Posted on 03/28/2014 12:39:07 PM PDT by greeneyes
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I think we might have some rain tomorrow too. I do have indoor stuff to do - so behind I think I’m ahead.LOL
If I get enough done in the AM, I might reward myself with a trip to Lowes over in the next county. On line search looks like they have mushroom compost.
But it is sooooo dangerous to go in there. No telling what I’ll come out with if I go.
My wifes last trip to lowes resulted in buying a cart full of half price stuff. So, look out!
OK, will bring potatoes out for medium light. I keep house about 72. I read about Fingerlings and most plant the whole potato so I will.
Yeh. I have almost talked myself out of going.LOL
Daughter gave me a bag of mushroom compost, and I know she still has another one. So I may be able to beg her out of it.
Actually, if I just use it as a top layer of 2 or 3 inches I might get by with what I have. Problem is I like to stock up on stuff that I use just in case of supply chain issues.
Well I bought 5 bags extra last year. But guess what Hubby used them all without saying a word to me. Of course, he just shrugged and said buy some more. That was 8 months ago.
He just always assumes that you can buy more when you need it. Never mind availability and cost. Those be my problems - not his.LOL
We were at a nursery a month ago and I stopped and looked at a large bag of worm castings. I thought to my self, what would my dad think of BUYING a bag of worm droppings? Or droppings of any kind, actually.
My dad was not a farmer, but was allowed an acre of land to grow cotton to earn spending money. Later in life he grew a cotton plant in a bed next to his patio.
It 55deg here, cloudy/hazy, a wet mist in the the air. Just a nasty day, and not raining.
So after my coffee, I decided to heck with the house work, I am gonna do what I want today, and that is to plant stuff. First on the list supermarket potatoes that I cut in half.
So I went to look at the garden patch. That bed was one of the ones that Hubby did his mixing thing in. It was kinda hard and clay looking. So I got the big garden fork, and stuck it in about a foot, and then just lifted it a bit and set it back down to loosen it up all over the bed.
Then I visited the wood pile and got some approximately 6 inch diameter logs about 18” long. Put them at the outside edges-retaining wall is on the backside. Took about 1/2 a bag of 40 lb. bag of Humus/manure. Could barely lift it, but I managed to get it on top of the retaining wall, and let it pour into the bed.
Then I topped it off with a couple of bags of potting mix I had left from last year. Now that is 6 inches of some serious organic matter on top of that crappy soil. So that's where I planted the potatoes. We'll see how the experiment works.
Then I came in for breakfast and another cup of coffee. Then pulled out the lettuce seed. So I have these rectangular containers about 7 x 15 inches and 7” tall. I dumped some used soil from last years container plants in to 3” height.
Then, I dumped in mushroom compost for another 3 inches. Gave it a little mix with my hands (gloved) and planted the spinach bloomsdale in one pot.
I tripled the amount, since this was leftover seed, and I'll thin them and eat them as they grow. Then I did the same thing for the lettuce.
Planted each half of those pots with a different type. Little Gem, Black Seeded Simpson, Baby Star, and Salad Bowl. Taking a break now. Had to take an aspirin for headache. Then it's supper time, and relax till headache goes away.
Next up, I am starting some peas. Now I don't much like peas, but I do like to throw a handful into the soup pot, or in a Shepard's pie. And there's always space this time of year, so I usually plant some outside. So far something tragic has happened every year to the peas that I plant outdoors during the 3/25 to 4/10 recommended time frame.
So time to try something different. I am starting the little dears indoors in paper cups. Will wait till they are well on their way, and then I'll plant some in a container, and some next to the fence. I have Wando Drought tolerant, Cascadia, and little Marvel, if I can just find them all.
I am a happy camper today, because I got some stuff planted (satisfied that itch), and it's too late to go to Lowe's and blow the budget.LOL
I do buy the mixture of organic humus and manure cause it's pretty cheap, and helps to amend the crappy red clay soil.
Worm power sells for around $7/lb. It is 1.5-.07-1.5. That translates into $497/lb for the Nitrogen. Cottonseed meal is only $6/lb of nitrogen, and alfalfa meal is only $9 dollars per lb of nitrogen.
So if I am going to use worm droppings, I'll be raising those worms myself, and collecting the droppings. I am thinking that worm droppings might make some handy pocket change, if the laws in your neighbor hood allow it.
I have thought about raising worms. It’s a two-fold purpose, it produces great soil additive, and bait. We have a small(30acre) lake just barely out of sight from the back door that is a fairly good fishing lake. But I will procrastinate and never do it.
I thought about doing it once. Even bought some containers to make my own system. Then I procrastinated till I got over it. LOL
Found another use for those containers.
You was a bundle of energy today. Feels good, doesn’t it?
I did not do the planned inside activity, but instead organized and cleaned out the shop/garage. I have only to move out about 6-5ga. gas cans and about 30 gallons of paint cans, and I will be rid of almost all things not needing to be there. There’s still plenty to do, but getting rid of all the stuff that did not belong went a long ways. I am looking to prime and paint one wall in the next couple of weeks. One wall at a time...
In my clean up today, I consolidated some painting supplies(roller, sandpapers, dust masks, etc) and got two more containers that match the ones in my raised container garden, RCG, Hehehe. Now for a supporting stand that is not too horribly ugly, and I will expand the RCG by 50% I love it when a plan comes together! I will not plant in them, but use them for extra space for my two free range maters to have a little more running room.
I have three (or four) kinds of peas in containers outside - started all of them from seeds inside. I only bought the types the companies said the pods are good for stir fries. A skillet and veggies (including pea pods) and meat of some kind, add bottled sauce of some kind, and eat. That's my idea of cooking.
I am not that fond of the stir fry ones either, but it is one of the better ways to have peas of some sort.
It does feel good to be able to get something done.
Good News for sure.
Other than sprouting some ghost pepper seeds, I am officially finished with seeds starting or planting for this year. I had wanted to put up a trellis or cattle panel arch for some vine plants, but I have too much lower back ache to do it. The cucuzza squash and pickling cukes will just have to till next year. I just cant seem to get past this like I thought I would. Oh well, I have the RCG to play with anyway.
I wish RCG stood for Remote Controlled Garden.
Wouldn’t that be cool? Or R2D2, the garden edition?
I am still thinking how to put up a lightweight,inexpensive, PVC overhead system for cucuzza. I just don’t want to give up. I thinkengineer stuff when I am supposed to be sleeping.
I cant build the rectangular trellis in the shop except to lay it out on the floor, where I cant get to it easily to glue and staple it together. My knees do not accept concrete floors anymore, zero tolerance. I cant handle the weight to get it into place in a hard to reach side of the garden with my back acting a fool right now. So if I dont come up with a lightweight, cheap plan, I’m over it for the year.
My meds are kicking, you have a good night.
The plant dates for the cool crops began March 25 and runs through mid-April. However we have sometimes had snow after April 15, so I usually just wait till the temps are right and plant in the garden.
However, this year I am wanting to get the crop in and near to harvest before the really hot weather(if we get it again), so I am just going to plant them according to schedule, but inside.
It's an experiment. I put a little soil and slow release granules in the bottom of the cup, and then fill the cup almost up to the top. Put the seed in and put another 1-2 inches (whatever the instructions say) on top of the seed.
That way I think that if there's a delay in transplanting, they'll be able stay in the cup a bit longer. Also I have some seeds that are older, and may not sprout. I don't want to stress my back planting stuff in the ground, and then have it not even germinate.
So I am breaking pattern and starting seeds. It'll be easier to water them this way anyhow.LOL
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