There is really no way to describe the unbelievable feeling that a new horticulture season brings .
Just the thought of those first seed get going into the ground – or the gustatory modality of just - plucked fresh gelt , tomato , and common pepper from the garden can put a smile on the grumpiest of the grumpy .
It ’s hard to conceive we are just a few hebdomad away from putting those first saltation crops of wampum snap pea , radishes , bread and shekels into the ground .
As exciting as that is – it also mean we have much to do to get ready for it all !
Once the season hits – there just never seems to be enough prison term – so we have ascertain that a little preparation now can make all the difference between a well orchestrate garden haven – or total topsy-turvyness .
For us , that mean going over the garden plan(see 2014 Garden Plan)one net time to make certain everything we need is ready to go . So we expend yesterday watch seeds , making new tomato supports and cleaning up the barn .
Creating New Tomato and Pepper Supports For The Garden :
We have used our home - made Stake - A - Cages for three days now , and I can honestly say they have been one of the workhorse of our garden – keeping our plants healthy and organized .
see : How to make a Stake - A- Cage
It is such a bare concept – but it really keep our tomatoes and white pepper back through the summer months , and lets us glean our harvest with ease .
With that say – it was clock time to fix a few of the early one , and build a few more for the add plants that will go in this yr .
When we first made them 3 years back – we used some leave over pine tree for the stake . It worked well , although a few of the stakes now need supercede from the wear of 3 gardening season .
For this slew – we were able to get an amazing great deal on some 1.5″ x 1.5″ x 60″ hardwood study stake that have a pre - sharpened pencil gunpoint – making driving into the land a breeze .
We then attached 18″ x 48″ weld - wire fencing material to each post with a few 1″ staples from the staple hired gun , and in a minuscule less than an hour – we made 50 new stake - a - cages for the garden .
The stake ran us about $ 1.40 each , and we picked up a 100′ roll of the wire for about $ 55 . At a total toll of less than $ 2 to make each backing – it ’s a bargain – especially since the hardwood bet will last much longer than the true pine .
We even added a quick OWG stencil to each military post to give it a little more garden flair . 🙂
Seed start :
This is also the time to ensure all of the seeds are start in time for the coming calendar month .
The first of our plants – the decorative peppers , were seeded a few calendar week back . They have a foresightful germination sentence so we needed to get them take off first .
They are now up and on there way under the lights on the homemade growing stand.(see : start Seeds Indoors )
Starting today – all of our heirloom tomato and hot , sweet and green pepper source will get planted – leave them a full 8 week to become established before putting them into the ground around May 15th .
They usually pop up up within 7 days of choke into the seed trays , unlike the ornamental peppers that can take almost 21 day .
No matter what we plant – we always place two seeded player in every seedcase to ascertain a full tray of seedlings . If we get enough image to come up – we just graft into an extra apartment to have a few extra on hired man for family and protagonist .
One thing I can definitely say we instruct is the power of labeling every container and flat . It seems so well-to-do to remember what you have found in the root .
But when our home - made raise stand is full – we have near to 600 plants up at once – and by May – they all commence to look the same .
The label are a lifesaver to make certain we are plant tomato where tomatoes go!(see : Making an Indoor Seed - start Stand )
Preparing The Garden – Green Manure Cover crop
usually at this period we will start to turn a few of the raised run-in fall cover crops back into the soil to get ready to plant the other spring crops in about a week .
But this year ’s later and sonorous C. P. Snow have left them still on the wet side . Hopefully we can dry out out this week and get the soil turned and plant in the next two week .
For the row that will not have spring crops planted – we will deform as soon as time allow and plant a quick “ green manure ” crop of annual rye .
t really helps to establish a little more nutrient into the soil before mid - May ’s big veggie planting.(See : Planting Green Manure Crops )
With that said – it ’s time to get back to those seed trays and get them planted ! Happy Gardening – Jim and Mary
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