Kale at 10 days

You have to love kale.  10 days after planting I have lovely healthy sprouts popping up. 
The best way to thin kale is to pinch off the smaller plants and eat them. 
Trust me.  Eat the sprouts. 
You can do this for radishes, too... in fact all your greens will be yummy as sprouts.

Dirty Hands

This seems to be the year of the kids at The Reclaiming Dinner Project. Many of the recipients of my tomato plants have kids, which was why I grew cherry tomatoes in a variety of colours. I also have been handing out kid-friendly seeds to friends / co-workers / strangers who have kids in the hopes that they might get the next generation excited about growing food. White, purple and Nantes ("real" baby) carrots (again for the colour palate), mild radishes and different greens (for the gratification of quick sprouting), sunflowers and marigolds... seeds as nature's toy box.

I will admit that I am chatty, enthusiastic and eager to involve as many people in my project as possible. And so early one spring morning I was talking with a fellow dog-walker at my conservation area (whose dogs are tolerant of my over-sized Great Dane, and who walks his dogs as early in the AM as I do mine) about spring. Scott is a teacher, and seems like the kind you would hope your kids would get - dedicated, energetic and curious. He mentioned an idea for a class project - to get the students to find examples of spring's arrival. Of course I launch into seeds which leads into a Sunday AM meeting where I hand over jiffy pellets, trays, lids and seeds.

This morning I ran into him again, and he updated me: most of the seeds have sprouted and the kids are totally into it. We discuss the curiosity of kids, especially at 11 years old; how the act of passing on the knowledge of where food comes from and the sharing of the means to feed ourselves is a completely worthwhile exercise.

It turns out that the kids have their own blog. I've invited Scott and his kids to contribute to this blog so that we can share first-hand their enthusiasm and wonder. I have the hope that they learn to love their dirty hands and watching their seeds grow into small plants, that they will take their lessons home and share them with their parents. That maybe a few more gardens will be planted, and that more dinners might be created at home.

The logistics of hardening off during a rainy spring

It has rained pretty much the entire month of April. It has also been cold and dreary and the version of spring that no one really likes... Spring showers sound so charming and so "I'm singing in the rain", but spring rain is just cold and wet. The Farmer's Almanac warned of a colder, wetter April (and part of May, too... ugh) and so it has been. But perhaps it has also been like a genuine spring as opposed to the hot, dry springs of the last couple of years that have really felt like summer (as in "we skipped from winter to summer and missed spring entirely"). So as a result our property is soaking wet, our rain barrels are already 1/2 full, and I'm sure the well is comfortably replenished. It has also meant my peas took 28 days before they broke ground, I haven't had to worry about the carrots and parsnips germinating, and yesterday was the first day I could hang laundry out on the line.

So comes the difficulty of hardening off the 93 tomato plants that I've got thriving in the basement (safe and warm under lights, and destined to be given away). We have a covered front porch which gets very little sun until late afternoon, and which is perfect for the first day or so (no matter if it rains). But eventually sun will have to come into the equation, so the south-facing back deck is the next stop in the process. However there is no protection from the rain or wind back there, which means I have to be extremely diligent in keeping an eye on them (not to mention managing my time). But how to harden the plants off if it doesn't stop raining?? And how to harden off 93 tomato plants alone (plus all the peppers, basil, onions and brussle sprouts) while also working full time? While I love my tomato seedlings, I had dreaded hardening them off. Here is where the cold frame comes in (unless you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse)...

A cold frame is basically a slanted box, with some kind of transparent material as a lid (old window panes are commonly used, but I have heard of people using plexiglass or other clear plastics). They are traditionally put right onto the ground, and you can put some cold-tolerant plants into them even weeks before the last average frost date.

You put your seedlings into them, and the seedlings gradually get exposed to the sun and wind, and are gently hardened off. This is all according to what I've read - I am only today the proud possessor of 2 cold frames.

Thankfully yesterday was glorious and sunny and a balmy 15 and so my guy got to building me 2 cold frames. He built them with used window panes (which can be propped up), the sides are made out of recycled coreplast (a baffled plastic material) that we had lying around, with slits in the sides so that the C02 from the plants can vent. He also built them with high sides; I wanted to be sure my tomato plants wouldn't outgrow the box before the weather warmed up enough to plant them out. I put the frames on the deck since our backyard is so wet. The only worry I have is that the spaces between the deck boards lets cold air into the cold frame, and the nights are still cold (although above 0), so I will have to do something to ensure the cold air doesn't damage the plants on cold nights. But yesterday and today I've moved most of the tomatoes, all the basil and of course the onions and brussel sprouts into them.

Yet while I have dreamt of cold frames for years, and have read about them in every "how to grow a garden" book, I realize I don't really know how to use them, or at least not with any degree of confidence. Does one just put the plants in there and walk away (well, keeping an eye on the temperature inside) and then 2 weeks later the plants can be planted out straight from the cold frame? Can they just tolerate being put in the box, exposed to sun without being shaded at first? Will they get enough exposure to wind within the box, only to suffer when they finally leave it? Do they have to be further hardened off once they leave the confines of the box? I haven't found detailed instructions about their use, so I'm winging it based on what little I've read.

I put some of the strongest plants into the cold frames, and for now treat it a bit like a greenhouse - I plan on keeping the panes closed during inclement weather, but will open them up on hot days. I'll also open them up a bit on windy days, to allow the tomatoes to practice a bit of yoga. I have 22 days until the long weekend (the traditional time for planting out tomatoes unless one has a series of cloches or some other type of protection against late spring frost) and so hope that is enough time to iron out any bugs in my novice efforts. By the end of the week I will have moved all the seedlings into the frames, I think.

Without the cold frames, I was facing the prospect of carting that many plants outside and bringing them inside each day for the 7 -10 days it takes to harden them off. Now that they are nestled comfortably in their little house I can focus on hardening them off easily, rather than risk sun- or wind-burning them.

It is raining again today, which might be in my favour. There won't be high hot sun beating through the glass while the tomatoes are acclimatizing to the temperature shift, and they'll hopefully be ready for wind and sun by the time the rains end. It seems unfair that I am far more concerned with how the tomato plants cope than I am about the brussel sprouts, the basil or onion, but that is just my way. I really LOVE growing tomato seedlings.

By the way, I did start to harden many of the tomatoes off yesterday (mostly the exciting cherry varieties), and I was once again shocked and amazed to see how thick the stems got in only a few hours of gentle breeze. Like peas growing, it seems that you could see the tomatoes strengthen if you paid close enough attention.

The Past Week

After working my butt off last weekend to get the yard in acceptable shape and clear out as much of the veggie patch as possible, it rained. It rained all week. Kind of every day all day rain. I was extremely happy that I had taken the time to get as much accomplished as I did, including getting all the leaf bags into the garage so they wouldn't get soaked.

A week later, the grass is green and all sorts of violets and trilliums are blooming. The seeds I planted with the kids last Monday are sprouting. We've propped the dome covers off and will move them to the window when the pellets have all seeded. Now that they are sprouting the kids are way more excited about them.

Today I hired the teenager next door and his cousin to help me move a wood pile that was taking up part of the veggie patch. My hubby had stacked it there over the winter, not realizing he had put it over not only a fair portion of the border of my garden but also over day lilies. Now the wood pile is tucked away near our back shed, out of sight (hideous blue tarps to keep the rain off included).

The lettuce I planted last weekend hasn't sprouted yet. On the suggestion of my sister, I put straws into the pots to label what I had planted there. I actually put the seed packet in a snack size zip baggie and stapled it to the straw, then inserted the straw in the pot. When I went to look at them last Tuesday (hoping even though we had planted them the day before that I would see some sprouts) the straws were gone! I think some crafty birds took them for their nests, seed packet labels and all.

Today the kids have wanted to be in the front yard all day no matter what I do to try to lure them to the back. Still, I have managed to prune back a dogwood bush and an exotic something-or-other shrub that grows beside our back porch and provides us with gorgeous purple Hibiscus-looking flowers in the summer. I raked out the portion of the garden that the wood had been stacked on.

There is still so much to do to prep the garden patch but today I am going to weed and turn the soil on the 4 x 4 portion I got done last weekend and then we going to put in carrots and more lettuce.

The camera battery is charging but once it's charged, I will take and post some pictures of my accomplishments and include a shot of the amazing table my husband crafted out of old spruce boards last weekend for our deck. It's phenomenal and at 6 feet x 2.5 feet, it's going to be the perfect place to host family and friend gatherings over the summer. I just hope I will be able to have salad bowl full and greens and veggies from my garden to put on it!

Photo by Scott Robinson

Gardening with Kids is Fun . . . But Not So Easy

Last year Melinda gave us two miniature growing greenhouses with Jiffy pellets to plant seeds with the kids. We didn't get to it last summer and the sight of them at the front door for the past year finally guilted me into planting something with the kids.

Today I rounded up my two and the two little boys next door to bestow upon them the lesson of the importance of growing our own food. I had visions of them surrounding me, overcome with awe as they planted their little seeds in the peat, talking nature and the beauty of life.

Here's what happened instead.

I couldn't get their attention, no matter what tactics I used. My daughter was interested until she put her finger into the wet peat and then she didn't want to do it anymore. My son only made references to how the expanding Jiffy pellets looked like poo. The youngest of the two boys next door didn't come near us the whole time. To my surprise, the oldest, who usually can't hold his attention on anything for more than one minute, was helpful in loosening the screening and fluffing the peat. He also diligently planted the seeds, replaced the dome on the greenhouse and took it into the kitchen. He did this while my son and the other boy next door ran around shooting each other with their pretend guns. My daughter wanted a snack.

I couldn't get a word in edgewise, between the poo comments and the running around and the shooting noises. I tried to stay Zen, sip my coffee and lightly cover over the seeds with the peat. Before I could even finish the second greenhouse, they were all off, running out to the front to play hockey.

I'm pretty sure that once the seeds germinate and poke out of the peat, that their interest will improve. They are all under the age of 7, afterall, and all about the instant gratification. I had Martha Stewart visions of what a bonding and communal experience planting with them would be, but in the end, kids are kids and they bounce around from activity to activity like superballs on sugar.

Since the kids aren't interested, I will post it here that we planted Black Eyed Susan and Calendula seeds. At least someone cares!

Tomato Yoga

If you read Melinda's most recent post, I'm sure you will delight in the idea of "tomato yoga" as much as I did. The idea of a tomato plant stretching to strengthen and limber its core is beautiful and I can attest that I have in just the past 24 hours seen for myself that this is the case. Yesterday Melinda gifted me with two cherry tomato seedlings. We made a hasty transfer from her car to mine in the cold and windy parking lot of Milestones. She had the pots lovingly wrapped in wet newspaper to give them moisture, and then tin foil to keep them warm. They were nestled in amongst more newspapers in an old hiking shoe box. They are hardy and robust already, even though they are so young.

I brought them home and unwrapped them from all of their dressings. I set up a table in our family room which has a large south-facing patio door and two heat registers. It's a sunroom without the skylights. The kids and I talked about how to be careful around them, especially when opening and closing the patio door. I grimaced as I remembered that our patio door screen often falls and because of some horrible installation prior to us moving here, the screen door was installed on the inside of the door. It often falls off its track and lands on the floor. I moved the plants far enough to the side that they would still get the light, but be out of the way of the dreaded falling screen.

What does this have to do with Tomato Yoga? I'm getting there! We went on with our day. This morning we were up early and getting on with our day but it wasn't until mid-morning when I came into the family room. By then the tomato plants had about 4 hours of full sunlight shining on them. I wanted to check them to see if they needed water or if they were cold and needed to be moved. And there they were: two beauties, green, lush even in their youth, stretching themselves toward the patio door, toward the sunlight. Kind of like downward dog for tomatoes! I turned the pots so they were stretching in the opposite direction and by mid-afternoon, they had stretched back to the patio door.

The miraculousness of this achievement could keep one's mind completely occupied for days, kind of like getting anything done around the house or garden with small children can. I can't wait to see the plants tomorrow, to see them stretching out toward the sun.

It's late evening now and the sky is dark and the blind is closed. The plants are perfectly upright; I imagine it is Mountain Pose and they will hold it until the sun coaxes them into a different stretch in the morning.

Tomato Love

I have just read that it's healthy for tomato seedlings to have their leaves / stems moved gently while they are still living indoors. The book recounted how a grandchild liked to touch the tomato plants, and how those seedlings had stronger stems for it. The author recommends taking a pencil and brushing it over the plants a couple of times a day. It sounds a bit like tomato yoga - stretching resulting in a strong, limber core.

That theory might explain why my tomato plants have generally been stronger than what every other expert would suggest I have reason to expect. I am not a gentle tomato grower. I transplant some too early, I move them around so they can share the light equally (and banging the pots around in the process). I jolt them, jostle them, and often accidentally push them over with water. But they seem no worse for wear, and in past years have reached the hardening off stage with a bit of sturdiness already. Perhaps, then, my innate clumsiness has some benefits.

People used to say the same thing about roses and African violets. Treat them gently! They're fussy and fragile and moody! They're challenging! I have to disagree - I have found that as long as I water them enough, and (in the cases of roses) prune somewhat, they flower and thrive and seem to enjoy themselves.

But back to the seedlings. I wonder why the prevailing mythology is that growing from seed is difficult / time consuming / space stealing. I wonder how it is that we've become so afraid of starting our own transplants. Despite the number of "self-help" books on the subjects, the "experts" have only reinforced the mystery around seed starting. And the problem with mystifying the process of growing plants from seeds is that it only benefits the nurseries.

This year my process was as basic as could be: soilless mix in a container, seeds into mix, cover, water, wait. Water, wait. Transplant, water, wait. I didn't take a course or apprentice with a gardening master. I read some books and went for it. And despite my lack of education and my haphazard methods, I've had success each year. Tremendous success because not only did my plants start, grow, flower and fruit, but I've been able to share the seedlings with my friends and co-workers and so have spread the joy homegrown food.

I guess my mantra will be "give it a go!" Throw a seed in some dirt and add water. Put it in a sunny window and watch it grow, just like you did in grade 2. It's not a lot harder than that, and just as fun as when you grew sunflowers in styrofoam cups in Ms. Duenechs' class.

Brussel Sprouts

I don't believe I've ever had a fresh-off-the-stalk brussel sprout. I don't know that I've even had one that was grown anywhere close to my kitchen. And since I do love Brussel Sprouts I've decided to give them a try.

I'm late planting the seeds, of course. By something like 10 weeks, considering my last frost date is Apr. 29. But since they taste best after a frost, and since apparently you can keep the plant alive in the root cellar (toed into sand) for the better part of the winter, I decided that better late than never. I planted 18 cells... I really love brussel sprouts.

It seems that tomatoes seedlings are hardier than I'd given them credit for. The seedlings that had had the mold near them are developing their 2nd set of true leaves, and I found some seedlings in some spilled soil at the bottom of a container I'd abandoned. I transplanted them last night, so it will be interesting to see if they survived.

I really appreciate that tomatoes can withstand my kind of love.

Spring Planting

Mar. 21

I planted my tomato and red pepper seeds in soilless mix that I had bought in January (back to my super-keen, anxious-for-spring mindset). I used recycled juice /cream / milk containers that I had cut out into flats. I planted them a bit later this year than in previous years, because the Farmer's Almanac says this spring will be wetter and colder than average... I didn't want to have 2' plants in my living room window, waiting to be able to be put in the ground. Within 5 days the cherry tomatoes for the most part had sprouted up (except for the white varieties: the white currant and the white cherry). It was pretty exciting to see them pop up so early, by tomato standards. By day 7 most were fully sprouted. But the standards and peppers weren't showing much action...

Mar. 24

I noticed that mold had developed along the cardboard dividers I had placed in the containers to mark out the different varieties. I pricked out the plants, carefully avoiding the mold, and transplanted the seedlings (which still hadn't achieved their first true set of leaves) into bigger plastic containers (reused from last year), and used new soilless mix.

Mar. 26

Set down another batch of white cherry seeds, most of the standards again, and some different varieties of peppers. I also put down a huge batch of basil. This time By day 10 the standards and basil had started to sprout, but the peppers were still being stubborn. I also realized why I hate using starting mix with peat - the containers dry out so easily and then I find the little plants get drowned while the water pools on top, waiting to be absorbed. I was pleased to discover that the seedlings I'd transplanted prematurely to deal with the mold showed no sign of distress.

Apr. 1

Planted bunching and red onion seeds. I realized how late

Apr. 5

I gave in and bought 2 heating mats. After putting them under the flats I had sprouting peppers within 2 days. I had thought that putting them near my south facing wall would offset the cool 64 degrees we keep the house at... but clearly the mats were the trick. I bought the mats at my favourite seed / supply store (Tregunno seeds in Hamilton) and talked with John (my go-to guy for everything gardening - he lives close enough to me to be "local knowledge" and has years of experience to pass along) about the struggles with peppers. He said he had some pepper seeds that hadn't sprouted after 20 days. It was a relief to find out that they can wait it out so long in the moist soil without sprouting, and yet without dying or getting moldy.

Apr. 10

I planted out peas in one of the raised beds. I'm trying Gold and blue peas, as well as shelling peas. I am a pea lover, and can't even imagine a blue pea...

Today

Most of the flats are under lights and seem to be coming right along. The plastic plug and 2" square flat containers seem to work a lot better than the cardboard containers, and the toilet paper rolls that I had experimented with. I wouldn't try sprouting in the toilet paper rolls again - the roots of the seedlings had already gotten embedded in the rolls by the time I transplanted them and the rolls also seemed prone to the mold. I think that washing and reusing the plastic containers will be next year's choice. I am experimenting with 1 flat of basil in my south-facing, unobstructed window, to see how they fare compared to their relatives that were planted at the same time but which have lived under grow lights. The basil is also being grown as 'multi-transplant'... to date I haven't thinned them at all. I might try to leave a couple as multi's, just to see if, like onions, they will thrive in a bunch.

This week it'll be time to focus on kale, carrots, and getting the beds ready for the rest of the bunch...

Why I love Canada Post

Every day for the past couple of weeks I've eagerly checked the mailbox for the bubble mailers of seeds I've been expecting. I'm fortunate that most have been delivered - only once did I have to head into town to pick up a box that was too big for the mailbox.
So here they are. Dozens of small envelopes housing my dreams of delicious green goodness. The photo is blown out behind the box because of all the snow that still covers the backyard and garden.

Yes, there are far too many packages for me to use on my own. I did go a bit crazy with the ordering, but it's impossible not to on a cold January day when one dreams of fresh peas. In my defence, I have been dividing them up to give away to family and friends who might not otherwise have planted heirloom (and sometimes rare) seeds.

Who wouldn't want to plant dry beans with names like Wild Goose and Ireland Creek Annie? Or Snap beans like Lazy Housewife, Tiger's Eye (can also be eaten dry) or Garden of Eden? Then there were new peas to try (in the past I've grown Laxton's Progress and Sugar Snap) such as Golden Sweet, Blue Capuchijners Soup, and Lincoln Shelling.

The carrots sound exciting - Atomic Red, Dragon, Cosmic Purple, and Lunar White. I sent my niece and nephew a pack of Little Fingers so they could grow their own mini carrots.

I'm giving Harris Model parsnips one last try - I've had limited success with them for the past 2 years but this is a new seed pack so maybe I'll have better luck with germination this time around. I only recently read that seed viability for parsnips dramatically reduces with "old" seeds, so I hope that this new pack contains fresh seeds.

Spending time going through seed catalogues is a really good time, and for me it doesn't matter if I'm doing it on-line or with a hard copy. The names are descriptive and often charming, and reading about the heritage of the variety is always interesting. It's more entertaining than I would ever have imagined, in my BG (before gardening) days.

And then the mailers arrive, all via Canada Post and all for a reasonable cost. It's much like Christmas, opening the envelopes and seeing the seed packages spill out. They are so unassuming, and yet hold such promise.

Another unexpected benefit of the seeds being mailed was the opportunity to talk with my post office lady about what seeds we were ordering and planting. This lead to shared tips on successes and failures in seasons past, which then lead into promises of seed exchanging. This is someone whose name I don't know, but who will be giving me some sun cherry seeds in exchange for Matt's Wild Cherry tomato seeds.

I've passed the Canada Post excitement forward - once a week I mail my sister, niece, nephew and some friends an envelope with some seeds. They in turn get the thrill of grabbing their mail and finding not only bills and junk mail, but dreams of the summer to come.

The garden is snoring

Every time I take the dog out to the back 40 for a pee and a sniff, I almost believe I can hear the garden snoring. The snow is piled up over the raised beds and the stakes stand so lonely and cold looking.

This year I WILL put in some beds out in the back 40. This fall I WILL prep more beds for next spring. Ahhh... good intentions.

I've ordered my seeds and they are starting to come in. Fanciful things like "Magenta Mountain Orach" and Jaltomato and golden purslane. A whole range of cherry tomatoes (which I'm going to dry and roast for sauces and soups in the winter.... yummy) and new varieties I haven't grown before. I'm also going to try to grow Brussel Sprouts because I love to eat them and I hope they are even more delicious fresh.

Beans again, of course. But this year I'm trying the "Blue Pod Capuchijners Soup" pea. Apparently the flowers are beautiful and bi-coloured, and the pods start out a deep maroon and mature into a blue. How fun will that be.

To be honest, I am addicted to seed porn. I go onto the "Terra Edibles" and "Urban Harvest" websites and can spend hours browsing through each description. This year I also ordered from "Clover Road Seeds", "The Cottage Gardener" (who shipped almost as quickly as Terra Edibles but who have GREAT packaging... their envelopes contain not only planting instructions but also a thorough description of the vegetable or herb - helpful when you're trying something new) and "Greta's Organic Garden".

The Siloam Orchards website is pretty rough to get through, but it's a pretty fascinating read - who knew there were still so many apple varieties available to grow? I had hoped to plant apple trees this spring, but have decided I should go to the Farmer's Market where Siloam sells their apples and taste samples. What does a Bleinheim Orange taste like? or a Shiawassee, a Primate, a Sweet Bough? And what about the Rome Beauty or the Roxbury Russet? While the descriptions help you narrow down your choices, it's big commitment to make untasted. Same goes for the pears.

But I think I'll get a mulberry tree in this spring (and spend the rest of my life fighting the birds for the harvest) and hopefully more raspberries and some blueberries.

All of this depends on work, of course, and the weather. Again, great ambition but check in with me next fall.

I've once again started to gather up my tomato growing friends. Last summer I had some repeat customers from the first year of the project (although they don't blog, but neither do I it seems) and am hoping to branch out this summer. Last year's harvest was great, and I think if the weather holds then this summer I should be able to do even better. My biggest battle was with the spiders, who I think also ate the tomatoes (or at least didn't battle the slugs when they dined on my Cherokee Purples).

So once again it's exciting to be warm inside, dreaming of spring and the garden waking up.