a little solar powered water pump and voilà!  The water is now moving.

I'm not really digging the extreme upspray, so  I might dial it back just a little.  If I take the little cap off the pump nozzle, it will just bubble over and that might be better.  I'm thinking the spray might actually cause the water to evaporate more quickly, especially on a hot day.  Work in progress!  The frog eggs were hatching just when we had a deluge of rain - some areas received nearly 5" overnight.  My water feature overflowed the banks, and I haven't seen any signs of tadpoles since.  I'm not sure if any survived.

Out in the pasture, the daffodils under the mulberry tree are really starting to take off.

There are a few other flowers under there, but the deer ate every single tulip and hyacinth, so only a few fritillaries, squill, and one lone anemone break up the daffodil overload.  Hopefully they'll take off in the next few years and spread to add a little color to the fray.

In the garden the snap peas are sprouting, there's no sign of the potatoes, and I've planted some leeks and shallots.  I need to vacate a few more beds to be able to plant my onions.

The cool weather greens are coming along up at the house planter, too.

Now is the time when everything gets ahead of you.  Keep up!

Shaking my fist at the damp

 I should be happy that it's been days and days of rain because it will help ensure a decent amount of water in the ground, but I'm watching trees and grass and plants explode and it's too wet to do any cleanup.  Waah, waah, waah.   There have been small amounts of sun, and I have started some projects.

In an effort to harvest more rainwater this summer, I've purchased a 330 gallon IBC tote.  My plan is to connect the gutter from the barn to the tote, however the gutter desperately needs replacing.  Upon closer inspection, the fascia the gutter is attached to also desperately needs replacing.  Unexpected project #1.

All of the snow has now melted except for a small pile in front of Mom's barn.

That should be gone before the end of the week with all this rain.  

My hill garden is wide open and I've managed to plant potatoes in the stock tank and peas in pots.  My onions, leeks, and shallots are here but I don't have space for them; all of my beds are overwintering late season perennial purchases Mom and I made.  As soon as it's warm enough, I can peel those out and get planting.  My garlic are doing well, which makes me happy as it's the first time I've grown it.  

 I also managed to plant up the large planter by the house with radish, lettuce, mustard greens, and spinach.  Since these are cool weather crops and will probably be done by June, I'll be able to pull them and use the planter for my pepper plants.  Remember that simple rotation guide I found?  That helped me plan this succession.  Next year I can use that planter for onions or carrots.

look at this whole lotta nuthin'

The little front garden I built last year for my lilacs is doing well.  I had planted it with tulips, allium, and muscari to fill in the blank spots until the lilac leaf out.  To my surprise, the two clematis I purchased last year from Job Lots actually survived the winter and seem to be thriving!  I put an old metal headboard in as a trellis, and am debating the age old question - does one follow the lay of the land, or does one please the eye by leveling the trellis?  I'm going with the lay of the land.

In the back of the house, the little water feature has completely thawed, and already has become home to a clutch of frog eggs, which I discovered when skimming out the debris and dead water plants I'd neglected to remove last fall.  Of note - it's recommended to leave any debris in a pile near the pond for a day at least to allow tiny water dwellers a chance to get back into the water. 

We had our first bear of the season the other night.  I chased him out of the pasture twice, but he came back under cover of darkness and broke Mom's platform bird feeder.  Oddly enough, it hadn't been used all winter.  Unfortunately this means it's also time for me to stop feeding the crows, as the dog food would likely make this a hot stop on the bear's travel itinerary.  No thank you.  The fox hasn't been seen since the snow melted in the pasture, but I'm sure he's still a regular visitor.  Two deer were spied behind the barn for the first time since last autumn, too.  I heard a woodcock at dusk a few nights ago and the peepers won't be far behind.  Is it any wonder why this is my most favorite season of all?

bring the heat

On Sunday, the 5th of February, I did an experimental re-plant - new batch of seeds, same plants.  This time I used a heat mat under them.  Lo and behold, five days later I have two Gerber Daisies and one prairie coneflower seedlings peeking through the soil.  I'm hoping the other seeds germinate soon.  

In the Virgin's Bower pot, one seedling has emerged among the tiny mushrooms.

And the lettuce, OG coneflowers, and Gerber Daisy continue to do well.

 

One more month and I should be able to start my annuals from seed, I'm so excited! 

Addendum to my last post - I discovered that during the cold snap I had inadvertently shut off one of the mini-split duct heads in the main part of the house, which explains why it was so cold inside and why the unit was struggling to keep up.  Live and learn!

seed fever

 We had a few days of unseasonably warm weather last week, making my seed fever spike like crazy.  I've been researching wildly trying to keep myself from jumping the gun and starting things too early.  I pulled my overwintered pepper plants out of the basement and am sad to report they did not make it.  I watched a few more videos on the subject and think I might try again next winter.  Though the peppers didn't make it, this little fellow popped out of the soil the pepper plants were in.

I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I have a strong hunch it may be a sunflower seedling.  I have had mice in the garage this winter, and did find sunflower seed shells in a corner.  I'll let it grow and see what happens.

I've also started a few celery stubs for transplanting, as I do every year.

I brought my greenhouse upstairs and set it up in preparation, too.  I've had this contraption for years now - it's a cheap Job Lots pipe and wire shelving system with a plastic cover.  This year I wanted to give my seeds a better start, so I've invested in some small grow lights.  I attended a webinar last week on seed starting given by our local university's cooperative extension, and I learned quite a bit.  Instead of the old fluorescent grow lights, people are now turning to specialized LED lights.  The ones I purchased are colored; they give off a purplish-pink glow. 

They're designed to either run independently or you can connect them together via included cables, so they all switch on at once.  They came with hardware to mount them to a ceiling permanently, or with zip ties to hang them, which is what I'm doing. 

You can see the plug for the included cables; each light has plugs on both ends. You can either use a stand alone cable with an on/off switch, or a connecting cable that will run lights off one another.

Connecting two lights with the included cables.

Blue lights help seedlings sprout and grow, red lights help things flower.  California Lightworks gives a great explanation of how lights affect plant growth, development, and flowering.  Honestly, I have a hard time wrapping my head around some of the technical aspects of it, I just know this should work better than the plastic cover and a sunny window.  At any rate, the lights are perfect for my setup.  They're just long enough so they don't hang over the edge, and small enough that I can hang two on each tier.  

I'm also trying out some new silicone seed trays.  I love that they're reusable and BPA-free.  Bonus - they're fun colors.  I'm wondering how easy it will be to get the seedlings out of them when the time comes, though.  They are pretty flexible, so that should help.

Next weekend I'll be starting a few cherry tomato plants, some bell and hot peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and I'm going to try my hand at annual flowers, too.  I have some petunia, pansy, and impatiens seeds on the way.  I have a feeling I may run out of room once these seedlings start needing to be transplanted.