Grow Seedlings Grow

Update since last post:

• Lettuce and arugula almost ready for first harvest 
• First Peas are up
• Lots of random sprouts
• Worms going to work on compost

I was a little late in ordering my 2012 seeds and two weekends ago was beautiful weather for planting, so I couldn't wait. I used the remnants of last year's Sugar Ann Snap Peas and legume inoculant (used by the plants for nitrogen fixation) and planted the first of 4 rows. I'm using both of my A-frame trellises and putting side-by-side in one of my 4x4ft beds. Last year I used one trellis for peas (Sugar Snap Peas on one side and Garden Peas on the other), but this year I'm using both trellises for sugar snap peas only (they were a big hit last year in the Stockwell household). I planted that first row on 4/15 and they are already up 9 days later (4/24). The remaining 3 rows I planted 4/20 once the seeds finally arrived but those are not up yet. Just checked the garden today for the first time in days (deluge of rain the past couple days) and lots of random, fun things are sprouting in various places (none of which I planted). There's a nasturtium in one of last year's beds, plus what look to be a potato plant and a beet in one of the other beds on top of which I composted last year's plants when I pulled up the garden in the fall (must be where the potato and beet came from since I didn't plant either in that spot last year).

I also decided to start a compost pile on the 14x4ft bed closest to the house last Fall. I collected loads and loads of fallen leaves and chopped them up along with grass clippings with my mower by running them over multiple times. I then piled the chopped leaf/grass combo on top of the bed, into which I buried our food scraps for the next couple months (until everything froze up solid and I moved my composting effort inside into a giant garbage bin in the garage -- more on that later). To say I am a little obsessed with compost in an understatement. What can I say, composting is fun and really satisfying even if the wife thinks I'm a little nutty :-) Anyway, my plan was to let this compost pile finish decomposing in the spring to be ready to plant squash (zucchini, summer squash, and winter squash) by June 1 since squash seems to love compost. As of a couple weeks ago, I was pretty sceptical my plan was going to work, as the decomposition was slow and I was worried it wouldn't be ready in time. But I turned the pile today, there were loads of worms doing their thing, and I am now cautiously optimistic that my original plan is going to work. We will see.

Arugula back on 4/15

5 days later (4/20)

4 days after that (4/24) -- Arugula only a few days away from harvesting (hopefully!)

Mesclun Mix Lettuce (4/24) - maybe a week away?

1 row planted 4/15 (last year's seeds)

Remaining 3 rows of Sugar Snap Peas planted 4/20 (2012 seeds), with help from E & A (not pictured)

Random Nasturtium that sprouted in last year's bed (where I had squash and nasturtiums together). I'm thinking of letting it grow and plant around it.

1st Row of Peas are up (4/24) - 9 days after planting

Peas up close

Random Potato (I think) sprouting in last year's bed/compost

Random Beet (I think) sprouting in same bed/compost

Compost pile built on top of bed last fall (to be used for planting squash later in season). Recently turned and...

...filled with worms (hooray!)

Garden Prep and First Plantings

I planted the first veggies of the young season very early this year (March 28th) right after a string of crazy warm weather. Of course, right after planting it returned to normal early spring weather (read: cold and rainy/snowy) in Maine. About 10 days in and the Mesclun Mix Lettuce isn't up yet, but the Arugula came up a few days ago and seems to be doing okay so far despite a few below-freezing nights.

Ethan was pretty upset to find out I had planted some veggies without him, so we made sure to plant some more Mesclun Mix in his garden this past weekend. This is his first year having his "own" garden space, so he is very excited to take over the small garden area on the "hill" behind the main garden. It's only two small mounds (each about 6-8 sqft) but should be a perfect size for him to plant a few of his favorite veggies and manage (plant, weed, water, harvest) the area all on his own.

After 3 years of gardening (and lots and lots of composting!!!), I feel like I have finally gotten the soil to a good place (it always can be improved though of course). I started raised beds last year for the first time, so my plan is to use no-till methods where I disrupt the soil as little as possible going forward. I will add finished compost (maybe an inch or more if I can?) on top of the soil each year but otherwise not disrupt the soil structure for the most part. We'll see this year how well this works (or doesn't work).

So the soil's in a decent semi-steady state but sunlight is one area that I felt could be improved. Most of the garden gets sunlight from 8ish to 5ish but there is a gap from 12:00 to 1:30 where a tree blocks much of the garden and then another tree that blocks parts from 2:00 to 3:30 or so. There is nothing I can do about the second tree (too nice to consider removing) but the first tree has been bothering me for a couple years. I decided this winter that it can be sacrificed for the greater good of the garden. I had mixed feelings about killing a perfectly healthy tree but it wasn't particularly attractive (it's a white pine on the edge of our woods) and I justified it's removal by thinking about the extra 20% of sunlight the garden should hopefully receive as well as the other surrounding trees getting more sun as a result of the big one being removed. My Dad brought his chain saw over yesterday (Easter Sunday) and helped me take it down. Let's hope the extra sun results in extra delicious and abundant veggies this year!

Ethan preparing his garden for planting

The main garden raised beds. View from the hill (where Ethan's garden will be this year)

Planting the mesclun mix lettuce seeds

Proud gardener

Watering the newly planted seeds

The Arugula sprouted about 7 days after planting. So far has survived a couple hard frosts.

Lettuce and Arugula planted bottom left. Black plastic used to warm soil in prep for planting later in Spring. Green tripod sprinkler (between beds) is what I plan to use for watering this year

View from the middle of the garden beds, looking up where the tree was (wish I had gotten a "before" shot, but the "after" shot will have to do). The old tree filled up the space where the dark cloud is now

Another "after" shot. The big white pine used to be right in the middle, a few feet into the woods, taller than any of the surrounding trees

Dad and Ethan checking out the felled tree

Counting the rings -- about 40. Sorry Old Buddy.