Thanks, Pete! I am just dying to get seeds started but my planting calendar WARNS me not to start the first thing until Match 4th for my Pepper Plants. They are always so slow to germinate - even with bottom heat and all my other tricks.
I know, I know! Patience in all things, Grasshopper! :)
Wife has “toasted” our seed starting dirt.
We’re ready...
Every spring when the weather warms up, we put in a variety of peppers. Then, after the last frost kills them, we put in some more.
I hit the ‘panic’ button today and went to the trouble/expense to mail my great nieces the seeds that I them to go along with the Roots, Shoots etc. book for Christmas. It will be time to start seeds soon and I didn’t think I’d see them in person before they needed to get going with the seeds. They should have them Monday.
This past week we had mild temps in the 60’s & I think one or two days got to 70 & another 73. I was able to work in a T-shirt part of the day & if I got a little cool, a flannel shirt over that did the trick.
This is the first time I’ve been able to work outside since late last Fall. Cold weather came in just as I was finishing up re-doing my fencing. We had high winds in December (I found something from my garden across the property and in a ditch along the road at the end of the driveway!) and the garden was ‘blown around’ quite a bit. I got everything picked up and reorganized.
The shingle idea to deter weeds is going to be a lifesaver for me. I got all the old shingles hauled to the garden and put down. I was able to go around all the metal beds, around 3 sides on all the veggie beds, & two large spaces between the metal & veggie beds. I might get some weeds coming up in the cracks between the ‘tabs’ on the shingles, but that will be nothing to take care of, plus I am putting wood chips on top of the shingles and that might be just enough to keep the weeds out of those slots.
Another big project was cleaning up the dirt pile from fixing the leak in the water pipe to the barn. The dirt was mostly clay type dirt - when it dried out, it was hard as a rock. I got dirt from another spot to fill in the ditch, so the clay dirt pile was just sitting there. It took me all afternoon one day, but I got it shoveled up & into the cart, then put the dirt in some spots where we had taken large pine trees out & the roots have rotted out, leaving holes. I try to avoid the holes when mowing & now I can just run over them because they are leveled out with the rest of the ground.
The PU truck is loaded ... even the passenger side of the cab, floor and seat, are full of stuff. There is so much more to take to the dump - dad didn’t throw anything away. I found the “stash” of all the old oil filters he took off the tractor over the years (and the oil bottles) .... plus more stuff, of course. We need to get a large dumpster - I think it would take at least 6 dumpster loads to get rid of a lot of the junk that is in the pole barns & some of the sheds. Sigh - I don’t think I’ll ever run out of things to do.
One more big project I’m looking forward to: taking down the 3 magnolia trees encroaching on my garden (blocking sun, dropping messy leaves, etc.). Two of them were “thrashed” by a buck during the rut some years ago. Both were damaged and growing crooked, look awful. Another was a nicer shape, but a certain party got carried away with a pole saw last year and now it doesn’t look so hot. All 3 trees are coming down as soon as I can get myself straight on running the portable generator. The pole saw chain might be an issue - I think it was taken off for sharpening .... if not, great ... if so, I can figure it out & my brother can be a resource on it if I need him.
I have two choices for places to start seeds this year - need some work, but shooting for the first week in March to get seeds in pots. I’m ready for Winter to be gone!
I thought I might try that Amish trick with tomatoes and buy some cheap tomatoes from the supermarket and try to get some seeds going in a slice of tomato in a pot of soil! Nutrients & correct PH to get them going?