The Garden Update

Well, half of the garden has been planted. I planted several bean seeds a few nights ago and then soaked the rest to see if it really was true that the soaking would help speed germination. I am not 100% convinced that it really would matter.

I tried a new method of planting this year that I have seen in several gardens up in Minnesota... okay so mostly in Uncle Clyde and Grandpa Stan's gardens. Since they seem to be pretty good at it, I thought I would copy them... (In Maggie's defense, She is just as good of a gardener, and I think she does it this way too, but I can't really remember.) We added all the garden soil with the fertilizers and so forth and then put a black weed blocking tarp over the top. I then cut holes in the tarp in which I then planted the seeds through. What I didn't plan for, and am not sure how it should have been done, is that after the seeds were in the ground, as I was planting other seeds the tarp kept shifting slightly so I am not sure if the holes line up with where the plants are going to come up. So is it simply that I need to make the holes bigger so that shifting doesn't matter, or should all the plants have been previously started and then transplanted so that the stems would already have been above ground? The only other thing I thought of was to have some way of marking where the seeds were planted.... like with a toothpick or something so that the holes couldn't shift easily. Hmmm.

Also, I bought some Tomatoe seeds. I read on the back of the package after the fact (but before planting) that the seeds should be started indoors and then transplanted 6 - 8 weeks after germinating. Well, since I didn't get the seeds early enough in the season, is it possible to just plant them outside anyway? Mike and I talked about it and he remembers that every year his dad started the seeds in egg cartons, in preparaation of the growing season. Due to lack of prepanning though, we think we should just plant them straight into the ground and take a chance.... The worste that can happen is that we start them earlier next year indoors rather than wait so long.

Speaking of next year, I plan on also getting ahold of a seed company catalogue. I hear they can help make the planting season a lot easier, not just in the products they offer but also in the tips and hints that they offer for the home gardener. I also plan on researching more plants unique to this area.... like I hear you can grow blueberries down here, but only one brand and only through the seed company catalogues. Then there is also the pear or peach tree that I would love to plant to replace the apple tree that I am pretty sure didn't survive. (After planting the apple tree I found out that they don't like a lot of water which we tend to have in the area that it was planted. I hear though that pear and peach trees do!)

So I think I can officially say that I am a gardening geek.... I actually like pulling weeds and sit there fretting next to the garden when things don't grow, and worry about them when they do ( I mean its only the next insect that could cause problems!!!). If I have anything to say about it, Savannah is going to become a gardening geek too.... she already appreciates playing in the dirt!... That's the first step in liking it, right!!!