Gearing Up
I started hardening off my first round of seedlings, gearing up to plant the first round into the soil. Most of them are onions, they’ll be planted out as soon as I can find space for them. The rest are brassicas and they’re just beginning to germinate. They get to stay out all day since they haven’t been softened by living under lights. Hardening off seedlings can be a little bit of a chore. I’ve heard horror stories of gardeners forgetting and leaving things out too long, finding their hard work scalded by the sun. This time of year, the sun still sin’t quite hot enough to do too much damage, at least here in the north, but I still make sure I don’t leave them out all day.
The easiest way to harden off seedlings is to find a spot in your garden that gets morning sun and afternoon shade, that way you don’t have to worry about bringing them in halfway through the day. Then you can do the opposite and give them afternoon sun and morning shade. After a few days of each they should be ready for full sun.
My biggest concern with my seedlings is the chickens. At first I had them on the picnic table, but I spotted the chickens eyeing them longingly. Now they’re in the garden surrounded by a fence. The fence also helps protect all the seeds that I’ve already planted as well. Eventually there will be a permanent fence around this potager, but that will have to wait until it’s expanded. Until then, the electric fence (which isn’t turned on) is working out quite nicely.
Any tips/tricks to share for hardening off seedlings? Have you ever sunburned seedlings?
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The 5×5 Challenge
Well, it’s official, we will be doing the 5×5 Garden Challenge (the 5×5 Challenge website is up and running, head on over, check it out and join the forum). I’ve had a lot of questions about whether or not it would happen, so I figured I’d better announce that it will. I’m currently in the process of getting everything organized; seeds are on their way, regional mentors are being organized, making blog badges, etc.
What is the 5×5 Garden Challenge all about?
Encouraging new gardeners. Consider starting a group in your area to support and help each other. Gardening is as much about community as it is about plants. We’ll be setting up a special website, it should be on-line next week. There will be a forum for questions and for regional mentors to help beginner gardeners in your area. If you’re interested in being a regional mentor or forum moderator let me know (via contact form on the right) so we can get you set up.
After much deliberation, I decided to go with the Rainbow Vegetable Collection from Renee’s Garden. I talked to Renee and she was more than happy to send me a pack to give away to one lucky reader. If you don’t think these vegetables will do well in your area, buy different ones. If you don’t want to buy this variety pack, buy seed for these vegetables from your local greenhouse. It would be nice for you to grow the same vegetables as everyone else in the challenge, but it’s not necessary. I’m also adding marigolds and basil to the garden for companion planting.
The rules aren’t hard and fast, if you don’t have space to do a 5×5, make it 4×4, or plant in containers. If you don’t like one of the varieties chosen, choose something else. If you’re an experienced gardener, perhaps your 5×5 garden can be filled with vegetables you’ve always wanted to try growing but haven’t had the courage to try or plant the 5×4 garden and donate all the produce to your local food pantry. The main point of the challenge to learn and encourage those around you to grow something edible. Considering sharing a garden with your neighbor, thus halving your work. This challenge is all about helping beginner gardeners get started.
The 5×5 Garden Challenge will become a weekly feature on the blog during the gardening season. Each week, on a chose day, there will an update on the garden challenge with to-do’s, Q & A sessions, etc.
To kick off the challenge, we’re doing a giveaway. Join the 5×5 Garden Challenge for your chance to win the Rainbow Vegetable Collection from Renee’s Garden. How do you join, comment on this post and tell me how experienced of a gardener you are. Next week, when the website is officially launched, we’ll be doing another great giveaway of a container garden collection.
So what do you say: are you in?
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Hello Spring?
This is what my garden looks like this morning (only with 6 more inches of snow). Very fitting since it’s the first day of spring.
The weather is a strange thing, this time of year you just never know what you’re going to get. I have photos of snow in my gardens in Ohio in April, but then one year my mom and I planted our potatoes and peas on St. Patrick’s Day. You definitely take notice the weather as a gardener. Some years are hot, some are cold, there are wet springs and dry springs. That’s why you always plant a wide variety of plants.
It’s a good thing I went out on Monday and added some greenhouse plastic to the hoops in the potager. I did it to start warming the soil in order to plant spinach and transplant leeks. I also wanted to protect the soil from this snowstorm.
Now the ground underneath will remain dry so I can plant in it earlier. This summer, I have plans to add a large walk-in hoop house to the garden for winter gardening. I can hardly wait!
What does the first day of spring look like in your garden?
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Our First Holz Hausen
A long time ago I pinned this article from Mother Earth News for Mr Chiots. I thought this European method of stacking firewood might be something he was interested in. As we were splitting and stacking wood last weekend, we decided our next stack of wood was going to be made using this method.
It’s a round stack with all the good pieces stacked around the exterior and all the gnarled pieces loaded in the middle. It’s really quite simple to construct. First, you build a circle on the ground out of pieces of firewood in the diameter you want your stack. Then you start stacking wood in the circle around it. This first ring of pieces of wood will start you pile off with the pieces of wood slanting inward, this give the pile stability.
Every so often, if your pieces of firewood start to slope outward instead of inward, you add a horizontal piece across the stack, you can add one in just that area or all the way around. You can see a few of these in the photo below if you look. All the gnarly hard to stack pieces get thrown into the middle vertically.
Sunday, we spent the afternoon splitting wood and we worked on our very first one. It wasn’t difficult at all and it went up fairly quickly. After a couple hours of work it was about 5 feet high (ours is about 6 feet wide).
I rather like stacking wood this way, it is like putting together a puzzle. The interest it adds is also worth the effort of doing so. All-in-all, I think it’s actually quicker and easier than traditional stacking methods. We’ll see how the wood seasons in this pile. No doubt we’ll be building more of these, it’s always nice when you can find a more beautiful way to deal with something like firewood.
Have you ever seen one of these or another artistic way of stacking firewood?
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Surveying the Land
During the 6 months we’ve been living here, I’ve been keeping a close watch on the garden. The way the sun moves across the sky and the shadows it casts on the various part of the garden is something I watch. Also of interest to me, is where the wind blows strongest and the snow drifts. Of most importance though, is how the snow melts and the water runs.
Where the snow melts first is important, because it’s a good place to plant things like hellebores, snowdrops and crocuses. They can take the cold and won’t mind at all if a heavy frost blankets them after a thaw. They’ll be able to bloom beautifully without worry about a blanket of snow. These spots would not be good places to plant things those things that might be lured into budding out early, only to be frozen out when the frosty air blows again
At this time, I’m particularly interested in the snow melt and how it moves across the land. How quickly the soil dries out is important because I want to know where I can plant my first sowing of cold hardy greens for early spring salads. I’ve also taken particular notice of the areas in the garden where the water collects, while some plants enjoy wet feet, many do not. There are a few areas that will be in need of a little excavating in order to allow the water to drain more freely, or perhaps a few small seasonal ponds will be installed to encourage toads and frogs to multiply in the garden.
Yesterday I spent a half hour out walking about looking at the edible spaces in the garden. Now that the snow is gone it won’t be long until I can start sowing spinach and onion seeds. Depending on the weather, I might be able to plant some spinach seeds next week.
Do you have any trouble spots in your garden?
