Sunny and 75
Let’s gooooo! Ground temp has hit 52 degrees and it is absolutely beautiful today. When you finally have the weather to be outside and start implementing all those plans, you gotta get out and start putting some plants in the ground. Prioritize your tasks and decide what you want to do.
For me: Clean out a raised bed and sew the first succession of spinach and finally put out those romain plants I started 4 long weeks ago.
Strong to the finish... SPINACH!!
One of my oldest beds. Super simple and super cheap. Year 6 for this one.
Soil level is getting a bit low. I have to add about 4 bags of garden soil per year. Maybe I'll get that compost project rolling this year...
Topped off. 4 bags of soil. $34
Raised beds are hard to get your money back on. Turn and burn with quick harvests or heavy yeild items. That's Jet in the background. Number 1 reason I'll have to put a fence cover over this bed. Number 2 is cats. These are just giant litter boxes for them. At least the chickens could add a bit of nitrogen... nothing will kill a bed faster than cats doing their business in there.
Drop a spinach seed in a nice pretty trench about 1 every 6"
Soil temps hit 52 today. Perfect for cool weather greens. You can use your hand to dig a little ditch or use a short piece of wood to make nice even rows. This will make it easier to tell if it is a spinach plant or a weed when they come up.
Cover them up by pinching the soil over the seeds.
Make sure you water them with a rain head or sprinkler to keep the seeds in place. COVER IF YOU HAVE ANY ANIMALS ON THE PROPERTY. Seeds should be up withing 10 days.
Let us plant... Lettuce!!!
Round up your seedlings
Make sure these little plants you started 4 weeks ago are ready to go outinto the big show. Put them outside for a couple days prior to acclimate (harden off).
Space out an even 18 spots and get to planting
Till it up if the soil is compacted. About 10" apart in 3 rows. Simply use your hand to make a divot and drop these in. I'm always nervous about the plants I start from seed. I guess you're just a bit attached since you've been doting on them for a month.