Every day as I sit at my computer checking email, blogging, editing pictures, and updating the shop, this is what I see. My precious second batch of seedlings. If you remember last year's soliloquy on why I can not grow a garden on a farm, you will not be surprised to hear that my first batch of seedlings didn't make it. Nor did the first set of seeds I planted directly outdoors. These are my last chance of having an all-heirloom garden of vegetables. I rotate them twice daily, and once a week I water them with seaweed solution I've made by fermenting seaweed (which I gathered myself) in buckets in the backyard. Sounds hard-core, but maybe "desperate" is a better word for it. I want SO BADLY to be more self-reliant, but no matter what I do I can not force my thumbs to be green. These guys are slated to go outside this week - I can hardly bear to put them out there. If anybody has any gardening tips for me, I could sure use them!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Plant Jail
Every day as I sit at my computer checking email, blogging, editing pictures, and updating the shop, this is what I see. My precious second batch of seedlings. If you remember last year's soliloquy on why I can not grow a garden on a farm, you will not be surprised to hear that my first batch of seedlings didn't make it. Nor did the first set of seeds I planted directly outdoors. These are my last chance of having an all-heirloom garden of vegetables. I rotate them twice daily, and once a week I water them with seaweed solution I've made by fermenting seaweed (which I gathered myself) in buckets in the backyard. Sounds hard-core, but maybe "desperate" is a better word for it. I want SO BADLY to be more self-reliant, but no matter what I do I can not force my thumbs to be green. These guys are slated to go outside this week - I can hardly bear to put them out there. If anybody has any gardening tips for me, I could sure use them!
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7 comments:
You should talk to David about gardening tips. Has he told you what he does to start seeds for our garden?
He converted a utility shelf into a grow-light shelf, and rigged up some shop lights with full spectrum bulbs to the top of the shelves and carefully spritzes the seedlings each night plus other mystery activities that I don't know about.
Much more work than I'd ever put into seeds, but it certainly works. We have about 40 tomato plants now.
On Friday I said "honey, make sure you water the seedlings"
On Saturday he said " don't worry I just watered them, they'll be fine"
On Sunday he said "I don't know how they would have dried up like that, I watered them - really, I did."
riiiiiiight....
hmmm, well depends on what's getting your plants. if it's bugs, spray the plants with soapy water (like dish soap) and make sure you mulch around the plants. if it's other critters, i have no idea, build a steel box around them. we have a mole problem in our area and we got these solar powered "mole chasers" that are stakes that you put in the ground and they make a noise every few minutes. they seem to be helping. but we had to get three of them. then, say a prayer. :)
mandy
ps. check out this blog, i think you'll like it: http://www.anarchyinthegarden.com/
Heather, I know David could whip my garden into shape. He's probably identified where the tomato plants' brains are located and is performing experiments on their cerebral cortexes after you go to sleep... :)
Mandy, thanks for the soapy water tip! I will try that - my dad thinks something is "sucking the juice" out of my plants' stems. Sheesh, garden vampires. :) Keep me posted on the gopher sticks - maybe we'll get some.
Haha, yeah, he's the plant whisperer :)
Major points for trying! I don't have the guts to even try seedlings...
I planted veggies this year! It's, like, Day 4, and everything looks still alive. Yay!
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