I was one of them, I have to admit. One of those people so divorced from nature that I naturally presumed that a seed sown, was a plant grown. How many times did I ponder the many times you hear of people starving on farms in yesteryear, wondering, why don't they plan better and plant more. Come on people this is what you do.
Well do to some health issues, this amateur gardener left things downstairs, on the deck and in the cold frame on Saturday. Today I eventually managed to make my rounds, all 3 have suffered from different issues.
1) Downstairs was dry, but alive. Things under 6 tubes grow much faster than my last years 2 and its looks like a jungle. There is a lot of up-plotting needed and I will need to rid myself of a number of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, especially since I need the space now for new early outdoor crops which should been done by now.
2) On the deck, the trays I taken out are all pretty much dead. I think the tiny cabbage may survive and one or 2 others. All 3 types of Rappini, lettuce, 2 types turnips etc are dead. This was exposure damage, taking them out for some sun and acclimatization from the warm basement, and leaving them through a couple negative temperature and windy days.
3) Those in the cold frame are half dead. This includes all my onions, leeks, kales and broccoli etc. Its not the wind or the cold that did these, but the dry heat. We had a sunny 12 degrees day, and its bone dry in the cold frame. These died from lack of water, so I watered them and see which if any recover.
Having to start again a few weeks later is not the end of the world, especially since we having such a late spring (ground is still mostly frozen) and the new lights seems to speed up the germination process. I also have at least 10 sources of groceries within 2km. Maybe those pioneers new a few things more than I did.
With my bathtub sitting in the middle of the garden (future pond), the wind blown row cover, all the new wood chips and snow still on the ground, the 1st April 2014 is not feeling
very spring like yet.
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